7 Worst Ice Levels That Can Slide Right Into the Bin

Ice and snow sound good on paper, but in reality they’re cold and wet and unpleasant. It’s even worse in videogames where icy snowy levels crop up all the time, subjecting you to slidy controls, slow movement, limited visibility and compulsory snowboarding. Get a load of these worst ice levels that can slide all the way into the bin, and subscribe for more videos like this from Outside Xbox!
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#outsidexbox #7things #snow

[@zulubunsen9067]

PSA: if you would find yourself on thin ice (literally), don't try walking slowly, it doesn't help at all. Lay down as flat as you can and crawl to the nearest stable surface. Spreading your weight on a larger surface will make you exert less pressure on the ice, making it less likely to crack.

[@insaincaldo]

Alternately, if you are unsure that it could be a frozen lake and not a field.. go around.

[@JeedyJay]

Arkham-era Batman can't resort to that! He would look too silly doing it!

[@edisonlima4647]

@@JeedyJay Hey, hey, Solid Snake made a lot of its fan base from pictures taken from below and behind of him crawling about. Of course, Bats wouldn't be able to compete with Nightwing on that regard.

[@lisah-p8474]

@@edisonlima4647 lmao Bruce takes himself far too seriously in this series to do that. Dick Grayson however would jump at the chance to show off the goods. 🍑😆

[@HylianFox3]

@@edisonlima4647 Snake also has an amazing ass that he doesn't hide with a cape, that helps.

[@joffcallaghan]

Andy isn't wrong about penguins wanting to kill/do bad things you. I once watched a documentary about a penguin who tried to frame an inventor for stealing a precious diamond from an art museum. The only way the inventor was saved was because of his dog.

[@willfieldsend]

If memory serves I think it tried to frame a chicken as well.

[@krise99391]

Where did you watch it? And be honest... was it Disney channel?

[@ericbambach3222]

@@krise99391 Different corporate overlords, Prime Video includes "Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection," which is where I watched it... and am going to go watch it again to see the best and silliest train chase scene I know of!

[@SirStanleytheStumbler]

I would have guessed the penguins of Madagascar

[@captaincluckers8686]

@@ericbambach3222 It's on prime now? Cool. But it's been around for a lot longer than prime. When I was a kid my dad had a DVD (or maybe a VHS, I can't remember) with that episode and a couple others on it.

[@NathanWeeks]

So, after seeing that the ice only covers less than half the lake, and that it shattered when he landed on it, Batman uses an "Ice Density Scanner" to confirm that the ice is unstable. "World's Greatest Detective" indeed.

[@samprizeman4509]

Maybe not the world’s greatest detective, but still the greatest Hero going

[@catjazzhappycat7273]

Batman is the Greatest rebootable DC character ever, .... Comic book guy.

[@Canadamus_Prime]

Well to be fair, he didn't pull out the "ice density scanner" till after he determined the ice was unstable. Still took him jumping onto the ice to determine it, but you know, still....

[@samprizeman4509]

@@Sableagle agreed, my point of view is the he is a superhero with no super powers, I appreciate that others are far stronger and so on, but he is my favourite for that reason. Closely follwed by Spider-Man, my brain makes no sense lol

[@zulubunsen9067]

And also thinks that moving slowly, but still on his feet, will make the ice less likely to crack.

[@levilandes1719]

Andy doesn't seem to know about King Shark guys, we should all explain it in minute detail, for at least twelve paragraphs. Make sure you tag him though, wouldn't want him to miss anything.

[@Macrochenia]

King Shark is a shark!

[@Wolfencreek]

@@Macrochenia It has been an honour posting with you

[@marhawkman303]

@@Wolfencreek andy just hates Aquaman villains, which is a shame because king shark has also tried to kill Green Lantern too.

[@tretretre1111]

Funnily enough, there is an actual Gotham villain called White Shark, who's a guy that got locked in a freezer and lost his nose. Hangs out with Penguin and Black Mask sometimes.

[@bustinarant]

Aquaman threw a polar bear one time.

[@honeycrispTV]

The upside is ice levels tend to have really great music

[@CyberDragon10K]

Phendrana Drifts~

[@Stratelier]

The same is usually true of water levels. Some of my favorite ice musics: - Trials of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 3) - Zeliard (look it up) - La Mulana (both 1 & 2)

[@rururu5630]

Ice Cap Zone from Sonic 3 and the Ice Cave music from Donkey Kong Country come to mind.

[@HM4Hill]

Pleasant and Beautiful sound track *Utter bollocks to play in*

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

Ice Paradise Zone 1 for one of the GBA Sonic games. World 5's map theme in New Super Mario Bros. DK Pass in Mario Kart DS. The winter music from The Settlers: Heritage of Kings... It DOES seem to be a trend.

[@retrorockrxx2752]

Don't forget that one level from Witcher 3 where Geralt has to run from house to house before he freezes to death or as I call it the Midwest winter simulator.

[@bjchit]

It’s going to be under 5 next weekend where I live.😒

[@Viscid149]

I…you know what you aren’t wrong

[@ledumpsterfire6474]

Huh, I don't remember that. Guess it's about time for another playthrough. Facts on the last bit though. I just had to spend three hours off and on digging a pathway back to our wellhouse so the well guys could actually reach it to fix our frozen well, taking coffee breaks to warm back up every 20-30 minutes. Still, after a year and a half living in the humidity and heat of Florida, I'm very glad to be back home lol.

