Levels that awe you

[Internet Kraken]

The impasse [http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/4581/shot0008r.jpg] levels in Osmos. I was dumbstruck by the number of massive motes surrounding me. Potential death was everywhere. And yet, it still felt calm and relaxing. The ambient music combined with the vast sea of motionless motes created an oddly beautiful image. I was in a situation in which one wrong choice could kill me, yet the game still managed to pacify my feelings of frustration.

 

[Zacharine]

Unbelievable impossibility: Battletoads, the entire latter half of the game. And also the Guy Corporate Tower and Metroid levels of 'I Wanna Be The Guy'

Awe: Crysis, almost every single above-ground area.

 

[DanDeFool]

Awe: The inverted castle in Castlevania: SOTN.

It sounds like a retarded idea on paper, 'just turn the old map upside-down!', but it plays so well that you can't argue with it. It's dumb and brilliant at the same time.

For unbelievable impossibility: The second and third to last stages of Mega Man X6. Enemies and spikes everywhere, and you can't use the spike-proof armor because of an obnoxious little jump you have to make in the middle of the level that comes AFTER the most stupidly difficult boss battle in the game.

 

[GodofDisaster]

The Leviathan boss fight level in Resistance 2, that thing was awesome looking.

Also the scene were you fall into hell in God of War 2 and had to fight all those hands of.

And finally the level I had the most fun with, Cliffhanger in MW2, I loved the snow mobile section.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Rez, Area 5.

Simply magnificent.

 

[CD repo man]

Once you get out of the mines in Half-Life 2 and the conspiracy level in Psychonauts.

 

[fix-the-spade]

The second level in Halo:CE.

Very much so.

It seems a little odd now, but there were several points in that game (notably Halo, Silent Cartographer, Assault on Control Room and 343 Guilty Spark) where I just had to stop and look around.

Seems a bit odd now but back then when I though Half Life was as good as presentation could get Halo CE came as a bit of a shock.



Also.

Gran Turismo 4

Truly amazing level of attention to detail in that game, another one where I repeatedly had to just stop and look at the view. It's five years old now and still looks good, which is testament to the obsessive nature of the people at Polyphony.
<spoiler= I took this picture myself, no really GT4's picture mode was great>

Ok it doesn't hold up to close scrutiny like current racers do, but it's still lovely to look at.

 

[fudgebo]

Climbing Kronos in god of war, fighting dante in DMC4 any colossus and maybe playing as vader in force unleashed, pretty much any game that makes you feel bad assed

 

[Angel Emfrbl]

-Fallout 3 wowed me, shame it then bored me.
-Morrowind did the same (Obilivion was a miss), it was the first "big world" map game I had to explore. Saying that, once you've gotten used to exploring, the "big world" seems a lot smaller.
-Apocalyptica; some of the levels were beautiful when I first saw them. Same the game was disappointing.
-The Shadow the Hedghog level where your on the ark and its falling apart and your forced to deal with the games jump phyics. Thats one long fall if you miss... But one of the most nerve inducing levels I've ever played, I was literally biting my fingers nails praying that my next jump would make that black hedgehog live.
-Sonic again, chemical plant zone; how I hate your second level. Yet if I had to play any level of any sonic game all day, this is it.
-Doom's cyber demon arena grabbed horrible memories of RUNNING FOR MY LIFE... To this day the cyber demon has a place as my all time fav. boss in any game.

 

[damselgaming]

It's a crazy one but the midnighty forest level of Spyro Dawn of the Dragon, it was just so... glittery... and you FLY out of a cave to it.

And in Assassins Creed 2 when you

Spoiler: SPOILER!

assassinate the Pope after FIGHTING him.