10 Secret Levels in Video Games That MADE US GASP

[@maxt.2224]

Anyone else surprised the crater was secret? I feel like i got there pretty naturally from what i remember

[@BaldorfBaldorf]

Yeah, a quest leads you right to it. It's not secret at all.

[@InfiniteFramesGaming]

​@@BaldorfBaldorfan optional quest

[@jimdob6528]

@@InfiniteFramesGaming80% of any good rpg is optional and this is no exception so if you miss it then that’s your fault.

[@princeofadown]

Me too, I had no idea it was a secret area.

[@BaldorfBaldorf]

@@InfiniteFramesGaming Optional does not equal secret. Birgir falling into the crater is in the main story, your companion will ask about going to save him and you literally cannot avoid getting the quest that leads there. Nothing secret about it at all.

[@cooliomendez88]

I had no idea The Crater in GOWR was optional, I always do every side quest so I had no idea it was supposed to be hidden

[@DreTheCoolest]

Me either I just thought it was just another side quest

[@DTraiN5795]

Yeah played once through and found it. Love it too

[@TyWashdaddy]

Yeah, I was gonna say the same

[@BaldorfBaldorf]

It's not hidden.

[@rubalgupta8269]

Exactly right, I am like, who would wanna miss this? Who does not play all side quests of this game? Who leaves this game ? :D

[@sogwatchman]

I wouldn't say Caustic Caverns is a secret level. I'm pretty sure there are missions that take you there. Now while you're there you could miss the Minecraft easter egg.

[@haberschnack]

Also the hunt for Moxxi's missing fotos!! This is one of the most important missions!!!!

[@RainCastle7]

there's also the dark souls easter egg. Caustic caverns was a really good area, lots of achievements to get as well.

[@metalhos]

i just asked myself who ever considered Borderlands Caustic Caverns being a secret level? i really have to check again if it can be even avoided if you process the main story.

[@jordanjacques1049]

​@@metalhos is it even possible

[@GameGodZERO]

Yeah like I'll admit it's been a long while since I played borderlands 2 but I'm fairly sure there's a notable quest that sends you there Like to open some valves or something

[@jishwagent]

The crater in god of war was so awesome, so much to do over there, if you missed it what are you doing even skipping side quests

[@helpumuch6887]

I didn’t realize it was a secret, I just wanted to find the cool dude with the sword cuz he’s friends with freyer and he sacrificed himself for the group

[@Gimpy17]

that area feels like they had a plan for a main story quest or 2 but then ran out of time

[@thesequeltoobama7030]

I’ve been meaning to go back to the game since beating it to do content I missed but I find myself getting so perilously bored of the combat (not ragebait I fully accept and understand people enjoying it). Was the Valhalla dlc with a trip back?

[@helpumuch6887]

@@thesequeltoobama7030 yea it’s fun to see everything you missed the first time, either story wise or with side content. Valhalla isn’t a very long dlc but if you don’t like the combat it might not be worth it. They make you try a lot of the weapons and abilities you probably didn’t use as much in the main game so it stays pretty varied but I liked the combat already

[@albertovaldivia6132]

I'm baffled that this was a secret location, literally thought it was part of the main story line, like you find out about the whole Faye and Thor beef!

[@imnotmike]

The secret cow level from Diablo 2 deserves a bit of an explanation for people who don't know its backstory. In Diablo 1, there was a rumor about a secret cow level that started floating around the Internet. It was all bunk. Somebody just made it up. But it became so infamous that when they made Diablo 2, they decided to actually put a secret cow level in, that was just like the descriptions that were going around the Internet from Diablo 1.

[@1aml3g3nd13]

There is no cow level..?

[@louiemarks8501]

I was telling this story to my nephew, who was born too late to really experience it, and I'm pretty sure my words were "blizzard entertainment actually went on record and publicly told everyone that it didn't exist. Then they basically went "...but a good idea's a good idea" and put it in the sequel."

[@Mikeztarp]

"That's a cow, all right."

[@travellingslim]

People are still trying to figure out the one in Diablo 4

[@riznix9237]

​@@1aml3g3nd13 A fellow starcraft player I see!

