Top Ten Video Game Desert Levels

It's been a super hot summer, so it's only fitting we talk about the super hot deserts of video games! Enjoy!
This was also lowkey inspired by another countdown artist, so I'd like to thank them for the inspiration. Can't really say who it is, though. Hope you understand.
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[@TheQuarterGuy]

"You know what this map needs? Needs more sand."

[@meta527II]

Is that a reference to something or is that just a silly line you wrote? Not that I have a problem with either of those.

[@jeremytung1632]

“More sand! We’re surrounded by sand!”

[@voltingmaster5458]

I don’t like sand, it’s coarse and rough and irritating, And it gets everywhere!

[@TheQuarterGuy]

@@jeremytung1632 Y- You know, not that much, just...two cubic tons.

[@jeremytung1632]

@@TheQuarterGuyTWO CUBIC TONS?!

[@SilverJakler]

Ah, but you see? The Heavy Magician masquerading as Team Hooligan IS the Mirage of Mirage Saloon

[@natk205]

Nintendo did a great job with the Sand Kingdom from Super Mario Odyssey. Now if only they knew how to make good Mario Kart desert levels without either being boring as hell (like GCN Dry Dry Desert or DS Desert Hills) or botching it up as a future remake (GBA Sunset Wilds).

[@comicfoil9494]

I actually really like DS Desert Hills. I don’t have a good reason, it’s just for some reason I took to this course and it was one of my best tracks for playing online.

[@KingNerdius]

When’s top ten weed users

[@s.p.d.magentaranger1822]

"Hey, (insert name 1)." "Oh, hey, (name 2)! How are you?" "Fine...just fine ..except...I'm STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT!!"

[@jaketaller8567]

Is that a reference to something?

[@s.p.d.magentaranger1822]

@@jaketaller8567 it was a movie clip shown in Fawful's Minion's Banjo Ranking video. IDK where it's from though.

[@JD10503]

​@@s.p.d.magentaranger1822 Big Fat Liar.

[@s.p.d.magentaranger1822]

@@JD10503 Thank you!

[@pohnile]

1: One of my fav kingdoms 2: Not my fav area in the game, but it´s still great and I like the variety of levels it has. Also the boss is really good. 3: Great item and boss fight 4: One of the best levels in the game when it comes to narrative and Futaba has the best awakening of the characters. 5: Dat music!! Also finally great desert maps in FE and this is probably my favorite part of the game 7: Not one of my fav Banjo levels, but it does refine the desert element a lot and Gobi is awesome. 9: Have not played Mania, but the desert level in Unleashed is great. 10: Superb game and level Good list. Some other good desert levels would be from Crash Bandicoot 3, That Scorpion level in Spyro 3, Desert in New Pokemon Snap, The desert level in Granblue Fantasy Relink and Groundman´s stage in Megaman and Bass

[@RocRolWriter]

I like the idea of "Top 10 [biome] Levels" being a topic you revisit even if you don't cram a bunch of them into one month. You've done water and desert, that just leaves mountain, forest, urban, and maybe some crazy ones like volcano and space (places that don't normally have life, as far as we know at least). You could even subdivide "forest" into temperate, tropical, and savannah, if there are enough of each to justify it. Suggestion: January would be a great time for a Top 10 Ice Levels video. The cold would make it thematically appropriate.

[@developingopinionmedia2909]

The lore behind Twilight Princess you brought up definitely upped the creepy factor the game goes for but the Gibdo queen from TOTK made me jump the moment she came on screen. Any boss that does that nowadays has my insta-respect.

[@Triforce_of_Doom]

oh man the Gibdo in general in Tears were crazy. I still remember going through the sandstorm & seeing one with wings & immediately going "OH SWEET CHRIST WHY"

[@developingopinionmedia2909]

@@Triforce_of_Doom I know right?!! I quoted Rise of Skywalker with these zombie sand bug monstrosities. BUT DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE GANON HANDS!!! IF YOU'RE NOT CARRYING A PAYLOAD OF BOMB FLOWERS, CHEESE IT LIKE A JACK RABBIT IN A LOUISIANA OIL SPILL.

[@gimmeyourrights8292]

A perfect countdown for the summer.

[@jordanhunter3375]

This countdown was brought to you by Sand! It's everywhere, get used to it.

[@jaketaller8567]

Ah, an Aladdin And The King Of Thieves reference. I see you are a man of great taste.

