The Best Boating Levels In Video Games

Most gamers are familiar with the contentious nature of video game water levels. However, this contention does not always stretch to boating levels in gaming. There's something about being atop a vessel sailing across the sea or down a river that can add so much to a gaming experience; be it a tense sense of claustrophobia or a chance to relax and revel in a change of pace.

Boating levels in gaming aren't always common, meaning when they crop up, they often offer a unique chance to experience the game from a different perspective. A video game securely locked to land can benefit greatly from a water-based setting, presuming, of course, that players have a boat to travel in; be it taking the helm of their own vessel or simply boarding as a passenger.

10 Crew Expendable - Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Stormy Seas And Intense Encounters Await

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a highly influential and innovative title. It built upon its predecessors to create an intense, fast-paced multiplayer, alongside an incredibly cinematic campaign. It's this campaign that brought players to the mission in question: Crew Expendable.

The mission takes place on a freight ship in the Bering Strait. It sees series staples to be, Captain Price and "Soap" MacTavish, infiltrating the ship in order to retrieve a nuclear device. The level simulates the rough seas and rain-lashed hull perfectly. Players don't just have to contend with the hail of enemy gunfire but also the elements, as the rain obscures vision and audio alike. Very few action set-pieces in gaming provide this level of immersion and simulation of the harsh nature of being aboard a boat in stormy seas.

9 Maw Of Souls - World Of Warcraft: Legion

A Voyage To Damnation

World of Warcraft: Legion was the 6th expansion for World of Warcraft and continued the innovations World of Warcraft is best known for. A large portion of these innovations was the unique dungeon design. While not strictly a "level" in the traditional sense, the Maw of Souls is a perfect example of this unique and innovative design.

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The Maw of Souls was generally considered one of the more frustrating dungeons to clear when it was current content. Considering it has only 3 bosses but frequent and plentiful packs of mobs that cannot be skipped. Despite this, players often revel in the haunting setting and atmosphere. The latter portion of the dungeon takes place in an eerie and decrepit pirate ship, in which the damned souls of the less fortunate Vrykul Warriors find themselves face-to-face with Helya. Crashing waves and torrential rain further the oppressive feeling of being aboard a ship set straight for damnation.

8 Brackish Waters - Gears Of War 2

An Encounter With A Monster

Few games capture the wild and action-packed joy of cutting down swathes of enemies or towering monstrosities like Gears of War 2 does; a sensation not lost in the game's sixth chapter, Brackish Waters.

This level sees Marcus and Dom aboard a locus gunboat. The boat eerily grinds to a slow crawl in a large cavern before the horrifying tentacles of the Leviathan reveal themselves. With no way to escape the boat, players must blast away at the tentacles, all whilst a bombastic and tense score fills their ears. As if that wasn't bad enough, players are then faced with the gaping and excessively toothed maw of the beast, frantically firing at it to prevent Marcus and Dom from being consumed along with the boat.

7 USS Discovery (Tanker) - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty

Stealth On The Seas

Not many game franchises reach the heights that Metal Gear Solid has in its long lifespan. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, critically acclaimed in its own right, may be best known among gamers for its bait-and-switch seen within the level in question.

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Shockingly, this opening portion of the game, set aboard the USS Discovery Tanker vessel, is the only one to feature a playable Solid Snake in the whole game. This does not impact how brilliant the opening is, however. The tight iron-clad corridors and claustrophobic stealth gameplay perfectly condense the brilliance of the Metal Gear formula. The setting aboard the ship serves as the perfect delivery method to do so. Players may have been disappointed to spend the rest of the game as Raiden, but at least the initial outing as Solid Snake remains ingrained in the minds of Metal Gear fans.

6 Alive, If Not Exactly Well - Max Payne 3

High Stakes Boat Pursuit

Max Payne 3 is the 3rd installment in the Max Payne series, released far later than the prior entries to mixed reviews. It swaps the noir aesthetic of the prior games for a more action set piece style. Regardless of players' preferences, it would be hard to argue that Max Payne 3 doesn't capture the action it intends to within its set pieces and levels.

