We’re within the useless of winter proper now within the Northern Hemisphere, which implies it is the proper time to relax and switch up the warmth towards some noobs on-line. (Individuals nonetheless say noobs, proper?) Snowy locales in video video games make for some gorgeous vistas, and there is nothing higher than whipping out your favourite gun and mowing down foes, coating the glistening white floor of their shiny blood.
So we’re looking at among the finest snow maps of all time in FPS video games, from iconic picks to some underrated and long-forgotten gems.
10
Chalet (Rainbow Six Siege)
Given most of Chalet’s gameplay takes place indoors, it is a barely cheeky inclusion, however there isn’t any denying it is a snowy map: the grounds across the eponymous constructing are coated in a thick layer of the white stuff.
Chalet is one in all Rainbow Six Siege’s most iconic maps; within the sport since launch and a daily characteristic in aggressive play. Most Siege maps characteristic loads of entry factors for the attackers, however Chalet’s rooms are smaller than most, with tight, winding corridors making for an intense, tactical match.
9
Sub Base (Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 2)
Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 2 (the unique from 2009, not the 2021 reboot) had no scarcity of snowy maps, with Derail and Salvage alongside Sub Base. However it’s the latter that was by far the most effective, and it was no shock it obtained remastered for Fashionable Warfare 3 (2023).
As you’d anticipate, Sub Base is ready in a sprawling submarine base, and it is the proper instance of a mid-range map which gives loads of close-quarters engagements — however if you wish to sit again and choose off foes from afar, you’ll be able to. I’ve fond reminiscences of hurtling across the snow-laden paths, Intervention in hand, which additionally earned me my first ever tactical nuke.
8
Alborz Mountains (Battlefield 3)
Battlefield 3 is by far my favourite of the sequence. Dangerous Firm 2 nailed the environmental destruction, then 3 took issues one step additional and perfected the tempo and environment. Whereas some maps — Operation Metro and Tehran Freeway, for instance — ramped up the depth, Alborz Mountains, launched with the Armored Kill DLC, felt like basic Battlefield once more.
This map was large, which means you had the total vary of autos at your disposal, from jets and choppers to tanks and humvees. So as to add to the immersion, driving up a snow-laden hill in a ground-based automobile would kick up a lot snow, you might hardly see the place you had been going. It had an acceptable quantity of each pure and artifical cowl, which means it was an instance of Battlefield at an epic scale.
7
Lockout (Halo 2)
Halo does not have too many snowy maps in comparison with a sequence like Name of Responsibility, however Lockout was so good, it was remade not as soon as, not twice, however thrice, in Halo 3, 4, and 2: Anniversary, as Blackout, Shutout, and Lockdown respectively. Lockout is the place it is the snowiest although, and because the unique, that is the model that deserves a spot on our record.
A comparatively small map within the grand scheme of Halo, Lockout supplies continuous motion due to its open central platform. Walkways join 4 small outposts that every one department off from the center, every having three flooring. With power swords up for grabs, hanging round these close-quarters fight areas is a surefire method to nab some one-hit kills.
6
Bloc (Name of Responsibility 4: Fashionable Warfare)
“Fifty thousand individuals used to stay right here… now it is a ghost city.” One of many all-time biggest single-player FPS missions, All Ghillied Up, is from Name of Responsibility 4: Fashionable Warfare, and Bloc is the multiplayer map set in that stage. A few of the all-time finest FPS maps come from this sport, and whereas Bloc would not sometimes be thought-about on that record with out the snowy standards, it is nonetheless a superb map in its personal proper.
That is an instance of a real three-lane map, with two condominium blocks surrounding an city sq.. Though saying that, the central lane is so open and unguarded, it is virtually a demise entice. This map excelled in Search & Destroy although, with any sort of playstyle obtainable. Snipers may choose enemies off from throughout the map, whereas close-quarters gamers may rush into the buildings and play the corners successfully.
5
Vikendi (PUBG)
Together with a battle royale sport on this record could also be barely dishonest because of the measurement of the map, however Vikendi — now often known as Vikendi Reborn, after the staff expanded it in 2022 — is a delight to play and discover. Erangel will all the time be a fan favourite as the unique locale, however Vikendi typically ranks extremely amongst gamers, which is spectacular, as snowy maps are sometimes thought-about to be worse than non-snowy ones.
Vikendi has quite a few iconic landmarks: Dino Park, Fortress, and Cosmodrome, in addition to the hotspots of Podvosto and Goroka. This map has among the most attention-grabbing terrain and topography in PUBG, with Mount Kreznic within the very middle, and the river operating from north to south.
4
Port Valdez (Battlefield Dangerous Firm 2)
Whereas Alborz Mountains is nice, the most effective snow map within the Battlefield sequence has to go to Port Valdez in Dangerous Firm 2. It is a lengthy, slender space alongside the icy shoreline of Alaska, with smaller homes and large warehouses interspersed by skinny forest and oil pipelines.
Port Valdez was phenomenal to play Rush on, due to its form. Taking the primary set of aims was all the time the toughest, principally because of the mounted machine weapons and launchers, however as soon as taken, the remainder of the map for the attackers was all about carrying ahead the momentum. Port Valdez has a particular place in lots of early adopters’ hearts too, because it was one of many maps within the pre-launch beta, making it particularly nostalgic.
3
Summit (Name of Responsibility: Black Ops)
One other sport with fairly just a few snowy maps to select from — Array, Grid, WMD — Summit is the cream of the crop, and arguably among the finest maps in the whole sport. Set in a mountaintop listening submit, it was fairly unorthodox in its structure whereas retaining that basic three-lane philosophy.
One aspect of the map adopted a winding mountain path alongside the skin of the ability, whereas the alternative aspect was a a lot straighter walkway. The central constructing was pure chaos, with one window overlooking the whole room. Summit works for virtually any mode or playstyle, and would typically be voted for within the pre-match veto within the unique Black Ops.
2
Workplace (Counter-Strike)
Title a extra iconic Counter-Strike map than Workplace, I dare you. (Dust2 excluded, clearly.) Factor is, Workplace is not obtainable within the basic Bomb Defusal mode. It initially confirmed up in Counter-Strike 1.0 and has continued all through the sequence since, primarily as a Hostage Rescue map.
Whereas many of the gameplay takes place indoors, there are a few out of doors sections the place the bottom underfoot is coated in snow, making it eligible for our record. The numerous corridors and winding paths are what make it such a preferred map, as a result of the gameplay is so tactical, with varied sightlines to carry and grenade spots to pre-throw. It is also a extremely standard map on Garry’s Mod, for varied modes resembling Bother in Terrorist City and Prop Hunt.
1
Winter Crash (Name of Responsibility 4: Fashionable Warfare)
Is it dishonest to place a map variant in our prime spot? Perhaps, however since Crash is presumably the finest Name of Responsibility map of all time, it is a no-brainer for Winter Crash to take the crown right here. Crash’s structure is implausible: to not sound like a damaged report, however the three-lane design means it flows so properly, with each staff spawns on equal footing.
Each playstyle is supported, from sniping down the alley or from the highest of the three-story constructing to operating with an SMG by the tighter paths. And once you introduce Winter Crash, it elevates the entire expertise. There’s snow falling from the sky, a Christmas tree subsequent to the crashed helicopter, fairy lights in all places, and the planes in airstrikes sound like jingle bells, dropping presents as a substitute of bombs. In Fashionable Warfare Remastered, the planes themselves had been changed with reindeer pulling sleighs. The vibes are immaculate.