[@everettconnors3228]

I LOVED the crater. I never want games stories to end bc they never feel the same on second playthrough. So having this area open up while heading toward the end of the story was just all I could've asked for. And he left out one big selling point...DRAGONS!

[@travisspazz1624]

My story playthrough of Ragnarok got completely put on the backburner when I discovered the crater area 😄

[@manwithballsonarm6775]

Yea I couldn't believe they added a whole optional area like that but then decided to make it the most boring thing in the game that isn't fun in any way to anyone who's ever played a video game

[@quintan007]

Yeah same didn’t really think it made the game worse

[@S6Ryujin]

@@manwithballsonarm6775that was a good try my dude

[@theElemDragon]

I just think it's weird cause......... I didn't even know it was an "Optional" area until seeing this video. I didn't "hunt" for it or anything. I just happened upon it during my playthrough, and.... while it DID feel a bit out of place.... I don't remember it feeling like there was zero reason to go there or any challenge of finding it.

[@chromewarnock9681]

a mission sends you into caustic cavern so it's not easy to miss

[@yoda3549]

yeah i was thinking the same thing, "its not really important" ????? more like part or the story?

[@Lok-TM]

I used this place to grind quite a bit lol.

[@shinyagami8843]

Yeah, also u need to visit every named place in the world for a trophy I think so anyone going for the platinum has found it

[@teljesfilmekmagyarul8565]

I love the Haligtree, but if I had to pick a secret fromsoft area, it would be Ash Lake from DS1

[@BaldorfBaldorf]

Haligtree is probably the least secret area in any Fromsoft game, NPCs actually talk about it and directly tell you how to get there. Might be one of the least secret areas within the game itself! Most people who miss it just weren't exploring and/or didn't even try. I'd consider Deeproot Depths to be more of a secret.

[@agrashh]

I would say the ash lake is the most important or memorable optional area in the souls games with its 2 illusionary walls

[@burhanuddinkhandwala7718]

Cainhurst Castle is also really missable and in terms of being memorable well it has Martyr Logarius at the top so I guess I dont need to say a lot more after that

[@PowerHouseProdigy]

Your Dinosaur Fact of the Day: Alioramus is not actually a D&D monster. It's a real species of dinosaur that existed, and it was more closely related to Tyrannosaurs than Velociraptors. Love to see Baldur's Gate giving some lesser known dinos the spotlight.

[@clovisursa497]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who was taken aback by him calling the most underrated Tyrannosaurid a Raptor 😂

[@aiwash2766]

I was blown away by the crater, I did AFTER I beat the game so imagine my gigantic surprise when after the game was done a new massive part of the map opened up with new bosses and quests, genuinely a huge surprise

[@scottouimet2865]

I found the crater just playing, was my fav area too and the lore was awrsome

[@poolhalljunkie9]

I think all secret areas are found by playing. 😂

[@spunkyfidget70]

‘Animal Well is the kiddie pool, this is the deep end’ Such a good statement.

[@_xmohammedx_]

Insomniac Museum from Ratchet and Clank 2 has to be the one that takes the top for me. Never seen anything like it! Only accessible from the fountain at 3am or by acquiring all weapons with all mods and all platinum bolts. Has lots of developer commentary, unused testing material etc! loved it as a kid

[@pauciloquentpariah]

If your the "exploration/side quest first" type player. The CRATER was such a fun surprise. I spent so much time leveling there.

[@WatchSnatcher]

Thank you for actually showing clips instead of describing them to us, like lesser channels!

[@JustPablo5000]

Wait two uploads?! Nice. Just watched an old one to carry me today but this is great. Go Falcon.

[@MrThegaffer1]

The Minecraft part in caustic caverns is fun.

[@ryanschindler923]

Yup! That's where you get the Minecraft custom head too! We need a Borderlands 2 remaster.