[@KuueenKumi]

I felt this in my soul

[@VelocitrapLords]

YES trying to figure out what counted as cover on the ice world put my game on pause for a month because I didn’t want to deal with it

[@ftir1450]

As someone who literally skipped going to the gym today because it snowed a lot and "the roads were bad" I can really relate with Jane's comment about snow allowing you to skip social engagements

[@hugofontes5708]

indeed, it is so relevant that once even I skipped training. I train at home.

[@sean.alphonse]

I still remember the Ice Path from Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal being THE WORST. Ice physics sliding puzzles, Strength boulder pushing puzzles, trying to find certain Pokemon that can't be found anywhere else, going up and down ladders trying to get all of the items, all while being annoyed by Zubat random encounters almost quite literally every step of the way

[@anonymous01792]

Thank you for this, I thought I’d gotten past that trauma but now I have to relive that whole nightmare hahah

[@MySuperhappyfuntime]

Holy shit I forgot about that

[@thepiedpiper3034]

This is genuinely the reason I never finished the game. I was too young at the time and could not find my way out.

[@bustinarant]

@@thepiedpiper3034 I got lost in Sapphire/Ruby a lot as a lad lol

[@solgoode]

Really thought they would mention that one

[@SeporiBowi]

The Frigid Outskirts in Dark Souls II should be here. Impossibly hard even for Dark Souls. The blizzard, the invaders, the possibility of falling to your death and the dual boss fight at the very end for not that much.

[@synthraofficial5366]

YES. From what I understand the dark Souls 2 director who help make that hell helped make Elden Ring, so that explains a lot.

[@SolaScientia]

I just commented with the same remark, lol. Not to mention no bonfires in the area, so when you die you get to go through it all again. How fun.

[@taragnor]

Yes Frigid Outskirts was hellish. Unquestionably the worst boss run in the entire series.

[@ATips1]

Came to comment this, this definitely needs to end up on the commenter edition. Everyone needs to hit this like button.

[@beastmode-ht8ou]

There's a reason why it's colloquially called "horsefuck valley"

[@gregw7029]

Gotta say that i’d like to add that what makes the Iceberg Lounge entry even worse as well, is that u literally get the line launcher about 10 mins after u leave the museum as well. The VERY THING that would’ve let u whizz over all that ice instantly.

[@Lycan4]

Honestly... it wasn't the ice that got to me that level. I didn't care about the ice. The fucking shark jump-scared me so bad that I screamed, panic-paused the game, and cried for a moment. I was then terrified and paranoid of that shark the whole damn time. The only other thing that terrified me in a Batman game was Croc... well, and Bane in Origins, but that was more fear of his final form. I was terrified of Croc since the moment I saw him.

[@kalythai]

The Ice Cave from Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal and their remake Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver. The cave is *just* a long sequence of ice puzzles. The final puzzle is a very tedious Strength puzzle where you slowly push blocks around a room to drop into holes just so you have an ice puzzle to get yourself out through the other side of the cave. This cave is so inhospitable, there are no trainers or any other people inside this cave.

[@aloysiusGruen]

I really like the Colter part of RDR2, not by itself but how it fits into the narrative. You are hiding from law enforcement, on the run, have to make things happen with the bare minimum. You now have at least a small base of operations but everything is hard: walking, riding, finding food. And then you are finally on your way to Horeshoe Overlook. The snow is melting, you enter a green area, fully of trees, with plenty of animals to fish and hunt. It feels like a huge weight dropped of your shoulders.

[@madogthefirst]

The entire thing reminded me of the hateful eight.

[@bmyattuk]

Am I the only one who loved the snow section of Red Dead 2? It made me feel completely like the gang was on the edge and desperately trying to survive.

[@nope-qi8zx]

You're not the only one. I still absolutely love it.

[@vladdracul5072]

I loved it, too. For me it was one of the best first chapters of any game ever.

[@cartman20000]

I liked it as well. Although the area was a bit harsh on fps for my old gtx1080 card I was playing it on at the time.

[@nope-qi8zx]

@@cartman20000 really? I also have a gtx 1080, and the snow areas of the game are by far the best when it comes to performance. Snowy areas in games in general always run WAY smoother in my experience.

[@cartman20000]

@@nope-qi8zx well playing at 4k and relatively high quality settings. I remember the fog effect in my game was "denser" than what was shown in the video.

[@DodderingOldMan]

Those ice levels in Ecco genuinely rank amongst the most scared I've ever been in video games. Just the concept of being trapped below the ice... slowly running out of air... it gave me a real sense of unease.

[@Amaritudine]

Great payoff, though, when you finally make it through to meet Big Blue.

[@gamepassghost]

My Pa maintains to this day despite growth in every area of gaming that Ecco the Dolphin was what set him away from games until covid, terrifying enemies, and that final boss; he would say. So I bought him a copy of souls for his birthday, lets see how it stacks up. 😅

[@Adeios96]

They aren't wrong that the Consecrated Snowfield and Ordina are an absolute pain to go through, but I've got a lot more animosity towards the Fridged Outskirts of Dark Souls 2's Ivory King DLC. The Souls series OG winter area where you can't see anything in front of you, and to add to that, the frozen beasts that try and charge into you from any angle they please. Then to top it all off, the boss fight against 2 of the King's pets. I'll never forget how much rage that entire area filled me with.

[@josineidedossantossilva574]

It's bullshit like this that makes me think Fromsoft fans have stockholm syndrome.

[@jaredcrabb]

I actually had some fun in Ordina, once I learnedI could use the snow to see the invisible enemies. Didnt even need the special torch.

