Although linear campaigns have fallen out of fashion in the gaming industry in favor of open-world games, for a long time they were the standard for AAA studios. With games such asCall Of Duty 4,Halo 3, andResident Evil 4arguably being among the best.
Many of these linear action games featured one or two on-rails sections that robbed the player of their movement controls. While limiting, these sections allow developers to offer players impressive, dramatic set-pieces. These are just some of the best examples.
Arguably one of the most influential first-person shooters of the mid-2000s,Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfarefeatured not only a solid multiplayer component but a competent single-player campaign. Rather than taking place in WW2, like its predecessors did,Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare- as its title suggests - brings the franchise into the modern day.
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfarefeatures a variety of strong missions across its relatively immersive single-player campaign. However, “Death From Above” is particularly immersive, despite being an on-rails sequence. In the mission, the player fires on enemies from above in an AC-130 gunship. Throughout the mission, players view the ground through the gunship’s distorted black-and-white camera, and the casual chatter of the crew makes “Death From Above” a particularly unsettling section ofCall Of Duty 4’scampaign.
This opening chapter ofWolfenstein: The New Ordercovers the events of the Allies as they launch a desperate assault on Deathshead’s Compound. The assault begins in the sky, as BJ’s plane is hit by flak; after the player dumps the plane’s cargo, they dive into the ship’s turret to fight off the enemy forces.
This on-rails section is not only immersive but helps to ease the player intoThe New Order’saction gameplay, right before dropping them into the thick of it. After the turret section is complete, the player soon finds themselves crash-landed on a beach battleground, where the real game begins.
TheMetal Gear Solidfranchise is arguably one of the most influential combinations of action and stealth in video games. While its sequels,Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of LibertyandMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eaterare tremendous games, there’s something to be said about the original game’s charm.
Towards the end of the game,Metal Gear Solidthrows players in the back of a jeep, tasked with shooting down enemies with a gun turret. While some may find this section frustrating,Metal Gear Solid’sclimactic jeep escape sequence is a brilliant set-piece. Furthermore, this sequence features a suitably dramatic piece of music that’s extremely memorable.
Set in an apocalyptic futurein the deep and dark underground of Moscow,Metro 2033is a tremendously immersive,linear action gamepacked with horrific creatures and human enemies alike.Metro 2033’srail-car chase sequence near the start of the game is a great moment of suspense, but the better on-rails section of the game is arguably the “Trolley Combat” level in Chapter 4.
In this section, the player is tasked with passing through the territory of a Nazi community in an armored trolley, armed with a machine gun turret, while their companion, Pavel, drives. While this section begins with Pavel and Artyom attempting to sneak through the Nazi outpost, it soon devolves into a frantic, all-out on-rails battle through the tunnels.
This third entryin the now-bloated first-person franchise does feature an open world, though it still features a solid story and a few entirely linear sections. One of these sections is an on-rails sequence towards the end of the game.
The best of these sections takes place during the mission, “Betting Against The House”, in which players are tasked with searching the airport for Riley. After finding him, however, players must escape in a helicopter piloted by Riley. Throughout the escape, players must mow down various enemies as the iconic “Ride Of The Valkyries” plays, resulting in a dramatic sequence.
TheBattlefieldfranchisemay not be as well known for its single-player campaign as its destructive multiplayer, but many of the games in the long-running series have featured strong, linear campaigns with dramatic story missions.
Battlefield 3was no exception, though it is rather short. One of the most memorable moments fromBattlefield 3’scampaign, however, is an on-rails section that takes place in a fighter jet. This section is fast-paced, visually stunning (even for 2011), and does a great job of immersing players in the cockpit withtalented sound designand voice work.
Resident Evil 4was a seminal action game for many fans at the time, thankfully receivinga well-crafted remakein 2023. This fourth mainline installment in theResident Evilfranchise is arguably responsible for bringing it back from the dead, reinvigorating the series with a heavy dose of action gameplay and bold set-pieces.
One of these set piecesis an on-rails sequence that takes place in a mine cart. During this section, the player rides a train of mine carts down a long tunnel, which they can hop between freely, though they must remain inside. As the carts rumble down the track, several enemies are thrown at the player, leading to a hectic battle that ends in a dramatic leap of faith.