[@MrThegaffer1]

@ryanschindler923 definitely think its coming whilst we wait for bl4

[@cyberra0180]

I had entirely too much fun with the Longbow sniper after I got it there, filling things with Minecraft-style arrows was more fun than it should have been

[@alexanderayotte8867]

There’s a dark souls bonfire down there too

[@mattsully2238]

I'll throw Jedi survivor's Phon Qi caverns in the mix. Boss gauntlet, interesting aesthetic, limited save points. All around good stuff

[@burn1none]

I love that From Software has the balls to let you miss out on like 1/3 of their games if you don't look around. really shows confidence in their art that they know even 2/3 of the game is still amazing

[@featuresnobodyaskedfor]

I didn't know the crater was considered hidden, arguably one of my favourite parts of the whole game. Finding out the story behind the frozen lightning bolt was sick, no spoilers here.

[@shii5795]

I actually stumbled into the crater organically in GoW Rag. I play all games methodically and slow, exploring every inch of the map. So this one just sort of happened for me. And I figured it was a normal part of the playthrough experience. And now you guys are telling me, it's uncommon for people to see this zone? Wild.

[@gedora13]

Massive respect for mentioning DK 2 on the list, but! as someone who spent half of their childhood on DK games, I find a secret area in Donkey Kong 3 more pleasing to find, since I cannot explain how random it was to do the needed sequence as 10y old and behold! An island emerge with new world (and not that hard levels as in DK2 secret one) which then gives you opportunity to complete game with 110% and feel like king of the world. 🙂 Ah, I'm getting old...

[@MrGrahro]

Eidos 9 was my favorite zone. I didn't realize it was secret until finishing the game and looking up additional ending guides. Stellar Blade is such a great game.

[@matthijsweststrate5552]

I didn't realize either. I always try to do all sidequest as I get them in games. I find it so boring having to go back through the whole game just to finish all the side quests once you beat a game. Stellar Blade has become my #1 game I ever played. got the platinum yesterday after 69 hours

[@sw0rdz]

Two Falcon videos today! Today is a great day!

[@mixedcompany3225]

The crater is secret?? I feel like a genius now! My dumb ass ended up here completely by accident 😂

[@atomosvrial1708]

I legit thought it was part of the main story.

[@vercogaming3997]

Same.

[@mixedcompany3225]

My people 😂 it’s nice to find fellow completionists in the wild!

[@alexjames2264]

I was confused

[@Yoxiv]

The Baldur's Gate 3 secret jungle reminds me a bit of the Modron Maze from Planecape Torment, an entirely secret dungeon you find by buying a "Modron cube" which is like a little figurine that you can move parts on. Move the parts in a certain order, and bam, you're teleported to the maze, where you can even recruit a new party member.

[@OG_Agrivar]

I LOVED that dungeon! Once I discovered it, I made sure to do it on every playthrough. Decent way to farm up some XP and a TON of special ammo for that extra party member.

[@John_Conner222]

My favorite secret was the Far Cry 3 hidden night club level. It was mainly for story but it really have you the background of how you got into the mess you are in in the game. You access it by consuming a red medicine pill in a bowl that has a hand drawn sign saying eat me. Its in the cave where you bring your friends as you rescue them and are attempting to repair a boat to escape the island. Had a friend who had no idea as its small and easy to walk by. I said, hey are you not going to eat the pill? He was like what pill? I pointed on the screen and he was shocked there was a whole night club area.

[@pilotwall]

Hello, Falcon!

[@WHITExTRASH101]

Falcon is mommy

[@user-qe3dg2op3p0]

Our favorite Gameranx host

[@drakebane9527]

​​@@user-qe3dg2op3p0aswell as he's our favorite left-wing twitter dweeb

[@allhandsonsteamdeck1440]

YOU MEAN GOODBYE FALCON HE DIED YESTERDAY 😢

[@2KOhtani]

@@allhandsonsteamdeck1440what…

[@mtndude96]

15:50 truly a masterclass on summon timing.

[@thejackal007]

Caustic Caverns is not only my favorite place in Borderlands 2, but it also has my favorite music. Fun and very dangerous location.

[@tanujdhillon9949]

2 videos already luv ur enthusiasm and hardwork

[@OkamiToge]

Cool vid as always Falcon and team, I only knew about the GoW Ragnarok and Borderlands 2 ones, I didn't know that those were considered secret levels.

