The Best Level In “Serious Sam: The Second Encounter” (2002) « PekoeBlaze

Since, at the time of writing in late April, I was still waiting for the DRM-free edition of “Crow Country” (2024) to show up on GOG and still reading Herbert & Anderson’s “House Atreides” (1999), I thought that I’d talk about my favourite level in “Serious Sam: The Second Encounter” (2002) and why it is literally the perfect level.

This is a level which, at least every year or two since 2019, I find myself loading an old save just to re-play it again. Often whilst listening to a MP3 of the 2015 heavy metal song “The Book Of Souls” (warning – scary zombie painting) by Iron Maiden on repeat in the background. I am, of course, talking about the “Valley Of The Jaguar” level. The second level in the game.

(Click for larger image) Yes, using a chainsaw against THIS monster is pure stupidity… but it makes for a cool-looking screenshot.

If you haven’t heard of the “Serious Sam” games, this long-running Croatian series of sci-fi First-Person Shooter games helped to both establish and define the Eastern European “style” of FPS games. Unlike classic 1990s American FPS games – which had maze-like levels that required careful exploration, puzzle-solving and key-hunting – Eastern European-style FPS games focus more on streamlined level design paired with thrilling arena battles. Often, you’ll have to defeat a small horde of monsters in one arena-like area before the game lets you move on to the next. There’s a lot more emphasis on action than on exploration.

Anyway, despite its beginning, the “Valley Of The Jaguar” level is a perfect level for so many reasons 🙂 It begins with a very narrow and linear segment where, despite being in a large cave, the fact that you have to jump between small platforms – whilst fighting monsters – makes everything seem really frantic and claustrophobic. It’s wonderfully counter-intuitive. Still, this is my least-favourite part of the level – and I often skip it by loading old saves from after it – but it is there for a good reason. It is there for the sake of contrast.

After this cramped introductory segment, the main part of the level opens up and it is spectacular! It’s this giant bowl-like valley, with a pyramid in the middle and three temples on the surrounding hills. You have to collect golden jaguars from the left and right hand temples, and put both of them on top of the pyramid in order to unlock the temple directly ahead of you (and complete the level). It all sounds very basic on paper, but it is amazing when you’re actually playing it.

(Click for larger image) For a game from over two decades ago, this location still looks cool. And it feels even larger and more spectacular when you’re actually playing it.

The giant bowl-like valley will often fill with monsters, allowing for spectacular pitched battles where you’ll constantly be running and strafing and switching between long and short-range weapons. Something helped by the variety of movement speeds and attack patterns of all of the different monsters. Often, you’ll have to make split-second decisions between whether to aim at the long-range monsters far away from you or deal with the fast-moving short-range monsters rushing towards you. All of this is also made more interesting by the fact that you can’t run that fast, pushing you to fight more than you flee.

And, since the game assumes that you’ve already played the first game, this early-game level has the sort of overwhelming and punishing – but fair – level of difficulty which will make experienced first-person shooter fans of a certain age grin evilly and grit their teeth with determination. Say what you will about this level, it is never boring. It’s a thrilling challenge of skill, a fast-paced puzzle where you’re constantly thinking on your feet. A level which requires your full present-moment focus and attention at all times.

The level’s simplicity actually works in its favour as well, really letting you focus almost entirely on fighting. Not only that, there’s actually some mild non-linearity, with the level letting you choose which of the two temples you tackle first. Each one has a steep staircase leading up to it and, when you approach, monsters will literally start jumping and bouncing down the stairs at you. Don’t ask me why, but this is always cool. Both temples also provide more narrow and focused areas which contrast perfectly with the giant bowl-like arena in the middle of the level.

Seriously, the contrast between wide-open spaces and narrow linear areas is one of the things that keeps this seemingly “basic” level so interesting. Not to mention that every monster spawn is, obviously, pre-programmed as well – meaning that the game will often carefully refill previously-visited areas with monsters in a way that makes sure that there isn’t too much “dead space” in the level. There are enough quiet moments between thrilling battles to provide contrast, but the level ensures that you never have the dull experience of long-winded backtracking where nothing happens.

And, yes, given your movement speed and the size of the level, these monster spawns are genius. Running from one corner of the arena to the other takes at least a minute or so and, without the game carefully spawning in new waves of monsters, it would get very dull very fast.

Describing this level really doesn’t do it justice though. Whilst it all might sound very simple and mindless, the actual experience of playing it – except for the annoying beginning segment – is consistently fun and thrilling. It feels like an epic battle of a level. There’s enough contrast and well-placed monsters to keep the main part of the level interesting despite its seeming simplicity.

Again, written descriptions don’t do this level justice. It’s the epic thrill of actually playing it which keeps me returning to it when I just want to enjoy myself for an hour or so. There’s just something to a “mindless” and “simple” level, which also requires your full focus at all times. Where you feel like you’re constantly fighting epic battle after epic battle, but there’s also enough subtle variation to prevent this from ever getting boring. It’s a level which seems “dumb” and “low-brow” but which is actually more sophisticated than you might expect. And it’s weirdly perfect.

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Anyway, I hope that this was interesting 🙂