Summary
The jungle level. Almost as ubiquitous as the mandatory snow or underwater level, the jungle level is a staple, seen in just about every major franchise. FromSonic the Hedgehog 3to the countlessMega-Mangames that feature jungles, it’s a longstanding tradition. But time has passed. Games are structurally more diverse, and open-ended worlds allow for more open-ended jungles.
The jungle level has evolved, and in doing so there are now areas simply dedicated to that aesthetic, or even games that are so mechanically in-depth that the whole game can revolve around surviving in a jungle. Here’s a look at the best renditions of jungles in FPS games, ranking which ones nail the aesthetic the hardest. Also, some of these may technically be rainforests but have been included for the sake of simplicity.
Halo 3’s first playable mission is called Sierra 117, and it takes place within the jungles of the United Republic of Tanzania. The mission has everything you would expect from a jungle: green leaves, lush ground foliage, coursing streams, sunlight that peers through the trees, and iridescent waterfalls: it has it all.
It’s one of the linear missions in the franchise, as opposed to their more open counterparts, but it’s very artistically dense. It’s clear that a lot of time went into making the level, as there are a lot of unique models and textures not really seen past this area, with afew easter eggsto find as well.
InMetroid Prime,the first real planet that players get to navigate is Tallon IV, a planet of many biomes and ecosystems. The first, however, is seen in the landing zone of Tallon Overworld: a lush green jungle with winding cave systems below, and dense trees and cliffs above.
Like most Metroid games the map is incredibly vertical, so not only is there the jungle above, but there are bioluminescent caves below, and each of these is very dense. While this may be the smallest of the areas on this list, it is probably the most important in terms of level design, as this jungle area will be returned over and over again as you piece together the larger puzzle that is the game.
Rook Island is almost entirely a jungle, complete with beaches, ancient ruins, and things of that nature. It’s a lot of vibrant greens, blues, and tans as foliage and ocean clash against one another. It’s a very stunning game, and on top of that, it has some survival mechanics that reward the player for engaging with the ecosystem.
Hunting animalsgives skins that can be used to upgrade carrying capacities for weapons and ammo, and collecting different plants allows the player to craft syringes that give temporary buffs. Also, the animals aren’t a snooze-fest either, with many of them being significantly harder than the armedpiratesyou come across.
3Unnamed Exoplanet - Turok (2008)
Fantastic Dinosaur Game
A reboot of a classic,Turok (2008)allows players to fight it out orstealth it outin a massive jungle inhabited by dinosaurs. The gameplay is akin toKillzoneandCrysis 2, as there are human enemies to contend with as well, but the dinosaurs really set the game apart from others.
There are a ton of weapons to use, and tons of ways to go about dispatching enemies as they will often fight each other if provoked. It’s a surprising title to return to, doing a lot of what madeFar Cry 3good, just in a linear fashion instead of an open one. Sadly, the game is hard to play, as it has been lost to time on PC, only legally purchasable second-hand for consoles.
Crysis 3puts the “jungle” in the phrase “concrete jungle”, mixing both overgrowth and the post-apocalyptic remains of New York City to create a hostile sandbox ripe for stealth. Similar toTurok 2008, you have a big bow and many arrow types, as well as the ability to stealth. UnlikeTurok 2008, however, the humans aren’t space-faring, but invading aliens called the Ceph are.
The game is linear and has levels, but theverticalityof these levels really sells the whole “jungle” vibe. Trees and buildings both jut out among natural streams and the underbrush that has taken over the street level. It probably wouldn’t be scientifically classified as a jungle, but the vibe is intentional and extremely effective.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorais pretty good at keeping the art direction of the movies and translating it into gaming form, as well as adding some other areas not seen in the movies. The main jungle area is Kinglor Forest, though even that area is comprised of different smaller “Biomes”, as they are labeled in-game. These contain specific materials exclusive to these “Biomes”, which are used to craft different foods, items, and armor.
Because so much of this game, and the Avatar franchise, is about learning to live alongside nature there are a lot of ways to interact with it. From plants that can help with traversal, to the many different animals and their behaviors. There’s a lot to interact with and learn aboutthe environment,from both a story and gameplay perspective.
