Best singleplayer levels in FPS history?

Which single player FPS maps do you consider the best? Some of my picks:

- Not surprisingly, Doom E1M1 - a short and sweet demonstration of engine's capabilities

- Doom 3 - Delta Complex - I like the idea of combining elements of Delta levels 1, 2, and 3 into a single map. In general I like the concept of revisiting older locations altered by plot or players actions - it gives a sense of continuity

- Duke Nukem 3D - Death Row - I love the idea of escaping from an electric chair, the submarine at the end and references to Doom and Shawshank Redemption

- Dark Forces - Robotics Facility - first encounter with a Dark Trooper, great visuals outside and inside, slippery icy surface (a first in FPS history?)

Here are some of my favorites:

DOOM: E1M1 

Half Life 2: Root Canal

Heretic: Graveyard

DOOM 3: Alpha Sector 4

Medal Of Honor Airborne: The Flak Tower

Halo: The Silent Cartographer

Thief: Deadly Shadows - Shalebridge Cradle a masterpiece of horror that makes buying the game worth the cost.   Just a ridiculously good horror level.  

Great topic. I feel like I'm probably scatter-brainedly missing some levels that I would top-rate if they actually came to mind. Only a few of these I'd hold as objectively great.

Doom, E1M8 - I would never choose this objectively - it does not stand up now for obvs reasons - but the atmosphere of this level, the MIDI, the walls lowering, the scale and the downer ending made a huge impression on me.

Unreal - Vortex Rikers: Another nostalgic choice. But stepping out of the cramped corridors of that spaceship to a huge alien vista in '98. Wow.

Dishonored 2 - The Clockwork Mansion: This mindbending level shapeshifts so much, I can't imagine how they planned this out. It's like Monument Valley goes FPS. 

Thief 2 - Life of the Party: It's got it all. You steal across open rooftops, into to tiny domiciles and back out again, witnessing hilarious NPC dialog and conflicts all the way, finally into a huge industrial tower for the titular party with ballrooms, kitchens and all the rest. And then, after having enjoyed control of a huge stealth sandbox, shit hits the fan. 20+ years later, I don't think stealth game levels ever reached this scale and complexity again.

Bioshock - Opening level: A fantastic, mysterious start to a game. The artstyle is a tour de force.

Doom Eternal - Mars Core: The firing yourself into the planet thing just summed up the OTTness of the new Doom games for me, loved the scale and tone of this level.

Stalker SOC - Yantar. Just so miserable and bleak. I can't even remember what you do there, only how it was such a ridiculously atmospheric level in a game full of them.

Doom: Tower of Babel

Doom 2016: VEGA Central Processing

Quake: The Elder God Shrine

Call of Duty World at War: Heart of the Reich

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: Of Their Own Accord

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019: Clean House

Half Life: "Forget About Freeman!"

Resident Evil 7: Baker House Basement 

A lot of Doom levels should be up there. Some non - Doom levels include, in no particular order:

Questionable Ethics, Half Life

Surface Tension, Half Life

Halo, Halo Combat Evolved 

343 Guilty Spark, Halo Combat Evolved

The Maw, Halo Combat Evolved

Ravenholm, Half Life 2

Charlie Don't Surf, Call of Duty Modern Warfare (I totally get CoD hate, but this game is fantastic.)

Urban Flight, Half Life 2 Episode 1

The Covenant, Halo 3 (honestly a lot of Halo 3 could go on this list)

The Ark, Halo 3

Couch Fishing, Marathon

The Rose, Marathon

Ignue Ferroque, Marathon

E1M2, Quake

E2M5, Quake

Ex Cathedra, Marathon 2 (a lot of levels are fascinatingly complex in this game)

These are just off the top of my head, there's some great games I gotta replay soon.

16 hours ago, Arbiter said:

- Doom 3 - Delta Complex - I like the idea of combining elements of Delta levels 1, 2, and 3 into a single map. In general I like the concept of revisiting older locations altered by plot or players actions - it gives a sense of continuity

I do wish Doom 3 had skipped the whole tedious detour in Alpha Labs and gone straight to the Delta Complex after coming out of Mars City Underground. The opening of Delta Labs 1 is amazing in terms of suspense and atmosphere!

22 minutes ago, Dusty_Rhodes said:

Ravenholm, Half Life 2

Good lord, how did I forgot this one. Nerve-wracking! Drainpipes are not usually stressful objects, but I remember having to take breaks!

