Games with terrible first stage

[Thief]

The first stage in games is more important then people give credit too. As it should provide immediate satisfaction to lure you in and keep luring you in on repeat playthroughs.

Inspired by Bio Hazard/Crying and Vectorman 2 where the first stage is very plain looking and boring vertical drop auto scroller.

Another one off the top of my head is R-Type 3 for SNES. Sure it's fine the first time, but gets old so fast that it's the only game where I'll make a state save past stage 1 and just pretend it doesn't exist while I practice the game.

[magicalsoundshower]

I don't know, I always loved the first stage of R-Type 3, the rock remix of the classic first level theme was great too.

My submissions:

• System Shock 1 -- one of my favorite games ever, but for some reason, the first level is one of the largest and most mazelike in the game!
• Deus Ex -- Liberty Island, too, is downright huge and can be unforgiving with all those bots patrolling around, it can definitely be tough for a first time player.

Funnily enough, both games were designed by Warren Spector. Looks like really he doesn't believe in easing the player into the game by starting with small levels.

[Black_Tiger]

I've always disliked the first stage of Terraforming for Turbo/PCE. First time I tried it I turned it off because of how boring it was.

The first stretch (up to the 1st boss) of Monster World III/Wonderboy V is way too slow and tedius.

[tryphon]

Same can be said from Monster Land, of which the first screens of Monster World 3 are a remake. Not the case of Monster World 2 though.

[synbiosfan]

The first stage of Ghen War is boring and most of my friends said fuck it.

The later levels are better.

[Lync]

Vectorman 2's first terrible level was meant to let the player know that the entire game was going to be one long series of terrible levels.

[QuickSciFi]

Ocarina of Time. Had I not gotten out of that gloomy, dark, foggy, first level forest village, I would've never known there were some great, clear, colorful graphics to enjoy.

[cabear]

xmen 2.

[QuickSciFi]

I want to add that the first level of Vectorman 2 was a bit of a disappointment for me back in the day. The music felt more like Hip Hop rather than Dance/Trance like we had in the first game. After many years, though, the game kind of grew on me. Not too much to put it at the level of part 1, but within acceptable standards for any game.

[Black_Tiger]

Same can be said from Monster Land, of which the first screens of Monster World 3 are a remake. Not the case of Monster World 2 though.

It was fine in Monsterland, as it was over in a minute or two. The first slow stretch in MWIII takes an hour the first time you play and even in the longplay on youtube takes 20 minutes.