Sewer Levels: worst and least worst?

[Baddamobs]

Title pretty much sums it up: even if you don't mind a sewer level every once in a while as long as it was well designed, you have to admit that there are plenty of reasons for the hate they receive.
What with their repetitive corridors of dull colour, high enemy encounter rate, often minimal links to the story, little reason this couldn't have been done at some alley or underpass (not to mention the characters probably don't appreciate the smell), tight corner that my camera gets stuck on every single time !!

...Ahem. Anyway, like all things in life, there are the worst of the worst, and then there are the more 'meh' parts of the worst. My examples being:

Worst of the worst: Dirge of Cerberus' sewer level.

Spoiler

This game wasn't exactly stellar to begin with, and the last thing it needed was a dull colour schemed dungeon, filled with weird enemies, and very little reason why we couldn't have just charged through the enemy ranks (you know, like we did pretty much every other time in the game) instead of detouring through the sewers.


Least worst: Eternal Sonata's sewer level.
Once again, this suffers from similar problems of confusing (for first time players) pathways, high rate of un-dodge-able enemies, and the fact it feels like it was sort of just thrown in. However...

Spoiler

It IS one of the more atheistically pleasing sewer levels I've seen, not to mention fairly short and useful to introduce players to the fact future dungeons will be even more maze like later on in the game.

Anyone got some examples?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Worst would be that Donkey Kong Country level where the controls are flipped around so that left is right, up is down and you're supposed to avoid all the regular insta-kill obstacles combined with the tedious physics of an underwater level.

Least worst may be the Silent Hill 2 sewer/labyrinth. It's short enough, it's got Pyramid Head in it and it goes along with the story nicely.

 

[aozgolo]

Worst? Well that's a tough one, I'd say probably Secret of Evermore: It had 3 sewer levels, all of which had fast moving water currents where if you took the wrong direction you pretty much had to start from scratch. The later sewer level also had poisonous water and damned annoying rats that were a pain in the ass to hit.

Also Final Fantasy XII's was pretty bad, I generally liked most of the areas in that game, but the layout definitely left a lot to be desired, but it's not quite the WORST level in that game so I gave it a pass


The best? Difficult to say really, I recall Baldur's Gate II's being alright because it actually had some interesting quests involved in it and not every single spot looked like a cookie-cutter of the last bit.

 

[Evonisia]

I can't really name a worst one, I'm afraid.

Least worst I'd say is either Silent Hill 3 or Remember Me. The former is brief but has quite a simple yet easily messed up puzzle involving a tentacle monster. The latter just has you in a sewer section for about half a minute where you blast mutant creatures into the rotten water.

Least worst may be the Silent Hill 2 sewer/labyrinth. It's short enough, it's got Pyramid Head in it and it goes along with the story nicely.

I thought that was the Hospital section? Before the elevator.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I can't really name a worst one, I'm afraid.

Least worst I'd say is either Silent Hill 3 or Remember Me. The former is brief but has quite a simple yet easily messed up puzzle involving a tentacle monster. The latter just has you in a sewer section for about half a minute where you blast mutant creatures into the rotten water.

Least worst may be the Silent Hill 2 sewer/labyrinth. It's short enough, it's got Pyramid Head in it and it goes along with the story nicely.

I thought that was the Hospital section? Before the elevator.

He shows up again beneath Toluca Prison, in the labyrinth. It's easy to miss him out if you do the part quickly.

 

[Weaver]

To me the best was the Prontera Culvert from Ragnarok Online.
Not sure what the worst is, but I don't actually hate sewer levels as much as most people.

 

[Tom_green_day]

Least worst? Isn't that what 'best' means?
I liked the ones in Fallout 3. While technically not all sewers, having lots of underground train tunnels, they were quite cool and had big stations with lots of sweet lewt.
Worst might be that one from Borderlands 2 with the Three Assassins. I can't remember if it was actually a sewer but it felt it.
Or Dark Souls. It was just a bit dull really. Had to grind there for rats when I got bored for Humanity.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I liked the ones that the Fallout series used. Of course, if you hated slightly clautrophobic tunneling complexes with dull colors and little lighting, then Fallout wasn't a game for you.

A sort of fun one I remember is the sewer section in Half-Life 2 where you find the SMG and you're occasionally running into manhacks. Wasn't spectacular, but it's pretty tolerable and I generally like all of Half-Life 2 up to the chapter after Ravenholm.

 

[Euphbug]

I have no clue where it would go on the list of worst to least worst, but I will say if not at the bottom the sewer level of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is by far one of my least favorite sewer levels to go into. Deep water sections which turned visibility down to nothing while you had monsters who blended into the much that could kill you quickly. Giant turbines which did a lot of damage if you messed up sneaking through them. A giant boss, yet again in the mucky water. Not to mention for me when i was young it scared the ever living hell out of me to play that level, once and I was done with it for good (then again I tend to have issues with any underwater level with giant or camouflaged enemies in it).

Not sure about least worst sewer level, can't think of any others. Just had to put Shadows of the Empire on the list.

Edit:

A sort of fun one I remember is the sewer section in Half-Life 2 where you find the SMG and you're occasionally running into manhacks. Wasn't spectacular, but it's pretty tolerable and I generally like all of Half-Life 2 up to the chapter after Ravenholm.

Oh, ok I will go with Half-life 2's sewer for least worst/best sewer level. It was still a sewer level BUT it didn't feel like one. It felt like any other basic part of the game, which for Half-Life 2 was always a good thing.