[@willieoelkers5568]

2:26 Andy, Batman has two words for you: shark repellent

[@hokutology1718]

The ice palace in A Link to the Past immediately sprang to mind. Slippy floors and spiked walls are a great combination.

[@TheROOTminus1]

What about Zelda:OoT? Everyone remembers getting lost in the water temple, but the Ice cavern in Zora's domain is etched in my memory. Slippery ice and 3d platforming are a match made in nightmares

[@ericbambach3222]

A game puts itself on thin ice by including such levels!

[@brentage5000]

Genius. Pure bloody genius. Snowcaps off to you, sir.

[@samprizeman4509]

Tip of the hat to you Sir

[@ddjsoyenby]

my chances of giving it a 10/10 are frozen over!

[@Nogdev]

An excellent pun, but I must uphold the tradition. BOOOOO!

[@ericbambach3222]

@@Nogdev As a purveyor of puns, receiving the cold shoulder feels like applause!

[@maxna333]

The Frigid outskirts from the ivory king DLC : your dropped in a snowstorm with fog so thick you cant see more than a few feet ahead of you. if that's not frustrating enough for you, there's also the the fact that its home to a herd of killer reindeer who somehow always know exactly where you are. And you have to deal with all of this with no idea where your suppose to go.

[@themouthoftrolldemort]

Just to get to a reskinned gank fight of a boss

[@metalsiren6338]

Yes! Lost Izalith in the previous game was a slog to get through, but at least you knew where the hell you were going.

[@SolaScientia]

Commented saying the same, lol. No bonfires in the area either, so have fun retreading your steps repeatedly when you die. With the amount of us commenting on this specific area, I feel sure it'll come up in a commenter edition.

[@GenesiisDavid]

Just realized I've been watching you guys for 8 years now. Kinda wild, I was a freshman in college then and now I'm married lol.

[@Renix360]

Don’t forget about the last third of Ghost of Tsushima which is just one giant snow area. There are even portions of it where you have to go from fire to fire or you’ll freeze to death.

[@anarky1765]

To be fair, the fire to fire thing was only in the mission where you climb a mountain to get a flaming sword.

[@typacsk]

Nice thumbnail picture :)

[@tonts5329]

@@anarky1765 Yeah but when not doing that mission you can die if you get too near the mountain area if you're just free roaming. Once you do the mission the storms seem to ease up and stop being zones of death XD.

[@anarky1765]

@@tonts5329 All the more incentive to do the mission, I guess 😄

[@huntersearle5336]

This unlocked some deep memory of an ice level in Ice Age for the Gameboy. It sounds like that would be the norm, but there were only a few levels covered in ice. I remember one that took place inside a cave and was particularly slanted, so I was basically sliding uncontrollably the whole time. I still have very fond memories of the game

[@chugetnuget6230]

Damn! I think I remember that game. Wasn't it the one where you fight a giant spider? I remember I never got past that level, I loved the game I just couldn't get past that level. you played as scrat right?

[@huntersearle5336]

@@chugetnuget6230 that may be a different one. This one you mainly played as Manny, with a few Sid levels where the screen scrolled automatically so you couldn't stop or you'd lose

[@chugetnuget6230]

@@huntersearle5336 ah yeah your right, im dumb, sorry. I didn't realize you said gameboy, the one I played was for the ps2, definitely a different game 😅

[@philiphunn194]

I remain adamant that not all lands of ice and snow are automatically bad. After all, I'm particularly fond of the one with the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.

[@marhawkman303]

q's Winter Wonderland in Star Trek Online is LOADS of fun. :D.. and ongoing, right now! :D

[@anarchodin]

Eh, I think it's overrated. Granted, that might be because I've been here too long and it's near winter solstice so the days are short.

[@philiphunn194]

@@gsesquire3441 I was annoyed it wasn’t used in either Infinity War or Endgame. At least Thor got Guns N’ Roses tunes in Love And Thunder as a replacement.

[@Officewaffle]

With tasteful or absent use of the snow level gimmicks, the levels can be a visual treat that feels entirely different from the rest of the game. For example, Kirby and the forgotten land's snow level is (in my opinion) the best level in that game and uses the snow theme excellently.

[@vanntooot]

@@philiphunn194 it was used in Thor Ragnarok tho

[@MunchKING]

The Snowboarding in Final Fantasy VII was not that bad, in my opinion. The real annoying part was the "avoiding hypothermia climbing the mountain" part just before that.

[@duckfoot6131]

Agreed. At least you didn't actually have to do well at the snowboarding

[@duckfoot6131]

Actually, come to think of it, the "stumble through a blizzard dropping markers behind you" section may have been worse.

[@LadyBrightcynder]

@@duckfoot6131 Same... I just went around in circles for ages XD

[@hokutology1718]

Especially if you were trying to find the summon materia hidden away in the snow. I never managed it.

[@JeedyJay]

Definitely not as clunky as Prompto's Snowmobile Adventures in FFXV.

[@zacharysmith4856]

Mike saying “shred the nar” is killing me. 😂

[@withershinswang2672]

Timed perfectly, well done Oxbox.

[@azuredragoon2054]

Dark Souls 2, Frigid Outskirts Being a Dark Souls game, it's already understandably hard. But what makes this an example of a terrible ice level is that the periodic blizzard hides the approach of powerful ghost unicorns that will easily trample you if you're not careful. And even though they only spawn during the blizzard, once they're spawned they have already spotted you and are running after you until they die or you do.

