👟 Vessis are the perfect gift under the tree and on your feet. Get the style and size you want now before they sell out! Check out their Holiday Sale at vessi.com/DESIGNDOC code DESIGNDOC for 15% off your entire order if you missed the sale. Free shipping to CA, US, AU, JP, TW, KR, SGP, “Online Store”
@@jordanhunter3375 Nothing is scheduled but I think we'll come back to this topic every 3 to 5 videos. So a few times a year most likely. Similar to how we do our boss fight videos.
Wario Land 4 has a fiery volcano level that transforms into an ice level once you hit the level's Frog Switch. Now you have to escape this level with everything frozen over; pathways are blocked off by lava geysers being frozen solid, the rock-tossing enemies of the level turn into ice-breath shooting enemies to freeze Wario solid. Pretty ballsy move for the game to throw out, considering every escape sequence is on a timer.
And I guess I should mention there's another ice level in the same game that's a giant freezer, exploring something of a mechanical viewpoint to ice levels.
@@EqualityEarth Fun fact: The temperature is specifically "40 Below" because they don't have to specify whether or not it's Celsius or Fahrenheit (as -40C and -40F are the same).
I love the idea of doing level themed videos, my only hope is one day a "spooky" theme for non-horror games, like Mario's boo houses or the graveyard in Banjo.
Platformers do this pretty often, is hard for me to think of a fairly long platformer that doesn't have at least one spooky section, such as Super Magbot, Super Meat Boy, maybe Celeste (unless the hotel and temple count), and maybe DK.
Ghost ennemies would be fascinating to talk about. Is there some RPGs where you can only attack them certain ways or are unattackable certain turns when they fade away in preparation for a sneak attack?
@@Game_Hero In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, ghosts can only be harmed by silver weapons and I think magic...? I haven't played too much of Oblivion and it's been a while since I last played it, so I'm not sure if there are any enchantments to make non-silver weapons capable of hitting ghosts or not. This is the only example that really came to mind.
I feel like it’s also worth mentioning winter’s effect on farming games. Most high profit crops won’t grow in the winter, so you’ll have to plan out other sources of potential revenue during the season or make do with the few crops that can actually grow in the winter. I remember when I was playing the first Story of Seasons on the 3DS, there were certain fish that only showed up in the winter (including one of the rarest), so I had to make absolute bank during autumn to prep myself for a season full of fishing. It was actually a lot of fun and gave a good break from tending crops. ETA: The emotional toil of fishing was compensated by the beautiful winter music in SoS1 tho
Friends of Mineral Town has pretty much nothing to do during the winter but mine and fish. So, they made a cave with all the most valuable gemstones available only in winter by placing it in the middle of a lake that freezes. Since the horse acts as a portable shipping box and time doesn't pass in the mine, you can make a lot of money in one day there.
This is also a factor in grand strategy games / empire builders where farming is a key component. In Civilization VI tundra is difficult to settle into, especially in the early game, since you cannot build farms for food there. Unless you have coastal access, a lot of nearby animals to sustainably hunt, a powerful trade network, or a more obtuse solution, food will be very scarce and your city will struggle to grow or get anything useful done. Then you have blizzards to worry about, so any food infrastructure you do have is liable to get destroyed on occasion. However because tundra is so hard to live in, other players are less likely to compete or fight for that land, and there may be rare resources, a natural wonder, a strategically important position, or just a lack of alternative options to make the challenge worthwhile. Plus there are a few civilizations that have unique bonuses to help them thrive the tundra, reaping those advantages with fewer drawbacks (Canada can build farms in tundra, Russian troops are immune to blizzard damage, and both have improved tundra yields in general). All of these interesting push and pull factors stem simply from the occasional storm and not being able to farm a certain terrain type.
One interesting approach to the "push blocks on ice" puzzle types comes from damn Ice Age Wii game were your three characters interact differently with it, the mamut cannot walk on it but his weight pushed other blocks, the tiger cannot walk on it nor push things but can go to a different goal and help cutting ropes, and damn Sid can skate on ice and push smaller blocks so he can push them from different directions.
Kirby Planet Robobot's mechanical ice cream world is amazing. It's not specifically a winter level, but it gives off the same vibe with the snow music and stiff. It's unique and fits the theme of the game.
Always makes me happy whenever I see someone mention Planet Robobot. Probably my favorite Kirby game, just FULL of fun ideas and consistently surprising you at every level.
@@Road_to_Dawn I know right? Robobot is amazing. It's such a great feeling when one of your favorite games is talked about. Personally my favorite is Return to Dreamland, and I felt like nobody talked about that game. Then the remake was announced and BOY was I happy...
@@Spilzu I need to pick Return to Dreamland back up! I started it a long time ago and never got very far. I really owe it to myself as a longtime Kirby fan. I was stoked to see the remake announced too :D
@@Road_to_Dawn Yeah it's great, especially if you go in blind. Like all Kirby games, it gets way better towards the end. I love how the level design feels more open than the other games. It's also harder because the secrets don't have the necessary power up right in front of it.
@@Road_to_Dawn Robobot is still the best Kirby game, Forgotten Lands doesn't come close for me. Fantastic levels, Robobot Armor is fun, hardest True Arena, and Poison Kirby is such an AMAZING Copy Ability on par with Fighter and Hammer for its damage output that nobody notices.
Snowing is a really nice looking weather even if it doesn't cover the floor with snow, in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 it looks justo so beautiful and relaxing it makes me go back to Fonsa Myma pretty often just to be lucky of getting that weather.
@@juanrodriguez9971 One of my favorite areas in Xenoblade is on the Bionis right elbow Valak Mountain just the snow is so pretty and nice and the crystals and how they shoot out light beams at night and the music in that area it is just so perfect
Yeah. Even in I am Setsuna, which is set entirely in winter, I don't get tired of the scenery. Also, I like the winter areas in Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana. They, like Setsuna, also feature really nice music for those areas.
One extra wrinkle in BoTW's cold areas is that, even if you have some sort of cold-resist buff applied, you still can't safely swim in the cold water. This is entirely realistic- warm clothes won't prevent hypothermia if they're sodden, and water conducts heat away from the body far better than air- but it's still an issue that other games may not consider
Part of the reason that I think so many sequels start in ice levels is for reinforcing the feeling of the narrative through the environment. See, very few environments resonate with the feeling of hopelessness, of having lost *everything* quite like a sunless, snowy wasteland... what better place than that for your protagonist to lose everything the got in the first game and have to start over from square one? Not saying that's the only story snowy locales can tell, but it's something they do best. There are few things that have the serenety of a snow-covered field with a bright blue sky, or a dark sky full of stars with the northern lights. It turns that negative isolation into a positive one, peaceful instead of oppressive, like it's just you and the big beautiful world out here, perfect freedom to do whatever you want. Perfect backdrop for snowboarding... And just like how the contrast of deeper shadows help bright lights shine even brighter, the contrast of a warm, cozy interior against the cold, unforgiving outside just amplifies how cozy it is, put the same interior space in a forest in the spring and it juts doesn't feel as snuggly.
I love Tantal in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, nice standard wintery themed level with great BGM, then at night it becomes a land of eldritch horrors, what's not to love?
Valak Mountain from the first game also gets points both for the crystals that light up at night, and absolutely over-the-top ice physics that let you jump half way across the map off a ramp
@@pentax2551 Personally I find ice levels more annoying than water levels (as platformers go), while water levels are annoying, at least I can predict movement. In RPGs ice levels are usually far less annoying.
My favorite area in Dark Souls 1 is the Painted World of Ariamis. You access it by going through a painting to some sort of area that is far removed from everywhere else, and it happens to be a snow level. It doesn't change the gameplay, but it has a very strong cold aesthetic. This place has a lot of strange creatures that appear nowhere else. It's implied that they were all banished there by the gods. I love how the cold and the unique story of this place combine into a very special atmosphere.
Twilight Princess has probably my favorite winter area in any game. Snowpeak Mountain has some of the BEST music in the game, haunting and evocative. And Snowpeak Ruins is one of most interesting dungeons in any Zelda game. I love that there are actually friendly NPCs that live there! I'm always happy to reach that part again on a second playthrough. (Also, shout out to the frozen Zora river in that game. I love the way the environment changes when you're finally able to melt it. )
I really enjoyed Sonic Manias Press Garden Zone, it's not a real winter level until Act 2, where the snow is reavealed to be Eggmans shredded propaganda papers after blowing up the factory by defeating Act 1s boss.
15:27 Man that was an experience my first time playing Breath of the Wild. The ways you could play through that bit were so diverse and applicable, it shows how much of a great game it was.
When you get a bit further on in BotW, you'll come across some elemental-infused weapons. By simply having them as the selected weapon carried on your back, one of them helps keep you warm on a cold temp areas and one helps keep you cool in the desert area.
I find it interesting you refer to these as 'winter' levels. Most often I find these levels are implied to take place in locations that have snow and ice year-round, such as tall mountains.
I really like the Alola Pokemon League, being a tropical region, the only place with ice and snow feels very different and the travel there really feels like being the ultimate challenge
Can't have a video like this that mentions shooter winter levels without talking about Cliffhanger from Modern Warfare 2. I'm not even a COD fan, but it's such a great and intense level. Everything from climbing up the cliff, to the stealth segments, to that sick snow mobile finish are peak adrenaline and fun!!!
