Ice levels, in part because they are very bland visually and in part because they sometimes incorporate annoying ice physics.
What kinds of enviroments do you dislike as levels in a game?
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Well this one has been mentioned a fair bit, but I'll add to it.
Sewers.
Also, I absolutely hate cityscapes, and bombed out post-apocalyptic cityscapes.
They all just so unimaginative, and boring. And they force you to navigate a grid that quickly becomes tedious, and repetitious.
Give me any kind of natural environment instead. Forests, deserts, hilly grasslands, mountains, jungles, swamps, snowy winter landscapes.
And that goes for most kinds of games, whether they be RPG's, FPS's, racing games, or warfare simulators (Armoured Warfare, or War Thunder).
Sewers.
Also, I absolutely hate cityscapes, and bombed out post-apocalyptic cityscapes.
They all just so unimaginative, and boring. And they force you to navigate a grid that quickly becomes tedious, and repetitious.
Give me any kind of natural environment instead. Forests, deserts, hilly grasslands, mountains, jungles, swamps, snowy winter landscapes.
And that goes for most kinds of games, whether they be RPG's, FPS's, racing games, or warfare simulators (Armoured Warfare, or War Thunder).
Sewers, swamps, and railroads. They're cliche and visually boring. Worse still, most of them commit the unforgivable sin of having poison enemies and status affects. Some even slow you down. It's everything wrong with game design wrapped up in one package. I can't, for the life of me, understand how a developer thinks those are a good idea. It's even more confusing that tons of developers think that they're a good idea.
I have to agree with the thread's general opinion on lava (or rather, magma) cave for the sake of being lava levels. Although, when the aesthetics are something like Sonic and Knuckles' Lava Reef, with the cave being a gorgeous place filled with crystals in the foreground and off in the distance. ES4: Oblivion's areas set in the titular Oblivion were tedious and bland, so much I rarely went into a gate if it wasn't quest related.
What I really don't like but isn't a huge deal-breaker is graphics that try to be super realistic, but either have an "empty" feeling or the primitive aspects of the graphics break the illusion. I am usually occupied enough to not concentrate on it, but nearly every time I hit a slow point, I "see the seams" or feel like I'm in a fake world. Take any FPS that isn't set in a super scifi universe as examples. The environments are usually real world buildings and cities were certain details are expected. When I notice there isn't enough furniture or electric outlets for that building's purpose, all of the roadways are conveniently blocked by rubble except for where I need to go next, or the texture's are too blurry on an object, the willing suspension of disbelief is temporarily no longer willing. Fantasy or high scifi games and games with stylized art don't usually have that effect since I don't really know what should be there or my mind isn't looking for details.
What I really don't like but isn't a huge deal-breaker is graphics that try to be super realistic, but either have an "empty" feeling or the primitive aspects of the graphics break the illusion. I am usually occupied enough to not concentrate on it, but nearly every time I hit a slow point, I "see the seams" or feel like I'm in a fake world. Take any FPS that isn't set in a super scifi universe as examples. The environments are usually real world buildings and cities were certain details are expected. When I notice there isn't enough furniture or electric outlets for that building's purpose, all of the roadways are conveniently blocked by rubble except for where I need to go next, or the texture's are too blurry on an object, the willing suspension of disbelief is temporarily no longer willing. Fantasy or high scifi games and games with stylized art don't usually have that effect since I don't really know what should be there or my mind isn't looking for details.
Sadly, they did nerf the swimming controls somewhat. You have to hold another button to go at full speed and that uses magic power. If you're willing to buy Chateau Romani every new cycle, you at least can negate the magic issue. It feels a little slower, too, but not enough to be a total drag.Sable Gear said:
Any 'slow death' environment. This includes water, 'cause you can drown, and things that have a poisonous hazard which means you will die after a while. All this is because it forces an unnecessary time limit on things. I hate time limits.
It's not just that people plain dislike sewer levels. It always seemed more annoying that they are always written the same way every time though; "Looks like we got to take the sewers to get to point B, it is the safest way. Wait! What was that?!"
Lava levels and destroyed cities, uncomfortable to look at and navigate.
Arctic/Mountain levels are my absolute favourites, especially with frozen bodies of ice.
Arctic/Mountain levels are my absolute favourites, especially with frozen bodies of ice.
Blighttown. Screw that place.
Yeah other than that, anything that give you status effects, or slows you down, just frustrates like hell. I guess it can be done well, but rarely does it not piss me off, at least a little bit. I'm usually amused by the concept at the start, then just relieved to get the hell out of there by the end. And having to backtrack will be a real test in patience.
Also, hate navigating on very tight narrow walkways/beams while very high up spelling instant death or a crapload of backtracking if you fall off. Few places in Dark Souls like that too. Never a fun time. However, just navigating them is one thing. Having to fight or avoid projectiles that actually knock you off is, well, potentially game breaking depending on save points.