Lots of Halo mentions there. I've only played the first one, liked the environment design but not the gamefeel. Felt floaty and slow to me. Are the later games any different control-wise or do they feel like the first one?

6 minutes ago, holaareola said:

Good lord, how did I forgot this one. Nerve-wracking! Drainpipes are not usually stressful objects, but I remember having to take breaks!

 

Lots of Halo mentions there. I've only played the first one, liked the environment design but not the gamefeel. Felt floaty and slow to me. Are the later games any different control-wise or do they feel like the first one?

Halo 1 is the slowest and floatiest. Halo 3 has the best movement in my opinion. I think they're an acquired taste, but I love every game Bungie made in the series.

11 hours ago, Dusty_Rhodes said:

The Covenant, Halo 3 (honestly a lot of Halo 3 could go on this list)

TWO SCARABS, I REPEAT TWO SCARABS!

I second that, Halo 3 had some bangers.

Halo Reach's spire level was really good too.

For my list, without repeating what others said here,  I'd probably put:

- Titanfall 2: Effect and Cause

- Dishonored: Lady Boyle's Party

- Black Mesa: Questionable Ethics (the music makes the level).

- Half-Life Alyx: Jeff

49 minutes ago, Dusty_Rhodes said:

343 Guilty Spark, Halo Combat Evolved

I simply can't agree with this.

Having just replayed about half of Halo: Combat Evolved in the last couple of weeks, I've found much of the level design to be repetitive and uninspiring, with entire sections that were very clearly cut-and-pasted with a few minor alterations. The level immediately before -- Assault on the Control Room -- was the worst. I just felt like I was playing the same encounter through over and over again with slight variations. "Survive repeated assaults on the control room," said the level description, which is confusing because you're not expected to survive a single assault -- the entire level is about getting there, and then it ends.

Unless it's a reference to the fact that the game had me going into what looked like the same room over and over, and the survival was about me not quitting.

I'd say the levels, Silent Cartographer and Halo were both pretty good, though.

343 Guilty Spark in particular wasn't quite as bad as Assault on the Control Room, but still had a bunch of cut-and-paste rooms with terrible signposting. I ran in circles for quite a while, avoiding the Flood before stumbling on the exit.

I mean, story-wise it's a pretty good twist, so it's got that going for it.

12 minutes ago, ZeMystic said:

- Half-Life Alyx: Jeff

Oh, hell yes. This was fricking brilliant.

^ also agreeing with Jeff

My Call of Duty pick would be "All Ghilled Up"/"One Shot, One Kill" from CoD4

In no particular order

Medal of Honor Allied Assault: Lighting the Torch

Shadow Warrior: Seppuku Station

Medal of Honor Allied Assault: Diverting the Enemy

Halo: The Maw

Halo: The Silent Cartographer

Halo: The Truth and Reconciliation

Duke Nukem 3D: Hollywood Holocaust

Duke Nukem 3D: Red Light District

Doom: Hangar

Doom: Central Processing

Doom: Toxin Refinery

Quake: The Torture Chambers

Doom II: Circle of Death

Quake: Beneath Satan's Dark Delight

Quake: The Wind Tunnels

Marathon 2: Curiouser and Curiouser

Half Life: Surface Tension

Yeah that's long enough. I don't remember Return to castle wolfenstein too well. Maaaybe a Dark Forces level as well, but probably not.

1 hour ago, DuckReconMajor said:

^ also agreeing with Jeff

 

My Call of Duty pick would be "All Ghilled Up"/"One Shot, One Kill" from CoD4

I need to play CoD4 again. Lots of great levels.

1 hour ago, LordEntr0py said:

I simply can't agree with this.

Having just replayed about half of Halo: Combat Evolved in the last couple of weeks, I've found much of the level design to be repetitive and uninspiring, with entire sections that were very clearly cut-and-pasted with a few minor alterations. The level immediately before -- Assault on the Control Room -- was the worst. I just felt like I was playing the same encounter through over and over again with slight variations. "Survive repeated assaults on the control room," said the level description, which is confusing because you're not expected to survive a single assault -- the entire level is about getting there, and then it ends.

Unless it's a reference to the fact that the game had me going into what looked like the same room over and over, and the survival was about me not quitting.

I'd say the levels, Silent Cartographer and Halo were both pretty good, though.

343 Guilty Spark in particular wasn't quite as bad as Assault on the Control Room, but still had a bunch of cut-and-paste rooms with terrible signposting. I ran in circles for quite a while, avoiding the Flood before stumbling on the exit.