Sometimes, winter levels can be about atmosphere and sound design - the mere act of adding a sound for your character's footsteps replicating the crackling and compression of snow when stepped on can work wonders in terms of atmosphere, if you ask me.
I would love a video about ruins-themed levels. Wether for the mechanics like crumbling floors/puzzles or with a role to the story, like doing some worldbuilding (giving this universe a sense of history) or by implicitly exposing in the background lore that will be tackled later on, unconsciously preparing you for it.
i think undertale does this really well, it has lore significance which is explained throughout the game, and makes the final area hit harder since it looks very similar
Winter in Harvest Moon style games tend to act as both a challenge for the unprepared or alternatively a break from a very busy fall season for more go-getting farmers. The first winter in particular can be a challenge, usually before the player has had a chance to accumulate much livestock or gotten a greenhouse. On the other hand it also grants you a lot more time to do other non-farming activities like mining or schmoozing with the locals. Honestly probably my favorite season in those kind of games.
I loved what Metroid Fusion did with ice theming. Introducing the cold areas and cold damage dealing enemies (in the form of damaging ice versions of the ones you normally pick up for health) just to emphasise that Samus was now weak to one of her most reliable weapons in previous games. Not to mention a nice little gag when you find a way around the latter and their AI makes them realise what's going on and start running away from you.
Rayman Origins ice/food world is definitely my favorite. The way you transition from the tropical food resort to the dragons' belly felt really smooth.
I really like the Katamari snow levels, they don't really play... differently, but in an entire game about rolling a ball to make it get bigger, rolling an actual snowball for once is a nice little treat.
I have mixed feelings about the cliff climbing segment. You have to stop and warm yourself up at regular intervals which is great in concept but in execution is mostly an annoyance on top of an already janky minigame. I think I spent more time virtually snowboarding at the Gold Saucer than I did on the actual mountain.
Like you said, different genres focus on different aspects of winter, mainly on the themes that most benefit their concept. Don't Starve's winter season focuses on the most joyful aspects of the season: scarcity and death. Most resources like berry bushes and grass tufts stop regrowing. Birch trees no longer provide their nuts. Not to mention it becomes extremely cold without insulating clothes or thermal stones to keep warm, and the nights become longer, putting you at greater risk of death by Charlie. The previous season, Autumn, focuses on exploration and resource gathering, so winter puts all of that to the test, making you rely on what you've collected to survive through a season that discourages exploring too far from home. Except, of course, it also has to put a few season exclusive resources out there to make you take the risk anyway and go out to get it. The McTusks only hunt during this time of year, and drop both a nice sanity restoring hat, and a tusk that goes into a very important speed boosting item. Not to mention pengulls will spawn, creating ice rocks that are worth mining for a useful crockpot filler and crafting resource. And all that without mentioning the ice themed horrors that will come for you. At least as an actual boon, food spoils less quickly than usual due to the cold, which is something. Looking forward to what else you'll talk about in this new series.
An AMAZING example of an ice level is the Hoarfrost Reach from Monster Hunter World Iceborne. Not bringing a hot drink into the level will let the cold environment gradually decrease the size of your stamina bar, so you either deal with it, use the hot drink, or cram your face with rations or steaks for minutes on end. Another great factor used in that level are the interactable hazards. In select parts of the map, you can drop a giant icicle on your enemies, cause a landslide, trap the monster in a frozen lake, or drop them onto a falling glacier. Ignoring the large factors, movement is heavily slowed down in the deeper parts of the snow, so you must equip a specialized skill to negate the slowed movement, and the only way to get said skill is to fight a monster in the Hoarfrost.
You already showed a few clips from it in the video, but Winter Horns from Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one winter level - or world, rather - that really resonated with me...as did just about every other world in the game, honestly. I loved the atmosphere, and how they played into nearly all sides of the winter theme. The environments appear desolate, yet cozy and welcoming - much like most of the game, but I especially felt it here for some reason. They use ice physics, as one would expect from a platformer, but I don't remember them being that bad, in fact I think they were actually quite fun. They also make heavy use of wind currents too, which have been a mechanic in many past Kirby games, but I think it especially fits the winter theme as it made me think of navigating through a harsh blizzard. And of course, they top it all off with an epic showdown against King Dedede. Definitely my favourite winter level in any game I've played so far, but then again, nearly everything in Forgotten Land is my favourite from any game I've played so far.
Ice Paradise from Sonic Advance 2 has immaculate vibes, and the fact that theres really only ice on downhill slopes means you get to use it for insane speed without hindering your control too much. Also the music for act 2 is a straight up banger
Mount Gagazet in Final Fantasy X is a great "thematic" ice level. This is quite a difficulty spike, or at least it was for me the first time. Fights are more difficult, you have no character to talk to while going through it, save sphere are rare too. This was the first time I felt kinda stressed to make sure I had enough items etc. You feel the struggle the characters go through while climbing. The boss awaiting you is a great challenge too. The cave is significantly easier, which truely feels like a place to rest before the end of the pilgrimage !
This is what I came to mention too. FFX's snowy area does such a fantastic job of setting the mood, setting up the climax, raising the stakes, etc. And the coldness/harshness of the cold aligns with that.
Probably my favorite ice area in any game is Wep’Keer from Okami. The atmosphere of the town is amazing. The lighting, icy weather and particularly the music really communicates Oina tribe’s position as the only thing standing between humanity and the demonic horde.
One must not forget Winters from Earthbound, man it's just such a great winter area. I don't even know specifically what it is about it but like the music and the colors and the scenery it all makes me so happy. And of course it's home to my favorite moment in the game, where you meet Bubble Monkey. Tessie is cool too. It just feels like a super happy winter area.
I think the music in the Mother series really makes the whole thing, especially so for the winter stages. I feel like people oft enjoy them purely for the possibility of hearing 'Snowman', because its just *THAT* good of a theme, and 'Winters' is no slouch either. They don't change much about the game except aesthetically, but it the music and visuals does heavy lifting
I really like winter-themed levels as a penultimate level, not the final one but the second last location, or close too it. A few Paper Mario games and Luigi's Mansion 2 do that really well in my opinion, maybe it's those that encourage this feeling in me that winter levels are always good near the end of games? Either way, I feel placing them there helps with really getting me to remember those levels, the atmosphere is usually a big standout from anything shortly before and after it and they always seem to stand out in my brain even after playing. Also helped by the fact that winter levels can be atmospherically beautiful, which feels stronger when you're approaching the end of a game. I can still remember the route theme of the snowy area in Pokemon X/Y extremely well and I haven't played that game in years- it's one of the strongest aspects of those game's nostalgia factor for me- even though the gameplay in those parts is forgettable I still remember the atmosphere, music, and feelings I got like it was yesterday. I dunno, just my thoughts spilling out of my head. TLDR; I think having winter levels near the end of a game really helps cement them into long term memory, they leave a strong impact when done right. It's a pretty common thing to have them there I feel but there's a reason- it works so well.
Having a winter level or world in the middle of a game can work, too. That's what Super Mario games do, and they're usually some of my favourite parts of their respective games.
i know not a lot of people know of this game but theres this online multiplayer horse game called starstable and they just recently added snow again for winter after it being removed for years to the disappointment of many players, and i just wanna say how cool it is implemented, because the snow has different actual thickness across the ground as opposed to being a flat texture like how it used to be, and you and other players can actually make grooves in the snow by walking/running through it where it will actually be lower. and you can see ones from other players as well. kind of like how swimming through ink in splatoon makes a small indent, but its just just an illusion of depth, it actually actively affects the mesh of the snow in 3d space, it is really cool, especially for a multiplayer game
Lets start the Official best winter stage music thread you can only nominate one. First one off the bat is no slouch as I never tire of hearing Metroid Prime's Phendrana Drifts.
I love Valak Mountain from Xenoblade 1, the crystals that glow at night, the beautiful music during day and night, the fun ice physics you can get hours of enjoyment out of, the story moments and importance to the plot, and now it looks even more beautiful in HD. Best area in the series, and my favorite area in any game.
As was wordlessly exemplified at the end with the Phendrana Drifts theme, the main attribute I always associate with ice levels is the music. Sometimes they go for the cheery holiday sound or the isolation and despair theme, but my favorite are the ice level themes that really exemplify the serenity and stillness of looking out at fresh, undisturbed ice and snow blanketing everything. I don't have the musical knowledge to be able to describe the instruments or techniques used to achieve that feeling, but they often have a sound that I can only describe as...crystalline. They're almost always my favorite.
I like Frosty Wheel from Kirby’s Epic Yarn. It throws in a new mechanic that isn’t seen anywhere outside of the level. Turning your car form into a sled. It makes the game feel a bit more fast paced without going as far as the monster truck. It’s so much fun trying to go from start to finish without ever slowing down. And the calming music is just the cherry on top.
I love the Ice Cave in FFIX, it always felt like the first time the game lets you go, plus a really challenging boss fight on your first play through when you don’t know it’s coming.
The MegaMan series imo consistently nails it's winter themed levels, especially the music. The serene mysterious theme of the Lake/Area F of MegaMan ZX, coupled with the stage design, the gimmick of ice slowing down your movement (instead of the classic slippery terrain) and the lore and story discoveries within the area, makes arguably one of the strongest levels in the entire franchise.