[@liamgurney138]

Andy heckling both Jane and the comments are some of the most amusing parts of these vids 😄

[@dkscribe8896]

I would add the Frozen level of Kingdom Hearts III. It's so annoying that you get all the way to the top of the mountain, only to get knocked back down...TWICE! And have to crawl back up, just to climb back down again shortly after. It's not a hard level, but it just sucks to do. Even 'Let it Go' can't save it from being a frustrating slog through the snow.

[@unknown_lifeform_brett]

I actually enjoy the snowboarding mini-game in FF7. I don't find it difficult at all, and always look forward to unlocking it in the Gold Saucer so that I can play it to my heart's content.

[@Stratelier]

And the Gold Saucer version has rockin' minigame music!

[@JeedyJay]

The Golden Saucer arcade version also features the crucial addition of surf rock.

[@jardex2275]

So, how long until they add it to FF XIV?

[@Riftweaver1981]

i think most people enjoyed the snowboarding minigame. i was kind of surprised to see it listed here. its not even an 'ice level', really.

[@johnoneil9188]

I actually really like the start of RDR2. It is very atmospheric and really shows you how down and out the gang is.

[@xxmaddiegirlxx6012]

Same, I really liked the RDR2 story from start to finish!

[@zevontahughes1543]

Thank you! What do people want summer only games fuck outta here.

[@Michael1Nightmare]

yeah, amazing way to keep you locked into a small area for you to learn the controls and introduce you to the main characters while being very atmospheric

[@RVered]

It's the opposite of Fallout New Vegas' opening. Instead of a concise, to-the-point, desert-cowboy-themed tutorial to let you figure out and explore on your own, it's a slow, tedious, snow-cowboy-themed slog where every minute detail is spoon-fed at a glacial pace. Fk that opening. It's just Rockstar flexing their unlimited budget whether it's actually fun or not, and especially on repeat playthroughs, it's torture.

[@Gamemania_C-137]

@@Michael1Nightmare One of the best tutorials in games I played, besides the forgotten plateau in BotW of course

[@timlamiam]

ff7 snowboarding happens right after Aerith's death lol. literally u go straight from tossing her into a lake into snowboarding

[@frodobaggins7710]

Cold Hard Crash in Crash Bandicoot 2, especially if you want to get the box gem. You need to get to the death route platform without dying, go all the way along the death route which is completely covered in ice, then go back to the beginning of the death route to break the final boxes that appear, and finally you have to break the boxes along the regular pathway through the level. And even if you manage all that, there's a chance you might miss the hidden box in the bonus level because Crash 2 doesn't tell you the box total until the end of the level

[@AgentMonochrome]

THIS HAUNTED ME FOR SO LONG!

[@Therealgeekyswede]

I actually live in a Snow level at this time of year -20C and Snow so i might be a little biased when it comes to snow levels but i love the PGR snow racing!

[@RedKytten]

Agreed. Northern Canada myself... it has warmed up a little and is only around -15C at the moment, but they are saying -35 next week...

[@spinal_capped]

I’m with you, that looks fun to me! Tangentially, I know there were quite a few that were vocally critical of the snow in Forza Horizon 4 during winter, but I absolutely loved it! Much better than the measly winter of FH5.

[@justinroux1610]

@@RedKytten god damn do you guys just ride your polar bears to hortons

[@Therealgeekyswede]

@@RedKytten Oh here in Sweden it has been between -15C and -20C for quite a while now! Glad that i live in the middlepart of Sweden and not the most northern part of Sweden that has constant darkness until like February 🤣

[@Therealgeekyswede]

@@spinal_capped Ikr! So many of the big forza youtubers hated it because they couldn't drive their hypercars fast in the snow! I myself always did ice-racing out on the lake! Yeah the snow at the volcano in FH5 is sad!

[@WillyShankspeare]

I just so happened to be suffering from COVID while playing Red Dead 2 for the first time. The Colter chapter was really hard to take due to the chills I was feeling, and the final chapter was hard to bear with me coughing about as much as Arthur was.

[@adambicknell9185]

okay but hear me out, the ice level at the start of RDR2 is vital to get you invested in the story BEFORE you realise that the walking controls are actually always that bad and it isn't just because you're moving through snow. certainly worked on me.

[@Memoquin]

I’m hearing you out, but don’t understand you. The walking controls are bad?

[@AFatlepper]

@Memoquin think I know what they mean. The walking is a bit tankish... clunky... not too sure how to word it but it's very deliberate

[@adambicknell9185]

@@Memoquin it isn't necessarily a problem but Rockstar games generally prioritise the fidelity of the animation over the responsiveness of the controls. When it comes down to the snow really helps mask the second or so that it takes for Arthur to respon to any control input you give

[@maggi98mw]

@@Memoquin no, they are slow/sluggish. Which makes a lot of sense in the game that Rockstar created

[@bleh329]

I saved a separate slot at the end of the prologue so I don't have to bother with it every time I want to play again.

[@Brasc]

Ice Man's stage in the original Mega Man for the NES. Ice physics for the ground, endlessly spawning flying penguin robots, and unreliable platforms that disappear and reappear in a pattern, or fly around over an abyss with those same penguins flying at you as you try to jump from one to the next.

[@HylianFox3]

Also those damn platform that shoot at you, and if you get hit you'll fall right through them. I always save Ice Man for last...

[@wolftickets1969]

Worse is Frost Man's stage in Mega Man 8, with the "Jump! Jump! Slide! Slide!" snowboarding section.