[@erichfiedler1481]

HEY! I thought of it first!

[@starbird3939]

One of the better disney sequels!

[@jordanhunter3375]

@@jaketaller8567 Shame that I have only seen the first movie and only heard this joke from elsewhere

[@bru9383]

I just needed Arbiter's Grounds here. Best desert level for me, hands down

[@TGPBailey124]

Is no one going to acknowledge the awesome SNAPCUBE REFRENCE AT THE BEGIBING OF THE THING. GUYS WHAT ARE WE DOING!!!!!

[@erichfiedler1481]

Okay, time to get THIS LINE out of the way before everyone else says it "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere." This countdown is brought to you by "SAND, IT'S EVERYWHERE", get used to it

[@KnightLineArtYT]

For me personally, I really like Pharaoh Man's stage in Mega Man 4. I like a lot of Egyptian themed stuff in general, and his is the first that pops into mind for me. Awesome soundtrack too. It even has a few quicksand parts in case you needed more traditional stuff in it. Though if that doesn't count, I'd be willing to say Overdrive Ostrich's stage in Mega Man X2 for it's hoverbike setpiece. Then there's fighting game stages, while not normally interactive in most fighting games, I think Jade's Desert in MK3/UMK3 is pretty memorable, both for Cryax getting trapped and flailing goofily, and for the dramatic piano that plays.

[@madnessarcade7447]

Engage is very fun and campy it’s got toku vibes the character interactions are awesome and I’m digging the story it’s my first FE game

[@BaxterAndLunala]

My favorite desert levels are: Bring Down The Strider - Armored Core VI Chozo Ruins - Metroid Prime The Maw - Halo: Combat Evolved The entire Saudi war story in Battlefield 1 The Asado Desert - Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Arid Badlands - Borderlands Every Red Zone level in C&C 3 (not a traditional desert by any means, but still worth mentioning) Final Conflict - C&C Tiberian Sun

[@theshadygentleman7575]

In reference to your question at the end... Whilst not necessarily a biome in the sense of an environment, a common recurring theme in games is the 'haunted' level: areas in non-horror games that are either designed to put you on edge or play with the theme of ghosts and ghouls. These levels could make for a fun halloween countdown for their shock factor and what they do to put a spin on the theme.

[@cdesigner9178]

I am so glad so many people seem to be suggesting this, because I LOVE these kinds of levels.

[@Numberplay]

I can already think of a few candidates for this with my top pick being Hat in Time: SubCon Forest

[@cdesigner9178]

@@Numberplay Yep

[@theshadygentleman7575]

This is probably just nostalgia talking, as the level itself isn't that spooky at all, but I submit Haunted Ship from Sonic Rush Adventure. That level terrified me as a kid (I wasn't good with undead themes), but the music is kickass and the boss is really cool too

[@cdesigner9178]

@@theshadygentleman7575 For me, if I had to choose a haunted level from a Sonic game, I have to go with the Haunted Mansion from Sonic Heroes. The mansion constantly changing, having to go into the freaking spirit world, and one of the best soundtracks in the game.

[@TheHearthGuy]

Well look at that. I was convinced that there would be no Fire Emblem maps on this list, but in retrospect, Solm was a pretty good choice. And the music was incredible, say what you want about Engage, but the music is impeccable. As for suggestions for what kind of level list to do, a couple that I can think of would be the Poison level which is often hated even more than the desert level, or the Space level, which often get to be very creative with lowered gravity when done right.

[@Vugtis_El_VillaVODS]

Legend of Dragoon Desert area. Sink holes are a death sentence IRL. The game made the sand sink holes like a slide to go down to for treasure

[@yokaihollow589]

Honestly, I kinda liked the Exclusion Zone from Destiny. It's a solid mix of desert ruins, buried metropolis, and military base. A great location for the final push.

[@andrewhaase1826]

I'd love to see these level archetypes: *Fire Levels *Sky Levels *Forest/Jungle Levels *Spooky Levels *Space Levels *Ship/Boat Levels *Living Levels -As in levels that are alive in some way. Like Chronos from God of War 3 or any level where you go inside someone.