18:18 OkamiDen gets referenced in 2022! AWESOME! That DS exclusive needs more love, seriously. Its more-fleshed-out older brother, Okami, got ported to basically every single platform, whilst it is stuck on the DS despite being a good game with a great story and characters. I wish OkamiDen got the same attention; it's so good.
i really love one of the winter areas shown in this video in clips: xenoblade chronicle's valak mountain. it's winter in aesthetics alone, yeah, maybe some reduced visibility, but i truly love how it looks and feels. Unlike other areas, most of valak mountain is a sharp incline. It feels different to traverse such a vertical environment without stairs or climbable walls (though the vertically occasionally makes the very horizonzal combat mechanics difficult). Most of all, it's simply stunning at night. During the day, it's a regular winter area. Harsh snow and ice scattered everywhere. But at night, all the many crystals of ice light up, shooting beams of light into the sky and illuminating the whole area in a warm golden glow. I love it. For story thematics, valak mountain has the important location of ose tower; when you first see it, it's a place of death. It's where shulk's parents succumbed to the cold and died. However, later, you learn that the cold was just a clever fake out, and something entirely different happened there. The twist is great, as it takes advantage of a very realistic excuse. I like Valak Mountain :)
There’s 2 other things I wanted to mention, the bigger one is that Valak Mountain does have ice floors from time to time, and the ice physics are kind of hilarious with how over the top they are. The other thing is just a minor detail I thought I’d mention. You’ll notice that some of the creatures have horns that look kinda like the ice crystals. And sure enough, at night, they also glow in the dark. Always liked that little detail.
one of my favourite ice level design challenges was in spyro year of the dragon. I remember as a kid in icy peak, you can see underneath the ice that spyro was walking on was a ton of gems that you just couldn't get to. I remember trying to horn dive and crash through the ice a ton, and there was this big crack in the ice that i, as a kid, knew was the solution but no way to break it no matter how hard I tried. As an adult replaying it there's a way to get to a tall enough vantage point later in the level that leads you back to horn dive and crack through the ice to get underneath, but I always thought that was such a cool way of just showing there's gems somewhere, knowing there's gotta be a way to get to it, but that the solution isn't as obvious, all within the ice theme.
I'm kind of surprised "I am Setsuna" wasn't mentioned at all. That entire game is a big winter world. I'm usually not a big fan of winter themed segments in games, but "I am Setsuna" grew on me. I really like the Final Fantasy VI opening section too.
Celeste takes place in the snow a lot of the time but one area that stands out is the Core where you have to constantly switch between a fire and ice level. All the mechanics behave completely different in each theme and it creates some great moments.
In Atelier Sophie 2, you have to transform environments into snow areas. It's such a cool idea that opens up new paths if you change the water level, then freeze it with snow, and spawn new monsters and materials.
RPGs can turn the area themes into enemy themes. Like having enemies that freeze you in the winter area or enemies that poison you in the swamp area and so on. Pokemon kinda does that sometimes.
It's not quite the "winter level" like the ones mentioned in this video, but the icy zone in deep rock galactic is super cool. Mainly because it is just so beautiful. How the light system works in that game makes a beautiful crystal cave esque vibe to the whole map. The zone has some quirks regarding few unique mobs or some common mobs being frost variations and temperature is also a thing. But for me, its how the lighting makes a super cool looking zone.
Thank you for the Etrian Odyssey II mention, and entire stratum based on winter is PERFECT for this video. The block pushing puzzle was mentioned but I have to shout out the Ambush Wolves in The Fafnir Knight just because of how creative and difficult the puzzle is to figure out. They hide in the snow every few turns and make it impossible to see on your map, but they can always see you if you're in their line of sight regardless if they're hiding or not. Something about how that kind of attack just hits different, other FOEs do similar things across the whole series but this one is more natural. A supernatural creature becoming invisible out of nowhere is very different from an animal burying itself in the snow for a bit What's also cool in this series about ice floors is the FOEs get extremely disoriented when forcibly pushed onto them and their pattern changes accordingly. It's amazingly hilarious to trap one in a 1x1 space and watch it helplessly rotate in panic to try and escape
One interesting thing about the stratums in EO2: The first four all have some kind of ruined manmade structures in them. It's not just "oh look, another forest". You can see that people lived there at some point, and it gives them a unique atmosphere. And the thing that stuck out to me the most was the Frozen Grounds: The ruins in that stratum are aqueducts. It gives off a really unique sense of isolation and decline to see ruins of structures made for transporting water in an environment that is entirely frozen over. ...and then they ruin the beautifully forlorn atmosphere by having you be attacked by snowmen and walking fish. Those enemies were far too goofy for that kind of level design.
@@corhydrae3238 That's an EO game for you, all except V reuse the same designs but have to stick them in different places. But yeah I LOVE the subtle design of EO2's labyrinths, the further you go the more solemn the story gets. Having a quiet winter area enforces that in such a nice way and gates off Petal Bridge nicely. First the world has to freeze before it can thaw into something truly beautiful
You showed some bits of it, I'll never forget Valak Mountain. Well, just like every location in the game, it's so vast and the BGM matches it perfectly. The second you enter it, all you see is snow everywhere, it's actually a little hard to know where exactly you are, but when the night comes, it takes my breath away. Xenoblade has lots of locations where exploring during the night is better than the day, like Valak, Eryth Sea, Satorl Marsh, truly a masterpiece.
@@inferno1371 yes! Monolithsoft are masters at creating breathtaking vistas, even though they work with inferior hardware, no 4k game location stays on my mind quite like theirs
Deep Rock Galactic's Glacial Strata area is a great example: Snow patches are slower to walk on, but can break your fall if you aim for them. Blizzards reduce your visibility and apply a constant source of coldness to your characters, which can eventually temporarily freeze you. The caves are littered with steam vents that warm you up. There's huge ice spikes in the ceilings that can fall to damage you and enemies. There's flash-freezing plants that blow up when you shoot them, and ones that freeze into platforms too. Not to mention just how beautiful the whole place looks.
I completely forgot about New Super Mario Bro’s Ice levels with the falling snow mechanic in which whenever you run past a tree snow would fall. What’s y’all’s opinion on that? I think it’s pretty cool.
I love the winter levels in Kirby's Epic Yarn. There are enemies there that make these big snowballs and roll them at you. Sometimes the snowballs are just an obstacle, but sometimes you need to ride on top of them in order to reach hidden areas.
You know, a winter "level" in a farming sim can be a major pace breaker. Yes, I am talking about the Winter season of Stardew Valley, where in a game all about managing your crops, its the one season where jack all grows! This gives players time to try out other features like Mining, Combat, and Fishing more to make up for lost crops profits, upgrade your tools when you know they are not being heavily used, or maybe even taking some days to plan out your farm to have it look nice, pretty, and a touch more efficient when the next Spring rolls around.
First thing that comes to mind is I Am Setsuna. No real winter mechanics, but the entire game is set during winter. It doesn't offer a whole lot of variation, but it does give a very unique vibe. The soundtrack is also great. Survival games can often make winter harder than the other seasons. Lack of food, hard to travel, and the cold. In UnReal World, the real danger of winter is actually boredom. There's much less to do, so you're more likely to get into trouble yourself by doing things you probably shouldn't. Of course, it is by far the most difficult season, but there are some benefits like travelling over water, and if you have proper snow traversal equipment (a few shaped sticks) you can chase down prey that can't move as fast, or lose stamina faster than you. Food also don't spoil, and you can dry it to last a year or something. Phendrana Drifts has great music. The ice mechanic as far as I remember are mostly just ice-themed barriers you shoot at so they go away, which is pretty standard for the franchise. I also like the music in the snow level of The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse. Some ice slides that are a bit fun, and the fireman costume have some unique interactions with the water hose. But the best winter-themed piece of music is the remix Death on the Snowfield. Not related to wintery gameplay mechanics, though. The snowboard minigame in Final Fantasy 7 is awesome. Very simple, but it feels nice to play. Hope they'll do it justice in the remake. There are also some winter mechanics that makes it more difficult to traverse. I largely dislike block pushing puzzles, and the ice ones, including where you're the block, are just as bad. Main reason I never tried Baba Is You. When it comes to those kinds of puzzles, the best I've played is probably an RPG Maker game called Notes From Province. It's free on Itch.io, Steam, and rpgmaker.net if you want to try it out. Overall great puzzles, including many of the battles.
i was glad you showed a short clip of journey-- that really brought back memories. one of the few winter levels where i could feel the work it took to walk, and i felt weary and wanted to squint to keep the oppressive snowy wind out of my eyes.
18:13 I think my favorite part of that area in Etrian Odyssey is that the boss is sitting in the middle of a giant frozen lake surrounded by ice blocks, and if done correctly, you can push them onto her to lower her health and give you a headstart (that you’ll probably need; that boss is hard even for EO). However, she‘s also protected by two tentacles that‘ll not only join the fight from the start if you go in directly, but also push back any blocks sent her way and change their position to follow the direction you’re in with a 2-step lag. So the challenge is not only to position the ice blocks, but also yourself to reach and push them in time before they can catch up. That, and the path towards bosses is usually not only blocked by your usual labyrinth antics, but also paths that are technically passable, but blocked off by what are essentially mini bosses. So you get the choice of either brute-forcing your way though and challenging them, or taking the long way to clear the path by solving those ice sliding puzzles to chuck ice at them and clear the way.
One of my favourite archetypes is the frozen over levels. Where an already familiar area is given an icy coat. You addressed this briefly with Tropical Freeze, but places like Opelucid in BW2 and Artaria/Cataris in Dread also come to mind.