[@Ceece20]

“Man I love those snowfields in Elden Ring and Dark Souls.” -Says every Elden Ring/Dark Souls fan (because it isn’t a poisonous or scarlet rot swamp)

[@benjamintan2733]

I remember playing Bugs Bunny Lost in Time from PS1. One of the stage is where you have to ski from the top of the level to the bottom. The thing is, if you hi any obstacle, you return to the beginning (or checkpoint). Imagine the frustration is when you almost reach a checkpoint but hi by a giant snow ball that literally a your side where you can't see it until it is too late.

[@MrAnimeFan4Eva]

Ice and water levels are visually great but physically doo doo

[@SGD2]

Does the section in dragon age inquisition where you have to walk for ages as slow as physically possible through the snow after fighting a dragon and falling into an abandoned mine count as an ice level?

[@CottonCandySharks]

I see some people hate the Twilight Princess ice level, but I loved it! It was a unique area with new mechanics you had to master. Very pretty, too, and the yetis were very round, which always makes me happy :)

[@Wonchop]

I vaguely remember an ice-themed level being the ragequit portion of Zack & Wiki for the Wii. On top of having figure out puzzles while avoiding instant death by ice blizzard, but you've also got to do them quickly before your monkey pal freezes to death.

[@kcollier2192]

The DK snow level seems to have left Jane a bit frosty...

[@Mad_Elf_0]

I seem to remember an area in Ratchet and Clank that involved constantly sliding off icy platforms...

[@Slowpokeinabathtub]

The snow and ice levels in crash bandicoot twinsanity was BRUTAL OH MY GOSH!? The glitches made it WORSE

[@JonhnyWalker]

Yeah, that was my first thought. You're either slipping all the time or trying desperately to control a tiny bear at high speed

[@silverwyhrecat5]

What about Macalania Temple from FFX? Not only do you have an ice level, but you also have a sliding block puzzle at the same time.

[@Stratelier]

RPGs (especially turn-based ones) rarely have "ice levels" in the gameplay sense, it's mostly just for set dressing.

[@joshuaridgway3230]

How are you forgetting Ocarina of Time’s Ice Cave?! Slippery precision platforming, check. You even have to repeat the most fiddly sections because you also need special blue fire to melt the red ice. Enemies that can freeze you for massive damage and stun lock you for the keese in the room. And in return you get the Iron Boots. No upside at all.

[@wingdingmasquerade]

Surprised that the ice level from Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess wasn't on here. That whole level had me tearing at my hair. From push and slide puzzles, to the yeti owner of the house shoving Link everytime he brings him an ingredient for the soup for his wife, to fighting said wife on an incredibly slippery ground with arguably my least favorite weapon the ball and chain.

[@SeviathTheHumanDrago]

I just made a comment about this. I watched an iceberg video on the game and apparently the ENTIRE area is absolutely superfluous. The developers literally had to program in a pass condition for the level of you having the last piece of the mirror. So they knew the level was bad and people would hate it, but they programmed in a reason to FORCE you to go there.

[@jardex2275]

On the other hand, it had a good version of snowboarding, unlike FF VII.

[@7Edgard]

My heart became all fuzzy and warm inside when I saw DK on this list, thanks you guys

[@Reishadowen]

While my first instinct would be to suggest "every NES game ever", I'm going to nominate the one that I still personally shudder at, every time I think about: Snake, Rattle, and Roll. In the first few levels, the game is fun & easy (as always), but then by the time level 8 rolls around, the cheery music and color pallet takes a sudden turn to feeling more like the execution ward of a Russian prison. The entire level is narrow pathways made of ice, with instant death pits on all sides. Then when you complete the level and think it's all over, level 9 is more of the same, but now the narrow icy paths are also heavily sloped to one side.

[@scottlil01]

In Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, Route 217 is covered in snow and it is a miserable experience trekking through it. There are some places where you can't go faster than a very slow walk and every battle you encounter will have hail in the background, which damages your Pokemon every turn unless it's an ice type or you change the weather.

[@RecyllandHyde]

I think they improved it in Platinum but yeah the snow in Diamond and Pearl suuuuuuuuuucked

[@LadyBrightcynder]

God, I remember having to level grind there in Diamond... bad times. It was nice to see a big proper snow area in a Pokémon game for the first time, but having the game slow down to announce the weather and sitting through the damage animations... hell no.

[@madhatt3r93]

Isn't that also where that girl trades you a haunter with an everstone?

[@agwasp]

I remember that with horror… I also remember seeing an abomasnow and thinking it was super rare… so using my master ball on it 🥲

[@michael_mcgowan]

​@@madhatt3r93Well, it's at the town at the end of the route, but yes

[@LifeWithMatthew]

counterpoint - Ice levels that were amazing, like In Batman Arkham City fighting Mr. Freeze. That level took everything you had learned so far and made sure you used each gadget and technique in an extremely rewarding, albeit somewhat difficult the first time through, battle of skill and wits.

[@Kartissa]

Is that the one where you can't use the same technique more than once, because a character who is typically defined as a genius actually learns from his mistakes?

[@LifeWithMatthew]

@@Kartissa that's the one!

[@cwilliams7595]

After 3 snowstorms in 1 week, where I live in Alaska is already hip deep snow and quite cold with plenty of ice. Thanks for the reminder, you all look so warm in the studio :p

[@riloretro7821]

I know Elden Ring is currently more relevant, but if there's ever a commenters edition for this one I think the Painted World of Ariendel from Dark Souls III deserves a mention. It's got some pretty ruthless enemies like the super fast Corvian Knights and the big, brutal Millwood Knights. Disgusting humanoid fly enemies that inject you with their maggots and to top it all off you've got Blackflame Friede at the end of the area. Definitely one of the toughest endurance bosses in the series.

