What's The Point of a First Level? 

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I think this one of the few videos about first levels that didn't bring up World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros. Which is nice, but it still works a great tone setter and tutorial.

Even Mario 64’s first actual level serves as a great introduction to 3D video games. The first Star is basically just, “make it to the top of the level,” teaching people how to navigate vertically in 3D, and introducing safe versions of different terrain types.

Forest Frontiers in _Roller Coaster Tycoon_ is possibly the best first level of any management simulator. It doesn't hold your hand the whole way through, but it also doesn't leave you feeling overwhelmed as you learn how to build and run your first amusement park. The park also has plenty of extra space for expansion and more attractions to research than you can possibly obtain in the one in-game year you're given to meet its objective, so the game in that sense encourages you to grow the park after its first year just to see what you can do.

the point of a first level is that it is physically impossible to start on the second level

I love well designed first levels. Especially ones that don't try to hand hold you but let you learn the basics on your own.

Your subtitle efforts do not go unnoticed Doc!

I remember looking through the development history of Hollow Knight, and King's Pass (the starting area) received so many changes that makes it the extremely effective teaching tool it is now (probably the best I've seen in a search-action game). To start, the Crawlids originally had no spikes on them, and so players tried stomping on them like Goombas. When the devs gave them spikes, it communicated that touching an enemy in this game will result in you taking damage, which is a very crucial detail for combat. Pits with spikes just became empty holes in the ground, which forces the player to learn how to jump without risking death. Things like Lifeblood and soul usage are also taught without much fourth wall breaking, but my favourite part is how if you immediately turn left, you'll find a secret stash of money. This gives the player a big realization; secrets can be anywhere, and you shouldn't always go forward. While some players won't see this secret, for those players who got curious and got rewarded for it, it makes them want to explore every nook and cranny of the world. And for a search-action game, that is an amazing thing to put in your player's head.

I'm really interested on your thoughts on Fighting Game design and how they present and introduce themselves to their players. I think itd be an interesting angle to look at.

One of my favorite first levels ever has to be The First Turnabout in Ace Attorney. I mean come on, you have a slow paced mystery game, what will you do to grab the player's attention ? a) Set up some clues and ask questions about an overarching storyline ? Or b) Somehow take the Bayonetta approach and make it absolutely bombastic This case basically skips to the final part of every other case and shows exactly what is so unique about the series. It makes the player want more of that feeling which helps them go through any following case, no matter how long. I don't think I can imagine a better hook for this game than that.

I love that Sonic Heroes was used as an example of good design. That game can be janky as hecc, but it isn't irredeemable.

The more games I play, the more I appreciate things like Portal's start, where you learn everything you absolutely NEED right away and then the tutorial bleeds into the next three-quarters of the game. It's so easy to get sidetracked or put off when I'm frontloaded with "here's how to do this and that!" without a good context to test whatever I'm being taught.

I know it's been said a thousand times, but Breath of the Wild's Great Plateau is an excellent "first level" of sorts. You're very quickly thrown into a microcosm of the game at large, able to start exploring, climbing, fighting weak (and avoiding a few strong) enemies, collecting things, and while you are given some direction you're very free to go your own way as well.

I've heard great things about Shovel Knight in regards to its first level. For each of the four campaigns, the devs specifically designed the first level at the very end of the development process, in order to ensure that the first level was as polished and best representative of the rest of the game as possible.

One fun approach to taking away the player's powers can be to start them out as some other character. I played a great game ages ago where you start out as a hero with a classic RPG party, and one of the party members mentors/tutorialises you through the first level... until you get killed by the first boss and it turns out the weak-but-wise mentor character is actually the main character of the game. It managed to be funny, set up the main themes of the game, and set you back to the bottom of the power curve without making you feel like someone took away your toys.

13:40 Another great example of this is xenoblade 1! It starts off with dunban (lvl 30) at sword valley fighting with the monado,it shows basics controls and how you can shred through the mechon with ease thanks to the monado,but because he gets injured for abusing it's power he has to rest. A year later the real game starts and you play as shulk (without the monado) so when the mechon invade where he lives and you try fighting them it's incredibly hard (having to topple them to actually damage them) ,that is,until dunban comes back,still injured, with the monado and fights them off...for a short time,he's still unable to control the monado,so shulk has to pick it up thinking it will injure his arm as well for tapping into the monado's power only to find out he's actually meant for it! So you destroy the mechon that you were running from earlier,breeze through them thinking you've got it figured out but then the true enemy appears... a faced mechon.Turns out the mechon came prepared and had already developed a counter to the monado in just a year time so you're almost back at square one, showing,you might have gotten stronger but the enemy also has. So cool :D

Not exactly first LEVELS per say, but I do want to point out a significant difference between the starts of Pokémon Sun and Moon, and Pokémon Sword and Shield. Sun and Moon, you have to go through every tutorial. Good for first time players, especially young players, but frustrating for veterans and repeat playthroughs. Sword and Shield on the other hand allows you to skip some of the tutorials easily, and even have special dialogue if, say, you catch a Pokémon before the catching tutorial. The latter is very much appreciated.

