Bubble Man – Mega Man 2
For the uninitiated, Bubble Man’s stage may appear form of hellish. In any case, though Mega Man strikes in the identical method as when he is on land, the gravity whilst you’re underwater is totally out of whack. Because of this basic motion is slower than ordinary, and jumps can ship you skyrocketing into the air; a truth vastly exacerbated by the spikes lining the ceiling.
If you’re clued up on the final structure of the stage, nonetheless, it may be an absolute blast. What helps vastly (and will increase the potential enjoyment much more) is when you beat Steel Man’s stage first and use its weapon, the Steel Blade, throughout Bubble Man’s stage. These darn frogs, jellyfish, and shrimp grow to be nothing greater than mere annoyances once you’re chucking round saws in each route. OR
The Crater Edge – Subnautica
Diving into the waters of Planet 4546B means you need to be fairly courageous, significantly as you discover The Crater Edge, which is a part of an enormous aquatic volcano. Sitting on the fringe of the map, The Crater Edge is filled with among the scariest and most harmful “fish” you’ll find. However exploring this darkish dank ocean might be completely thrilling — if you realize what you are doing.
Subnautica might be stress-free when you need it to be, however the darkish depths that await will nonetheless take a look at your nerves. Do not mess with these Ghost Leviathan — when you see one thing glowing, avoid it. AH
Lake Kingdom – Tremendous Mario Odyssey
Mario is one other franchise that appears to know learn how to make water stage. Sure, Dire, Dire Rocks is iconic, and Tremendous Mario Galaxy has some glorious water-based ranges, however the serene, pastel Lake Kingdom must be my favorite.
Lake Lamode is house to among the greatest vogue designers on the earth. The attire are lovely, the underwater flora is floaty, and the inhabitants are quirky. It is in all probability one of the vital stress-free ranges in Tremendous Mario Odyssey — and I am unable to say that for a lot of water ranges. The underwater buildings, plaza, and even the shops are all submerged in pristine white-marbled buildings. Put merely, Lake Kingdom is a pleasure. AH
Tower of Antsudlo – Sea of Stars
Regardless of pulling collectively these beauties for this checklist, we’re nicely conscious that numerous water ranges generally is a little bit of a nightmare filled with difficult mechanics and tedious design. However this could not be farther from Sea of Stars’ Tower of Antsudlo, a dungeon so chilled that I virtually forgot the dreaded underwater theming whereas taking part in.
The fantastic thing about this one for me is in its simplicity. Tower of Antsudlo seems to be intimidating on the floor (or ‘below the floor,’ if we’re being choosy) with a large number of branching paths and transferring water pipes, however it’s really pleasingly linear. You study the mechanic, you set it into observe, you repeat. Easy. There are not any nasty digicam controls or motion migraines to navigate, as an alternative you might have a lovely central puzzle which is kindly there to carry your hand all through.
Oh, additionally — shock! horror! — the music slaps. JN
Rapture – Bioshock
Sure mate, it counts. From the second you scramble as much as the lighthouse and step into the bathysphere till (spoilers) the tip, you are underwater! Bloody metropolis’s completely submerged, innit, and it is received ranges. It is in.
The very best factor I can say about Rapture is that regardless of it being a grimy, leaking hellscape full of ghoulish denizens turned insane by gene-splicing, some smooth Artwork Deco styling and a winsome ’40s playlist can actually work wonders. Add in dramatic uplighting and classic amusement arcade trappings and it is a surprise Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen did not co-opt this fashion for each room he ever modified. You understand, fairly than portray all the pieces purple when the proprietor’s solitary stipulation was ‘no purple.’
Sure, Rapture is a horrible, horrible place, however it’s additionally one in every of gaming’s most immersive locales. Or ought to that be subversive?… Oh, cease choosing holes and scroll right down to the following entry. GL
20,000 Lums Below the Sea – Rayman Legends
20,000 Lums Below the Sea is without doubt one of the extra distinctive entries on this checklist. If you happen to’re questioning what you get when you cross underwater exploration with a spy novel, nicely, right here it’s.