[@Bucket2000]

The greed layer from ultrakill is pretty good

[@macaylacayton2915]

I approve of number 4 as it is my personal favorite palace in p5/p5r AND is the palace of my personal favorite persona character

[@ldmassey]

I usually hate desert levels, so it was nice to see some good ones

[@sanedimentio]

Fun list with interesting pics, and if you're actually taking suggestions for level themes, I have a good one. My personal favorite level trope is the ancient ruin level. These levels have nice atmosphere, usually have interesting mechanics, and my favorite bit is there is always a story, but it isn't always spelled out

[@Hilversumborn]

There are two open world games that I really like, who's worlds is (almost) nothing but desert. Mad Max (2015) and Assassin's Creed Origins. Both games manages to make every area of the desert distinctly different. I.E. yeah you have the typical sand and rock desert but there's one moment in Mad Max where you're opening a gate of a fortress and when you're driving through the gate, through pure environmental storytelling you learn that was a sluice and that the previous area's used to be the bottom of the ocean, that was a powerful moment for me.

[@atomosophere3007]

Finally, water levels that don't suck.

[@Bora_slash]

-Okay, let's get this over this (opens strengths and weaknesses screen) You've gotta be kidding me -well, geometry is... is pretty cool -yeah, who would've want to be better in geometry!? And for weaknesses - endurance, and what else let me see, heat, sand and sun. It shouldn't be a problem. It's not like we're in the middle of a GODDAMN DESERT! Jumaji the next level, 2019.

[@Zivon96]

The dessert battle in Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn lives rent free in my head. One of the largest levels in the game, and with some really interesting lore reveals, AND finally getting revenge on an early game antagonist... but unless you take the Dracoknights, you're basically leaving this level in the hands of Naesala and no one else, because by the time you cross the map with them, the rest of your units are just now making it out of the starting corner of the map.

[@nameabsent]

My favourite desert level, well world really, is the Desert of Didgeridoos in Rayman Origins. Maybe it’s the Aussie patriot in me but there’s something about starting the world by being sucked into a didgeridoo, hearing the sound of it as you travel down it and are then spat out into a world full of music themed platforms. Yeah, the emphasis may not be so much on the desert, but still I love it. Also the music is really REALLY good P.S. If you do go down the level trope countdown path, could I request best cave levels? Once again, Rayman has one of my favourites with The Caves of Skops

[@pikespendragon67]

One of my favorites is Al-Maajik from Fantasy Life. It’s the 3rd kingdom to visit, but I feel the challenge really picks up with the enemies to be encountered

[@claytonrios1]

I did want to pat Futabas head and give her a hug after her palace was complete. So the game certainly did it's job with that trip to a desert of pure isolation.

[@Jdudec367]

Also another way to know that Futaba is clearly interested in egyptian and arabic folklore is the name of the hacker group she created being called Medjed which is also the name of an obsure egyptian god, yes the one people thought looked like Among Us.

[@Neutra77]

In terms of new biome themes, I think 'Castle/Fortress' could be an interesting one. Good levels would make use of the theme in a more architectural sense than natural biomes. Plus there would be distinct differences in culture that can be utlisied to add character. A quick example I can think of would be the Bowser's Castle from Super Mario Odyssey, with it taking a definite Japanese architectural style and laying itself out as a gauntlet of challenges, with a brief stop at a tea garden halfway.

[@boygame1955]

I really like Dry Dry Desert in Paper Mario & it's Bug Fables counterpart Defiant Root. Great chapters that take place in a desert.

[@TekkenGirl4Lyfe]

This countdown just reminded me that I _really_ need to pick Engage back up. I can't wait to get to Solm! (I've, uh, been obsessed with Fate/Samurai Remnant lately... to the point of neglecting almost everything else...)

[@dreamer9398]

Hell yeah, Solm made it to the list! Definitely the best part of Engage since most of my favorite emblems: Ike, Corrin, Byleth, and Eirika are accessible. Plus, Timerra and Fogado are my favorite pair of siblings

[@jurtheorc8117]

10:28 here's some cool mythological knowledge for you: in ancient Mesopotamian myth, there are proper scorpion folks known as Girtablilu. They were created by the primordial dragon Tiamat along with ten other monsters (including various serpentine demons, a storm demon, the shark and others), to fight against her divine offspring after they murdered her husband and hopefully destroy them in turn. It's all the worse because her consort/husband, Apsu or Abzu, was quite paranoid of his children murdering him already and would undergo pre-emptive action. Tiamat didn't want her husband to murder her children, and helped them out in a way i don't remember. In the end it was their offspring who performed the first murder and i guess at that point, where Tiamat was concerned, all bets are off. In the end she was defeated by one of the gods driving an "evil wind" into her mouth, after which she got killed and ripped open. From her body the universe would be created and her killer would become the prime god of the pantheon. But the monsters that Tiamat created would persist, even becoming rather revered icons of protection or bringer of rain in certain instances. Mind, it's a LONG time since I last read about this myth. There's definitely stuff i'll be misremembering and i only got my knowledge from a single source, so i recommend doing your own research into the tale to get a better image of it all. But I hope it's interesting. (real quick: Another creation myth that is quite fun is those of the Nauru people, about the spider Areop-Enap and their snail and two glowworm companions)