I personally think that some of the best first levels belong to the 3DS Kirby games (Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot). The opening cutscene for both games sets the stage immediately, stating what the goal is right off the bat (rescue Dedede/revert the world to its natural state), and the first levels ease the player in with any sort of dialogue. If a player doesn't know what to do, a handy billboard will pop up to show you exactly how to overcome a challenge. This way, the player is eased into the game, and returning players can skip right through. But another factor of these games is the second level. In both instances, the second level acts as a secondary tutorial, in that it shows the new mechanic of the game (Hypernova/Robobot armour) with puzzles and enemy interaction, but it doesn't hold your hand: once it tells you how to do something, you're left to experiment on your own

Splatoon and splatoon 2's intro is pretty great, pretty good at teaching you the basics of movement and lets you have the moment to try and lean gyro aiming, if you are willing to learn it anyways. And then once you go into octo canyon that first hub just helps reinforce the movement and the rules of splatoons gameplay. And then we get into the first actual level. And the game helps you learn how to deal with a few basic enemies, including one where you have to throw a splatbomb behind it to get it to turn around so you can shoot it in the back. Or ink it's feet so it turns slower allowing you to swim behind it to do the same thing. Octo canyon as a whole is a great tutorial on how to play splatoon especially in splatoon 2 where it gives you other weapons for certain levels, then let's you replay older levels with the all the weapons. But that is a septal subject. Speaking of the octo expansion also acts as a great tutorial for a few other things too. Like the specials. But thats a discussion for another time.

I'm surprised you didn't bring up Team Rose's first level in Sonic Heroes since it's the definition of hand holding, with Omochao stopping you every single time to talk about the games mechanics.

A couple of my favorite intro levels are Frigate Orpheon from Metroid Prime and Welcome to Rapture from Bioshock. They both do so well in establishing their respective games' tone and setting

Well this may not be considered a 'First level' but I feel this is a great example In Rayman origins there's one level in each world that gives you a power up, but instead of gaining the power-up automatically, you have to chase the enemy, while you chase it, the game starts showing how the power-up works almost like environmental tutorial.

I think that City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2 is my favourite first level in a game. It's action-packed, and introduces a lot of the game concepts in a fun way. You learn how to do stunts to get a higher score and the platforming gets a bit harder throughout the level. The truck chase is intense, but you're in very little danger since you won't die as long as you keep the control stick forward. It leaves a great first impression and it gets you hyped.

1:40 i love that VPN ad reads have gone from dubious claims of security to just straight up breaking the tos of other services, that's real comedy right there

10:27 ...or you can take the neutral mission 10 times. You only need to complete the Hero or Dark missions in Westopolis if you want to visit the hero/dark stage that comes after, of to visit all stages, but to get all endings you could just go neutral all the way to the fourth stage, and then choose a path.

I played Mario 64 when it first came out, and the opening playtime outside of the castle was such a revelation of how much pure joy could be wrought from a game's controls that I spent quarter of an hour just running and jumping around out there, happy and carefree.

One of my favorite opening areas is Final Fantasy 7's bombing mission. It's intense, it gives player control quickly, and it has a bunch of little details that make second playthroughs more interesting. As someone who plays RPGs a lot, not enough of them have the courage to give the player control of a character that quickly.

This makes me think about Super Mario 3D World's first level and how quickly you get the Super Bell to become Cat Mario. Really shows how they designed the game around Cat Mario rather than base Mario.

I think a good contrast between good and bad first “levels” would be GTA 5 and GTA 4. GTA 5 starts with an exciting shootout following a botched bank robbery that introduces two of the playable characters as well as the central gimmick of switching between characters. The opening of GTA 4 on the other hand consists of going on a date to a carnival that turns out to be closed, buying new clothes that look like the ones you’re already wearing, and, of course, going bowling with your cousin. One of these games I happily played for hours and hours until completion and the other I played for about an hour and never picked up again.

I like the first level of 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors It’s nothing insanely special, but it starts out with you waking up on a cruise ship that just got a massive hole blown in the side of it, causing your cabin to flood. Halfway through solving the puzzle to escape, you remember you were gassed and kidnapped, giving you even more to the mystery. And it ends with the rest of the entire bottom deck flooding as you rush to escape, then introduces you to the other 8 members of the cast and the main scenario Just an overall really really good first level with an intriguing hook that also lets you learn the games mechanics on your own in a fast paces and chaotically fun way

I remember playing the demo for the first Bravely Default game before it released and falling in love with it almost immediately. The demo itself was set in the second area of the game and was structured a bit differently than the actual second level in the full release. It was a little bit V-Slice, and a little bit In Media Res but altogether it worked REALLY well in getting me invested in the game. The demo even had a system where, even though you couldn't transfer your progress directly to the full game, progressing in the Demo and finding secrets unlocked items you could send to the full game, to give you a small edge in the beginning. I feel like the actual first chapter in the full game was a bit slower to get through than the demo, but the demo already had me invested enough to push through the slower bits. it may not have been the first level, but that demo being my first EXPERIENCE with the game, I feel was pivotal in my buy-in to what is now one of my favorite RPG franchises. I will probably always point to it as the perfect example of the type of demo most games should have.

You know what really stands out about Bob-omb Battlefield now? All the 'how to' stuff is on signs you can just run past if you already know how. Then someone had the bright idea to have a fairy or sword spirit YELL CONSTANT UNSKIPPABLE INSTRUCTIONS AT YOU just in time for the release of Zelda. The Minor Circuit of Punch-Our Wii is a great first level. Each of the boxers shows off a core mechanic, such as Von Kaiser's fatal allergy to Star Punches or how Disco Kid telegraphs all his fancy moves. You also won't get bored on repeat playthroughs since part of the game is about refining your technique to KO fools even faster, and like the rest of the cast these guys are very animated and funny to take down (pauvre Glass Joe... tu ne peux jamais gagner). It creates that sense of accomplishment while also showing you the basics.