[@MrGhostTheBigRoast]

nah ds3 is fine, ds2 has the real bad snow dlc.

[@TheTriforceDragon]

@@MrGhostTheBigRoast Well half and half in DS2. The castle itself is one of the best areas of DS2 (in my opinion), but then there is the Frigid Outskirts...no one likes the Frigid Outskirts.

[@anarky1765]

I still like the Iceberg Lounge. It’s a part of the greatest Batman game of all time, you can circumvent the speed issue by crouch walking, and you get to beat up a shark. How many other games let you beat up a shark?

[@sickrandy2946]

After beating Elden Ring like 5 times & doing Ordina each time - immediately book it for the ladder and stick to the roofs. The assassins can't get you up there and you can light 3 of the 4 torches without touching the ground for more than 10 seconds.

[@joshuaanderson1712]

Haven't played it yet, which is the torch you can't do that for?

[@sickrandy2946]

@@joshuaanderson1712 there's one on the outskirts that you have to run around the side to get to, but it's not that far away.

[@XDarkNation]

Meanwhile, the two Archers or whtv are having a field day shooting at you.

[@sickrandy2946]

@@XDarkNation not if you kill them lmao

[@RileyDia]

You know it's going to be a good video when the title alone makes you laugh

[@empurress77]

The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion has a very annoying snow quest. It's silly harsh cold. Bad but can be dealt with. It has 5 items you need to find that are white on white. Super hard to find even when you know where they should be (Barring kicking them away while you look for them). The worst part though: After all the bother completing the quest you get a pitifully small reward for doing so.

[@normalhuman9878]

Then Skyrim is all snow

[@JamestheXennial]

The Ice Cap Zone in "Sonic 3." It's so tedious with the snow piles slowing you up; making you break ice blocks to get power-ups; bottomless, frigid water pits...oh, and the deadly, pointy ice stalactites FALLING ON YOU the entire time.

[@AgentMonochrome]

And Robotnik at the end of the level.

[@MichaelBrown-tv6qx]

But the music is ace! 😊

[@JamestheXennial]

@@MichaelBrown-tv6qx Absolutely. Sonic 3 and Knuckles soundtrack is among the greatest in video game history.

[@alexandermutsaers2693]

I’d vote the ice level in Sonic Adventure as being worse, but I agree.

[@mikailykendal9762]

The snow level in Resident Evil 6, with Sherry and Jake, is very painful. It's so hard not to get lost or die!

[@TheSilentHavoc]

The runaway train level from Croc 2 - from the frenetic music to the constant slipping and sliding, makes it hands down one of the worst ice levels, for sure.

[@TheBlackSeraph]

I was thinking before I clicked the video that Snow Barrel Blast from DKC had better be on the list, and you guys one-upped me and added the ENTIRE freaking world!

[@detectivepup1167]

I remember Bionicle: The Game, had something like 2 or 3 snowboarding sections in a row where you're trying to stop a powerful enemy (one of the bohrok) from reaching a village. Fun times!

[@gamepassghost]

Cold stunner of a title. Always like the comments of people remembering it.

[@Paldasan]

Ahh takes me back to Super Mario 3 and the ice world (6). Maybe not as unforgiving as the air world (5) but more of a nuisance as you'll probably be maxed out on lives by this point so dying is less of an issue than the tediousness of trying to line up jumps.

[@briarpelt2333]

It never fails. The one time Batman thinks he won't need the Bat Shark Repellent Spray...

[@SpringStargazer]

The worst part about the snow levels in DK is that there's a string of like 7 levels before you can save. So, if you have some lives banked, they can go down hill in a hurry. I would have added one from Mario 64 because sliding on the ice was super difficult for me.

[@TheeBlackWitch]

I was also thinking of the ice slide in Mario 64. That thing was a pain in the ass.

[@BJGvideos]

Can you go back to a previous save point?

[@SpringStargazer]

@@BJGvideos not really, no. The game is made up of sections and once you enter one, you have to make your way to a character who will fly you where you want to go. He is right around the save point so you just have to make your way over there.

[@BJGvideos]

@@SpringStargazer Oh really? I played it but it was like a million years ago. I thought you could go back to the last map and use saves there.

[@FawnGesicht]

This topic seemed well timed. My area just got hit with snow/ice storm, and my power got knocked out. Nothing to do but shovel and watch KZbin til my phone dies.

[@laurajones7858]

Oof, sorry, hope you get power back soon

[@lauriepenner350]

At least you don't have to slide a bunch of stupid blocks around in a very precise order to get out of your house.

[@drewvehmeier5658]

Same weather conditions here. I hate NY

[@SirStanleytheStumbler]

A lot of that is going around today

[@FawnGesicht]

@@lauriepenner350 lol

[@spectrebazza1]

We need a top beards in gaming list!

[@Ceaseless_Watcher]

I am a short man, in decent shape. According to one friend, since I grew a beard, I look like a Kratos garden gnome.

[@joshuaflint9132]

Not sure if it's available on Xbox (yet) but I'd be surprised if Death Stranding's mountain levels weren't up for discussion at some point, going to the Spiritualist was less seeing and more believing!

