Best Xbox Video Games for level design

level design Decision Dashboard

Best for level design

Forza Horizon 5

5.0 attribute score

Highest scored product for this attribute based on supporting review evidence.

Most evidence

Gears of War: E-Day

15 supporting reviews

Has the broadest review evidence for this attribute.

Best overall product

Hollow Knight: Silksong

4.3 overall score

Strongest overall product among items with scored evidence for this attribute.

#1 Forza Horizon 5
5.0

Level design earns praise for standout roads and elevation changes that create memorable racing routes.

Pros: graphics quality, accessibility options

Cons: AI behavior, difficulty balance

#2 Hollow Knight: Silksong
4.9

Level design is strongly praised for seamless area flow, purposeful rooms, thoughtful platform placement, and dense Metroidvania structure.

Pros: difficulty balance, art direction

Cons: economy and resource balance, checkpoint system

#3 Avowed
4.8

Level design was praised for verticality, density, handcrafted routes, and spaces that felt larger than their footprint.

Pros: combat system, narrative quality

Cons: difficulty balance, enemy variety

#4 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
4.3

Level design was broadly positive, especially THPS3 classics and the new Waterpark/Pinball/Movie Studio stages, though some THPS4 conversions drew criticism.

Pros: level design, remake/remaster quality

Cons: soundtrack quality, mission design

#5 The Outer Worlds 2
4.3

Dense openings and dungeon spaces earned strong praise, with reviewers singling out alternate routes and thoughtful layouts.

Pros: combat system, progression system

Cons: pacing, AI behavior

#6 Gears of War: E-Day
4.2

Linear set pieces are often excellent and cinematic, with strong combat spaces and memorable encounters. The more open sections are less consistent, with some finding them spacious and flexible while...

Pros: combat system, graphics quality

Cons: exploration quality, mission design

#7 Forza Horizon 6
4.2

Road, city, track, and landscape design are often praised as dense and varied, though some criticism targets overly wide roads.

Pros: graphics quality, driving mechanics

Cons: world interactivity, AI behavior

#8 Doom: The Dark Ages
3.8

Level design received mixed praise for larger arenas, secrets and vistas, but some reviewers found open spaces flatter, bland or less tightly paced.

Pros: combat system, weapon balance

Cons: flying mechanics, narrative quality

#9 South of Midnight
3.4

Level design split opinion, with some praising comfort or scenery and others criticizing railroading, strict linearity, or repetitive structure.

Pros: soundtrack quality, narrative quality

Cons: combat system, enemy variety

#10 Starfield
1.5

Level design criticism focuses on repeated arenas and spaces that do not support the scope of the world.

Pros: fun factor, combat system

Cons: bug frequency, narrative quality