I still think the Great Plateau is one of the best tutorial sections in any game. I know praising BOTW has been done to death but when you have a tutorial/first level that doesn't feel like a tutorial/first level, and you don't even want to LEAVE, then you've done it right.

Prologue in NieR:Automata is probably my favorite "first level" of any game. The first line you hear ingame is "Everything that lives is designed to end.", which is a true statement and fairly neutral in tone. Then it suddenly turns very dark and ends with "I wonder if we'll ever get the chance to kill him (speaking of God)." Yoko Taro's writing is all about subverting expectations, this line and the entire game really is no exception. First lesson learned. First actual gameplay is a Shmup, transitioning to a bullet hell style game of the vertical, horizontal and isometric variety. Then there is a regular foot soldier part, a 3D hack and slash style which also fluidly transitions between 3D, top down and 2D. All the while the game prompts tutorial messages for you such as ranged attacks and close range controls. Second important lesson: Game really likes to play with camera angles / you know how to move, congratulations. In the meantime, the second main character is briefly introduced and players are able to already get a feel for the connection of the Two. Again, setting up the stage to completely turn the image later on. It is also worth mentioning that the skill floor in this game is really low. In easy mode, you can even equip items to auto dodge & attack if the rather fast paced playstyle of Platinum Games is overwhelming for some who are just there for the story. That being said, the skill ceiling on the contrary is also incredibly high. Combo variations are seemingly endless with all the weapons to collect and their unique abilities, changing moveset depending on which character you play. Normal is "normal", hard mode makes enemies faster and stronger to the point of them easily killing you if you don't pay attention and properly interact with the game's mechanics. Very Hard is nuts and every hit you take is a guaranteed one shot every single time, making Prologue incredibly challenging for anyone willing to put themselves through it. You get reset to the very beginning of the section every time you die in Prologue, that's why. TL;DR: In NieR:Automata everyone wins

The first week in Persona 4 Golden (and presumably the original P4, though I've never played it) did an incredible job of giving me that "This'll be good" feeling even in my second and third playthroughs. Its quick jumping between the protagonist's cryptic dream, the first murder, the introduction of the Midnight Channel, the second murder, the discovery of the mysterious TV world, and the initial summoning of Izanagi leading up to the combat tutorial makes for a great pace for easing a new player into the game's world while allowing a returning player to re-enter the action in a timely manner.

I particularly enjoy the Ruins area of Undertale, which makes a gag out of how first levels often hold your hand by having a character literally hold your hand and walk you through an obvious puzzle.

for me, my all time favorite "First Level" will always be the Kokiri Forest and Great Deku Tree from Ocarina of Time, it was always fun to just goof around in the forest there and jump around and cut bushes and stuff

I've always felt that Paper Mario 64 had a weak start. Mostly because you don't get the action commands till post prologue. Not only is it boring to replay due to limited options, but I don't think it does a good job selling itself. Maybe people playing it for the first time will see the small numbers, basic attacks, and slow battle system and think that is what they whole game will be like. They will have no idea that the game has an awesome badge system with engaging action commands. I think Thousand Year Door handled this much better. The Lord Krump fight at the beginning gives you the opportunity to realize action commands exist and soon after your first fight in the sewers is fighting a normal goomba, a spiked goomba, and a flying goomba all at once which teaches you only certain attacks work on certain enemies. These two sections already accomplish more than what Paper Maria 64 accomplishes in it's first Prologue. This is a shame though cause Paper Mario 64 is a great game. I just wish it was easier to recommend to people without me having to say, "don't worry it gets better"

One of my favorite opening levels/sequences has to be from Brave Fencer Musashi. Brought into a new world, you don't really have much of an idea of what is going on, but with its simple controls, it gently eases you in while teaching you some fundamental mechanics as you climb the tower and obtain your second sword, which then gets highlighted as you're thrown into the first boss fight. The music being incredible also helps a lot.

Hmm. How about Gateway to Glimmer from Spyro 2? After being introduced to the main allies and antagonists of the game, you're immediately presented with an open area with lots of cowardly enemies to charge or burn, a whole lot of treasure to collect and plenty of varied terrain to practice jumping and gliding - all the core mechanics of the game. There are no instant death pits and the only enemy type that can actually damage Spyro is a large slow brute that is vulnerable to every dragon's signature attack - the ability to breathe fire. In fact, all the enemies AND chests in the first level can be defeated or broken open respectively with that attack! There are three other things about the first level that set the tone for the rest of the game too: 1. Moneybags, who acts as a gatekeeper, an additional "incentive" to collect gems and a source of catharsis later 2. The Ladder, which requires a skill you don't have yet in order to use, providing an incentive to return to the level 3. The hidden flying area just past the stage exit, which has two of the level's side quests, a demonstration that levels will often have additional secret areas, challenges and rewards for those with the patience to find and pursue them!

