The Best Designed Map in Gaming

[TechnologicalMF]

Midgar in FFVII
First level of MGS4

Midgar is awesome, yeah. I've been looking for something with that vibe for a whole game (apart from FF VII Remake ofc)
As for MGS4, yet to play it. Only MGS I haven't played yet

Post automatically merged: Mar 11, 2025

Castlevania Symphony of the Night. May not be the best, but it's for sure very iconic.

Ooo yeah, you're right, this almost made my list actually.

Dark Souls 1 map design and how things connected made my 15-year-old mind explode in 2016.

And even though it mostly consists of "broken door. broken door. broken door. broken door. locked door. broken door", I love the maps of Silent Hill 1-2-3 (and the "dungeons", if you would call them that).

Nah 100%, not just at 15 but at any age it is amazing. What is really cool though is I played it at a very similar age lol but I am convinced (based by other people's experiences) that it would be the same at any age

Post automatically merged: Mar 11, 2025

Ohhhhhh I thought this was a thread about the actual "Maps", like cartography. I still have my map of Hyrule for Link to the Past folded up in the closet somewhere, the one that came in the SNES box.

I mean, this is fine too, I guess.

Yeah honestly just think something like this would lead to more interesting discussion is all. But a thread like that would be sick as well

The entirety of MGS3, especially Grozniy Grad

I love MGS3 but honestly a lot of the map is my least favorite of the OG trilogy. I vastly prefer Shadow Moses/Tanker/Big Shell to the MGS3 map and only find a few areas in it that interesting.
Both visual and sound design wise I vastly prefer them

The Antilia space colony of Zone of the Enders

Speaking of Kojima I really need to get around to these

2D
- PoP Lost Crown
- Ender Lilies
- Strider(2014)
- Biomorph
- Sakuna
- Shovel Knight

3D and Open-World
- Jedi Fallen Order
- Okami
- Sunset Overdrive
- Shadow of Mordor
- Sand Land
- Arkham Asylum, City and Knight
- Shadow of Mordor
- Ys VIII
- RGG/Yakuza Series

Kamurocho from the Yakuza series really is fucking amazing. Also shit yeah Ys VIII, completely overlooked it as an option. I don't think it'd be in my top best of the best but great map and would be up there

 

[Dyne]

I recently played Dragon Quest III for the first time (HD 2D Remaster).
I really liked the map for that game. It took me way too long to realize how it was kind of mirroring the real world.

 

[TechnologicalMF]

I recently played Dragon Quest III for the first time (HD 2D Remaster).
I really liked the map for that game. It took me way too long to realize how it was kind of mirroring the real world.

Oh damn, interesting pick. I am nowhere near knowledgeable to comment on DQ though lol, never got around to playing them but once I do DQ V is the first one on my list.

What exactly makes the map in 3 really good?

 

[Dyne]

Oh damn, interesting pick. I am nowhere near knowledgeable to comment on DQ though lol, never got around to playing them but once I do DQ V is the first one on my list.

What exactly makes the map in 3 really good?

Well as far as jrpg maps go it doesn't do anything amazing, its not actually "the best designed map in gaming." I guess I was just highly amused by how it mirrors the map of Earth. Kind of.
Also, the "second" map is kind of a spoiler but I was not spoiled and it was a very cool moment.

 

[Pokenami]

Unreal Tournament

 

[Ikagura]

One gripe I kind of have with modern games is I feel like a lot of companies have abandoned a lot of this tight, carefully crafted design of maps that you would see when the specs were more limited.

Absolutely.

I'll add my small contribution:

Somehow this map feels more full than PSO2 NGS's open world.

What a magnificent beach:

 

[TechnologicalMF]

Well as far as jrpg maps go it doesn't do anything amazing, its not actually "the best designed map in gaming." I guess I was just highly amused by how it mirrors the map of Earth. Kind of.
Also, the "second" map is kind of a spoiler but I was not spoiled and it was a very cool moment.

Ah I see. That's pretty cool

Absolutely.

I'll add my small contribution:
View attachment 41144
View attachment 41145
View attachment 41146

Somehow this map feels more full than PSO2 NGS's open world.

What a magnificent beach:
View attachment 41147

God I love these so much, something just so magical about these maps. I never played PSO1 but I did play PSO2 and I really loved those maps, I see what a lot of them are an extension of now.

A really beautiful beach map in gaming is the beach stage in Tekken 4 and the music is so good too:

 

[Ikagura]

God I love these so much, something just so magical about these maps. I never played PSO1 but I did play PSO2 and I really loved those maps, I see what a lot of them are an extension of now.

I feel that PSO2's Forest map, since it's procedurally generated, felt a bit too "blocky" in its design.

 

[TechnologicalMF]

I feel that PSO2's Forest map, since it's procedurally generated, felt a bit too "blocky" in its design.

Yeah I can see it. The main reason I hold PSO2 special is basically because it was the only MMO I got into. Not a huge fan of the genre sadly

 

[_-_AceDragon_-_]

Mafia 2 had an excellent world map. Being somewhat linear meant you didn't need to explore it much, but man I loved just driving from A to B while on missions. The world design was so nicely put together and felt authentic. The various areas had a unique feel to them, like the scrapyard, the local neighbourhood where vito grew up, the station, the docks, museum etc.

Literally all of the levels from Tenchu 1 on PS1. Masterful level design, and in my opinion was not beaten by any subsequent Tenchu.

Megaman legends - entire map and underground segments, all connected which was great. Who remembers first strolling through Apple Market?

Banjo Kazooie, the overworld map and individual levels were amazing too. The priests level is easily one of my favourites. Compact and well designed levels here, which was slightly lost in the latter rareware collectathons.

Bloodborne and Sekiro's maps were pretty amazing.

I agree with mgs1 being the best metal gear in terms of level design. (It's also the best in other areas too).

Ff7 world map and individual towns / areas were close to perfect. The pinnacle of pre rendered backgrounds.

Shadow of the Colossus, the game is one big overworld map.

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon 64. Mt Fuji climb, bamboo springs

Skyward Sword. I wasn't a fan of the portal system (or whatever you call it), but I became so in love with skyloft and the individual surface world areas and the dungeons were great too. Of course link to the past and Ocarina of time are probably the best maps ever made for any game period.

Alundra. Especially the main town - simple design but really nicely done. And filled with hardly any generic NPC's.

I've got more just gonna peel off a list;
Super Metroid
SOS (SNES)
Demons Crest
Terranigma
Arkham asylum
Severance blade of darkness
Soul Reaver (first one)
La Mulana
Kingpin
Megaman Zero (first one)
Obscure
Ori (blind forest and will o wisps)
Sleeping Dogs
GTA 5
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Tomb Raider (1 and 2)
Urban Chaos
Yakuza 1 and 2 (PS2 not remakes!)
Onimusha 2
Shadow Hearts 3 From the New World
DMC1 and 3
Okami
Final fight streetwise