Yeah other than that, anything that give you status effects, or slows you down, just frustrates like hell. I guess it can be done well, but rarely does it not piss me off, at least a little bit. I'm usually amused by the concept at the start, then just relieved to get the hell out of there by the end. And having to backtrack will be a real test in patience.
Also, hate navigating on very tight narrow walkways/beams while very high up spelling instant death or a crapload of backtracking if you fall off. Few places in Dark Souls like that too. Never a fun time. However, just navigating them is one thing. Having to fight or avoid projectiles that actually knock you off is, well, potentially game breaking depending on save points.
Gonna go with Sewers. They're dark, cramped, sometimes poison and they almost always end up looking samey and boring(if not confusing and annoying). Sure, this is true of them in real life, but I don't like hanging out in real sewers either.
Also gonna go with warehouses/storage areas. Pretty much because they pop up way too often in video games and they're really boring and uninspired. I know it's hard to make a warehouse interesting(the one with all the missles and trip mines in Half Life was probably the best one) but that doesn't seem to stop people from using them over and over again.
It's fine if you want to use a Sewer or Warehouse to help the hero bypass enemy defenses or barries, but don't drag it out needlessly.
Also gonna go with warehouses/storage areas. Pretty much because they pop up way too often in video games and they're really boring and uninspired. I know it's hard to make a warehouse interesting(the one with all the missles and trip mines in Half Life was probably the best one) but that doesn't seem to stop people from using them over and over again.
It's fine if you want to use a Sewer or Warehouse to help the hero bypass enemy defenses or barries, but don't drag it out needlessly.
Water levels, in particular the ones that force you to go under and make your movement slow and floaty. I know that's how movement in actual water works because of buoyancy and increased resistance, but it rarely makes for fun gameplay.
Oddly enough, Hydrocity Zone in Sonic 3 is one of my favorite Sonic levels, but that's mostly because you can largely avoid going under with some map knowledge or just outright run across the surface in some places. Having one of the best tunes in the entire series also helps.
Oddly enough, Hydrocity Zone in Sonic 3 is one of my favorite Sonic levels, but that's mostly because you can largely avoid going under with some map knowledge or just outright run across the surface in some places. Having one of the best tunes in the entire series also helps.
I'll throw my lot in with team "to hell with sewer levels". Not only because they're generally dull, but also because they tend to break my immersion with thoughts like "no one builds sewer tunnels this large", and "... why is no one throwing up right now?"
Seriously. I've been in a waste treatment facility. Sewage smells a whole lot worse than it looks.
Also on the list are modern city areas, abandoned hospitals, ice areas that feature the "slide all over the place" gimmick. Any place that slows movement speed, and takes more than a couple of minutes to get through, and any large open place, filled with a whole lot of nothing.
As for areas that I generally dislike, but have found to be cool on occasion: Mountains, caves, ruins, factories of any sort, tankard ships or similar vessels, and any place people would move through, but seem to have no reasonable way to do so.
Seriously. I've been in a waste treatment facility. Sewage smells a whole lot worse than it looks.
Also on the list are modern city areas, abandoned hospitals, ice areas that feature the "slide all over the place" gimmick. Any place that slows movement speed, and takes more than a couple of minutes to get through, and any large open place, filled with a whole lot of nothing.
As for areas that I generally dislike, but have found to be cool on occasion: Mountains, caves, ruins, factories of any sort, tankard ships or similar vessels, and any place people would move through, but seem to have no reasonable way to do so.
I've got another one since I just went back and played a bit of Super Mario 3D World and a bit of Super Mario Sunshine. In those games, I just can't stand the haunted houses (or Boo houses). I liked Luigi's Mansion well enough and I played up to the first boss of Luigi's Mansion 2 before putting it down in favor of other games without any real complaint but in the core Mario games, I hate the Boo houses. I do love the castles though, be they mid-world or Bowser's most Neo of Castles.
It's hard for me to say I hate a level. Like, in Ark: Survival Evolved I hate going to the swamp because it's full of giant venonous snakes that hate you and will kill you. But that's sort of the point isn't it?
I hate Ravenholm (seriously fuck Ravenholm) but that's to the game's credit surely? 'We don't go to Ravenholm' for a reason.
The same goes for Oblivion in Oblivion. It's basically hell. I think you're supposed to not like it there. In fact, I hated it and Kvatch so much I never went there, just did sidequests for my whole playthrough, but boy did it leave an impression!
Sewer levels are pretty inexcusable I suppose...
I hate Ravenholm (seriously fuck Ravenholm) but that's to the game's credit surely? 'We don't go to Ravenholm' for a reason.
The same goes for Oblivion in Oblivion. It's basically hell. I think you're supposed to not like it there. In fact, I hated it and Kvatch so much I never went there, just did sidequests for my whole playthrough, but boy did it leave an impression!
Sewer levels are pretty inexcusable I suppose...