It's easy to forget how much of a landmark title Goldeneye 007 was for the N64 and console FPSs in general. Considering it came out in 1997 and its biggest competition at the time was Turok and countless flawed Id Software ports, Goldeneye having these big levels with various mission objectives, impressively clean texture-work for the N64, fairly smooth aiming, mid-stage cutscenes, a huge multiplayer offering, and a wide selection of weapons is quite an impressive fact. There are certainly areas where it hasn't aged well, but I still think it's pretty fun today as a brisk, all filler no killer FPS experience. Since I just replayed it recently, I thought I'd rank the main campaign's stages from least favorite to favorite.
But just to make things clear, I'll be ranking these stages based on how they play in Agent Mode since I'm not good enough to attempt the harder difficulties, and as such I won't be including the two optional levels either for reasons you can probably guess by now. Sorry this won't be a more high-level ranking.
18. Control
I'm always pleasantly surprised at the levels where you have to escort Natalya because she usually doesn't die as easily as you'd think. The exception of course is Control, a level where you'll have to defend her for a minute while being surrounded by enemies that pop out from every angle. This whole protect sequence feels like pure trial-and-error as I was constantly blindsided by enemies that break through the glass, and it really drags down Control for me since otherwise, this is a fine enough stage. The map design is pretty clean and the Boris interaction is funny, though I had a hard time figuring out what the armored mainframes were supposed to be as they're not communicated especially well. It also doesn't help that Control is easily the longest stage so by the time I even get to the Natalya defense sequence, I'm already aching for it to end.
17. Jungle
Right before Control, we have yet another level that gave me a lot of trouble. The first half of Jungle is a slog as you spend most of it walking through a murky, dull-looking jungle while dealing with powerful turret guns that blend in with the scenery. I do like that this is the only time Natalya wields a gun, and she's surprisingly effective with it too, but it doesn't do much to mitigate the frustrating turret gun bits. The second half is thankfully a lot stronger though, between the decent boss fight against Xenia and the cavern at the end which does look a bit more visually-pleasing.
16. Surface 2
Having to revisit Surface and Bunker so soon after playing them for the first time isn't especially fun, but I think Surface definitely had it worse hear. Surface 2 is basically Surface 1 but with a red sky, more enemies, and more objectives that force you to tread more ground in this already massive stage. Most egregiously, the communication dish is now locked and the key is placed in some random cabin, so first time players are probably going to be wasting a lot of time looking in every single cabin until they find the key, if they even know that's what they're supposed to do to begin with. It all makes for another stage that I feel just overstays its welcome, even if it's not "hard" per se.
15. Runway
Runway is just short, at least in Agent mode. You can find the key to the plane right by the entrance, and then the plane isn't that much of a walk from there. Sure, the runway is big and there's a bunch of stuff to interact with including a tank, but as a whole, this stage just feels like an epilogue to Facility rather than its own thing.
14. Bunker 1
Bunker 1 is another level I found pretty short, though its objectives are slightly more interesting like getting a photo and copying a key, as it makes you put some of the game's gadgets to use. However, when the map itself is this compact, the stage still flies by way too fast. It also doesn't help that unlike with Surface, Bunker 1 is vastly overshadowed by its revisit.
13. Surface 1
Surface is noteworthy for how open it is, but the large buildings and paved roads in the snow still make it fairly easy to find your way around. This is one of those stages that allows you to take a more stealthy approach by using a sniper rifle, but just blasting through foes as usual works just as well. The open layout helps Surface feel like a breath of fresh air, but the objectives aren't tedious enough that you'll be wasting time running around like in Surface 2, which makes for a fairly enjoyable stage.
12. Statue
In terms of just the map design, Statue is definitely one of the more memorable and unique stages, as it has you fighting through a cramped junkyard filled with various odds and ends. It definitely has the potential to be one of my favorite stages, but it's held back quite a lot by its objectives. Finding Valentin is confusing since he's hidden in a shipping crate you're likely only to see on your way back, there are multiple context sensitive events that can lead to failure or getting shot if you screw up, and of course, you'll have to backtrack all the way to the start at one point.
11. Silo
Silo is fine. It's a decently fast-paced level in a unique location that kinda ends in somewhat of a chase, and it even has yet another photography mission like in Bunker 1. The thing that holds this stage back for me is just the sheer amount of copy-pasted halls and rooms which isn't usually an issue in Goldeneye, but by the time I met Ouranov, it became really apparent how one-note this level can feel. Despite that though, Silo doesn't really do anything especially wrong so putting it in the middle of the pack feels fair.