To me, the most unforgettable winter level was in Panzer Dragoon Orta. You spend all other levels of the rail shooter in the air, flying and shooting, but your dragoon runs in the serene winter level after getting shot down. Just beautiful and heart wrenching to see how determined they are to keep going.
You alluded to it with the music at the end of the video, but yeah, Phendrana Drifts in Metroid prime is an awesome winter level. Mechanically, it doesn't do a lot with the theme (there are a few puzzles with destructible blocks of ice IIRC) but the atmosphere is breathtaking, such an incredible change of pace! Speaking of Metroid, Metroid Dread has an interesting twist around the idea of a cold level that I won't spoil, but it was pretty cool!
Just wanted to say great job and the mention of FE: Binding Blade makes me so happy. That game does not nearly as much love as it deserves! And ice level I love is the first section in Spirit of the North. It doesn't impact much, but just seeing the fox dash through snow and slide on ice is so fun and cute.
I always think of the Christmas NiGHTS mode from NiGHTS Into Dreams. it's pretty much the same except everything is Christmas themed and there's a cute little story explanation for it. Also shoutout to NSR for taking a page out of their book to do basically the same thing
The snowy airfield level in the original Modern Warfare 2 will always stick out to me. The low visibility being a good teaching moment with the heart beat sensor and the amount of tension with it being a stealth level just makes it really memorable.
Yeah, that level came to mind IMMEDIATELY when he got to shooters and I was sad he didn't use it as an example. You even got to do some ice-climbing to build up narrative tension to start! I always loved that level.
Rayman 3 wasn't mentioned but handles it great as well. I personally like how you spend most of the level gradually treking up this huge mountain only to then snowboard down it with this sped up hard rock rendition of the previous music that was playing.
i can't believe he didn't talk about Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games, which is essentially a variation of an entire franchise, but during winter
I like Snowy Mountain in Jak and Daxter. The bells in the musical composition in combination with the snow and ice throughout the level are so wonderfully paired.
The choice of Tales for JRPG representation is a good one. They do love to use moments in the snow to cap off a major story beat or character development. Heck, it often even make it to the opening of the games. Even if it's a bit cliché, they used it well, and to me they're pretty iconic of the games. I never lived in a place that has winter or snow, but I appreciate the often intimate feel the Tales games gave its snow moments, it's cool.
In Drawn To Life the game begins in a frozen setting, for the world has been swallowed by darkness and even the sun has stopped shining. As you progress trough the first (snowy) levels and get rid of darkness, the snow gradually melts away and finally the world is revealed for what it truly is. I've always loved that concept.
winter in the last of us adds so much to the storytelling and emotions. it's a stage when Elli has to fight for herself and Joel. she gets captured and experiences extreme fear from people. as if she has been abused. and she also needs to kill for the firet time. the feelings of heavy drama, isolation, despair, loneliness and how harsh it is to survive winter is felt through the entire chapter. and also the beauty of snow in the woods hunting the deer.
Did you... did you just mention Etrian Odyssey? I am amazed and overjoyed that one of my favorite dudes who talks about game design on youtube knows my favorite hidden gem of a game series. On the topic of this video series, I think it makes sense that you started with ice levels for the appropriate winter theming right now, and ice levels are a great way to showcase how much the theme can impact the gameplay of a level. But for an overarching structure, it might make sense to vaguely follow along the "sorting algorithm of threatening geography"-trope, where videogames often tend to start in a relatively peaceful, nonthreatening environment, and then build up the threat level over the course of the game. You know, start with a good old forest theme, plains, beaches, caves, water levels, then canyons and deserts, ice levels and volcanoes. Would be a nice thread to string this whole series along.
The ice level that marked me are - the Christmas town in Kh2 because it was a nice change in the halloween level. - the first ice sledge in mario 64 (never was able to finish it as a kid) - the Valak mountain in xenoblade chronicles 1 (Wii version) because of how it changed during night-tlme ... and because the world Ice cabbage still give me the chills. loved the "pokemon no-ice edition" :)
I really like Circhester and the ebtirety of the Crown Thundra dlc. It has some of the best winter music I've heard. Another one I enjoy for feeling like a winter level with calm music that somehow fits the tone is the escape from echo base mission in lego starwars Complete saga.
I was extremely happy that you closed the video with the song from Phendrana drifts (Metroid Prime). For me, it's one of the more immersive areas in a game I ever experienced and that song counts a lot towards this feeling
Thank you so much for covering so many genres in this video. I was hoping to find some inspiration for RPG's and was very happy when you finally got to them as well.
Frozen Altars from Spyro Year of the Dragon is one of my favorites. Sure it has some ice floor, but the big mechanic change is the ice breath replacing your fire breath. It isn't much, but I like the uniqueness of the whole thing.
I think my favorite winter level was going to the top of the twin mountains and seeing th huge ice dragon in BOTW, it was amazing to see and felt like I had explored something I should have never seen and now I have memory stuck in my head
We can't forget that winter levels have another really cool thing up their sleeve. Awesome icy music. Your own vid showed off Freezeezy Peak and Phendrana Drifts, two of my favorite game songs. There's lots of great icy music.
The ice physics in Xenoblade Chronicles being so absurd will always be something I adore The fact it just sends you fuckin' flying is so charming. I love it!
I don't know if it's an ice "level" per se, but Tundras, and glacier sheets make for incredibly fun challenges in Rimworld. It affects every aspect of the game. Your colonists move slower in the snow, food is more scarce, and more difficult to grow, and you need to make winter clothes for your team to stave off hypothermia. It changes the hierarchy of what research is important, and forces you to make hard choices, like forgoing armor for better insulation, or allowing someone's hypothermia to get worse in order to handle an urgent situation. Really fun piece of design
I love the twist Spyro the Dragon took on "ice physics": Being a quadruped with claws that give very good traction, Spyro's footing isn't hindered at all by slick, icy floors. However, you can now ram into and defeat heavy bipedal gnorcs who would normally resist ramming attacks because _they_ have poor footing on that surface and can be easily knocked down in the ice level while they wouldn't be in other levels.
The video is about how winter levels can offer variety by changing the established setting and mechanics of a game. Frostpunk is all winter, all the time, so the winter isn't providing a change from anything.
I’ve got one that’s less winters but still ice-heavy: The Hollow, from Enter the Gungeon. The entire area is heavily suggested to be a crypt of sorts, with tables replaced by coffins and skeletal motifs aplenty, but the prevailing elemental theming is ice. Slippery floors, icy blobulons, and a general aesthetic touch complete the scene for a very diet-winter feel. Of course, this can be really easy to ignore if you have any form of hover/flight.
👟 Vessis are the perfect gift under the tree and on your feet. Get the style and size you want now before they sell out! Check out their Holiday Sale at vessi.com/DESIGNDOC code DESIGNDOC for 15% off your entire order if you missed the sale. Free shipping to CA, US, AU, JP, TW, KR, SGP, “Online Store”
Will you be doing these Themed Level videos regularly, or at least once a month?
So how cold can it get before Vessi aren't warm enough? -10C? -20, -30 -40C?
Where I live is a Winter level about 6 months out of the year...
@@jordanhunter3375 Nothing is scheduled but I think we'll come back to this topic every 3 to 5 videos. So a few times a year most likely. Similar to how we do our boss fight videos.
Une seule vessie me suffit ;p
@@DesignDoc hey design doc can you make a video on what makes a good educational game with brain age like games as example
Wario Land 4 has a fiery volcano level that transforms into an ice level once you hit the level's Frog Switch. Now you have to escape this level with everything frozen over; pathways are blocked off by lava geysers being frozen solid, the rock-tossing enemies of the level turn into ice-breath shooting enemies to freeze Wario solid. Pretty ballsy move for the game to throw out, considering every escape sequence is on a timer.
And I guess I should mention there's another ice level in the same game that's a giant freezer, exploring something of a mechanical viewpoint to ice levels.
Reminds me of The Core from Celeste
Warioland 4 is so bomb
40 below fridge. An odd title while you’re a kid
@@EqualityEarth Fun fact: The temperature is specifically "40 Below" because they don't have to specify whether or not it's Celsius or Fahrenheit (as -40C and -40F are the same).
I love the idea of doing level themed videos, my only hope is one day a "spooky" theme for non-horror games, like Mario's boo houses or the graveyard in Banjo.
Platformers do this pretty often, is hard for me to think of a fairly long platformer that doesn't have at least one spooky section, such as Super Magbot, Super Meat Boy, maybe Celeste (unless the hotel and temple count), and maybe DK.
We don't go to Ravenholm...
@@juanrodriguez9971 Donkey kong has Creepy castle in donkey kong 64 and the forest in donkey kong country 2 and jungle climber.
Ghost ennemies would be fascinating to talk about. Is there some RPGs where you can only attack them certain ways or are unattackable certain turns when they fade away in preparation for a sneak attack?
@@Game_Hero In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, ghosts can only be harmed by silver weapons and I think magic...? I haven't played too much of Oblivion and it's been a while since I last played it, so I'm not sure if there are any enchantments to make non-silver weapons capable of hitting ghosts or not. This is the only example that really came to mind.
One of the best features in winter levels is the soundtrack. These peaceful tunes always get to me
Phendrana Drifts from Metroid Prime 1 >>>
The fact that a playlist of game music consisting only of winter themed levels can be over 100 songs says a lot.
Freezeezy Peak.
For me, it's Route 216 daytime in Pokemon D/P/Pla.
