Games that don't get enough credit for atmosphere

[kyogen]

Well, there are certainly games with more and better atmosphere, but since we're talking games that don't get enough credit, I'd say these two:

Hunted: The Demon's Forge
The art design combines inspiration from the pre-Columbian architecture of Central and South America with an inky pre-Raphaelite style of coloration and line. It helps make things familiar and alien at the same time. That was also the goal of the narrative and gameplay, but they didn't quite pull things off.

Mirror's Edge
The bright light and clean lines of most of the levels make a brilliant change from the dark, crowded, and oppressive feel of a lot of level design, and it really calls attention to the different kinds of spaces that can be seen as dungeons.

 

[EHKOS]

EDIT: Forum wonked out. The post button grayed out and didn't redirect me, just hung out. So I thought it didn't even get submitted. Sorry folks.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

This is getting off topic, but it just seems a bit pricy for what the trial showed me, how big is the game? Roughly what kind of length would you get out of it, I liked the style and kudos to the one guy who made it, but cash is a bit tight and I'm waiting for it to go on sale.

In other words, try sell it to me I guess.

Hmm. Never been asked to do that before. Very well, I'll give it a shot.

*ahem*

If I had to place a number on the amount of hours one would get out of Dust, I would have to say roughly...11-15 hours? Depending on how much you play the game on any given day. That's just the main story. There is however, a fair amount of side-quests and exploration to be had, should you wish to partake. That content I would say would add another good 4-5 hours onto it. Overall, you're looking at a decent-sized 20 hour game here, more or less. I find the story/plot whatnot to be very engaging, which may be testament to the great voice acting. Being that you said you already played the trial, I need not describe the combat or how the game plays.

Overall, I would personally say it is well worth the MSP, given that it is an XBLA title.

I hope that helps...

Well done, that's more than I hoped. A lot of xbla titles I have got in the past tend to be on the short side. Will most likely get it in a few weeks then, as I have preordered Xcom and cash is a bit tight this week. Thanks for the effort there

This game is Soooooo forgotten:

This should come as no surprise given my username, but no, I hadn't forgotten that one!

 

[Mikejames]

Old gem I recently got around to.

Beyond Good and Evil lets you take pictures of whales in space...
No other game can boast this.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Despite it's graphics the game was full of atmosphere.

Spoilers

Spoiler: Will look like this when done right

Anyone remember going to the Temple of Time and seeing everything in black and white while all the monsters were literally frozen by time?

[ spoiler ] spoiler goes here and remove spaces from inside the square brakets [ /spoiler ]

OT: Halo for all things it hasn't really improved upon over the last few years and all the things that just aren't that great one thing it gets right is the atmosphere and tonal shift of events in the game. The Flood feels like a survival horror atmosphere. Well as much as physically possible given the scenario and in the first game the first time you fight them you genuinely feel vulnerable against them. The bunker even makes it feel like you won't get out.

 

[Studsmack]

I think this thread is getting a little off the topic of "don't get enough credit". Games like Fallout 3 (any Bethesda game really), Mass Effect, Dead Space, Alan Wake... I've heard all kinds of praise for the immersive world the game takes place in. Even games like Beyond Good and Evil (which I love) is still known for the game's imaginative and unique setting, though it was not a commercial success.

Games like Borderlands I can understand, because the game world design isn't something I hear much about even though it is aesthetically impressive. But to be fair, it's hard to bring up a game that's been underrated in that respect. I was going to say Red Dead Redemption and the original Fable, before I realized a lot of people have already felt the same way about the rich atmosphere in these games in reviews and such.

 

[Wayneguard]

Morrowind, Thief (all of them) and Mirror's Edge have great atmosphere. Nobody seems to talk about that, except maybe in Thief's case.

 

[Wanderer787]

Like others before me, Morrowind, Civilization III, X-Com: UFO Defense, and for me the original Marathon. There was a great sense of story and suspense in that game for me.

 

[FalloutJack]

This game is Soooooo forgotten:

I didn't forget.

Just like I didn't forget Fallout games.

Just like I didn't forget the original Persona.

Just like I didn't forget the first two Oddworld games.

Just like I didn't forget every inch of Nosgoth for Legacy of Kain.

Just like I didn't forget the incredible open, calming, dark, opressive, and so on Skies of Arcadia.

And I should also like to mention Extermination, which is underrated in several ways and DEFINITELY good for its creepy flesh-covered atmosphere where THE WALLS ARE EATING PEOPLE.

 

[likalaruku]

I remember when a coworker let me borrow Dungeon Siege. I was blown away by the landscape design back then. I bought a legal copy 3 days later.

When Oblivion came out, I was enthralled to the point of distraction. That's when I decided to try being an Assassin for the first time, so I could run around with sneak & chameleon.

American McGee's Alice had a modest, chunky design, but I loved the hell out of it. Especially the chessboard kingdom.

I wanted to say Myst, but it totally got credit for it.

