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I think many people are mistaken in what the OP is actually asking. Many are assuming this is a favorite level question, and it is not, the way I read it. The OP is actually asking what level impacted you the most, not was your favorite, and those can be two different things.
There are two levels that made the game a great experience for me the first times through, and solidified it as a must play for me. They are not my favorite levels, but they have great impact on my appreciation for the game.
1-Halo, which from a game play standpoint, visually and musically sets the stage for just how great a game this was going to be. The actual scenery with audio (down to the birds making noises and the wind blowing) was outstanding. The scope of the place you had crash landed on and the views offered when you had a chance to stand and look, were exceptionally well done. The battles took place in everything from wide open spaces to close and cramped spaces. It showed everything the game had in store for you with the exception of certain vehicles and the rocket launcher (and of course the flood).
2-Truth and Reconcilliation took the same visual concepts as Halo, and just made it dark (as in at night), but it made a huge difference in how the game felt. For the first time you got to feel just how lonely you were gonna get during the gameplay, and finding out just how useless (though entertaining) your marines were gonna be!
Those two levels are what meant the most to me in terms of really finding a love for this game, and allowing me to play it over a few hundred times (still playing to this day very regularly). My favorite level choice is based on other things, not what I mentioned above.