Tantal from Xenoblade 2 >>>>>>>>
I feel like it’s also worth mentioning winter’s effect on farming games.
Most high profit crops won’t grow in the winter, so you’ll have to plan out other sources of potential revenue during the season or make do with the few crops that can actually grow in the winter. I remember when I was playing the first Story of Seasons on the 3DS, there were certain fish that only showed up in the winter (including one of the rarest), so I had to make absolute bank during autumn to prep myself for a season full of fishing. It was actually a lot of fun and gave a good break from tending crops.
ETA: The emotional toil of fishing was compensated by the beautiful winter music in SoS1 tho
Friends of Mineral Town has pretty much nothing to do during the winter but mine and fish. So, they made a cave with all the most valuable gemstones available only in winter by placing it in the middle of a lake that freezes.
Since the horse acts as a portable shipping box and time doesn't pass in the mine, you can make a lot of money in one day there.
This is also a factor in grand strategy games / empire builders where farming is a key component.
In Civilization VI tundra is difficult to settle into, especially in the early game, since you cannot build farms for food there.
Unless you have coastal access, a lot of nearby animals to sustainably hunt, a powerful trade network, or a more obtuse solution, food will be very scarce and your city will struggle to grow or get anything useful done.
Then you have blizzards to worry about, so any food infrastructure you do have is liable to get destroyed on occasion.
However because tundra is so hard to live in, other players are less likely to compete or fight for that land, and there may be rare resources, a natural wonder, a strategically important position, or just a lack of alternative options to make the challenge worthwhile.
Plus there are a few civilizations that have unique bonuses to help them thrive the tundra, reaping those advantages with fewer drawbacks (Canada can build farms in tundra, Russian troops are immune to blizzard damage, and both have improved tundra yields in general).
All of these interesting push and pull factors stem simply from the occasional storm and not being able to farm a certain terrain type.
One interesting approach to the "push blocks on ice" puzzle types comes from damn Ice Age Wii game were your three characters interact differently with it, the mamut cannot walk on it but his weight pushed other blocks, the tiger cannot walk on it nor push things but can go to a different goal and help cutting ropes, and damn Sid can skate on ice and push smaller blocks so he can push them from different directions.
There's an example I'm unlikely to find elsewhere in these comments
you just brought back some memories I forgot about
Kirby Planet Robobot's mechanical ice cream world is amazing. It's not specifically a winter level, but it gives off the same vibe with the snow music and stiff. It's unique and fits the theme of the game.
Always makes me happy whenever I see someone mention Planet Robobot. Probably my favorite Kirby game, just FULL of fun ideas and consistently surprising you at every level.
@@Road_to_Dawn I know right? Robobot is amazing. It's such a great feeling when one of your favorite games is talked about. Personally my favorite is Return to Dreamland, and I felt like nobody talked about that game. Then the remake was announced and BOY was I happy...
@@Spilzu I need to pick Return to Dreamland back up! I started it a long time ago and never got very far. I really owe it to myself as a longtime Kirby fan. I was stoked to see the remake announced too :D
@@Road_to_Dawn Yeah it's great, especially if you go in blind. Like all Kirby games, it gets way better towards the end. I love how the level design feels more open than the other games. It's also harder because the secrets don't have the necessary power up right in front of it.
@@Road_to_Dawn Robobot is still the best Kirby game, Forgotten Lands doesn't come close for me. Fantastic levels, Robobot Armor is fun, hardest True Arena, and Poison Kirby is such an AMAZING Copy Ability on par with Fighter and Hammer for its damage output that nobody notices.
I always love the winter aesthetic in games so many snow levels look so pretty and lovely it is just so pleasing to the eyes
Snowing is a really nice looking weather even if it doesn't cover the floor with snow, in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 it looks justo so beautiful and relaxing it makes me go back to Fonsa Myma pretty often just to be lucky of getting that weather.
@@juanrodriguez9971 One of my favorite areas in Xenoblade is on the Bionis right elbow Valak Mountain just the snow is so pretty and nice and the crystals and how they shoot out light beams at night and the music in that area it is just so perfect
Yeah. Even in I am Setsuna, which is set entirely in winter, I don't get tired of the scenery.
Also, I like the winter areas in Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana. They, like Setsuna, also feature really nice music for those areas.
Winter aesthetic is just nice in the real world in the first place
@@Shrek_es_mi_pastor depends, it can be beautiful or gross if is dirty snow.
I think it'd be pretty hard not to make a cool winter level
Winter in a cabin with a really hot fire.
Simple, just make the level take place in Ecuador
I see what you did there
Easy: make a normal platforming stage, designed around normal physics, and then give it slide-y physics without any other changes.
*buh dum, tss*
One extra wrinkle in BoTW's cold areas is that, even if you have some sort of cold-resist buff applied, you still can't safely swim in the cold water. This is entirely realistic- warm clothes won't prevent hypothermia if they're sodden, and water conducts heat away from the body far better than air- but it's still an issue that other games may not consider
Part of the reason that I think so many sequels start in ice levels is for reinforcing the feeling of the narrative through the environment. See, very few environments resonate with the feeling of hopelessness, of having lost *everything* quite like a sunless, snowy wasteland... what better place than that for your protagonist to lose everything the got in the first game and have to start over from square one? Not saying that's the only story snowy locales can tell, but it's something they do best. There are few things that have the serenety of a snow-covered field with a bright blue sky, or a dark sky full of stars with the northern lights. It turns that negative isolation into a positive one, peaceful instead of oppressive, like it's just you and the big beautiful world out here, perfect freedom to do whatever you want. Perfect backdrop for snowboarding...
And just like how the contrast of deeper shadows help bright lights shine even brighter, the contrast of a warm, cozy interior against the cold, unforgiving outside just amplifies how cozy it is, put the same interior space in a forest in the spring and it juts doesn't feel as snuggly.
I love Tantal in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, nice standard wintery themed level with great BGM, then at night it becomes a land of eldritch horrors, what's not to love?
Valak Mountain from the first game also gets points both for the crystals that light up at night, and absolutely over-the-top ice physics that let you jump half way across the map off a ramp
@@talonhowe8131 Valak Mountain Night theme 😵😵😵
Tantal Night 😫😫😫
@@talonhowe8131 wait, it's called Valak Mountain? I thought it was xalled Superboss Nest.
@@YoshiAteTooManyYoshiCookies it's actually called "Hahaha funny ice slides goes weeeeeeeeeeee !"
Winter levels are either the best or the worst: no middle ground.
@darkxarth it's a slippery slope 😏
Yeah looking at you dark souls 2…
Eh, I've played quite a few that are perfectly middle-ground. Not the worst or best part of the game.
More on the annoying side for me. I think Water is a lot more polarising (pun intended)
@@pentax2551 Personally I find ice levels more annoying than water levels (as platformers go), while water levels are annoying, at least I can predict movement. In RPGs ice levels are usually far less annoying.
My favorite area in Dark Souls 1 is the Painted World of Ariamis. You access it by going through a painting to some sort of area that is far removed from everywhere else, and it happens to be a snow level. It doesn't change the gameplay, but it has a very strong cold aesthetic. This place has a lot of strange creatures that appear nowhere else. It's implied that they were all banished there by the gods. I love how the cold and the unique story of this place combine into a very special atmosphere.
Twilight Princess has probably my favorite winter area in any game. Snowpeak Mountain has some of the BEST music in the game, haunting and evocative. And Snowpeak Ruins is one of most interesting dungeons in any Zelda game. I love that there are actually friendly NPCs that live there! I'm always happy to reach that part again on a second playthrough.
(Also, shout out to the frozen Zora river in that game. I love the way the environment changes when you're finally able to melt it. )
I really enjoyed Sonic Manias Press Garden Zone, it's not a real winter level until Act 2, where the snow is reavealed to be Eggmans shredded propaganda papers after blowing up the factory by defeating Act 1s boss.
HOOOLD the phone, thats NOT actual snow? I have been bamboozled.
I never realized that! That's super clever!
15:27 Man that was an experience my first time playing Breath of the Wild. The ways you could play through that bit were so diverse and applicable, it shows how much of a great game it was.
i had no idea the warm doublet existed until this video.
@Koatam Buddy I sure felt stupid when I found that object in-game.
When you get a bit further on in BotW, you'll come across some elemental-infused weapons.
By simply having them as the selected weapon carried on your back, one of them helps keep you warm on a cold temp areas and one helps keep you cool in the desert area.
breath of the wild would literally be one of the best games ever if its final boss didnt suck so much
I find it interesting you refer to these as 'winter' levels. Most often I find these levels are implied to take place in locations that have snow and ice year-round, such as tall mountains.
route 216 is my favorite part of diamond/pearl/platinum. theres something about those few routes thats so comforting to be in.
I really like the Alola Pokemon League, being a tropical region, the only place with ice and snow feels very different and the travel there really feels like being the ultimate challenge
Can't have a video like this that mentions shooter winter levels without talking about Cliffhanger from Modern Warfare 2. I'm not even a COD fan, but it's such a great and intense level. Everything from climbing up the cliff, to the stealth segments, to that sick snow mobile finish are peak adrenaline and fun!!!
Sometimes, winter levels can be about atmosphere and sound design - the mere act of adding a sound for your character's footsteps replicating the crackling and compression of snow when stepped on can work wonders in terms of atmosphere, if you ask me.