 

[nexus]

Dead Space has some of the best atmosphere in this generation. I give it high notes for being completely unique, and Dead Space 2 especially. DS2 really.. and I mean really nailed the space station theme. At no point do you think it's not real.

 

[Nazulu]

Usually when someone talks about Half Life 2 it's mainly about the characters and there little contributions, as well as the gravity gun. However, the characters and story are just average, but the design and atmosphere is what makes it one of the best. Such as when people prefer the original Half Life, they prefer it because of the story in the background, but the design and atmosphere doesn't even come close to HL2.

Same for the orignal Metroid Prime, it may have not had the most original concepts out of the Primes but the detail in the design and atmosphere is bloody brilliant! Another game I hold as one of the best.

Same goes for Super Metroid, Lineage 2 (early chronicles), Ocarina Of Time (mostly in the temples), and some others I can't think of right now.

 

[Darmy647]

Demons crest. The music combined with the levels was just downright scary as a kid..

 

[Hamish Durie]

mjptrgcjlwrtchje[.tvkscjxl;-0w[ockge875rfku9cjx/d;oecormhofpk9e0hj.3pc9[;4] SLY 1, 2 AND 3 PIU,GQEORPICGH,934THJ,G-9245GJO2,4MUGH,X........saw title needed to say that.
just not many people that ive grown up around have ever heard of sly racoon and they all game <.>

 

[Rayne870]

Tetris

Seriously though, Skies of Arcadia I really bought into the upbeat feel of the game and the hope and joy in the world even through some fairly dark subject matter. I laughed, cried, and raged in that game. The beauty of the world being truly yours to discover with neat floating waterfall islands and huge wandering monsters in the sky was just amazing for me. This all means a lot as I am generally a pessimist/realist. Oh and my fiance says its not a very pretty game and can't play it because she's a bit of a graphics whore (that's why I think SoA doesn't get atmosphere credit).

 

[renegade7]

I think the Metroid series does atmosphere absolutely perfectly. The Metroid 1 and Return of Samus did do a good bit of atmosphere building but it was pretty secondary.

Super Metroid really pushed the envelope though, it REALLY let you know exactly what was going on.

And Final Fantasy 6. I don't think I've ever truly felt in a game exactly how much is at stake except during the latter half of the game where it's gone from just an unstable world that seemed like it would work itself out to utter apocalypse where a mad god is constantly watching and annihilates entire cities because he can.

 

[Jazoni89]

The original PS1 Tomb Raider's. Especially the first. All those massive dark caverns that you could barely see ten feet in front of you, the minimalist music. Then the sound of something coming for you which would emerge from the shadows.

The sense of not only total isolation but also that just NO ONE had been to these places and no one could help or could find you was fantastic. Not to mention that you always felt so small, that you were constantly in way over your head. I guess the guns taking so long to kill anything helped that.

This...

There's always something creepy, and sinister about the early Tomb Raider games, even if the graphics haven't aged very well. So, it's a shame that most people don't touch up on this aspect of Tomb Raider except for say...BEWBS!

I think the low draw distance, and the creepy music adds to the creepy atmosphere. The first one was a good example of this, as all the other's had mostly lit up enviroments, and a much better draw distance compared to the first. They were still creepy in their own right though.

Strange how technical limitations make a certain game have better atmosphere, huh? The first Silent Hill had a similar thing going on too.

 

[Frontastic]

The original PS1 Tomb Raider's. Especially the first. All those massive dark caverns that you could barely see ten feet in front of you, the minimalist music. Then the sound of something coming for you which would emerge from the shadows.

The sense of not only total isolation but also that just NO ONE had been to these places and no one could help or could find you was fantastic. Not to mention that you always felt so small, that you were constantly in way over your head. I guess the guns taking so long to kill anything helped that.

This...

There's always something creepy, and sinister about the early Tomb Raider games, even if the graphics haven't aged very well. So, it's a shame that most people don't touch up on this aspect of Tomb Raider except for say...BEWBS!

I think the low draw distance, and the creepy music adds to the creepy atmosphere. The first one was a good example of this, as all the other's had mostly lit up enviroments, and a much better draw distance compared to the first. They were still creepy in their own right though.

Strange how technical limitations make a certain game have better atmosphere, huh? The first Silent Hill had a similar thing going on too.

The first was probably the best but the TR2 had a lot of good sections too. Finding the massive, secret dinosaur lair below the Great Wall was freaking as all hell. Not to mention the floating islands, nether-zone from the end.
Yes, people so rarely see past that crap to the good stuff in TR. I'd almost call the Legend/Anniversary/Underworld trilogy as one of the best trilogies in gaming. From a story point of view at least. It had one of the few satisying conclusions to an overall story I can think of.

I don't see why modern tech needs to negate the use of the old fashioned tricks. Like the fog in SH or the black fog they used in TR to hide their lack of draw-distance. They could still easily do that in a modern, good graphics, high-end game and it would probably work.

 

[Ympulse]

Spec Ops: The Line.

Only game I've ever had to sit down and think about.