Most Atmospheric Final Levels

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

So I just recently reached the final Subspace levels in the Adventure Mode of Smash Bros. Brawl. It was a lot longer than I thought. But while the environment's trippy looks and obstacles were only mediocre and it's 'Great Maze' segment annoying, it made me realize just how long it had been since I could tell that a level was the final one merely by looking at it or listening to the music.
All the new games I've played in the past 3 years have failed in this, with the exception of Kingdom Hearts 2's 'World That Never Was'. This may have something to do with the fact that some games now spend 80% of their play time in pitch-dark netherworlds devoid of hope or order, or that the 2D games could simply go with a black background layer and either illuminate the surroundings as little as possible or make them extremely freaky.

What would you consider the most atmospheric, scary or definitive final level you've ever played? Consider looks, music, and the level's overall danger quotient.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Not exactly a single dungeon, but the part of .Hack//GU - Redemption where you visit all of the major landmarks from throughout the game to help various players fight the Cubia spawn in preparation for the battle with Cubia himself, to the tune of "Final Overture," was pretty epic.

Not to mention the march to Cubia Core, where a pair of teammates stay behind after each battle. The whole thing was really tense and provided an awesome ending to the trilogy.

 

[Duck Sandwich]

Spoiler: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Spoilers

The final dungeon in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. You go far, far below the surface of the world until you descend down a long, torch-lit staircase with grey stairs and grey brick walls. The final room at the bottom of the staircase is small. Again with a grey floor and grey brick walls. The only thing that's keeping this small, grey room, deep underground, from being pitch black is, again, torches. But this time, they're lit with purple flames. Ooo. Creepy. The focal point of the room is the large coffin from which the final boss emerges, complete with shaking, jagged, purple text boxes for speech.

 

[Good morning blues]

I always remember the Queen of Hearts' castle from American McGee's Alice. The levels of Half-Life 2 where I was free to run around sowing complete destruction in my path were awesome too, though.

 

[curlycrouton]

The final Call of Duty 4 level.

 

[Hoppetussa]

Does final boss' count? Anyway, that would be Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time. It was truly epic! When you enter the room you hear this creepy piano music which the man himself is playing. Then he turns around, and starts to talk. You know you are in deep shit now!
Then half of the floor disappears, and he starts to hover. After you returned hundreds of flying thunder bolts, you think you've killed him. But, no! It's not that easy. Then he transform to Ganon (the giant blue pig), and you are all like "Oh, shit!" The music just makes you sweat.
THEN he's really dead, and everyone in the game starts to dance. Most epic final boss/level EVER!

 

[rayman 101]

HL2 ep2 and FEAR.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Alone in the dark where you're driving throught New York.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

The last level of The Darkness was pretty cool because the demon starts taking more and more control from you while you play. Thematically, you're going to kill the final guy, but game design you're starting to realize that this thing you've been using to get ahead in the game is about to demand you pay up.

 

[jackanderson]

Most definately Call of Duty 4. The second that the car hits the bridge you know there's going to be tragedy. The chatter of your squad mates helps with this no end. A complete last stand scenario brings it to a close. The suspense that comes from the wait for all your squad mates to die during your defence on the bridge is murderous. After it all, I still managed to cry my eyes out. And I'm not not ashamed of that fact!

 

[internutt]

The final area of Majora's Mask inside the moon.

There was something really sinister about the green field with a single tree in it. The rest of the game was full of really weird and wonderful areas and this one really stood out as creepy, if only for feeling out of place.

 

[k3v1n]

The last level of The Darkness was pretty cool because the demon starts taking more and more control from you while you play. Thematically, you're going to kill the final guy, but game design you're starting to realize that this thing you've been using to get ahead in the game is about to demand you pay up.

yeah that was awesome ,also, as most people have said, the last level from cod 4

 

[spuddyt]

The final area of Majora's Mask inside the moon.

There was something really sinister about the green field with a single tree in it. The rest of the game was full of really weird and wonderful areas and this one really stood out as creepy, if only for feeling out of place.

that moon in general is psychadelic, I mean, just look at majora's incarnation!

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

The final areas of Mass Effect filled me with joy.

 

[feralfenix]

someones gotta mention the final boss fight of FF9...

Spoiler

after fighting off thousands of mist-monsters and loads of bosses (one of whom destroys a freakin' planet!) you end up at the ultimate end: fight death itself!

 

[Aardvark]

Hell, in Painkiller. Not so much for atmosphere, but artistically speaking, it was one of the most mind-blowing game levels I've ever had the fortune to play.

That house hit by the shockwave... that was beautiful.

 

[Ago Iterum]

Does final boss' count? Anyway, that would be Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time. It was truly epic! When you enter the room you hear this creepy piano music which the man himself is playing. Then he turns around, and starts to talk. You know you are in deep shit now!
Then half of the floor disappears, and he starts to hover. After you returned hundreds of flying thunder bolts, you think you've killed him. But, no! It's not that easy. Then he transform to Ganon (the giant blue pig), and you are all like "Oh, shit!" The music just makes you sweat.
THEN he's really dead, and everyone in the game starts to dance. Most epic final boss/level EVER!

All of the above!

All Zelda games know how to give you an awesome final battle that's worth playing through the game for.

 

[Manfesto]

I've been trying to find American McGee's Alice for ages. I can't find it anywhere! Will it be worth all the effort I put into looking if I finally get it?

 

[Grampy_bone]

The winner is, hands down, Sabotage at Soulforge, the final level of Thief 2. That level is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

 

[TheBadass]

Most definately Call of Duty 4. The second that the car hits the bridge you know there's going to be tragedy. The chatter of your squad mates helps with this no end. A complete last stand scenario brings it to a close. The suspense that comes from the wait for all your squad mates to die during your defence on the bridge is murderous. After it all, I still managed to cry my eyes out. And I'm not not ashamed of that fact!

I dig it man, I dig it.