I always liked the opening bombing mission in Final Fantasy VII

I think a really good first level is Three-Seven Speedway in "Daytona USA". It may just seem like a simple oval shaped track at first glance, but it's much more than that. For starters, the race begins with a rolling start so the player can get into the racing action right away. And because there are 40 cars on the track, the player will figure out that they can slipstream behind them and realize that slipstreaming is a great way to pick up speed. And finally, the player will come across the third turn, which is at a much sharper angle than the previous turns. An inexperienced player will inevitably crash on that turn, but then come back around and use the brake to slow down. And as they use the brake, they'll realize that the car does a bit of a drift, so now the player is learning how to power slide around corners. The player may struggle getting the power slide to work the first few times, but once it clicks, it feels awesome! All these little game design decisions, along with the catchy music, really do set the tone for the rest of the game.

The forsaken fortress in Windwaker is an awful first level that very poorly shows off what you will be doing (its a stealth level in a non-stealth game.) in an otherwise fantastic game.

Egoraptor did a video on why Mega Man X's intro level is so good, and he talked about a lot of the things that you mentioned. Sick video as always, thanks for all your hard work!

The first level of a game is absolutely the most important part of any game. You touched on the main points, but I feel like this cannot be overstated. Just look at Mario maker 2 worlds. Your first level can't just be good--it needs to be amazing if you want a good chance of retaining players.

Brawl’s Subspace Emissary is also good because first thing they do is basically showing what Smash Bros is usually and then let’s you fight the common enemies

I don't know if it's exactly well designed but I loved how Saint's Row the third open ups with a high stakes bank robbery that keeps getting more over the top and ridiculous as it goes, it does a great job of setting up the comedic tone for the rest of the game.

Yakuza 0's got a pretty good opening stage too! The first chapter sets Kiryu's relationships with Nishiki, Kazama and the three Dojima Family lieutenants really smoothly, and it gives the game's first antagonistic figure in Lieutenant Kuze - which you'll then get to beat to a pulp in the chapter's finishing sequence, after quite the buildup on how much he sucks. Then there's the game's *second* opening stage: the start of Majima's route, which seems completely unrelated at first, set in a whole different city, but will intertwine with Kiryu's story later down the line. It sets off on a 20-minute long cutscene, slowly drawing a picture of the new location the game just threw the player in - and if you already know who Majima is, from past games or otherwise, it only builds up the hype when it finally dawns on you this is the part where he appears. His suave personality is as expertly shown off, through his more sleek moveset than Kiryu's and his snide remarks, as is the predicament he's been placed in: forced to work under an unlikable boss as an extension of his punishment for going against his *actual* boss in the past, the game immediately paints in this layer of depth that will only get more explored later on. Anyway: great introductions to two gaming icons, whether you've played a Yakuza game before or not.

An interesting failure I've run into recently is Horizon: Zero Dawn. The game starts very slow, and even after you're out of the tutorial and finally playing as Adult Aloy, it takes a good few hours playing with only combat and sneaking mechanics available (and you can't even use sneaking approaches during most of that playtime due to the way the plot is set-up). So, while the introduction to movement mechanics and combat is good, the introduction to exploration and machine interaction is pushed back, and it makes the early hours always feel weirdly lacking in a way the plot has never quite made up for me.

Might be a bit divisive, but I think Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2 have amazing first levels. It teaches you mechanics, incentivises you to explore the space, and puts you up against relatively low stakes fights with drastically different enemy mechanics. All this while setting up story beats that will follow through all the way to the end of the game. Roxas crying through Sora's eye when saying goodbye to his friends is worth three hours in Simulated Twilight Town.

This is also why the first battle in Pokémon doesn't cost you money of you lose.

Mario&Luigi: Dream Team had an absolutely horrendous first level. The entire opening section plus the first dungeon are one big tutorial hell. This was the *freaking fourth* game in the series too, we know how to jump by now. I miss AlphaDream…

Did I just see Chrono Cross referenced in a what to do video?? This year sure is something great.

One of my favorite first levels gotta be Shovel Knight's, which draws inspiration from Megaman X and other older games back when tutorials weren't a thing, where you'd learn the game simply by _playing_ the game?

My favorite first levels are probably green hill and the first mission in metal slug 3. Green hill is brilliant because it's based around momentum. There are moments of failure that you either have to build the speed to get out of or continue on the path to practice your skills more. The game naturally teaches you the use of the roll with it's s curve tunnels and it even leaves room for spectacle with the looks of the zone and the loop de loops. Metal slug 3's first mission is crafted very well. The crab enemies are big but weak targets with slow firing attack patterns so you can easily adjust to the gameplay. After the beach section you're teased with 2 paths, one of which more experienced players will know how to get to by crouching. If you decide not to take the sub path you're given another 2 path option really allowing for fun multiple playthroughs. Each path has spectacle and introduces different weapon types offering something amazing. Then at the end of it all you're given a vehicle and chased by the boss. Not only is this moment awesome but it tests your ability to run and gun, understanding when to dodge and when to hit. It's sort of a difficult boss at first but you realize most of it's patterns are simple and predictable plus you get the vehicles to take a couple hits and have a better time attacking the boss, especially if you get the mech.

I like the start of the Legend of Zelda. You can go east, west, north, and into a cave. The choice is yours. Instantly sets the tone of the entire game.

The first Chapter of Portal 2 does a pretty good job as a first level. It hooks you into the story with the charming character and comedy of Wheatley and The Announcer, and the desolation of Aperture Science you can see as you crash through the Relaxation Chambers. Then the game part uses the first few tests to explain the fundamentals of tye game and it's puzzles: Cubes and Buttons, Navigation, and Momentum, all separate, but slowly combining them together until you continue with the story, and get into the real meat of it all. And it keeps from being stale thanks to the environmental design and the comedy. Can't wait for the Companion Collection.

