And my previous comment
"Ah,
NyLeve's Falls, the first level to really bring the world of FPS to the outdoors... (unless you count some space sims, but it's not exactly the same feeling!)
Actually, my statement is really only heartfelt if you don't take into account a unique FPS that doesn't even belong to the PC world:
GoldenEye 007. In this player's opinion, the latter was the first FPS to bring some expansive outdoor environments into the mix. Of course, I could have missed something. In any case, with
Unreal this was really pushed to a whole new level: graphically, it washed away everything we'd seen before. I think enough people have already conveyed the feeling of awe and wonder they experienced when stepping out of the Vortex Rikers the first time round... checking out the animated skybox, and moving up to that point of view and admiring those falls with the sweet ondulating effect on the surface of the lake and everything. Epic really knew what they were doing, putting a claustrophobic and terrifying level in first place, only to be followed by this one. The music is perfectly suited, in fact I remember Alex 'Siren' Brandon saying that he sincerely thought this track (Dusk) coupled with
NyLeve's Falls is the best musical fit to a game level ever! What a fantastic start to an epic adventure!
Vortex Rikers was scary but so was this one: remember that first scripted encounter with the Brutes? Holy shit! And the tentacles, too... and the manta! Right, and everyone gibbed themselves at least once, if only just to see what happens when you jump off the cliff! Having various peaceful creatures around you (such as Nali bunnies! and birds) also helped to flesh out the outdoors as a believable ecosystem. Realising that the whole portion down by the river is optional also gave me a new vibe, as apart from secret areas, extra gaming space was seldom done in FPS games of that era.
Today it is still a great level. But its historical significance makes it rather more than that."