I mean, story-wise it's a pretty good twist, so it's got that going for it.

The atmosphere, buildup, writing, environmental details are what make it great. I will say, the earlier parts of the level are repetitive, but I blame that on rushed development time. 

I think it's everything else that's great. The gameplay is decent, but it's not the most important.

• On A Rail (Half Life)
• Burn 'Em Out (Call of Duty: World At War)
• The rocket level from Return to Castle Wolfenstein I forgot the name of
• The tunnel level from Viet Cong I forgot the name of

Effect and Cause from Titanfall 2 was one of the most brilliant levels that I can think of in recent memory.

Not going to bring up any classic doom levels, since my actual list would consist mostly of classic doom levels.

The Beneviento house from Resident Evil 8 is a level I won’t forget for a long time, not even sure if it counts since you don’t even shoot in it, but RE8 is undeniably an FPS.

The Foundry from Doom 2016. One of the more non linear levels, wish more of the game was like it.

Half life 2, Ravenholm. I don’t even have to justify this one.

The Moon from Wolfenstein: the New Order, killing nazis on the moon is pretty fucking rad.

As many have stated, Jeff from Half Life: Alyx, really proves what Vr can bring to the table in terms of single player FPS. It’s brilliantly scripted in such a way that you often don’t even realize you’ve fallen for the developers tricks.

The best level in any FPS i ever played is from a quake mod called Arcane Dimensions, the map name is "Tears of the False God".

Quake II - first unit. Includes the levels Outer Base, Installation, Comm Center, and Lost Station connected through Quake II's hub system, so they can be considered one big level. Perfectly sets the mood for the war on an alien cyborg planet setting, excellent non-linear leveldesign with (sometimes hidden) alternative routes and plenty of secrets. 

Unreal - Bluff Eversmoking. Gorgeous setting with the little fortified village atop a rock in a crater lake, clever non-linear layout.

Star Trek Elite Force - Scavenger Base. Unique setting conglomerated from various space stations and ships, including a Terran ship from the Mirror Universe in 1960s style.

Doom 3 - Hell. Surreal and intense demonic/gigeresque nightmare.

Doom 2016 - Foundry. Complex, atmospheric, non-linear and encouarging exploration.

Doom 1- E1M3

Doom 2- Map 18

Doom 64- Dark Citadel

Doom 3- Monorail Skybridge

Doom 2016- Kadingir Sanctum

Doom Eternal- Arc Complex/Mars Core

MAP29 from Plutonia Experiment maybe...

Half-Life 2 (I know it's not fully an FPS but ehh...) - Anticitizen One. For a game that I personally hate playing, this is the ONLY chapter I'd make an exception for, as it's an absolute blast going through the Urban brawl against the combine with your fellow rebels aiding you along the way.

Serious Sam 2 - Freezepad. HOLY NOODLES. Not only is the frosty atmosphere an absolute joy to run through but the dark, droning, wintery music works super well! And the boss theme is an absolute 10!

4 hours ago, DynamiteKaitorn said:

Half-Life 2 (I know it's not fully an FPS but ehh...)

Wdym it's not fully an fps? Last time I checked you are in the first person perspective and shoot.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - No Russian

Quite a few have been mentioned, but I didn't see this The Facility from GoldenEye. I don't know how many hours of my youth were spent playing that level, both in single player, and again in multiplayer. As as the multiplayer map "Felicity" in Perfect Dark. It was just the perfect level for that game and the technology at the time. Although Surface 1/2 were really good. Bunker 2 was really good. And honestly I loved the train. That was a really good game.

Another good one is Timesplitters 2, where almost every map is memorable and unique.

19 hours ago, Jello said:

Quite a few have been mentioned, but I didn't see this The Facility from GoldenEye. I don't know how many hours of my youth were spent playing that level, both in single player, and again in multiplayer. 

 Although Surface 1/2 were really good. Bunker 2 was really good. 

Buhhbuhhbuhbuhbuhbbuhbuh..buhhbuhhbuhh. i played that one SO much. It almost felt like a real location other than the overall lack of detail. Bunker 2 or the map everyone thought was really hard but could be cheesed if you stood in a doorway and lured everyone not in the control room to your position and shot them as they arrived.

Unfortunately, Goldeneye hasn't really aged well for a variety of reasons, though at least it bequeathed us some stirring Graeham Norgate compositions (along with some Grant Kirkhope thrown in for good measure)

People put Facility over Cradle? Whaaa...?