Okay so I have a bit of A Thought. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness begins with a dramatic cutscene, whrere a mysterious group wielding a shadowy Lugia just takes a ship- before a bit of an in media res- you're using a Salamence against an opponent Metagross in a cool battlefield, which are both some of the most powerful Pokémon in the game, with a relatively fast-paced and intense (if quickly-looping) theme to boot. The moves are all powerful and if you know anything about Pokémon- or even just feel like button-mashing- you'll be selecting Earthquake. What does this do? Well, it's something cool! The Metagross' health goes down. Then it uses something on you. Your health goes down. If you've been looking closely, you'll see the "It's super effective!" line. Maybe you wonder what it means? Either way, the Metagross goes down, and the screen warps, before a cheery theme comes on. You pretty quickly find that the battle was just a simulation, but the game tells you you have a real Pokémon of your own- an Eevee. Now, that's a whole other thing about the game design of an Eevee starter, but at this point you know what a Pokémon battle is and... oh god this is a lot of looking around in a lab and going back and forth. It picks up by the time you get free reign over the first major area of the game, though.

Honestly, green hill zone from mania, act 2 specifically, was such a good one. Act one is bringing back the original 2 acts, what we all remember, running through shuttle loops and crossing waterfalls, and a new boss that’s very much like the original first boss, but then, act 2 begins. Suddenly a brand new remix that’s very different than the normal style starts playing and gets you hyped, new players are excited as it’s all new, and veterans are as well, as that’s the point many realized this truly is a brand new, amazing sonic game in years. Seeing a reimagining of green hill zone set the scene for so many other classics, like chemical plant or flying battery. They hit the nail on the head with that design of green hill zone act 2, especially with the boss there. To think, the final boss of the second game is literally the second boss of this game.

Fire Emblem 7 (know in Japan as Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade) is what I think is the perfect first level for the Fire Emblem series - and is just a great first level, and why I recommend FE7 for first time players, even if newer games are more casual friendly. The game immediately introduces you to Lyn, and moments later you two are attacked and the game throws you into the first battle. It explains how to move Lyn on the grid system, how to move, how to Wait to finish an action, how to Attack, and the pre-determined critical hit on the boss sets up Lyn to be this cool badass swordswoman, but after the battle you get to know her better as a person too. Considering this was the first international release of a Fire Emblem game, they did an amazing job explaining to new players in the west how the game will work from the get-go.

A good example for a first level in an RPG is one of the big classics: Final Fantasy VII. Specifically the original, though the remake does it well too I hear. You're thrown into the action without much of an introduction to the world, in an era of RPGs that tended toward long, slow burn starts. You get a broader view of the city the game takes place in and see a character who one can assume will be important later going about her day, carrying flowers through a dark and almost decaying looking area to set the tone, then after a sweeping view of the expansive city, the camera zooms in on a train pulling into station near one of the larger structures- and out flip a few ragtag looking sorts who knock out the guards on the platform. Out comes out lead character, who is given some orders from his distrusting... employer, it seems? He fights two more guards on his own, making short work of them with his massive sword in the same time it took three others to deal with two. The intro section intersperses some basic gameplay with bits of exposition, keeping the group moving with purpose and the high energy feel of the scene while still giving out needed information. It does a good job of introducing key terms through context- Cloud is an ex-SOLDIER, the way it's said and the all caps making it clear he was no ordinary grunt, but formerly some sort of elite. "Mako Energy" is used and described in a way to both convey it is the life energy of the planet and an obvious electricity/oil analogue. We find out who Cloud and Barret are as a people by watching them bounce off of each other and the three secondary characters serving as members of AVALANCHE (another all-caps word used in context to indicate rebels, or basically eco-terrorists given the gritty framing of the game to contrast prior games having unambiguously heroic rebellions). Jargon terms are introduced quickly and early, normally a blunder in writing, but it works here thanks to how the information is presented and paced out. We get enough from the events going on, banter, and usage of each term to have a solid idea of what everything is and why the characters care (and why we should care, too), all while feeling natural, establishing characters, creating a natural rise and fall of action that carries us forward and slowly abates as we coast forward from that point and bringing us to a mellow and restful moment in the Sector 7 slums' relative safety. It's a fantastic vertical slice that sets up the immediate conflict as well as events down the line (Cloud seeming to hallucinate hearing someone right before the bomb is placed). Aside from a hiccup in translation, the boss at the end of the section also establishes that the player will need to watch and study enemy behavior patterns and animations or be punished for blindly mashing through menus- ensuring the player knows they'll need to think about their moves. Turn-based RPGs live or die on how much thought they make you put into choices in and out of combat, whether it be resource management, puzzling out enemy patterns, weighing risk and reward, or a combination thereof, as that serves as the core of the genre's engagement. That little bit makes sure that players are putting more thought into their play as they go on, and start thinking about the game's mechanics when they equip their characters with abilities and put them to use in battle. Midgar as a whole is a fantastic first segment any RPG would boast about, but that starting section gives the game momentum and teaches you everything you need to know about the setting, characters, and mechanics to dig into the meat of the game.

