GameCentral explores the unexpected pleasures of a good level hub, from Red Dead Redemption IIs campsite to Peachs castle.
With a couple of notable exceptions, hub levels tend to go largely unheralded in the world of video games. But the value of a good hub to a games overall experience shouldnt be underestimated. Hubs can be empowering, and they can provide a contextual link to branching narratives. They can be a place a to review progress and bask in previous accomplishments. They can provide their own challenges or be a social space in multiplayer games. Generally, they provide a safe space where you can get some R & R before diving into the next challenge, level, or mission.
With that in mind, here are a few of our favourite hubs…
1. Destiny – The Tower
Destinys Tower is an oddly contradictory place. Its home to the last vestiges of hope for mankind, shrouded in the desperation of humanitys greatest conflict and watched over by the mysterious celestial body known as the Traveller. And what do weary, battle-scarred guardians do here? They disco dance and run and jump around like a bunch of over-stimulated six-year-olds (which, to be fair, some of them probably are). Its also where you can show off that rare armour shader because, well, somebody cares, right?
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2. Mass Effect – Normandy SR-1
The SR-2 from Mass Effect 2 and 3 was bigger and better but the original is still the most memorable, with the first time you assume command of the Normandy being one of those Oh hell, yeah! moments. Despite not actually being able to do much other than wander around, chat with crew members, and choose destinations on the star map, it offers a strangely tangible sense of being an awesome starship captain. Such is the relationship you develop with the SR-1 over the course of the game that seeing it get wrecked at the beginning of Mass Effect 2 is truly traumatic.
3. XCOM 2 – The Avenger
If Mass Effects Normandy offers a cosmetic illusion of command, when you take up your role in charge of XCOM 2s Avenger you really have to earn your keep, both figuratively and literally. Theres a ton of work for the base commander to do between missions. You need to manage budgets, stay current with and prioritise research, keep an eye on the fitness of your troops, recruit new ones when the casualties start to pile up and the most difficult task of all: think up new names for them. In short, life on the Avenger is every bit as challenging as it is on the battlefield, and if you dont stay on top of your responsibilities your operatives are doomed. With this great hub comes great responsibility.
4. Super Mario 64 – Princess Peachs castle
Princess Peachs castle from Super Mario 64 remains one of the greatest, and earliest, examples of a 3D hub world. More than two decades have failed to dull the joy of running around the ramparts and working out all its secrets – including the infamous appearance of Yoshi at the end of the game. And if you were there the first time round youll know just how jaw-dropping it was to see the Mario world brought to life in 3D for the first time.
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5. Borderlands 2 – Sanctuary
With a game as trigger-happy as Borderlands, sometimes you really do need to kick back, relax, and take a break from the constant onslaught of enemies that hurtle at you the moment you stick a toe into the wildlands of Pandora. Sanctuary enables you and your friends to do just that in a cool-looking settlement complete with a bar and vendors from which you can trade loot and purchase even better weapons. For any experienced vault hunter, Sanctuary will always feel a little bit like home.
6. Wolfenstein II – Evas Hammer
Developer MachineGames already gave us one of the best hub areas in the first game but Evas Hammer in the sequel is even better. Its a huge Nazi U-boat thats been turned into a base for the resistance and a launching point for missions. Its made even cooler by the fact there are lots of secrets to find, but what really brings it to life are the characters. You can explore and interact with them or simply listen to their conversations, giving you a real sense that youre a part of something much bigger.
7. Metal Gear Solid V – Mother Base
This vast rig out in the ocean serves as a customisable base of operations for Venom Snake. You can all but ignore it for most of the game or you can spend enough time and money on it to turn it into one of the biggest hub areas in any game. It has its practical uses, but the best bit is using it as your own private playground, endlessly abusing members of your private army who never take it in anything other than good spirits.
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8. Dark Souls – Firelink Shrine
In a game as relentlessly brutal and desolate as Dark Souls, to have an area where you can relax and not have to worry about being severed, sliced, or minced is a huge relief. Like most hub areas you can explore to find secrets, spend those hard-earned souls on a few upgrades, or take five to steel yourself for the next gruelling step in this darkest of journeys.
9. Splinter Cell: Blacklist – Paladin
Despite rumours of a return, stealth expert Sam Fisher hasnt been seen since the really-rather-good Blacklist back in 2013. That game saw him taking command of a team of Fourth Echelon operatives aboard the Paladin – an airborne HQ which enables you to get to hotspots around the world as quickly as possible. Its clearly inspired by Mass Effects Normandy but fits perfectly into the Splinter Cell formula and as the story progresses provides some dramatic moments of its own.
By Miles Guttery
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