[@marshalllovelady8915]

My favorite is the old clock works in Luigi's mansion 2/Dark Moon it perfectly combines the desert theme and some Egypt parts while having its own mechanical theme just the metal and sand make for a good combination

[@SierraGustafson]

Even though it didn't make the list, my favorite desert level is going to be Muska Lacka/Racka and the Sun and Moon Temple from the first Dark Cloud on the PS2 if anyone even remembers it. Sure, it's so annoying to keep each house facing the corresponding totem pole with the exception of the vacant house that actually belongs to your fifth ally, I really like the music in the area. Plus, the Sun and Moon Temple is more like an Egyptian tomb and the boss of said dungeon is a cursed pharaoh that needs to be laid to rest.

[@erikstensaas1202]

In the desert, you can't remember your name, for there ain't no one to give you no pain...

[@dragonforceczar1610]

You know, after all that time they spent in the desert together, the guy COULD have given that horse a name. I'm just sayin'.

[@gingerkays7362]

I remember when I first got to Solm, minor spoilers for something funny in that chapter When we first got there and the characters were talking about how they had no idea what the prince and princess looked like, and then a little later they ran into Fogado, I was thinking “wouldn’t it be funny if he turned out to be the prince?” Then he introduced us to the Sentinels, and I was getting some serious Chrom and the Shepherds vibes, and when he started acting all chummy with the palace guards I burst out laughing because I realized that my initial impression had been spot on, and he was being a huge reference to my favorite game in the franchise (which is also the one that got me into Fire Emblem in the first place)

[@comicfoil9494]

So… many… Anakin Skywalker comments…

[@JD10503]

It's just too hard to pass up.

[@ailingstar8856]

Honestly, I'd love to see a Ghost level countdown, if only because there's so many different interesting routes developers can go for.

[@cdesigner9178]

YES! I refer to them as "spooky" levels, myself, but yeah, there are a lot of good ones out there. Some personal favorites of mine include Ghost Bayou from Pac-Man World 2, Haunted Grounds from Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (granted, that's less ghosts and more nightmare demons, but still), and the entirety of Subcon Forest from A Hat In Time.

[@greenrangerfan1993]

@@cdesigner9178could be a halloween themed list.

[@cdesigner9178]

@@greenrangerfan1993 Apparently, this Halloween is going to be Monsters Month or something, so it probably won't be THIS Halloween, but yeah, probably will be a Halloween special at some point. Then again, does it HAVE to be Halloween for people to cover something spooky?

[@greenrangerfan1993]

@@cdesigner9178 I think It's the most fitting.

[@MajinK]

Another level biome that gets overlooked and imo can be overhated is ice themed.

[@tanookiplayer]

The Tostarena Kingdom is a great one. Probably my favourite desert area. The ones in Uncharted 3 are also great.

[@omicrondstarsinger7199]

A fool off his guard could fall and fall hard, out there on the dunes.🎶

[@XOverWriter]

Some suggestions for Levels lists: Forest / Jungles City / Urban Sky levels (Airships, sky temples, etc) Space / Space station Ice / Artic Lava / Magma / Fire Spooky / Haunted / Halloween themed Circus / Carnival / Fair themed levels Casino / Gambling themed levels Underground / cave / mining levels

[@Manectrix2000]

This only doesn’t count because it’s the theme of the game(s). Dillon’s Rolling Western and Dillon’s Rolling Western the Last Ranger have their more “Wild West” levels towards the front of the game. They’re all nice open spaces, but you’re incentivized to make every second count to get better ranks during the night. All of that complemented by the wonderful main theme of the game:

[@megabassx0]

my personal favs are zero 2's intro stage and zero 3's deserr stage

[@petertilton7004]