The level in question ends with a high-speed and high-stakes boat pursuit as Raul and Max attempt to pursue their enemy in order to save Fabiana. This section is an on-rails set piece and players must fire at enemy boats whilst their own boat swerves and crashes through a body of water. Culminating in a collision and a wild jump as the boat crashes into a warehouse, bringing the adrenaline-fuelled sequence to a suitably chaotic conclusion.

5 Frigate - GoldenEye 007

Espionage On Open Waters

Goldeneye 007 is an undeniably groundbreaking title, etched firmly in the annals of gaming history. In the eyes of many gamers, it is the perfect video game, each of its components structured perfectly. One of the most crucial components is its level design, proving to stand the test of time in the eyes of many. Frigate is no exception.

The titular frigate houses tight corridors and rooms full of hostages which 007 must rescue. Players must precisely and quickly dart through the narrow hallways, using what little space they have to avoid enemy gunfire. This level acts as a test of speed and reaction time, the corridors allow little room for error and simulate the industrial and claustrophobic nature of a frigate perfectly.

4 Dead Men Tell No Tales - Sly Cooper 3: Honor Among Thieves

A Pirate's Life For Me

Sly Cooper is a beloved franchise, filled to the brim with creative and fun level design. The level in question, "Dead Men Tell No Tales" is no exception.

Each Sly Cooper 3: Honor Among Thieves level is divided into jobs. So, whilst the entire level in question could be considered a boating level due to its setting on and around pirate ships. It is the "Battle on the High Seas" job that encapsulates the spirit of this list the most. In order to save Penelope, players must take control of a gloriously stylized pirate ship and travel around the map. This exploration will be interrupted by fights with the nefarious Red Sail Sea Dog Clan, enemies sporting the typical charming Sly Cooper character design. Couple this with the jaunty 'sea shanty' themed soundtrack, and it's no wonder why players remember this so fondly.

3 Chapter 3 - Resident Evil 4

Beware What Lurks Below

Resident Evil 4 is a pioneer of the modern survival horror experience. Leading the Resident Evil franchise to new and critically acclaimed heights at the time of its release. The recent remake only serves to remind gamers why the game was received so well.

Despite this success and critical acclaim, it could be said that gamers do not always remember the boating section that takes place in chapter 3 of the game. Using a small and rickety boat, set in a dirty lake, players must take down the fearsome Del Lago. An infected amphibian that stalks the depths of the already terrifying lake. The enclosed and unprotected nature of this fight serves to increase tension, as players must throw harpoons at the creature whenever it surfaces, all whilst being frantically dragged around by Del Lago. This section marries the tension of being trapped in a small boat with the signature action flair of Resident Evil 4.

2 Aegean Sea - God Of War (2005)

No Ships Are Safe

God of War is known for its unique settings, borrowing areas from mythology and history to create inspired and compelling moments throughout its incredibly long tenure.

The very first example of this is the Aegean Sea in the first level of the first God of War title. Players must control Kratos as he navigates a shipyard in the Aegean Sea. In true God of War fashion, Kratos finds himself head-to-head with a giant Hydra. This boss fight utilizes the boat setting perfectly, with the creature tearing through the ships in the level, rearing up from the sea to attack players as they traverse the ships. Culminating in an awesome fight, back-dropped by the torrential downpour of rain and violent crashing of waves.

1 Sink Or Swim - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

An Attempt To Outrun The Ocean

By its 3rd installment, the Uncharted franchise was famous for its large and impressive level design, with players constantly awestruck as to what may come next. From crashing trains to falling planes.

The level Sink or Swim in Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception continues this trend. The level takes place aboard a sinking ship and players are tasked with solving puzzles and fighting hordes of enemies, all whilst the constant threat of drowning looms as the water level grows higher.

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By  Ashish Walia