I would love a video about ruins-themed levels. Wether for the mechanics like crumbling floors/puzzles or with a role to the story, like doing some worldbuilding (giving this universe a sense of history) or by implicitly exposing in the background lore that will be tackled later on, unconsciously preparing you for it.
i think undertale does this really well, it has lore significance which is explained throughout the game, and makes the final area hit harder since it looks very similar
Winter in Harvest Moon style games tend to act as both a challenge for the unprepared or alternatively a break from a very busy fall season for more go-getting farmers. The first winter in particular can be a challenge, usually before the player has had a chance to accumulate much livestock or gotten a greenhouse. On the other hand it also grants you a lot more time to do other non-farming activities like mining or schmoozing with the locals. Honestly probably my favorite season in those kind of games.
I loved what Metroid Fusion did with ice theming. Introducing the cold areas and cold damage dealing enemies (in the form of damaging ice versions of the ones you normally pick up for health) just to emphasise that Samus was now weak to one of her most reliable weapons in previous games. Not to mention a nice little gag when you find a way around the latter and their AI makes them realise what's going on and start running away from you.
Rayman Origins ice/food world is definitely my favorite. The way you transition from the tropical food resort to the dragons' belly felt really smooth.
I really like the Katamari snow levels, they don't really play... differently, but in an entire game about rolling a ball to make it get bigger, rolling an actual snowball for once is a nice little treat.
FF7 does a pretty good job utilizing its winter level with a maze and a snowboarding minigame!
I have mixed feelings about the cliff climbing segment. You have to stop and warm yourself up at regular intervals which is great in concept but in execution is mostly an annoyance on top of an already janky minigame.
I think I spent more time virtually snowboarding at the Gold Saucer than I did on the actual mountain.
Like you said, different genres focus on different aspects of winter, mainly on the themes that most benefit their concept.
Don't Starve's winter season focuses on the most joyful aspects of the season: scarcity and death. Most resources like berry bushes and grass tufts stop regrowing. Birch trees no longer provide their nuts. Not to mention it becomes extremely cold without insulating clothes or thermal stones to keep warm, and the nights become longer, putting you at greater risk of death by Charlie. The previous season, Autumn, focuses on exploration and resource gathering, so winter puts all of that to the test, making you rely on what you've collected to survive through a season that discourages exploring too far from home. Except, of course, it also has to put a few season exclusive resources out there to make you take the risk anyway and go out to get it. The McTusks only hunt during this time of year, and drop both a nice sanity restoring hat, and a tusk that goes into a very important speed boosting item. Not to mention pengulls will spawn, creating ice rocks that are worth mining for a useful crockpot filler and crafting resource. And all that without mentioning the ice themed horrors that will come for you.
At least as an actual boon, food spoils less quickly than usual due to the cold, which is something. Looking forward to what else you'll talk about in this new series.
An AMAZING example of an ice level is the Hoarfrost Reach from Monster Hunter World Iceborne. Not bringing a hot drink into the level will let the cold environment gradually decrease the size of your stamina bar, so you either deal with it, use the hot drink, or cram your face with rations or steaks for minutes on end. Another great factor used in that level are the interactable hazards. In select parts of the map, you can drop a giant icicle on your enemies, cause a landslide, trap the monster in a frozen lake, or drop them onto a falling glacier. Ignoring the large factors, movement is heavily slowed down in the deeper parts of the snow, so you must equip a specialized skill to negate the slowed movement, and the only way to get said skill is to fight a monster in the Hoarfrost.
You already showed a few clips from it in the video, but Winter Horns from Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one winter level - or world, rather - that really resonated with me...as did just about every other world in the game, honestly. I loved the atmosphere, and how they played into nearly all sides of the winter theme. The environments appear desolate, yet cozy and welcoming - much like most of the game, but I especially felt it here for some reason. They use ice physics, as one would expect from a platformer, but I don't remember them being that bad, in fact I think they were actually quite fun. They also make heavy use of wind currents too, which have been a mechanic in many past Kirby games, but I think it especially fits the winter theme as it made me think of navigating through a harsh blizzard. And of course, they top it all off with an epic showdown against King Dedede.
Definitely my favourite winter level in any game I've played so far, but then again, nearly everything in Forgotten Land is my favourite from any game I've played so far.
Ice Paradise from Sonic Advance 2 has immaculate vibes, and the fact that theres really only ice on downhill slopes means you get to use it for insane speed without hindering your control too much. Also the music for act 2 is a straight up banger
I prefer act 1's theme a little more, but both are great. Advance 2's OST is full of bangers.
Winter and Desert levels themetically have the most potential and variety, but its the best games that truly utilize them to their full potential.
Mount Gagazet in Final Fantasy X is a great "thematic" ice level. This is quite a difficulty spike, or at least it was for me the first time. Fights are more difficult, you have no character to talk to while going through it, save sphere are rare too. This was the first time I felt kinda stressed to make sure I had enough items etc. You feel the struggle the characters go through while climbing. The boss awaiting you is a great challenge too.
The cave is significantly easier, which truely feels like a place to rest before the end of the pilgrimage !
I hated Mt. Gagazet.
'Mountain hate the weak, hate the small!' -Biran Ronso
This is what I came to mention too. FFX's snowy area does such a fantastic job of setting the mood, setting up the climax, raising the stakes, etc. And the coldness/harshness of the cold aligns with that.
Oh yeah, there are two climactic battles. Kimahri alone and Seymour Flux. Man, did Mount Gagazet have such a difficulty curve.
Probably my favorite ice area in any game is Wep’Keer from Okami. The atmosphere of the town is amazing. The lighting, icy weather and particularly the music really communicates Oina tribe’s position as the only thing standing between humanity and the demonic horde.
Kirby: Planet Robobot’s ice levels visually are by far my favorites! Kirby is in a giant freezer filled with ice cream and popsicles
One must not forget Winters from Earthbound, man it's just such a great winter area. I don't even know specifically what it is about it but like the music and the colors and the scenery it all makes me so happy. And of course it's home to my favorite moment in the game, where you meet Bubble Monkey. Tessie is cool too. It just feels like a super happy winter area.
I think the music in the Mother series really makes the whole thing, especially so for the winter stages. I feel like people oft enjoy them purely for the possibility of hearing 'Snowman', because its just *THAT* good of a theme, and 'Winters' is no slouch either. They don't change much about the game except aesthetically, but it the music and visuals does heavy lifting
I really like winter-themed levels as a penultimate level, not the final one but the second last location, or close too it. A few Paper Mario games and Luigi's Mansion 2 do that really well in my opinion, maybe it's those that encourage this feeling in me that winter levels are always good near the end of games? Either way, I feel placing them there helps with really getting me to remember those levels, the atmosphere is usually a big standout from anything shortly before and after it and they always seem to stand out in my brain even after playing. Also helped by the fact that winter levels can be atmospherically beautiful, which feels stronger when you're approaching the end of a game. I can still remember the route theme of the snowy area in Pokemon X/Y extremely well and I haven't played that game in years- it's one of the strongest aspects of those game's nostalgia factor for me- even though the gameplay in those parts is forgettable I still remember the atmosphere, music, and feelings I got like it was yesterday.
I dunno, just my thoughts spilling out of my head.
TLDR; I think having winter levels near the end of a game really helps cement them into long term memory, they leave a strong impact when done right. It's a pretty common thing to have them there I feel but there's a reason- it works so well.
Fahr Outpost from TTYD my beloved, it just looks so freezing cold like its the Cold War or something 😩😩
Having a winter level or world in the middle of a game can work, too. That's what Super Mario games do, and they're usually some of my favourite parts of their respective games.
The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse has its ice level as the penultimate level. Good level with some ice physics and excellent music.
I think that's the reason a lot of Pokemon games have Ice type gyms as the seventh badge out of eight.
Sonic and the secret rings does this with Skeleton dome
i know not a lot of people know of this game but theres this online multiplayer horse game called starstable and they just recently added snow again for winter after it being removed for years to the disappointment of many players, and i just wanna say how cool it is implemented, because the snow has different actual thickness across the ground as opposed to being a flat texture like how it used to be, and you and other players can actually make grooves in the snow by walking/running through it where it will actually be lower. and you can see ones from other players as well. kind of like how swimming through ink in splatoon makes a small indent, but its just just an illusion of depth, it actually actively affects the mesh of the snow in 3d space, it is really cool, especially for a multiplayer game
Lets start the Official best winter stage music thread you can only nominate one. First one off the bat is no slouch as I never tire of hearing Metroid Prime's Phendrana Drifts.
I love Valak Mountain from Xenoblade 1, the crystals that glow at night, the beautiful music during day and night, the fun ice physics you can get hours of enjoyment out of, the story moments and importance to the plot, and now it looks even more beautiful in HD. Best area in the series, and my favorite area in any game.
As was wordlessly exemplified at the end with the Phendrana Drifts theme, the main attribute I always associate with ice levels is the music. Sometimes they go for the cheery holiday sound or the isolation and despair theme, but my favorite are the ice level themes that really exemplify the serenity and stillness of looking out at fresh, undisturbed ice and snow blanketing everything. I don't have the musical knowledge to be able to describe the instruments or techniques used to achieve that feeling, but they often have a sound that I can only describe as...crystalline. They're almost always my favorite.
I like Frosty Wheel from Kirby’s Epic Yarn. It throws in a new mechanic that isn’t seen anywhere outside of the level. Turning your car form into a sled. It makes the game feel a bit more fast paced without going as far as the monster truck.