 

[Thebazilly]

Worst sewer level of all time forever goes to Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet, it's sort of infamous in that regard. There's only rats to eat (which one clan of vampires can't eat at all!), hours worth of twisting passageways, and tons of creepy monsters manufactured out of human body parts (including one that seems to be three pregnant ladies with their bellies cut open grafted together). It's difficult, especially if you're a social-focused character, which was viable in the game up until this point.

Least worst? Uhhh... suddenly I can't think of any other sewer levels except for Final Fantasy XII, which wasn't that good. Oooh, uh, Dishonored. I'll go with Dishonored.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I'm having trouble thinking of the worst. Normally, I just view sewer levels as "meh" at worst, so I don't hate them that much.

As for favorites...man, that's hard. Come to think of it, I think I just don't take note of sewer levels that often.

I guess if I had to choose the most memorable sewer level, I'd say the one from Amnesia: The Dark Descent. From what I remember, it was one of the scarier levels in the game, and it also provided the only moment where I actually had to stop and think about how to get around one of the monsters. Granted, it also had the only moment in the game where death was inevitable, but that might have been due to a glitch.

Oh, and there is also the sewer level from the first Call of Duty, but I remember it more for the humorous jab it made at Allied Assault, not for it being a particularly memorable level itself.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I remember really hating the sewer area in Super Mario RPG. It was dark, confusing, and just all around blarg.

Sewers I like are funny enough in Paper Mario 1. They are interesting, full of cool items to collect, and you can find pipes to warp around the world map.

I guess Mario RPGs bring out the best and worst in sewers for me.

 

[Roxas1359]

Eh the only sewer levels I can remember were the ones from Crash Bandicoot 2 Cortex Strikes back and I remember liking those ones as they were fun and had some nice music.
Then again, perhaps I'm trying to repress some memories...

 

[BreakfastMan]

The least worst sewer level that I ever played was Dishonored's sewer level, in the beginning of the game after you break out of prison. It was actually pretty good. The area was well designed, it looked beautiful, and there were a number of great, memorable moments (especially with the rat swarms!). It is the only sewer level I can remember actually enjoying.

The worst, from what I can remember? Well, I remember FEAR's sewer level being pretty awful. Long, drab-looking, and extremely dull. All the worst parts of the sewer, in one awful package. :\

 

[Barbas]

...It IS one of the more atheistically pleasing sewer levels I've seen...

Spoiler: LOL

I hated that damned sewer level in Moresby from Dead Island. It was filled with claustrophobic corridors where the brick walls were badly textured and you would have to duck and weave between pipes in the middle of the corridor. It wasn't just dull and repetitive, unfortunately - it was full of resistant enemies and runners who would come at you from behind curtains of steam, swinging their arms and knocking your health down right quick if you weren't on the ball. Ah yes, and some of them had ranged attacks.

I disliked the sewer run from Opposing Force when I first played it all those years ago, but that was mainly due to the charging aliens that fired insta-gibbing purple lightning. I dreaded hearing the stomping of their rapidly-approaching legs in that dark, foreboding place. It wasn't particularly long or confusingly designed as sewer levels go, it just scared the heck out of me.

I suppose I like the sewer level from the 'No Mercy' campaign of Left 4 Dead. It was easy enough to run through if you'd done it before, which cut the tedium out, and the two short tunnel-run sections were split in half by a room with some ammo and supplies in. The only somewhat-frustrating part was coming up the ladder at the end (if the other team was sneaky and had an ambush waiting for you).

 

[Lightknight]

I've always felt that Bethesda's sewers often had some interesting stuff. Random Shrines, dungeons, etc. But this is an interesting thread as I've also nearly never enjoyed sewers.

 

[Barbas]

Least worst? Isn't that what 'best' means?
I liked the ones in Fallout 3. While technically not all sewers, having lots of underground train tunnels, they were quite cool and had big stations with lots of sweet lewt.
Worst might be that one from Borderlands 2 with the Three Assassins. I can't remember if it was actually a sewer but it felt it.
Or Dark Souls. It was just a bit dull really. Had to grind there for rats when I got bored for Humanity.

The tunnels from Fallout 3 scared the ever-loving crap out of me. The steady gurgling of the ghouls a room or two away was bad enough before you heard one hissing and sprinting at you. I couldn't even enter Friendship station for hours after the first try. Those bandits were a cakewalk by comparison.

Spoiler: It was all like...

The designs were interesting enough to put them way up there, though. Dark, atmospheric and creepy as hell. That applies to a lot of things in the Fallout series, so I'm glad Bethesda were able to continue that fine, deeply unnerving tradition. I can't believe I didn't even mention them, I feel slightly ashamed of myself. Time for more Fallout, clearly.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Dead Island sewers sucked the most. Pity anyone getting stuck in that mission/level without out a properly equipped character.

 

[Marik2]

Really didn't like the sewer level in Xenogears. Skipped through all the random battles to get out of there quickly.

The only sewer level that was fun was the TMNT game on the SNES. It has a nice song and it you don't stay there for long.

 

[Lightknight]

Dead Island sewers sucked the most. Pity anyone getting stuck in that mission/level without out a properly equipped character.

Did anyone else have a huge problem getting back up the stairs in the little side underground sewer/bathrooms in Dead Island? It seemed like my character simply couldn't figure out how to use those stairs to get back up. Made this pretty much my least favorite.