And now for my two cents on the matter. I'm surprised you did not include The Sands of Kogorh from Tales of Vesperia. With a quirky day/night cycle at first, the boss behind it, a gimmick involving cacti, an opportunity to farm materials for fire and water weapons and an optional boss in the form of what will be Tears of the Kingdom Gibdos, this desert has it all. It even has quirky little star guys. Anyways: 10: Never played it so not much to say. 9: A personal favorite of mine was Sandopolis from Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Though the Golem boss was the inspiration for Belcha in DKC 3. 8: Yeah Squid Baron's mid boss crisis and the secrets would cost speedrunners, but oh man, there is fanart of Shantae, Risky, Rotty and Sky in those metal bikinis and fans have the sfw versions saved on their hard drives. Why? Who cares, we see Sky without her hoodie and Risky with her hair down, so kudos. Mr. Bozon, we salute you. 7. Fawful's Minion managed to squeeze more details out of this place, no offense. I mean, the tree's name is Trunker, there's a snake charmer and his pet thing which goes on to live with King Jingaling, and before heading to the lava world, Gobi makes a pitstop at Click Clock Wood. With so much to explore Gobi's Valley is the place to go. 6. Like number 10, Not much to say, but it is a neat pair of worlds. 5. A good desert in a Fire Emblem game that is NOT Heroes?! Holy Macaroni! We also meet Bunet the royal chef, the siblings the party priest Pandreo and his sister Panette whose half prim and proper and half skull crusher and Queen Seforia, or as I and many fans like to call her, Claire Huxtable. Along with the trope of twin bandits. Plus this place is comedy gold with Ivy admitting that the party is lost, Diamant being flabberghasted that they would keep the ring with Ike's spirit in it in a doodad drawer, and both Hortensia and Ivy being scolded by Seforia after the former is freed, just like a mom. A rather refreshing breath of fresh air after what happened after we lost the rings we acquired and before we go through another chapter filled with despair. We need more chapters that play off hilarity, and Solm is perfect for it. Plus Timerra is my waifu. Fight me. 4. Ah, The Palace of Wrath. A definite breath of fresh air. And the stakes are not only your probation, but Sojiro's privelidge to be Futaba's guardian. Plus Futaba explaining the difference between science and psience was nice, and Futaba beginning to break out of her shell was a bonus. 3. Figured the Arbiter's Grounds would be on the list. Better than the Gerudo desert in Breath of the Wild, no offense. 2. Yeah, originull Desert was quite the wake up call. Though Sillydillo was a quirky boss when compared to Tropical Woods and Clawdia. 1. I mostly thought of Dry Dry Desert when Mario is involved. Didn't think to take Sand Kingdom into account. And man with so much cultural diversity most people thought Luncheon was the Potluck.

[@Gunn3rGuru]

8:34 Turns out it's Fang the Hunter now. Took over the IDW comics for a few months.

[@rga1605]

One that I remember well is the desert part in Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire - it wasn't big, but still I feel it was fun

[@SageDarkwind]

"This Green Scorpion video is brought to you by Sand! It's everywhere! Get used to it!"

[@TapperPlushMom]

This was fun - even IF you almost killed me in the middle of #5 (seriously, I'm still giggling about it with a slightly sore throat after choking on spit)! Personally, I admit to not playing a whole lot of games, but when I do, I have a fondness for forest/jungle levels. I wouldn't mind a countdown on those next. Lots of trees to potentially climb around in, vines to swing from if you're talking jungles or rainforests, and SO many animals.

[@cofagrigusfan24]

I like to give a mention to the following levels -Tassel Town (Shantae Half-Genie Hero) (this is my favorite Shantae game (Shantae without transformations isn't Shantae)) -Old Clockworks (Luigi's Mansion 2 (HD)/Dark Moon) -Iron Jaw Gulch (Skylanders Swap Force)

[@gulfgiggleanimations4472]

One of my favorites is Cliff Town in Spyro 1. It's a fantastic feeling after scaling up the town being rewarded by being high enough to glide over the river and to a wide open space to run freely, and that leads to peak of the level from which to glide wherever your heart desires, with whirlwinds activating for an easy return to the peak to glide again.

[@DJtheChaos246]

The next time you look at a reoccurring video game biome, how about beach/tropical levels to sort of splice these last 2 level topics? Or a remake of that ice levels list? No stress, though.

[@ma3mc3mu-X]

Any chance of a list for the “Top 10 Final _Exam_ Bosses”, in which you use literally everything you learned against the villain?