It’s so much fun trying to go from start to finish without ever slowing down.
And the calming music is just the cherry on top.
I love the Ice Cave in FFIX, it always felt like the first time the game lets you go, plus a really challenging boss fight on your first play through when you don’t know it’s coming.
The MegaMan series imo consistently nails it's winter themed levels, especially the music. The serene mysterious theme of the Lake/Area F of MegaMan ZX, coupled with the stage design, the gimmick of ice slowing down your movement (instead of the classic slippery terrain) and the lore and story discoveries within the area, makes arguably one of the strongest levels in the entire franchise.
18:18 OkamiDen gets referenced in 2022! AWESOME!
That DS exclusive needs more love, seriously. Its more-fleshed-out older brother, Okami, got ported to basically every single platform, whilst it is stuck on the DS despite being a good game with a great story and characters. I wish OkamiDen got the same attention; it's so good.
i really love one of the winter areas shown in this video in clips: xenoblade chronicle's valak mountain. it's winter in aesthetics alone, yeah, maybe some reduced visibility, but i truly love how it looks and feels.
Unlike other areas, most of valak mountain is a sharp incline. It feels different to traverse such a vertical environment without stairs or climbable walls (though the vertically occasionally makes the very horizonzal combat mechanics difficult).
Most of all, it's simply stunning at night. During the day, it's a regular winter area. Harsh snow and ice scattered everywhere. But at night, all the many crystals of ice light up, shooting beams of light into the sky and illuminating the whole area in a warm golden glow. I love it.
For story thematics, valak mountain has the important location of ose tower; when you first see it, it's a place of death. It's where shulk's parents succumbed to the cold and died. However, later, you learn that the cold was just a clever fake out, and something entirely different happened there. The twist is great, as it takes advantage of a very realistic excuse.
I like Valak Mountain :)
There’s 2 other things I wanted to mention, the bigger one is that Valak Mountain does have ice floors from time to time, and the ice physics are kind of hilarious with how over the top they are. The other thing is just a minor detail I thought I’d mention. You’ll notice that some of the creatures have horns that look kinda like the ice crystals. And sure enough, at night, they also glow in the dark. Always liked that little detail.
one of my favourite ice level design challenges was in spyro year of the dragon. I remember as a kid in icy peak, you can see underneath the ice that spyro was walking on was a ton of gems that you just couldn't get to. I remember trying to horn dive and crash through the ice a ton, and there was this big crack in the ice that i, as a kid, knew was the solution but no way to break it no matter how hard I tried. As an adult replaying it there's a way to get to a tall enough vantage point later in the level that leads you back to horn dive and crack through the ice to get underneath, but I always thought that was such a cool way of just showing there's gems somewhere, knowing there's gotta be a way to get to it, but that the solution isn't as obvious, all within the ice theme.
I'm kind of surprised "I am Setsuna" wasn't mentioned at all. That entire game is a big winter world. I'm usually not a big fan of winter themed segments in games, but "I am Setsuna" grew on me. I really like the Final Fantasy VI opening section too.
My Favorite Aesthetic Themed Areas In Games Are Almost Always Snow Or Water Areas : D (Plus Most Of The Time In those Areas The Music Is Amazing!)
Celeste takes place in the snow a lot of the time but one area that stands out is the Core where you have to constantly switch between a fire and ice level. All the mechanics behave completely different in each theme and it creates some great moments.
In Atelier Sophie 2, you have to transform environments into snow areas. It's such a cool idea that opens up new paths if you change the water level, then freeze it with snow, and spawn new monsters and materials.
Other game's ice levels: slippery ice and freezing water
Ori and the Blind Forest *G R A V I T Y*
RPGs can turn the area themes into enemy themes. Like having enemies that freeze you in the winter area or enemies that poison you in the swamp area and so on. Pokemon kinda does that sometimes.
It blows my mind how much ground you're able to cover and with so many games for examples in less than 20 minutes. Keep up the great work!
It's not quite the "winter level" like the ones mentioned in this video, but the icy zone in deep rock galactic is super cool. Mainly because it is just so beautiful. How the light system works in that game makes a beautiful crystal cave esque vibe to the whole map. The zone has some quirks regarding few unique mobs or some common mobs being frost variations and temperature is also a thing. But for me, its how the lighting makes a super cool looking zone.
Thank you for the Etrian Odyssey II mention, and entire stratum based on winter is PERFECT for this video. The block pushing puzzle was mentioned but I have to shout out the Ambush Wolves in The Fafnir Knight just because of how creative and difficult the puzzle is to figure out. They hide in the snow every few turns and make it impossible to see on your map, but they can always see you if you're in their line of sight regardless if they're hiding or not. Something about how that kind of attack just hits different, other FOEs do similar things across the whole series but this one is more natural. A supernatural creature becoming invisible out of nowhere is very different from an animal burying itself in the snow for a bit
What's also cool in this series about ice floors is the FOEs get extremely disoriented when forcibly pushed onto them and their pattern changes accordingly. It's amazingly hilarious to trap one in a 1x1 space and watch it helplessly rotate in panic to try and escape
One interesting thing about the stratums in EO2: The first four all have some kind of ruined manmade structures in them. It's not just "oh look, another forest". You can see that people lived there at some point, and it gives them a unique atmosphere. And the thing that stuck out to me the most was the Frozen Grounds: The ruins in that stratum are aqueducts. It gives off a really unique sense of isolation and decline to see ruins of structures made for transporting water in an environment that is entirely frozen over.
...and then they ruin the beautifully forlorn atmosphere by having you be attacked by snowmen and walking fish. Those enemies were far too goofy for that kind of level design.
@@corhydrae3238 That's an EO game for you, all except V reuse the same designs but have to stick them in different places. But yeah I LOVE the subtle design of EO2's labyrinths, the further you go the more solemn the story gets. Having a quiet winter area enforces that in such a nice way and gates off Petal Bridge nicely. First the world has to freeze before it can thaw into something truly beautiful
You showed some bits of it, I'll never forget Valak Mountain.
Well, just like every location in the game, it's so vast and the BGM matches it perfectly. The second you enter it, all you see is snow everywhere, it's actually a little hard to know where exactly you are, but when the night comes, it takes my breath away.
Xenoblade has lots of locations where exploring during the night is better than the day, like Valak, Eryth Sea, Satorl Marsh, truly a masterpiece.
The entire Xenoblade franchise has so many beautiful scenic shots. Seeing Uraya covered in sakura petals was breathtaking.
@@inferno1371 yes! Monolithsoft are masters at creating breathtaking vistas, even though they work with inferior hardware, no 4k game location stays on my mind quite like theirs
Deep Rock Galactic's Glacial Strata area is a great example:
Snow patches are slower to walk on, but can break your fall if you aim for them. Blizzards reduce your visibility and apply a constant source of coldness to your characters, which can eventually temporarily freeze you. The caves are littered with steam vents that warm you up. There's huge ice spikes in the ceilings that can fall to damage you and enemies. There's flash-freezing plants that blow up when you shoot them, and ones that freeze into platforms too. Not to mention just how beautiful the whole place looks.
I completely forgot about New Super Mario Bro’s Ice levels with the falling snow mechanic in which whenever you run past a tree snow would fall. What’s y’all’s opinion on that? I think it’s pretty cool.
I love the winter levels in Kirby's Epic Yarn. There are enemies there that make these big snowballs and roll them at you. Sometimes the snowballs are just an obstacle, but sometimes you need to ride on top of them in order to reach hidden areas.
I'm a game dev and your videos are very useful to see many game references - Keep up the good work
HOLD UP. You're the guy who made Super Cat Tales? Here? Now? My gosh, I have such fond memories of that game. It's awesome to see you here!
What I like about winter levels is that they tend to have pretty (n)ice and relaxing music.
You know, a winter "level" in a farming sim can be a major pace breaker. Yes, I am talking about the Winter season of Stardew Valley, where in a game all about managing your crops, its the one season where jack all grows! This gives players time to try out other features like Mining, Combat, and Fishing more to make up for lost crops profits, upgrade your tools when you know they are not being heavily used, or maybe even taking some days to plan out your farm to have it look nice, pretty, and a touch more efficient when the next Spring rolls around.
13:40 Instant hit of nostalgia when the Valak Mountain theme starts playing.
Heck, it felt nostalgic the very first time I heard it...
First thing that comes to mind is I Am Setsuna. No real winter mechanics, but the entire game is set during winter. It doesn't offer a whole lot of variation, but it does give a very unique vibe. The soundtrack is also great.
Survival games can often make winter harder than the other seasons. Lack of food, hard to travel, and the cold. In UnReal World, the real danger of winter is actually boredom. There's much less to do, so you're more likely to get into trouble yourself by doing things you probably shouldn't. Of course, it is by far the most difficult season, but there are some benefits like travelling over water, and if you have proper snow traversal equipment (a few shaped sticks) you can chase down prey that can't move as fast, or lose stamina faster than you. Food also don't spoil, and you can dry it to last a year or something.
Phendrana Drifts has great music. The ice mechanic as far as I remember are mostly just ice-themed barriers you shoot at so they go away, which is pretty standard for the franchise.
I also like the music in the snow level of The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse. Some ice slides that are a bit fun, and the fireman costume have some unique interactions with the water hose.
But the best winter-themed piece of music is the remix Death on the Snowfield. Not related to wintery gameplay mechanics, though.