Because I have a niche, Guitar Hero games and which songs you start with can really make a difference. In Guitar Hero 2, your first song is “Surrender” by Cheap Trick, a banger of a song that doesn’t have a big flying solo. Same in Guitar Hero 3’s “Slow Ride” by Foghat. That one does have some solos, but barely any complex hammer ons and pull offs. Then we get to World Tour’s “Living On a Prayer” that has alternating fingering and even a tapping section. It introduces all the mechanics and is a great song, but it should’ve been one that got introduced later in the game once players have been accustomed to the speed of the note Highway and how much leeway you have to miss notes.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag has one of the most amazing opening levels I've ever seen in a game. The game starts right off with a naval battle and a boarding sequence in the middle of a storm. You're meant to fail it so don't worry too much, but if you've played AC3 it very quickly gives you a feel for how combat works in this game. What's important though is you get a look at a hooded figure, who happens to be Duncan Walpole, an Assassin who will be your target for the tutorial section. Your ship gets destroyed and you have to swim to a nearby island. As you do, the storm clears as you wash up on a beautiful tropical beach. As luck would have it, Walpole survived too and now you have to chase him through the island. The game teaches you the fundamentals of climbing and parkour, synchronizing to reveal parts of the map, and lets you air assassinate Walpole, who you learned was carrying some documents of great value whom he was planning to sell to the Templars. You, enterprising pirate Edward Kenway, decide you'll cash in on the bounty yourself, having no idea who the Assassins and Templars even are. But first you have to get off this island. Going further into the island, you meet Stede Bonnet who is captured by British soldiers. At this point the game teaches you how to stealthily take out the soldiers by using bushes and air assassinations, but if you fail that you can just go to regular combat. After reaching Bonnet, the two of you set out towards Havana on his ship, giving you a low stakes tutorial on so controls as you sail out of the lagoon. In one gorgeous, carefully orchestrated tutorial section, the game teaches you the basics of combat, parkour, stealth, and sailing, and establishes who the protagonist is was what his motivations are.

I give you props Design Doc. Whenever I think of on a topic to approach my very first game design. Lately you have been making videos on what I'm thinking on inputting to implement on my flowchart. For my first game I'm trying to go simple to get my feet wet in GameDev with a Arcade Shooter with a fun simplistic story and fun mechanic. Basiclly this specific video has helped me comeup with a idea for my first few levels. Thanks for the help. Also you make great videos on different topics.

I think one of the better "take power away" openings was Prototype because it also played with the in medias res opening into flashback. You start out the city in chaos, you are fully powered up, and wrecking everything. End game Mercer. Then it rewinds and you see how the whole thing spun out of control over time and you powered up bit by bit, gaining all the powers along the way.

Persona 5’s first level is quite interesting, it shows very far into the game to start, then throughout the game you’re taken back to a sequence at the start of the game to remind you what’s going to happen, just to make the reveal when you finally get the that part of the game, SO much better.

I totally forgot about Sonic Heroes - that game was amazing!

Colony 9 in Xenoblade 1 is a pretty nice first level because it introduces you to basic, uniques, and very high level enemies to showcase how lived in the world feels. It also teaches you about how platforming is also a thing in the game and entices you to find far off areas in a relatively safe environment. Also, the music is just great.

Not gonna lie, that DMC boss thing sounds incredible. I've never played a game with anything like that but damn would that make an impact on me. That's amazing.

Really enjoy your videos. No one can rush perfection but I do wish your videos came out a bit more. But that's just me being impatient and wanting more because all this channel's videos are so good.

Glory of Heracles 4 opening is a very interesting one. You start as a dog, in an empty place, with another dog that call you by a different name. Trying to leave will makes you encounter a character that will bring all your memories back from your past live, and you will be able to see the fall of Atlantis, your home. It accomplish everything a first level should do, though with varying degree of success. It's an excellent set piece, first of all, intriguing, presenting the major themes of the game, and the main characters. Battles don't give Exp or Money, but allows you to freely try the complex terrain effect of the game (each boosting and lowering certain elements), allowing you to set up all terrains and use all elements. Granted I didn't realize that during my 1st playthrough, but still it's there. And seeing how strong your original body is compared to what you can do as a dog gives you both a taste of power, and your main motivation for playing : finding back your original body, and returning to your home.

For good first levels, Bioshock has one of the best. It near perfectly sets the tone, narrative, and gameplay for the whole game. For a bad first level, and this might be controversial, but I'd say Witcher 3. While it's overall an amazing game, the intro area takes way too long, and sets incorrect expectations about how difficult the game will be early on. Witcher 3 very much starts off as a "do not stray from the roads" game, but because of how flat the difficulty is in the first zone you don't get that impression at all.

World 1-1 in Super Mario Bros and Green Hill Zone act1 in Sonic the Hedgehog are the best examples of first levels.

Is a first level bad at it's job if it's way better than the entire rest of the game? As in the rest of it doesn't live up to it's first impression. Like Green Hill in Sonic 1.

I wish Shadow had opted just to have branching paths in its levels that led to a "good" or "bad" goal ring aalong with the neutral one instead of the tedious missions it did come up with.

My favorite first level would definitely be a megaman game they're all great but i would probably pick X4. The worst one i've seen is Splinter Cell.