[@themphantom9138]

We're going to Egypt with this one! XD

[@camerashyguy6446]

0:39 I literally referenced this bit when the thumbnail was posted on Twitter. Is this an omen? If I reference a bit, will it get the Green Scorpion reenactment treatment? If that's the case... I actually can't think of one off the top of my head, but I'm sure I'd try to exploit it in some way if I was clever enough. If not, then it's a funny coincidence. Either way, great job on the list.

[@nifinland]

Casino levels would be a nice topic to see. Ya know, to see which levels make the best use of the theme and potentially even includes the use of gambling.

[@SilverClode]

Great video oscar and solm desert from engage definitely fun from the series. Biome suggestions jungle level due to the dangerous plant and creature plus make you feel like tarzan

[@CyColt]

So.... How about Fortress/Castle Levels? Those levels that are basically the enemy base and you have to work your way in and sometimes back out. Bonus points for stealth options.

[@JosephHeiskell]

Not so much a biome, but rather a concept: time manipulation levels. It could be something like a small area of the level is shifted to a past or future state while the around around the effect remains untouched, like in Skyward Sword where the time shift stones change patches of the Lanaryu Desert into its vibrant, industrial past. Alternatively, it could revolve around stopping or reversing time, like in Braid. And of course there are levels where the player character time travels entirely, such as Sonic CD. Of course, outside of the small areas shifting, the above mechanics are usually the game does overall, such as the aforementioned Braid and Sonic CD, rather than just a mechanic of specific levels.

[@GlitchGhost1285]

I don't know why I love the Wildspire Ruins from MH World. I just do.

[@DeadlockDrago]

While not typical, I'd like to mention the ashen wasteland at the end of Dark Souls 3's Ringed City. Hell, even getting to said City could be considered one in a twisted way. The Cemetery of Ash at the beginning set the stage for the state of the world, you're just only seeing its conclusion with a spell on time broken. The God you just met is now a dead withered husk. You scaled one of the tallest towers in the city, only for it to now be level with the ashen dunes with only hints of other structures visible in the distance. The only other things notable are a random ringed knight, a knight who's only here through sheer patience to see you pay, and a friend who has now gone mad after an eternity and what seems to be failure who serves as the final boss. This is the end.

[@glennparker7028]

8:37 He now goes by "Fang The Hunter"!!! Don't blame me, blame SEGA for the randomly slight change to Fang!!!

[@shaekelley6500]

I think the first ever desert level that made me appreciate them as a concept or that they could be more than just wastelands was the Sandy Plains biome in monster Hunter three ultimate. Fitting is that is where you hunt your first large monster the great J man

[@DasharStar]

For me botw & totk garudo dessert made me truly see the beauty and the danger of the dessert

[@Zodia195]

I knew this wasn't going to be in the countdown, but thanks for showing Skies of Arcadia's desert level in the game. LOL, Desert levels are my 2nd least favorite type of areas, only Fire is my worst. So it's also rare for me to love them. #1 didn't surprise me in the least because as I was thinking of Mario levels, Odyssey's Desert level is one of few I actually enjoyed when it compare it to other Mario Desert levels. And much like Mario, I was expecting Zelda to show up and I was like, "It's going to be Arbiter's Grounds" since that tends to be the fan fav out of all of the Dungeons in TP. If I were to rank all of the Desert Dungeons in Zelda, this would be my 3rd fav, only with the Desert Palace from LBW in 2nd and the Spirit Temple in OT. A more recent Desert area I've come to enjoy is in Genshin Impact. The region of Sumeru has several desert areas and I love all of them because they have great puzzles to solve with beautiful architecture and the quests tied to them are stellar. And in the lore of the game, you learn why this area of Sumeru became a desert, because much like the rest of the Sumeru, it used to be a Rainforest. So yeah I really enjoy it.

[@CrazeeAdam]

Yes, ironically while we consider deserts warm and sandy, do you know the biggest desert in the world? Antarctica. Completely barren and the whole continent is a desert itself

[@BJGvideos]

Barren. But yes

[@CrazeeAdam]

​@@BJGvideosthank you ❤

[@HoshikoYui]

Except instead of sand, there’s ice, snow, deathly freezing waters and winds❄️🌨️🥶🗻

[@derrickhaggard]

Ice levels list remake perhaps.

[@ivythay4259]

I really should have expected number 1.

