Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (GameCube) | The Roivas mansion
The Roivas mansion inherited by Eternal Darkness' heroine, Alex Roivas, isn't so much a single level as it is a big, creepy hub that gradually opens up for exploration as the game progresses. The more you explore it - especially in different time periods, as characters other than Alex - the more that you'll find out unwholesome new things about it, and the more you'll see creepy, mess-with-your-mind moments like the one above.
The reason for all this, as it turns out, is that deep underneath the house is an entire ancient, subterranean, horror-infested city, ripped straight out of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft's "The Rats in the Walls." It's as though the house is a big, rotting onion, and when you get to the center, it turns out 100 times bigger than the rest of the vegetable and drives you insane with its non-Euclidean geometry.
Extreme G III (PS2) | Atradaitoshi
At one point, this was one of PS2's best games. It's not aged too well, but there is one level that's still awesome, and that's Atradaitoshi. At first, it seems like any other track - there's the Bladerunner-esque visual style, the crowds of spectators and pounding dance music. But after a few hundred yards (already at several hundred mph), you leave the covered start area and emerge into the outside world...
And it's a deluge. Rain smashes across the track as you begin your assault on the rollercoaster-like lap. At the time, there had never been a weather effect like it. The next-generation had really arrived, and this race still stands tall as one of PS2's defining moments. Don't let it go unplayed.
F1 Challenge (Saturn, PS2) | Monaco
Be honest, have you even heard of this one? Before Sony got the official FIA license and Bizarre Creations made the unforgettable Formula One and F1 '97, Sega Sports had the FOCA license, which granted them pretty much the same rights. But it wasn't as comprehensive an experience as PSone's gem. There were only three 'real' tracks (Monaco, Suzuka and Hockenheim), and three bonus tracks. But they pushed the Saturn to its limit - and the game absolutely rocks.
Monaco and Suzuka are the standout moments, but we reckon the latter is the one you have to see. The sweeping S-bends in the first third of the lap are incredible, especially the left-hander which drops away from you... it feels like you're hanging on for dear life. And it's a stunning 3D recreation of the circuit in an arcade style, running at a solid 30fps. If you don't mind sacrificing some smoothness, you can even switch on a rear-view mirror - something commonly believed to have only been achieved in Sega Touring Car Championship on the console (ahem... geek mode cancel).
The ethereal feeling of hurtling down the back straight with the engine screaming is something every Saturn owner should experience. The sky has a fish-eye lens effect and even slants with the track camber (sounds obvious now, but at the time it was a revelation), the other cars are recognisable and it's very, very fast. Strangely, despite its quality, it vanished from store shelves very quickly, never to be seen again. Except on eBay!
Ferrari F355 Challenge (Dreamcast, PS2) | Long Beach
If ever you wanted to see how Dreamcast games could have looked if game development had continued for the same lifespan that PS2 enjoyed, load up Ferrari F355 and select the Long Beach track. Arcade smoothness, realistic physics and the best 3D graphics the machine ever produced. Examine the external shots - there are even 3D drivers in the cars. This is every bit as impressive as PS2's Gran Turismo offerings - perhaps even more so.
This inner-city track, with its tyre-marked tarmac and smooth kerbs that seem tangibly hot from a day in the blazing sun, is the game's finest moment. And if you do actually manage to win, kick back and watch the 'digest replay', while a sweet electric guitar solo plays. It's Sega at its finest - and if you can name any racer that genuinely looks markedly superior in overall effect, you're probably talking about Gran Turismo 5. Considering that Dreamcast is only about as powerful as the humble PSP, that's a phenomenal achievement.
Final Fantasy VII (PS1, PC) | Disc One
Yes, we know we said “levels” and this is an entire disc, but bear with us. Love it or hate it - but really, why would you hate it? - Final Fantasy VII is the most revered role-playing game of the PlayStation era. And one of the big reasons why is a kind, sweet flower-selling girl named Aeris, also known as Aerith.
By the way, if you somehow don’t know where we’re going with this, SPOILER ALERT times a zillion.
Anyhow, untold legions of gamers were captivated by Aeris’ selfless, gentle heart, and her death at the hands of the evil Sephiroth set the standard by which all other videogame deaths – and bad guys - will be measured. There may never be a more innocent, pure maiden than Aeris, a more hateable villain than Sephiroth, or a more moving collision of the two throughout the rest of gaming history. And in order for it to truly resonate when Aeris is taken away at the end of disc one, you need to play the whole game up to that point.
Flat-Out (PS2, Xbox, PC) | Minigames
Sure, this racing game had a decent sense of speed and some good looks, but the real star of the show was actually its minigames, which had nothing at all to do with racing. You see, the game had a very robust physics system – an eggheaded way of saying things bounced around pretty realistically when you hit them. This made the morbid minigames, most of which involved stomping the accelerator and then hammering the brake so hard your driver was catapulted through the windshield, as captivating as they were twisted.
Who could resist the appeal of launching your little man into a giant dart board? Or great, big bowling pins? Not us. Not anyone. Even something as simple as a high jump or long jump becomes captivating when the participant is being involuntarily cannonballed from the driver’s seat. Of course it’s evil; but you can’t deny it’s fun.
Gears of War (360, PC) | Act 2: Lethal Dusk
Lots of games add co-op play so they can include an extra bullet point on the back of the box. Gears of War was built from the beginning with co-op in mind. Nowhere is this fact clearer than in the shooter's unforgettable second act. At many points, Marcus and Dom are forced to split up, experiencing completely different battles simultaneously. At other points, they must work in perfect coordination. Who can forget holding that spotlight steady on your buddy below, knowing that a single wrong move would result in his or her instant death? Who can forget being on the opposite end of that beam, placing all your trust - and your life - in someone else's hands?
Genji: Days of the Blade (PS3) | Ichinotani Beach
When Sony spectacularly disemboweled itself live on stage at its E3 2006 press conference, an over-sized claw-wielding crustacean scuttled from the steaming pile of embarrassed entrails to become an instant internet phenomenon. The Giant Enemy Crab. And this enormous, hard-shelled invertebrate has become such an institution in gaming culture that every gamer should be forced by law to visit Ichninotani Beach at least once, flip the legendary beast on to its back and - yes - attack its weak point for massive damage.