Okay two examples here: first off for me personally, Hades. I was already looking forward to the game, but what sealed the deal for me was my initial Boon from Athena. Athena is a deeply personal god to me for many reasons, so knowing she would be on my side for this journey was amazing. Then meeting Dionysus, another personal favorite gave me the motivation to see more despite dying five rooms in. I had never played a rogue-like before and so meeting characters and advancing the story, both through Zagreus’s personal narrative and the people he meets along the way was more than enough motivation to keep going despite the early struggles. My second is one mentioned in the vid: DMC5. I’m a DMC veteran, and found the first level great, it’s a perfect microcosm of what DMC is all about, flashy combat, fun characters and a mountain of a foe waiting at the end. The other day my spouse, who has never played a DMC game, only watching me play, decided to try it out, with me coaching them. By the time we stopped at Goliath, who I would argue is the end of the first level as opposed to Urizen, but that’s just me, they were fully invested, if on a bit of a learning curve. They managed to defeat Goliath with a sliver of health left and the victory put us both on cloud nine. It was an amazing moment watching edge out a difficult first boss fight in a new game.

Warframe has an amazing tutorial sequence in the "Vor's Prize" quest. It adequately shows how awesome you will eventually get (via a pre-game cutscene), explains WHY you need to relearn everything (you've been asleep for centuries, if not millennia), assumes you already know how to walk around (WASD) before you start, allowing it to teach you how to use your first ability even before how to run, and doesn't weigh you down with dialog boxes that stop you in your tracks, while properly introducing you to the game's primary conflict and mechanics. Throughout it, disembodied speech bubbles tell you how to run and jump, but can be easily breezed past because of how intuitive those are. But, when it comes to bullet and wall jumping, swapping between different weapons, and general melee combat, the game puts obstacles in front of you that require you to learn them, and announces this through an NPC called "The Lotus", that the fanbase has lovingly dubbed "Space Mom".

for a super recent example of a good first level, I have to give a shout out to Pokemon Legends: Arceus' combo of Prelude Beach & Obsidian Fieldlands. One gets you used to the basic controls of throwing things while the other is a great introduction to the general gameplay flow that teaches you about the different types of Pokemon behavior & you can EASILY spend hours in the area just catching Pokemon before you move on through the main plot (one of my friends damn near 100%ed that area before moving on to the mirelands because they felt like it).

I remember once playing a game literally shows you what’s to come It throws you into the final boss right away, where you’re meant to lose and go to the actual start.

Im honestly shocked you didnt talk about The Great Plateau from Zelda:BotW. While its not a "level" in a strict sense, its a near perfect microcosm of the world. It introduces so much near flawlessly, from environmental hazards to secrets to the creative ways you can solve situations. I actually spent as long as i could finding everything and doing everything on the plateau before moving on and it gave me a much deeper appreciation of the larger world when i looked at the map and this seemingly massive varied environment i had spent hours in was only a tiny part of a MUCH bigger world. Its such a complete experience by itself that i could have paid half the price and had the entire game set just on the plateau and i would have been satisfied with my purchase.

One of my favorite intros in games is the first few levels of Hitman 1 (the new one, not Codename 47). You start off in a little sandbox, looking out over a cliff, and the game leaves it up to you to figure out how to turn around and move on. Then you start the actual tutorial, which is pretty handholdy. After you beat that, you play that same level again, but with more freedom (and introducing you to the idea that you'll be replaying levels). Then you get what amounts to mission 0, which is basically a full level, just smaller and simpler than the actual levels. And then finally, you get into the actual game (starting with one of the best levels in the entire franchise, too) I might be a little off in my order of events, I'm just working from memory, but the point is that I think it does a great job of establishing the many systems and concepts they need the player to understand, without being too overwhelming or too boring.

Metal Gear Rising has a very good first level, in my opinion. You see the capabilities of your foes in the opening cutscene, learn how to block and attack with basic enemies (and how ninja running blocks bullets), and Blade Mode is pretty satisfying to just chop things to pieces. Then you're thrown into a fight with a modified Metal Gear RAY. You were just fighting basic soldiers and now you're fighting a giant mech that's multiple stories tall. But what this fight teaches you is what to look out for to use Blade Mode; the slight blue tinting of the screen and the sound effect booming in your ears. Not to mention the music that just pumps you up. It also teaches you how to properly dodge and that some enemy attacks can be cut with Blade Mode, since it ALSO slows down time while in it. And in the end, it introduces quick time button presses (common around 2012-2013), but amps it up by having Raiden throwing this skyscraper sized mech into the air. A spectacle that still looks amazing to this day. And then you get dunked on by the Weakest Brazilian Man, showing you that Raiden isn't at his peak.

Strangely enough, there are some characters that appear in the opening scene in Chrono Cross that you can't possibly have in your party when you get to that scene later

When it comes to excellent first levels, what comes to mind is the split opening in Super Mario World, where you get to choose between two to start with. It's a great introduction to World's choice-based gameplay.

Quick note! _In mediās rēs_ actually means “inTO the middle of things”, which is an important distinction in Latin.

I loved the start of Prototype. You start with ALL the powers, then go back to before you had them, so you didn't LOOSE anything, you haven't gotten it yet, so it's fun and gives something to look forward to

"Shadow has a branching path that requires you to play a tedious first level at least 10 times." Me: That sucks... Should have gone with Star Fox 64 as an example of a good first level for a branching path. "And then there's Star Fox 64."