[@louisetarrant1071]

Yeah I would definitely nominate Death Stranding for this list! You move slower though the deep slow, I’m sure you lose health or stamina without wearing the correct cold weather clothing. Sam even gets frostbite if you are out in the snow for too long! It’s a mountain so you always have to be climbing up or abseiling down something and make sure you packed enough equipment to do this while also making sure you can balance all your packages… then a white-out blizzard comes though, you fall down because you can’t see anything at all and spend the next ten minutes trying to find all the packages and restack them. Then you’ll probably immediately fall over again 😂 And very much agreed, every quest here seems to involve spending what seems like ages snow trudging between outposts that couldn’t be further apart. Oh, and some of those missions are timed 👍🏻

[@muntantmonsterx4365]

Im surprised the ice levels in twilight princess aren't on here. From the leaf snowboarding portion to the sliding puzzles and walking on beams in the castle that area got old real quick

[@FlibTheBard]

I thought all the dudes on the rooftops trying to blast you in Ordina were more annoying than the assassins. Couldn't afford to try to take them out until you made sure there were no assassins left and if you rolled the wrong way while fighting said assassins you'd be in their range. Then you just want to look for the objects to light and they are scattered around slowing you down.

[@RatedMatture]

FF7 snowboarding is fun! My buddy and I used to sit around for hours trying to beat eachothers best times

[@4lasdair]

Andy's joke at 7:21 made me have to pause the video because I was laughing too much 🤣 well-played sir!

[@darlester]

I can’t remember which of the NES Mega Man games had an ice level with a silly amount of slippery blocks, and a lethal amount of bottomless pits, but whatever one it was was the worst thing to happen to my childhood.

[@lucwijngaard8413]

I actually loved the ambiance of RDR2's prologue

[@nope-qi8zx]

These people have no idea what they're talking about, making that gta analogy proves it. The rdr 2 opening is amazing and sets the underlying tone for the rest of the game storywise.

[@RVered]

@@nope-qi8zx It's the opposite of Fallout New Vegas' opening. Instead of a concise, to-the-point, desert-cowboy-themed tutorial to let you figure out and explore on your own, it's a slow, tedious, snow-cowboy-themed slog where every minute detail is spoon-fed at a glacial pace. Fk that opening. It's just Rockstar flexing their unlimited budget whether it's actually fun or not, and especially on repeat playthroughs, it's torture. Stop fanboying.

[@nope-qi8zx]

@@RVered "It's the opposite of Fallout New Vegas' opening." Gee, I wonder why... That's an even dumber take than the gta analogy. Stop being an idiot.

[@RVered]

@@nope-qi8zx me? I gave an example of a good opening to show why RDR2's is shit. You claim someone's opinion is wrong because of one analogy without providing ANY evidence or arguments of your own. It's slow, tedious, and repetitive. Are you going to argue to the contrary? you may like it, but that doesn't make it good. I'm so sick of people forcing themselves to claim something is good just because they like it. I like RDR2, it's an amazing game, but it's not perfect and you need to accept that.

[@nope-qi8zx]

@@RVered "you may not like it, but that doesn't make it bad. I'm so sick of people forcing themselves to claim something is bad just because they hate it." I genuinely hope you now see how dumb you're being, but I somehow sincerely doubt that. "I gave an example of a good opening" Yeah, OF A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BREED OF GAME. If you can't see how dumb that is, that's on you. Best example I can give is dying light 2 with its 2 hour opening. You know why people (including me) heavily dislike that slow opening? Because a) they don't care about the story or characters b) they want to jump into the action immediately. Again, completely different breed of game. Rdr2's opening worked perfectly to set up the story, characters, tone and world for the players to enjoy, while simultaneously explaining mechanics, and backstory. "RDR2, it's an amazing game, but it's not perfect and you need to accept that." a) literally never said it was, quit assuming shit. b) I'm one of Rockstar's biggest critics, and if there is ANYONE that knows rdr2 isn't perfect, it's me. There, is that argumentative enough for you? Or are you gonna keep pushing your nonsensical opinion on people, while assuming stuff about them?

[@mayac69]

One of the least fun ice levels I've ever played was in Mighty Number 9. The level seems designed to launch you into death spikes

[@justinroux1610]

That entire game was an ice level

[@downrighttt]

Bro what the snow at the beginning of RDR2 is the best. Sets the stage for the whole game, kicks the story off and is beautiful on top of that

[@MrInsightful]

I would say the Frigid Outskirts from Dark Souls 2 is THE iconic 'get in the bin' ice level. Headache inducing blizzard that gives low visibility with only a couple of seconds respite every 15 or so seconds? Check. Large area with very few distinguishing landmarks to make sure you are going in the right direction? Check. Infinitely respawning lightning reindeer that come out of nowhere and deal big damage? Check. Hard to find exit to the boss? Check. Boss fight that consists of two reskinned versions of a previous boss? Check? No meaningful reward for doing any of it? Check. Accessed via climbing into a coffin that then slides down a mountainous slope? Check, but that's a kind of cool if not easily missable way of entering the level to be fair. And I suppose it serves as a wonderful metaphor for the death of your sanity as it slides away into nothingness because of this level.

[@azuredragoon2054]

The ghost unicorns do not infinitely spawn. If you move SUPER slowly, you can kill all of them before reaching the boss. They're still utter bastards though.

[@AfroRyan]

3-5 in Bonk's Adventure always frustrates me, because if you don't right Bonk onto his feet after a midair attack, he'll slip-slide all around the ice on his head and you just have to cross your fingers he doesn't careen directly into danger.

[@AfroRyan]

Oh yeah, and the boss arena is also covered in ice.

[@k8darkener597]

What about Lukes hellish level in Skyrim? Something about a Frost Troll I seem to remember?

[@katherinevasper1791]

Ah, Kipper's best friend!