[@abnstill]

Currently playing through Eidos 9 and it’s awesome and so secret I had no idea I was even playing a secret level. Also, didn’t know you could miss The Crater in Ragnarok, that opening reveal when you first step in was one of my fav moments of the game!

[@mkkkk1237u]

The clickbait thumbnail. Good job

[@oukeith]

Falcon you dog you.

[@Rutherfordbcrazy12]

Had no idea about the jungle in bg3. Been prepping to take on the elder brain but that's going to have to wait now lol. Thanks for tip Gameranx!

[@michaelmann2637]

I love that Caustic Caverns in it’s entirety is an homage to Blight town from DS1. So much so they added a dilapidated and destroyed bridge to it

[@user-qe3dg2op3p0]

Our favorite Gameranx host

[@MirielKanan]

Just once I’d like to hear Falcon say: Pizza’s on Jake.

[@Kira-wq7eb]

Woah 2 videos in single day!

[@Official_Kirbs]

Falcon out here posting 2 videos today!

[@AyooMurray]

That secret area in ff15. It took me about two hours to complete. Once I was done, I went to fly out of the area and crashed. And the most fun part about that..... I didn't get a chance to save. So I had to do the whole dungeon again smh. Fun times. But the Black hood is worth it

[@sunken3840]

the backrooms in remnant 2 was pretty fun for me. Both for how out of place it was as an area, and the community effort that went into figuring out how to even get there

[@Faeolyn]

The alternate path in Manifold garden Yes, there's an achievement for it. And yes, it does reuse some of the normal paths levels/parts. So it's technically not THAT secret, but good luck finding that and figuring out where to go on your own. I am quite curious regarding exploration in games, but I didn't find even a clue of its existence in my playthrough.

[@HonestFreshly]

Still have not finished the crater that area is so tricky lol but didn’t know it was a secret level that makes me want to scream from mountain tops and beat on my chest

[@RestonIchiban]

Honestly, I thought it was just a regular part of the game.

[@HonestFreshly]

@@RestonIchiban so did I thought it was all apart of the story I’m on a new play through now so I will for sure be doing a bit more exploring once I get back there

[@ivrynite]

The sheep level in Warcraft 2 was hilarious, especially as a teenager. Being able to click on the sheep having them say "Bah ram you" and then eventually exploding was lots of fun. Further more, some of the dialog in the game for over clicking on a unit was top tier content for the time.

[@papaaowl8302]

The fact you gave the secret cow level an honorable mention earned my sub.

[@johnnyhath]

The Hive in Hollow Knight was one that blew me away when I found it.

[@MasterMafiaDK]

I litterally didn't know that the creator was a hidden location but gow is the only game series I happily 100% twice

[@nderamaharie5360]

Gameranx list doesn't disappoint.

[@Comp1337Loser]

3:50 I’m surprised you didn’t mention the Minecraft Easter egg inside the Caustic Caverns

[@austinmccon2759]

Caustic caverns definitely deserves to be on the list. Dark souls secret island. Secret Minecraft area. Vermivorous. So much

[@limelight58able]

Wow, I didn't know the Crater in Ragnarok was a secret area. I just found it by happenstance going through the game, lol. Great video, Falcon! 👊🏿

[@jimdob6528]

Caustic caverns in borderlands 2 also has 2 amazing Easter eggs in it. You get to see the dark souls/demon souls campfire and the Minecraft Easter egg.

[@oreodeplata922]

Always feels like a special day when 2 uploads from gameranx comes up on my notifications

[@JediMasterZao]

For WC3, Tower Defense games were already wildly popular by the time WC3 came out. They were probably the most played UMS map in Starcraft and a lot of websites ran TD games on them.

[@bcisme1]

Cainhurst castle gotta be my favorite. Bloodborne is such a masterpiece

[@NicodemusMountainMan]

Caustic Caverns in Borderlands 2 was in all of the gameplay reveal sessions before the game was released! So cool it turned out to be a totally optional area.

