My Top 5 Snow Levels In Videogames

It snowed in the middle April completely out of the blue. Many people woke up to snow on their garages or lawns, while the sun was shining. I really don’t understand British weather. It got me thinking about some of my favourite snow levels and areas in videogames. We all have that one memory of a snowy area in a videogame, it could be quite recent or something we played as children. I honestly had trouble narrowing it down to just five.

1. Freezeezy Peak - Banjo Kazooie

Banjo Kazooie has a special place in the heart of any kid that owned an N64 during the 90s. It’s one of the most recognisable games that released on the N64, due to it’s unique art style and iconic characters, not forgetting the excellent soundtrack written by the talented Grant Kirkhope.

There are many memorable levels within the world of Banjo Kazooie, but none tug at the nostalgia feels quite like Freezeezy Peak. If you’ve ever played it, you’ve likely already got the wintery theme tune ringing through your mind right this second. The level features penguins, seals, Christmas decorations and even pine trees. It fully commits to the “Santa’s Grotto” vibe, and even has you collecting presents around the level. This is the quintessential snow/winter level, and this list wouldn’t be complete without it.

2. The Hunt - The Last Of Us

One of the most poignant chapters of The Last Of Us has to be the hunt, Ellie is fending for herself whilst also taking care of Joel. She must go out and hunt for food in order to keep herself and Joel fed, whilst also dealing with the cold weather. Staying warm in a post apocalyptic world during a snow blizzard is probably pretty hard.

The fact this period of the game is set during the winter just helps emphasize the emotions felt by Ellie. Winter is a season symbolized by decay and sadness and the snow acts as a perfect representation of these themes, making it one of the most memorable segments of the game. Whenever I remember The Last Of Us, I think of Ellie wandering through knee high snow, hunting for deer. There’s a whole lot more that goes on during this chapter, but I wanted to keep it relatively spoiler free.

3. All Of James Pond 2

If you’re a teenager the chances of you knowing what James Pond is are probably very low. A shameless play on the classic British spy James Bond, James Pond is a mutated mudskipper that is capable of doing all kinds of awesome stuff, mostly jumping between platforms and some basic puzzle solving. It was pretty awesome stuff, especially considering it was the early ‘90s.

I’m kind of cheating a little bit here as there is no snow level in James Pond 2, but rather the entire world is covered. Set in the north pole, the arch nemesis from the previous game has taken over Santa’s workshop. What awaits players is a journey through an awesome snow covered world that really is the epitome of what constituted an early 90’s platformer.

4.Forbidden Cainhurst Castle - Bloodborne

Bloodborne is pretty much up there as one of the best games ever made in my honest opinion, it took what made Dark Souls so damn great and improved on it perfectly. The combat was made much more visceral and demanding, but the one area where Bloodborne really stands out is its level design and world building. Cainhurst Castle is not only utterly gorgeous, but covered in a thick layer of snow. There’s something about the innocence and purity of snow, against the blood and carnage experienced when facing the abominations that walk the grounds.

The Painted World of Ariamis was so different in Dark Souls, it completely changed the aesthetics and mood. Yarnham is a dull and dreary place, there is often little respite from the brooding darkness - Cainhurst is different though. The snow provides light as it reflects beams from the full moon above. This doesn’t mean the area is any less unforgiving though. There is a particularly tough fight towards the end on a snow covered rooftop, took me bloody ages to beat it.

5.Final Fantasy X - Mt. Gagazet

I’m including Mt. Gagazet in this list as I am currently playing Final Fantasy X .Mt. Gagazet is a fair whack into FFX, you won’t see it’s snowy peaks until at least 20 or so hours in. It’s the first time in the game that you really get a chance to see the Ronso tribe, and gain some insight on Kimahri's background.

Mt. Gagazet is not only beautiful, but challenging. There’s a ton of elemental enemies in the area, working as a brilliant place to grind out some levels. This is especially important given that one of the toughest bosses in the game is in the temple here. Seymour is a master of magic and incredibly powerful, he provides one of the hardest challenges in the game. Oh yeah, there’s also the super creepy wall with thousands of fayth inside it. Filled with people killed when Sin first spawned. It’s one of the most contrasting areas in the game and definitely one of the most interesting.