[@AzureMoebius22]

I honestly want to ask Green for his opinion regarding a desert locale that's in a book I'm writing, but I'd rather not annoy him.

[@rpgfan1187]

Off the top of my head, my top 10 (limited to one per franchise) would be: 1. Arbiter's Grounds (Twilight Princess) 2. Tomb of Wrath (Persona 5 / Royal) 3. God Damn the Sun (Ultrakill) 4. Surface Tension (Half-Life) 5. Silent Sands (Ys Origin) 6. The Mystery of Dry, Dry Ruins (Paper Mario) 7. Desert Ruins (Spyro: Year of the Dragon) 8. Mirage Barrage (Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition) 9. Hang 'em High (Crash Bandicoot: Warped) 10. The Ark (Halo 3)

[@Apophis324]

I don't really understand why people have such a strong dislike for Fire Emblem Engage, but to each their own. One cannot deny that the kingdom of Solm is very fun to play around in and that you get some of the more well-designed characters there in Timerra, Merrin, Panette and Seadall. Oscar gets points redacted though for failing to mention how *cool* Merrin is (or linking her to Shantae for voice acting).

[@derrickhaggard]

Fun fact the Rub-A-Kahli Desert in real life is the world's 2nd largest and hottest desert with the only desert being larger and more hotter than it being the Sahara.

[@reececollins9212]

A very solid list with a lot of franchises I love getting reps for the desert Some of my personal favourites are The Canyon from Little Big Planet for its music and sense of danger and Silica from Inazuma Eleven go galaxy for being a very interesting introduction to the planet hoping soccer/football adventure, introducing you to gravity affecting how you play on each planet that’s not earth, that awesome hoverboard segment and being the true introduction of souls from a gameplay standpoint

[@RedBoy747]

When my family comes from the beach: Me: Ok who got sand in their- Everyone: Yes!! My Uncle: Fucking Everywhere!

[@keyblademasterclark]

Is that a DBZA reference?

[@crimsonking9882]

Here’s an idea for character archetype :the pain wardens a bit like the berserkers but every time they get hurt the stronger they become:

[@crimsonking9882]

I just now realised that’s just heamomancy(I hope I spelt that right)

[@cameroncooper5941]

Monster Hunter has some good deserts. I'm most familiar with the Sandy Plains featured in 3U and Rise, but the Wildspire Waste from World also makes a noteworthy impression with it's building-sized termite mounds. Heck, Wilds is set to open WITH a desert level, and I'm hooked just from the limited glimpses we've seen at the time of writing this. The main thing that I feel they get right is that despite how samey deserts may seem, they can still have plenty of variety. Sure, you've got the obligatory big open sand dunes. But you also have windswept canyons, oases, mud pits, and even subterranean caverns to beat the heat.

[@otheusrex2190]

not gonna lie, i clicked on this video because of the attractive thumbnail art 😅

[@lf4807]

Here’s an unique idea: what do you get if you mix the sand level and the water level? The Beach level! If you dig in (no pun intended) there are many interesting choices you can find

[@pierre-mariecaulliez6285]

Honorable mentions from me : Prince of Persia 2008, the often duncked on bastard child of the franchise, but it gets you going ! you jus can't help but check what's over there, and over there. Take a skillfull detour for more (useless) orbs, clear a path of parkour, oops, you're in a bossfight now ! Golden Sun, the suhalla Desert. Sure, Lamakan was hot, but as soon as you use vision it's just a cakewalk, and you could always bruteforce heal your way through... But Suhalla really showcases how shit has hit the fan with animals turned into monsters getting WAY out of hand ! An entire army supposed to aid you just wiped out on their way to the lighthouse ! A usually calm desert turned into a threat to nearby settlements, and habitability of the zone in its entirety ! And of course, a cheeky access to the secret dungeon ;7

[@asmodeus58XX]

For the next one, it would be cool if you went the old "Is the desert too harsh for you? Well too bad, we're going even harsher!" and do top 10 lava/volcanic levels. I love how Death Mountain in BotW was set to demonstrate that just being near an active volcano can be so hot, you'll need extreme protection. Anyway, time to add my own sand quote: "Ahem! There's SAND on my boots!"

