Not read part one yet? Scroll down – or if you’re lazy click here!
As mentioned before, off the edge of the map, there be SPOLIERS!
Number Five: The Katariah, Skyrim
As one of the later missions in the Dark Brotherhood story arc, the mission to the Katariah sees the Dragonborn infiltrating the stately vessel, which is anchored just off the citadel of Solitude – your mission? Kill the Emperor of Tamriel.
That’s no easy task…
Sneaking aboard from the lower decks, the gamer has to battle a legion of bodyguards, mages and lowly deckhands as you close on your quarry, forcing back the furious soldiers with magic and sword, while no doubt robbing every bit of shiny loot you can find (of which there is a lot…)
A while later, after breaking into the cabin occupied by the prey, the assassin comes to face-to-face with the Emperor himself – who’s been waiting for you. Instead of a huge, brutal fight, you instead find yourself standing in front of an old man who’s come to terms with his death and meets you as an equal, turning his back and allowing you to finish your mission.
A hell of a moment, which certainly stopped me in my tracks, even though it didn’t stop me killing him and looting his corpse.
Number Four: The Normandy, Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect was a brilliant game. It captured my attention right from the start, and I played through it ferociously, almost obsessively. Bioware did such a good job creating believable, understandable characters and a galaxy with such depth of intrigue that I just kept coming back for more, especially with my trusty starship, the Normandy.
So, for the developers to open Mass Effect 2 with the total and utter destruction of the Normandy, and the apparent death of lead character Commander Shepherd, was a massive shock to me, and a moment that seared itself on my memory.
Characters I’d come to enjoy listening to died in an instant, and the ship I’d come to think of as my own personal passport to the galaxy was gutted and left to crash.
A chilling level to play through, after all the battles the Normandy fought and survived, as well as a kick-ass opening sequence.
Number Three: The Sulon Star, Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight
Quite possibly the best Star Wars game ever made, Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight also featured one of the most atmospheric, intense levels of the 90s.
Wannabe Jedi Kyle Katarn has tracked his foe, Imperial Inquisitor Jerec, to the Valley of the Jedi, confronting him on the refueling dock of Jerec’s huge cargo ship, the Sulon Star. Pretty quickly Kyle finds himself Force-pushed on to the ship – which is hanging over a huge drop – trapped on board, and left to die as the vessel plunges towards the ground.
What follows is as crazy a level as I’ve every played, as the Star falls into the canyon, rolling over, turning the floor into the ceiling, seeing the artificial gravity failing – and leaving panicking Stormtroopers desperately trying to escape.
A breakneck sprint through the creaking, cracking ship follows, until Katarn manages to make it to his ship, the Mouldy Crow, and gets the hell off the Star before it’s consumed in a pillar of fire. Of course, that’s only the start off his problems… (incidentally, check out the live-action cutscenes – they don’t make ‘em like this anymore!)
Number Two: The Long Night of Solace, Halo Reach
Something of a nod to the first Halo’s ‘Truth and Reconciliation‘, the Halo: Reach mission involving the Covenant corvette Long Night of Solace was a bold step for the series, introducing enjoyable, colourful space combat in a pretty nippy little fighter, as well as battleships blowing the crap out of each other – and a zero-G boarding action.
Follow this with an intense, close-range firefight against a legion of pissed off Covenant creatures, a bomb strapped to a gunship and a sad (but not unexpected) sacrifice, and you’ve got a lengthy game level that leaves a strong impression on you. Naturally, having some friends along for the ride – from launchpad to interstellar combat to boarding action to HALO-jump escape (yes, we get the pun, Bungie) – makes it all the better.
For graphical beauty, brilliant sound effects and capturing the beauty of space warfare, this one is well worth a look. I especially enjoyed the low-gravity scrap in the corvette before Noble Five makes his arrival – the eerie lack of sound makes the battle all the more intense.
Number One: Discovery/Arsenal Gear, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
If, like me when I thought up the title of this quote, you immediately thought of this game being number one for levels set on ships, you’d be right – it’s not just got one, but two whole suites of levels devoted to battling on the high seas.
Starting off, we have Solid Snake’s infiltration of the tanker Discovery, which is slowly moving up the Hudson river with a very unusual cargo – Metal Gear Ray, a bipedal, amphibious mech with some terrifying offensive powers.
Cue the stealth action, contrasted with the tension of an invading group of Russian special forces soldiers, driving rain, helicopters strafing you, creaking metal – and cardboard boxes.
Later, the action moves to the form-fitting ‘skull suit’ of Raiden, a pretty boy-cum badass who finds himself trapped aboard a massive, submersible battleship called Arsenal Gear. The huge ship is full to the brim with supersoldiers, crazed artificial intelligences who keep insisting “It’s all a game! Turn off your computer!” and no less than 30 mass-produced Metal Gear Rays defending it.
Add in the fact that the ship’s innards have names like ‘rectum’ and ‘ascending colon’, and you get the feeling that you’re into something special.
I mean, who can honestly say they spent a good 20 minutes fighting off waves of enemies with a ninja’s katana… in a giant rectum.
Yep, for variety, great level design and sheer fun, MGS2′s ship-based levels deserve the top spot.
As for Raiden… yeah – he got awesome.
You really don't wanna mess with him.
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