[@henrynewton8267]

Thank you for those honorable mentions. My heart was almost exploding out of my mouth

[@iyeetsecurity922]

I finished _Stray_ yesterday on PS5 and was amazed that only ~80% of people made it beyond where you get your first achievement by falling off the pipe, which is about *10 minutes into the game.*

[@sophiescott143]

"It has an enemy called the alioramus, which is the D&D version of a velociraptor" The alioramus is the D&D version of the alioramus. It's a real life dino. Tyrannosaurid from the late cretateous. As an aside: The "Velociraptor" from Jurassic park is actually a deinonychus.

[@HandsomeKing808]

Miss the day GameFAQs and friends were how you found out about secret levels or characters

[@gameranxTV]

👆

[@forcerot5253]

Love getting home and being able to watch your videos 🙌

[@maranathaschraag5757]

The secret cow level is the BEST!!!! i mean - 100 cows bearing halberds thirsting for your soul? *chef's kiss* it was majorly awesome at the time and still better than most.

[@Marksman3434]

No mention of StarCraft Brood War’s Dark Origin secret level? That level literally sets up who the main baddies of the sequel will be

[@kemeticenergy1617]

I found my tribe. W franchise 🔥☝🏾

[@justinberndt9668]

Starcraft literally wins for best thought out campaign/story line between all games... this mission included.

[@lastwish2330]

Falcon! You're awesome man. Also, thank you for the chapters.

[@BlackMage969]

Aaaa, The secret cow level in Diablo 2, Absolutely love that level. If I remember correctly it has something to do with Wirt's leg found in old Tristram.

[@JoshuaRedfield-ox4sw]

But the crater is listed on the map and has main mission goals.

[@ItamarHaggaiMusic]

For me it'll always be Ash Lake in DS1. The Haligtree is incredible, but something about descending the root trees in DS1 and entering this super atmospheric lake with the choir chanting was one gaming moment I'll never forget. Not to mention that this plac is kind of meaningless but adds so much to the lore and feel!

[@richardburns8641]

N3: Ninety Nine Nights Xbox 360. Playable character Inphy had a secret level that could only be unlocked by s ranking every mission. Truly a wonderful game and I don't think I've ever seen it mentioned on this channel

[@SpaceRa]

Alioramus is not the DnD version of the velociraptor, it's a real life version of the velociraptor. Jurassic Park was the fantasy game all along

[@mindstouchworlds808]

I didn't know that level was a secret in Stellar Blade. Until someone told me about it on a stream, I unlocked it just by playing and just thought it was part of the story. I thought the reward was something else entirely.

[@Creepachrist]

It’s always a good day whenever gameranx uploads two videos and their both narrated by falcon

[@crimsonraen]

Thanks for the video, Falcon! This is a great list. :)

[@grogueQ]

Wow that fight against Loretta was epic.

[@enzogenovese4621]

The heartstone "Job's done" voice line, that's were they got it 🤣🤣🤣

[@bhat3048]

Hi falcon it's your folk and today on my feed i will be watching 10 secret levels in video games that made us gasp.

[@MrHoll87]

I don't know if this counts or not, but Star Fox 64 had brief secret areas that could only be reached in certain levels, and only you blasted the correct asteroid or something. These rings would appear and you have to fly through them but it was harder than it sounds. Each ring is strategically placed in a location that's difficult to reach based off of where the previous ring was, and the only real way to pull off such drastic maneuvers is to literally "do a barrel roll". And each ring you successfully fly through gives your ship a massive speed boost. By the time you reach the final ring, your ship is flying at such break neck speeds, combined with the extreme aerial stunts and spinning as your ship darts from one corner of the screen to another and back again, everything becomes incredibly blurry and you almost can't even rely on sight to pull it off because of how warped and skewed the entire screen becomes. Now that I think about it, that may have been that game's version of lightspeed, jumping to hyperspace. Anyway, it was very tricky to pull of but so cool when you did.

[@zackw7609]

THE CRATER WAS A SECRET?!! I didn't even realize that! That area was so dang good, I spent so much time there just taking in every piece of scenery and doing every quest. I can't believe that much time was put into an area that wasn't required!