[@starbird3939]

Ideas for Level Countdowns: Icelands, Forests/Jungles, Haunted/Spooky, Sewer/Underground

[@Rabbitlord108]

10. I remember when one SomecallmeJohnny talked about this a while back. 9. I wish there was a robotic bobcat that's supposed to be a reference to Busby. Since his first game has a desert world with multiple levels starting on a train. 8. I can't beat this game again because of one thing. THAT FREAKING STEALTH SECTION! Dark Mantis's stage from Mega Man X8 this ain't. 7. Reminds me. WHY HASN'T MICROSOFT BROUGHT RARE REPLAY TO PC? 6. No comment. 5. Reminds me of one big thing that Engage lacks. DOUBLE ENDINGS! And since you mentioned him during this segment. Here's something I feel obligated to say. RIP Akira Toriyama. 4. Aw yes. SYMBOLISM! 3. Wanna hear a joke? The fact that Nintendo turned Stallord into a "shoot the hands" boss in Link's Crossbow Training. 2. This reminds me that this game has MULTIPLE gachapon machines. It's like they talked to (possibly former) Capcom employees who worked on Minish Cap and said "Hold our Sake" 1. I was wondering when this would show up on the list. And I totally understand why it's number one. It's so awesome.

[@shelbybayer200]

The Sonic One actually was based on a Cut Level from old Classic Sonic

[@themythosarchives7520]

I love Futaba’s palace because of how it reflects her trauma and isolation. But I also love The Spirit Temple, Ikana Canyon, and Desert Palace from Zelda. And I love the Desert Resort in Pokemon gen5. Also that intro 😂.

[@vishalkalicharan7710]

Please do Top 10 Video Game Zombie Slayers!!

[@thegreendragon5390]

So glad Solm made it onto this list.

[@gamerdude7576]

With regards to your end question, one area/biome that you traverse a lot in games that i really thought would be more prevalent in this countdown would be the "isolated/abandoned resource extraction/processing plant" such as massive desert drill and mining operations, or abandoned mining towns. These locales are isolated from outside contact and surrounded/engulfed in hazardous weather and terrain but serve as proof that whatever was speculated to be on site was worth the risk of setting up operations in order to get at those sweet resources and can be used for a variety of themes from stealth, action, horror, wonder and exploration and so on. These places can either be the main setting, a connecting part of a larger whole or an unrelated time capsule containing stories that either ended or were left unfinished and we just happened to stumble across it on the way to our own objective or just by complete happenstance but are fascinating all the same which makes them prime countdown material for their storytelling potential.

[@ZaffreRevolution]

i've also been a part of the crowd that's dreaded desert levels, but this video proved just how many great ones there have been! awesome list, and it's cool to see a lot of my favorites make the cut. you've managed to maintain that entertaining, unique style that made me a fan all of those years ago and i remain impressed every time

[@FezFindie]

Given you went through the criteria for what you constitute for a desert level, that made me recall a question; What is the biggest video game boss/character ever? With the following caveat of the entire body of the character bein' rendered in the same plane as the player character or interacteable with as opposed to cutscene bosses or ones that they only rendered a part of.

[@petertilton7004]

A bit cliche but top ten volcano levels should be next. I even got a contender: the kingdom of Muspell.

[@colinledoux7836]

Anakin Skywalker: I hate sand it gets everywhere.

[@SmashBros2009]

*Insert I have the high ground joke here*😂

[@eamonndeane587]

​@@SmashBros2009"I HATE YOU!!!!!!"

[@meta527II]

What was the audio from at the beginning? Anyways... 9. Man, I wish there were more Old Western-themed levels in gaming. BTW I couldn't understand that at 8:27. And the only thing keeping it so low is its WHAT? 8. Fun, though the stealth mission was repetitive 7. Definitely a classic. Though I thought the sand you had to avoid was quicksand. 6. You only put Journeys at #10 to make it an interesting intro to the list? I seriously hope I heard that wrong. 5. I'm kinda disappointed that you didn't mention the desert in Shadow Dragon in that list. Anyways, I can agree on this one. 3. I prefer the one from Link Between Worlds, but this is neat too.. But 31:04 Attempting to WHAT the building itself? But yeah, the king IS sick! I thought his punishments didn't get any worse than making people scrub all the floors in Hyrule! 2. Yes! 1. Again, YES!

[@vishalkalicharan7710]

Please do Top 10 Video Game Witches!!

[@TheHulkfan]

This makes me hope for a top 10 video game autumn levels. Who's with me?

[@zeldasmetaknight]

One little theme level idea: "Factory Levels". When Osha standards have no concern for level safety at all.