[@stephenfrawley9950]

Andy got his Xmas haircut, that's the main thing I got from this video 😅

[@ghost3lite216]

love these videos guys, ive tried to see and like every one, i fall asleep to em most of the time

[@undertakernumberone1]

14:50 "The more hospitable areas of New Austin"... the gang never makes it to New Austin. (Well, John and Bill do...) they fled from West Elizabeth.

[@Paperiahma]

My biggest pet peeve about snow/ice levels in video games is that at least 90% of the time the characters are not dressed for it, but suffer no ill consequences. Either their outift doesn't change at all and they walk casually across snowy mountains in booty shorts/thin dresses/shirtless/etc. or their usual outift gets something like a little bit of fur around the collar or sleeves. There's almost never any actual thick layers of clothing and even if THAT is somewhat achieved with a thick cloak or a coat, gloves and hats are nowhere to be seen. I live in Finland. I know what a cold winter means. I also know that in really cold temperatures, even the slightest bit of wind makes everything so much colder. You CANNOT leave your hands/head/ears/throat exposed like that! You will be very cold within minutes and possibly frostbitten. It's even worse when a character falls into a river or something and then just shrugs it off like it's no big deal or maybe a minor inconvienience. No! THAT'S A GENUINE DANGER, GET SOMEHWRE WARM AND DRY RIGHT NOW! Why yes, seeing the the Red Dead Redemption 2 entry made me cheer : D

[@SimuLord]

Peach looks dashing in her dress in world 4 of Super Mario Bros. 2 though.

[@lacytaylor1501]

Then you have the complete opposite in some games where the person could be dressed entirely in bulky winter clothes but slowly freeze to death just as fast as a character wearing no warm clothes...

[@Paperiahma]

@@lacytaylor1501 Huh. Can't remember if I've come across that particular nonsense myself. Can you name any examples?

[@lacytaylor1501]

@@Paperiahma A particular one is Genshin impact, in it you have multiple characters in varying different clothes and one of the areas in the game you slowly freeze to death if not around fire. A character decked out in a heavy coat, pants and even wielding fire power will freeze at the same rate a character dressed in a pair of short shorts and short sleeves.

[@theprofessionalfence-sitter]

You forgot 'every ice level that makes you stand next to a fire every five seconds for not to freeze to death'.

[@lacytaylor1501]

Ah dragonspine in genshin impact, you have characters who literally control fire and yet only a torch or magical heater thing can reduce the freezing bar..

[@the603]

It’s snowing where I am right now so this list is a little too real! Great video as always ❤️

[@Michael_Lindell]

What an ice list, it didn't leave me cold!

[@deathbykonami5487]

Booooooooooooo!!

[@IamaPERSON]

Chill with the puns!

[@Betta66]

I don't like snow. It's cold and wet and unpleasant, and it gets everywhere.

[@Fr33dan]

"George RR Martin owns Lord ot the Rings, and a thesaursus" made me laugh so hard I had to stop the video and compose myself for a moment.

[@sarahbell8886]

The elden ring one reminds me of that level in God of War that has limited visibility because of the sand and you have to find the enemies by sound ....or luck

[@NeonKnightOA]

For the Commenter's edition: Unreal's "Watcher from the Skies" and "Gala's Peak" levels from the Return to Na Pali expansion pack. After returning from an alien-infested factory, you have to travel through areas with slippery floors, including a building atop a risc that you have to travel to via a slippery, railless, narrow bridge. On the plus side, if you travel while crouching, you'll avoid falling to the abyss and gain speed. Because early Unreal Engine quirks.

[@Keeperodd]

Dont agree with the RDR2 one.

[@gijinkmom8094]

Genuinely surprised the Frigid Outskirts from Dark Souls 2's Ivory Crown DLC isn't here. You get 2 feet of visibility and in the ever-present snowstorms you have electric bicorns that want you dead and will have you as such. Right before you have to go into a Duo fight with 2 versions of a boss you've already fought. Yes, it's entirely optional but you can't get the last knight without doing it so it's not exactly "optional".

[@mkay7163]

You can get all 4 Loyce Knights without doing the Frigid Outskirts. You just can't get all of their gear, because you need the boss souls to make their sword and shield. Still you're correct, it's a terrible place that no one likes and the only possible way it doesn't qualify for this list is that I don't think there's any ice involved, only snow.

[@sarahvvvv3143]

Oh ice levels!!! This was a great list!!! An addition might be the blizzard in diamond and pearl followed by the ice gym ran by candice. First a snow storm where you keep getting stuck and forced to battle people you can't see because there is no visibility and then a puzzle where you have a slide a snowball and you slide all around as well! The gym battle isn't much better, there are barely any fire types in that generation.... and I choose the water type XD

[@zacharyhansen9103]

Can we get Ellen to play the dolphin game and have her react to the underwater spiders?

[@ddjsoyenby]

yes, yes *evil laugh*

[@marcjehle2480]

Arent Crabs Arachnoids, as in the same biological family as spiders?

[@zacharyhansen9103]

@@marcjehle2480 Perhaps very distant cousins. Either way, close enough.

[@littlefurnace]

Thelassarachnophobia - fear of underwater spiders.

[@Jonathon_Hennessey]

The worst part of Ordina Liturgical Town is that solving it's puzzle is the only way to reach the Haligtree where Malenia can be found.

[@cearnicus]

Zelda LttP had Ice Palace, but the Crowd-Control randomizer really kicks it up a notch. Here chat can choose among several effects, one of which is ice physics for a minute. So now every level can be the ice level :D (Best when combined with the 1-hit KO and chicken storm effects, obviously)