The snowboard minigame in Final Fantasy 7 is awesome. Very simple, but it feels nice to play. Hope they'll do it justice in the remake. There are also some winter mechanics that makes it more difficult to traverse.
I largely dislike block pushing puzzles, and the ice ones, including where you're the block, are just as bad. Main reason I never tried Baba Is You. When it comes to those kinds of puzzles, the best I've played is probably an RPG Maker game called Notes From Province. It's free on Itch.io, Steam, and rpgmaker.net if you want to try it out. Overall great puzzles, including many of the battles.
i was glad you showed a short clip of journey-- that really brought back memories. one of the few winter levels where i could feel the work it took to walk, and i felt weary and wanted to squint to keep the oppressive snowy wind out of my eyes.
18:13 I think my favorite part of that area in Etrian Odyssey is that the boss is sitting in the middle of a giant frozen lake surrounded by ice blocks, and if done correctly, you can push them onto her to lower her health and give you a headstart (that you’ll probably need; that boss is hard even for EO). However, she‘s also protected by two tentacles that‘ll not only join the fight from the start if you go in directly, but also push back any blocks sent her way and change their position to follow the direction you’re in with a 2-step lag. So the challenge is not only to position the ice blocks, but also yourself to reach and push them in time before they can catch up.
That, and the path towards bosses is usually not only blocked by your usual labyrinth antics, but also paths that are technically passable, but blocked off by what are essentially mini bosses. So you get the choice of either brute-forcing your way though and challenging them, or taking the long way to clear the path by solving those ice sliding puzzles to chuck ice at them and clear the way.
One of my favourite archetypes is the frozen over levels.
Where an already familiar area is given an icy coat. You addressed this briefly with Tropical Freeze, but places like Opelucid in BW2 and Artaria/Cataris in Dread also come to mind.
there's a level in yooka-laylee and the impossible lair that does exactly this, and it's one of the best levels in the game
Eleum Loyce in Dark Souls 2 does this in reverse.
To me, the most unforgettable winter level was in Panzer Dragoon Orta.
You spend all other levels of the rail shooter in the air, flying and shooting, but your dragoon runs in the serene winter level after getting shot down. Just beautiful and heart wrenching to see how determined they are to keep going.
You alluded to it with the music at the end of the video, but yeah, Phendrana Drifts in Metroid prime is an awesome winter level. Mechanically, it doesn't do a lot with the theme (there are a few puzzles with destructible blocks of ice IIRC) but the atmosphere is breathtaking, such an incredible change of pace!
Speaking of Metroid, Metroid Dread has an interesting twist around the idea of a cold level that I won't spoil, but it was pretty cool!
Just wanted to say great job and the mention of FE: Binding Blade makes me so happy. That game does not nearly as much love as it deserves! And ice level I love is the first section in Spirit of the North. It doesn't impact much, but just seeing the fox dash through snow and slide on ice is so fun and cute.
I always think of the Christmas NiGHTS mode from NiGHTS Into Dreams. it's pretty much the same except everything is Christmas themed and there's a cute little story explanation for it. Also shoutout to NSR for taking a page out of their book to do basically the same thing
The snowy airfield level in the original Modern Warfare 2 will always stick out to me. The low visibility being a good teaching moment with the heart beat sensor and the amount of tension with it being a stealth level just makes it really memorable.
Yeah, that level came to mind IMMEDIATELY when he got to shooters and I was sad he didn't use it as an example. You even got to do some ice-climbing to build up narrative tension to start! I always loved that level.
Rayman 3 wasn't mentioned but handles it great as well. I personally like how you spend most of the level gradually treking up this huge mountain only to then snowboard down it with this sped up hard rock rendition of the previous music that was playing.
i can't believe he didn't talk about Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games, which is essentially a variation of an entire franchise, but during winter
I like Snowy Mountain in Jak and Daxter. The bells in the musical composition in combination with the snow and ice throughout the level are so wonderfully paired.
I always loved the ski level in Yoshi's Island. You can jump through the air, become a big snow ball and Mario is wearing a warm hat - perfection!
The ICE-olation 14:18
The choice of Tales for JRPG representation is a good one. They do love to use moments in the snow to cap off a major story beat or character development. Heck, it often even make it to the opening of the games. Even if it's a bit cliché, they used it well, and to me they're pretty iconic of the games. I never lived in a place that has winter or snow, but I appreciate the often intimate feel the Tales games gave its snow moments, it's cool.
In Drawn To Life the game begins in a frozen setting, for the world has been swallowed by darkness and even the sun has stopped shining. As you progress trough the first (snowy) levels and get rid of darkness, the snow gradually melts away and finally the world is revealed for what it truly is. I've always loved that concept.
winter in the last of us adds so much to the storytelling and emotions.
it's a stage when Elli has to fight for herself and Joel. she gets captured and experiences extreme fear from people. as if she has been abused. and she also needs to kill for the firet time. the feelings of heavy drama, isolation, despair, loneliness and how harsh it is to survive winter is felt through the entire chapter.
and also the beauty of snow in the woods hunting the deer.
I do like the Snowpeak Ruins in Twilight Princess it feels like it could be nice a cozy in some of those rooms
Did you... did you just mention Etrian Odyssey? I am amazed and overjoyed that one of my favorite dudes who talks about game design on youtube knows my favorite hidden gem of a game series.
On the topic of this video series, I think it makes sense that you started with ice levels for the appropriate winter theming right now, and ice levels are a great way to showcase how much the theme can impact the gameplay of a level. But for an overarching structure, it might make sense to vaguely follow along the "sorting algorithm of threatening geography"-trope, where videogames often tend to start in a relatively peaceful, nonthreatening environment, and then build up the threat level over the course of the game. You know, start with a good old forest theme, plains, beaches, caves, water levels, then canyons and deserts, ice levels and volcanoes. Would be a nice thread to string this whole series along.
The ice level that marked me are
- the Christmas town in Kh2 because it was a nice change in the halloween level.
- the first ice sledge in mario 64 (never was able to finish it as a kid)
- the Valak mountain in xenoblade chronicles 1 (Wii version) because of how it changed during night-tlme ... and because the world Ice cabbage still give me the chills.
loved the "pokemon no-ice edition" :)
I really like Circhester and the ebtirety of the Crown Thundra dlc. It has some of the best winter music I've heard. Another one I enjoy for feeling like a winter level with calm music that somehow fits the tone is the escape from echo base mission in lego starwars Complete saga.
my favorite winter level is always going to be the cozy cabin from kirby's epic yarn. it has great and unique theming
I was extremely happy that you closed the video with the song from Phendrana drifts (Metroid Prime).
For me, it's one of the more immersive areas in a game I ever experienced and that song counts a lot towards this feeling
Thank you so much for covering so many genres in this video. I was hoping to find some inspiration for RPG's and was very happy when you finally got to them as well.
Frozen Altars from Spyro Year of the Dragon is one of my favorites. Sure it has some ice floor, but the big mechanic change is the ice breath replacing your fire breath. It isn't much, but I like the uniqueness of the whole thing.
SSX is the only video game series where every winter level was good.
1080 snowboarding
I think my favorite winter level was going to the top of the twin mountains and seeing th huge ice dragon in BOTW, it was amazing to see and felt like I had explored something I should have never seen and now I have memory stuck in my head
We can't forget that winter levels have another really cool thing up their sleeve. Awesome icy music. Your own vid showed off Freezeezy Peak and Phendrana Drifts, two of my favorite game songs. There's lots of great icy music.
That little tidbit on DKC Tropical Freeze’s last overworld area being an ice remix of all the DKCR’s areas is so cool and clever 😃
The ice physics in Xenoblade Chronicles being so absurd will always be something I adore
The fact it just sends you fuckin' flying is so charming. I love it!
I don't know if it's an ice "level" per se, but Tundras, and glacier sheets make for incredibly fun challenges in Rimworld. It affects every aspect of the game. Your colonists move slower in the snow, food is more scarce, and more difficult to grow, and you need to make winter clothes for your team to stave off hypothermia. It changes the hierarchy of what research is important, and forces you to make hard choices, like forgoing armor for better insulation, or allowing someone's hypothermia to get worse in order to handle an urgent situation. Really fun piece of design
I love the twist Spyro the Dragon took on "ice physics":
Being a quadruped with claws that give very good traction, Spyro's footing isn't hindered at all by slick, icy floors. However, you can now ram into and defeat heavy bipedal gnorcs who would normally resist ramming attacks because _they_ have poor footing on that surface and can be easily knocked down in the ice level while they wouldn't be in other levels.
I'm surprised you didn't mention Frostpunk, a game all about surviving in the winter.
The video is about how winter levels can offer variety by changing the established setting and mechanics of a game. Frostpunk is all winter, all the time, so the winter isn't providing a change from anything.
FUN FACT about Rayman's Allegro Presto: The Jaguar version doesn't have ice physics, so the first stage of that level is slow & littered with enemies.
WHAT
@@DesignDoc That, and Candy Chateau from the Jaguar version had completely different levels.
I’ve got one that’s less winters but still ice-heavy: The Hollow, from Enter the Gungeon. The entire area is heavily suggested to be a crypt of sorts, with tables replaced by coffins and skeletal motifs aplenty, but the prevailing elemental theming is ice. Slippery floors, icy blobulons, and a general aesthetic touch complete the scene for a very diet-winter feel. Of course, this can be really easy to ignore if you have any form of hover/flight.