10. Depot
Similarly, Depot is just a really inoffensive level that's also pretty unremarkable, but it makes for a solid breather between the bombastic Streets and Train stages. It's fun to check out the stage's wide variety of warehouses in search of weapons and armor, and fighting your way into the train at the end is pretty fun as well. It's also just too short and lacking in spectacle to really make an impact beyond me not really having any issues with it.
9. Archives
Archives is almost a great level. The setting is fantastic, I always loved the library chase in the original movie and this level captures that environment pretty much perfectly. It opens strong as well with the player having to escape an interrogation without any weapons and there's tons of rooms to explore. The only problem is the fact that leaving the level isn't exactly made clear. There is an exit to an outdoor area, but it's blocked off and a red-herring. Instead, you have to shoot out the windows which the game doesn't even indicate is an option until Natalya tells you to do it several minutes into being lost. And once you do know how to escape, Archives ends up actually being incredibly short.
8. Bunker 2
Bunker 2 starts with one of the most memorable openings to a stage where you get introduced to Natalya, steal a key using your watch magnet, mess around with the guard, and break out. The endless floods of enemies makes Bunker 2 a far more intense experience than the first iteration of the stage, and the map having been slightly changed means you can't just rely on your previous understanding of the stage. It even ends with an easy but still exciting chase sequence to end the stage on a more memorable note.
7. Streets
I remember really loving Streets at first, because who wouldn't? It's the iconic tank level! But the more I play it, the more flaws I notice with it. Piloting the tank is a real power trip for sure, but when it's so easy for enemies to hit your head and when you're likely to have so little ammo, it ends up being optimal to just beeline for the exit, which in turn makes this stage really short. Despite this issue though, I still find Streets to be a really fun spectacle of a stage that will always stick out in my memory, even if it's solely for how fun piloting the tank is.
6. Frigate
Frigate is another really short level but the fact that it's all set on a compact boat setting helps it stand out as memorable. Frigate places a strong emphasis on stealth even giving you a bunch of silencers to take enemies out with, and it's really fun. The fact that the whole mission is a brisk in-and-out affair really gives off the feeling of going on a spy mission, possibly more than any other stage in the game. The main gimmick of rescuing hostages is also quite fun, albeit outside of the rare times the hostages are randomly taken out before you even enter the room.
5. Dam
Dam is an iconic first level for a reason. It has a great setting, banger music, several wide open spaces that encourage a variety of tactics, and even some optional superfluous areas like those docks that solely exist just to flesh out the space. It is on the short side, but every second of its runtime is packed with engaging action that still feels fun to this day.
4. Cradle
Goldeneye's boss fights aren't exactly great, but Cradle definitely stands out as a memorable finale. Despite its short length and compact nature, having to juggle disabling the cradle and chasing after Alec is makes for a fun and frenetic setpiece, and the stage's fast pace is only heightened by its incredible music. The final encounter is also a solid interpretation of the movie's final battle, and it can be deceptively easy to get knocked off the platform making for a worthy last challenge.
3. Train
Train levels are always great, and this one is no exception. The cramped corridors make for some of the toughest shootouts in the game, especially early on with how easy it can be to detonate crates and make the fights even more chaotic. While it can be a bit too easy to miss out on one of the brakes and have to backtrack, I still find the first half of Train to be quite fun. But what really puts it over the head is the second half where you need to carefully take out Ouranov and use your watch to carve an escape before the train blows up in probably the game's most intense escape sequence of them all.
2. Caverns
In terms of just the map design, Caverns is one of my favorite levels to explore with how visually distinct it is. Goldeneye isn't exactly a game with platforming, but careful walking across railways and up tight rock ledges while taking out enemies makes for a nice change of pace. Despite the name, I also didn't find myself getting lost much either. There are a few split paths, but they're made pretty clear. And coming off the heels of Control, Caverns having a relative lack of objectives made for such a nice breath of fresh air.
1. Facility
Yeah, what did you expect, it's Facility. This is easily the most well-rounded, full-featured level in the game, offering so much in the way of variety in objectives, encounter design, and map design. Starting with that iconic opening where you crawl through vents and shoot through a bathroom, and ending with an encounter with Alec and a quick escape, Facility has no shortage of memorable setpieces. But even the standard Goldeneye gameplay throughout the middle of the stage is fun since the stage is so engaging to navigate and filled with little details. You can open the bathroom stalls to find soldiers camping out in there, enter science labs and break all their beakers, and mess around with the final cutscene in a variety of chaotic ways.