[@Casper-ml9wj]

borderlands 2 caustic cavern not only houses a mega boss with good loot, but also the sweet Minecraft easter egg. i consider it an essential stop.

[@noizestradamus]

Pretty cool that gameranx got Dr. Ian Malcolm to narrate for their page. Respect to all the "uhh" & perfectly timed pause speech.

[@timlevesque308]

The Warcraft 3 Tower defense mission was actually a throwback to the Warcraft 2 RTS game. It is even using some of the audio from the game.

[@Trentypooh]

I think we can all agree it made us GASP when we realized gameranx considers the crater a secret area. That was not easily missed

[@protheus1452]

"There is nothing essential in Caustic Caverns." - Dude, did you forget that there is entire loot crate filled with Moxxi's noods?

[@gingerbeer2057]

Ever think about doing an episode on dogs you can follow? There's fox and bird guides, too. More. What others can you think of, I just referenced 5 games.

[@tripled8611]

Rage had some sweet secret areas that pay homage to games of past like Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein.

[@Boss_Fight_Index_muki]

It feels like secret levels, or the lack thereof, is a commentary on modern game design. It's as if certain game companies, like Activision or Ubisoft, makes damn sure the player will see _Every. Single. Little. Thing._ in the game.

[@skinnytoadd1820]

You can fight a bunch of literal creepers from Minecraft in Caustic Caverns. One of the funniest easter eggs.

[@Jedword]

I had no idea the crater was optional or even hidden. I spent so long there

[@ryuman757]

4:38 Wait, no mention of the literal Minecraft Creeper easter eggs, and Rewards???? That shit was the dopest part!! Beyond being a great place to farm.

[@Stranger_is_i]

Hey Gameranks, did you not know about the hidden Minecraft themed cave in borderlands 2 it was in that same area you mentioned. In number eight, you have to break Minecraft blocks to reach it, and then you fight Minecraft mobs and get special equipment.

[@milosstojanovic4623]

15:35 finished that, with deflecting projectiles its easier to finish it.

[@wyattbrenneis127]

Man y'all don't mention the THPS series enough. The Hawaii level alone has a The Wallows ditch which is extremely hard to get to but featured in a couple objectives. And the hidden level you gotta find by ollieing into the tiki heads mouth. We definitely need a part 2 on this subject there's so much awesomeness out there for hidden levels.

[@AmitysWake]

Had no idea the god of war area was secret tbh. I thought it was base content

[@user-op6kt8pg9y]

It is base content, it's part of a side mission you get after a very important main story mission

[@777krone]

I reckon Croc Legend of the Gobbos and Croc 2's secret levels were some of the best I ever played!

[@theelitemyt]

They're hardly well hidden as they're meant to be found, but the DOOM 2016 retro stages were a really pleasant surprise. Going into these old stages with modern guns and enemies was great. More so in DOOM VFR as well.

[@toxictom9029]

I guess I'm too old because the first thing that came to my mind when I read the title were the secret levels of Doom 2. Actually made my jaw drop when I found them, it was so hilarious. And - little trivia - these were actually removed from the German release of the game, although it was already blacklisted here. Today of course - with video games properly considered art - it's not a problem any more, and even German gamers can enjoy both Doom 2 and the classic that inspired the secret levels.

[@geoffreydevereaux3272]

With so much frustration in the gaming community at the moment, can we get a list of ‘10 reasons to be excited about gaming in 2024’ or something? I wanna fall back in love with my hobby. EDIT: I should say, not just new titles. But innovation, ethical company practices… stuff like that

[@zxuiji]

8:09 er, I've never overheard any NPC convos for the place and I've been through it multiple playthroughs (gotta get that genji gear :D). But yes I do agree, that place is HARD.

[@pikamisty5161]

Maybe they're mixing up the dialogue for the rock? Cause it's pretty hush hush, the only reason I found out about the pitioss ruins was seeing the weird spot on the map by the rock

[@zxuiji]

@@pikamisty5161 I guess you mean the yellow line that higlights the runway? Yeah that's how I spotted it too... I think, been a number of years since I first found it

[@pikamisty5161]

@@zxuiji yeah yeah!!