Impressed by Mission: Inconceivable, James Bond, and Splinter Cell (by way of Polygon), 20,000 Lums is a foreboding world that follows a complete spy mission. Some ranges are above-ground, some contain you swimming and infiltrating a base, and others have you ever sneaking by corridors and fixing puzzles. It is a improbable twist on the standard water stage, and modifications issues up simply sufficient so you are not driving your self mad swimming round as Rayman. AH
Aquas – Star Fox 64
As one in every of two oceanic planets within the Lylat System, Aquas is a reasonably distinctive and memorable world in Star Fox. You may go to Aquas in the course of the “exhausting” route and allows you to pilot the Blue Marine. If you happen to like energy kicks, you then’ll love this submarine with its limitless homing torpedoes.
You may want to make use of these torpedoes to make your method by what generally is a fairly tough stage. there are ruins to destroy to open up paths and loads of unknown creatures to keep away from. And to high all of it off, an enormous mutant clam lies in wait on the finish. Going by this checklist, area and water makes for some fairly scary locales. AH
Aquarium Park – Sonic Colours Final
Take all the pieces that makes Hydrocity Zone enjoyable and put it into an underwater park. That is oversimplifying issues a little, however Aquarium Park is all about lovely surroundings and fast-paced water platforming.
Adorned with East Asian-inspired buildings and coated with a dome, Aquarium Park weaves paths above and beneath water, main Sonic down a Dragon Street-style runway. It teaches you new methods to make use of the Drill Wisp, providing you with much more velocity and adaptability below the water. It is that blend of the bogus park and the gorgeous, serene underwater areas that go away an enduring impression, and it is simply among the finest water ranges in a 3D Sonic recreation. AH
Blue Gap – Dave The Diver
Dave loves nothing greater than spending time within the Blue Gap, and I am unable to blame him. Upon the primary dive, I used to be enraptured with the gorgeous, peaceable nature of the ocean. Even with risks lurking within the depths of the ocean, I used to be joyful to swim round and take my time gathering fish.
You see, the Blue Gap is extra than simply an ocean. It is house to the Sea Folks, and homes many historical ruins from a long-gone time. A whole glacial area is hidden deep, deep past the traditional depth ranges. The ocean creatures get scarier — however you additionally get extra highly effective. Even with the specter of hazard, there’s nothing extra thrilling than leaping into the ocean and gathering fish. Preventing sharks is much less tense than the sushi enterprise, okay? AH
Ocean – Abzû
Abzû might be essentially the most lovely recreation on this checklist. It is also essentially the most chill. If you happen to do not wish to swim away from sharks or fish, then Abzu is completely the sport for you — significantly when you take pleasure in discovering issues. Regardless that it is impressed by the cosmic ocean and Sumerian fantasy, Abzu’s ethereal world is extra welcoming than a few of these different legendary, magical oceans.
Similar to Journey — which most of the builders at Large Squid labored on earlier than — Abzu is considerate, easy, and methodical. It is all about taking issues at your individual tempo. Plus, who would not with these sea-green waters, blossoming pink seaweed, and an array of attractive, vibrant fish? Is that this dishonest? Possibly. However Abzû’s underwater surprise is a sight to behold. AH
Labyrinth Zone – Sonic the Hedgehog
This makes my private picks as a result of, even with its many spikes, badniks, spiked badniks, and the existential dread that comes from that five-beat countdown to dying by drowning, it is simply so nice to take a look at.
The nice and cozy stone blocks, hanging vines, crystalline growths, and clear inexperienced waters of this zone make for a refreshing combo after Spring Yard. Throw in some cascading falls, just a few historical mechanisms, and a superbly bouncy loop from Masato Nakamura, and it is a beautiful place to get misplaced. If you are going to die frantically transferring left and proper making an attempt to summon a bubble from a tiny crack, it could as nicely be someplace fairly. GL
Do you might have a favorite underwater stage? Are you itching to dive into Countless Ocean Luminous? Tell us within the feedback.