I've always really liked the opening level in Metroid Prime. You've got power-ups, but nowhere near all of the ones you ultimately get, there's enemies that should be strong (are are later in the game) but are weaker for reasons consistent with the storyline, there's a proper boss fight right out the gate, classic Metroid escape sequence, you lose the power-ups for logical reasons, and theres so much optional story material available that you can either breeze by or immerse yourself in without consequence either way. Plus, it means that second playthroughs are so much more interesting because even though the mechanics are already learned, you can experience the story components in a totally new context, and really understand what was happening on the ship prior to you responding to the distress signal. And for the completionists out there, it rewards being thorough, because there are story logs that can only be attained during the opener. Plus! It's not a one and done. You return to the opening level later in the game in a whole new context - the ship has crashed, so areas you've seen before are now destroyed, and on top of that, the ship landed upside down, so the rooms and the map are familiar but inverted, making it both fresh and grounded at the same time. AND - second playthroughs again reward the player with even more context for story elements you only encounter after the crash. You're confused about what's going on during the opener. By the time you come back later on, you have more context for what you saw earlier, but now have more questions coming from what you discover this time then, on a second playthrough, both scenes are re-contextualized *again*. It's fantastic.

Project Wingman has a pretty good tutorial; it tosses you right into the middle of things in a pretty chill way. You're flying the starter jet to go blow up some pirates with nothing more than speedboats and seaplanes. Then they launch jets of their own, and then their reinforcements show up; and then you get introduced to what "Cordium" is and also why the plot is happening by some reinforcements who showed up late.

Forewood Forest from Rocket Slime is a pretty neat first level. Once you've rescued Swotsy which really doesn't take long, the real meat and potatoes of the game begins. Basically just like every other level in the game that isn't Backwoods, it's a large open 2D area for you to explore to your heart's content. Take it as in a way like Peach's Castle if it was a level. There's some items lying around in vases and stuff, a bunch of Platypunks, Jailcats and Mischevious Moles to fight, some Slimes waiting for a rescue and it all culminates with a boss fight against a Treevil known by the name of the Brough Beater which, while it's pretty basic, it gets the job done I guess. Oh wait did I say fighting the Brough Beater was where it ends? Sorry, I seem to forget how the level really ends (at least how it ends before you get introduced to the Tomb Of Tootinschlemian(heh. Tootinschlemian)). The end has you going on a wild goose chase running away from the Platypanzer (the tank that destroyed your home town) while carrying His Wobbliness as they fire pebbles and Bombrocks at you which isn't the most exciting chase sequence, but for The Legend Of Slime, it's pretty good.

uses seaside hill and westopolis only passingly acknowledges city escape

Great games with subpar beginnings are difficult to recommend to people. For example I love Xenoblade 2, once you learn how the game works it's a joy to play. But learning how to play the game is its own issue since the game itself doesn't tell you much aside from text box tutorials you can't view again, so it's very easy to miss or forget crucial elements of the gameplay, and all the fun combat mechanics come after several hours of gameplay a lot of people don't want to slog through

Me, 0:00 into the video, and responding only to the title: I AGREE! ALL GAMES SHOULD START ON THE SECOND LEVEL!

A Blurred Line, an old RPG Maker title, nailed the intro I think. You start off following a small team attempting to stop a man from sabotaging some kind of global energy supply system, ending on a cliffhanger. It then cuts to you waking up some time before, now playing as the saboteur, almost late for your job working for said energy company. It really gets you interested in what kind of wild junk has to end up happening to you to get you to that point later on.

I think Half-Life has a pretty interesting approach for a first level. Chapter one doesn't have much gameplay aside from moving, jumping, walking (you sprint by default), and crouching, but it's not needed to progress as you just wait in a train surrounded by world building. Chapter two is when you can start testing out the movement and controls better, and acquire the reason you become such a bullet sponge with the HEV Suit Mk. IV, and you get just that much more world building. Chapter three is when you could consider the game actually starting as the first level, as you get your first weapon, a crowbar in your melee slot, doing good enough damage to use all game long, and could get your hands on a Glock by either killing a guard in a every man for himself, or wait and salvage one from a fallen guard you stumble across, knowing that they likely wanted a survivor to take their stuff after they died for your safety, letting *you* build Gordon as a character.

One of my favourite first levels in any game is the Plains from Shovel Knight. It does a great job of teaching the player the game's fundamental mechanics, without any intrusive tutorials, somewhat akin to something like Megaman X.

Really would've loved to see your take on a longer "first level," something along the lines of Kingdom Hearts II or Twilight Princess. These examples are notorious for their length, which can easily turn people away, but are also crucial to establishing their respective narratives, which is also very rewarding. What's the trade off of these kinds of apporaches?

The point of the first level is to properly introduce the player to the game by, setting the mood, starting the story, and demonstrating key mechanics that will be used throughout the entire game. That's how I view it

I really like persona 5’s first level because you spend the whole game up to that palace after the 1st level knowing that something is going to go wrong and when you reach that point it’s sudden and your shown that it’s the same palace without being told. It’s scary to think that it’s the end of the road but exiting because you are seeing sae’s trust in you build and seeing how far you’ve come because for most, you end up being more powerful then the game has you in the first level. Meaning that you went farther then the game expected you too. My only problem with it is how much it stops you for dialogue. I just wish it would let me keep running but the efficiency in your use of the parkour mechanics when you reach the end of the palace compared to when you start the game also shows how much you have progressed. It’s really effective in doing that