Games with exceptional locations

[5-0]

Just Cause 2's entire map was a stunning achievement, especially the snowy mountain bits. I'm a sucker for snow in games.
Far Cry 2, amazing graphics, incredible world...shame about the gameplay. Great to explore though, providing you don't get shot by those GODDAMN patrols every 5 minutes.
Red Dead Redemption, again especially the snowy bits. But the whole world is amazing.
Far Cry (PC). Amazing tropical location. It was pretty good in Far Cry Instincts as well.
Finally, GTA IV's Liberty City. Just full of detail. It still amazes me driving across Brooklyn Bridge at night with the classic rock station on.

EDIT: Nope, thought of another one. Splinter Cell Double Agent on X360 was ultimately disappointing for me, especially cause I played the (in my opinion) superior one on Xbox first. That said, the Shanghai level was stunning. Just looking across to the skyline as you're on the rooftop.

 

[Loethlin]

Ok, I realise how retarded I will sound now, but...

In Anarchy Online, there were two locations that I absolutely ADORED.
This is a 2001 game, mind you, and it definitely didn't age gracefully. But still, when playing it, and my then-noob NT was running all over Shadowlands, I remember how absolutely awed I was when I first saw those locations.

The first one was the waterfalls in Elysium:

Spoiler: image

The other one was a really pretty garden... rock-thing in otherwise barren and grim Scheol:

Spoiler: image

Well, like I said, it didn't age well at all. But still makes me nostalgic, and those two locations, I really think were pretty.

 

[spartandude]

for me the following

Vvadenfell (and by extension the shivering isles)
Skyrim (typical western fantasy setting in a nordic landscape that looks gorgeous? fuck yh!
Rapture.... need i say more?
Vergen from The Witcher 2 (i love the dwarves)

and lots of areas in World Of Warcraft

 

[Surpheal]

I would have to say that Shadow of the Colossus had some pretty good set pieces, as well as Dante's Inferno.

A few others: Jak and Daxter series(not including Jak X), Burnout, Gran Turismo, and that is all I can think of now

On another not, Inglip is looking for anyone named Bret Oesvit.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Psychonauts. Summer camp was great, inside of people's minds is basically unsurpassed in terms of fun/creative level design.

 

[Weealzabob]

While pretty much every Zelda game has excellent locales, I absolutly adored the world of Twilight Princess. The open world areas all look gorgeous, all of the towns and areas feel distinct, and when the world is bathed in twilight, oh what a feeling of dread the world has. Fantastic game.

 

[lacktheknack]

Myst Online: Uru had Ahnonay.

Essentially, it was a "secluded island" with other islands off in the distance. With a bit of puzzle solving, it suddenly transformed into a decrepit rock in a sea of fog. A bit more exploration, and it tranformed into a rock in space, then back into a secluded island.

Then, by manipulating the linking system a bit, you could turn off the water currents and swim out to the distant islands... where they turn out to be painted on giant flats.

With more exploration and mucking behind the scenes, you could transform the island into a giant incomplete statue hanging in a big dome. With a bit of manipulation and help from a friend, you could eventually end up UNDER the island version of the area, in a sleeping area, just watching the waterfall completely surrounding you. It was breathtaking.

Best level design ever.

From the same game, the open area at the top of the first tower in Gahreesen was basically a quick blast of pure scenery porn.

The whole game was absolutely astounding, especially regarding scenery and level design.

With the possible exception of Minkata. -_-

I saw what they were trying to do, but they didn't manage it. But overall, I'd hold up Uru as the "How To Do It" example for level and puzzle design.

 

[Zetsubou-Sama]

Some Final Fantasy games are rich with beautiful locations and great places, for example:

VIII: Balamb is a beautiful port town with a beautiful serene BGM I wish it was real I'd love to spend a day at the hotel, Timber as a typical european town, Winhill is a charming village, Deiling City has that modern but still culturally-rich, beautiful city, Cetra Ruins look mysterious and eerie as well as The Tomb Of The Unkown King, Shumi as a serene garden in the middle of nowhere, Fisherman's Horizon steampunk/post-apocalyptic town look, and Timber, reminding me of some light industry traveler hotspot, I just love the art of this game so much.


The first two Jak& Daxter games are beautiful, and I still hold the original game's art and locations above a lot of current games.

Traverse Town/Twilight Town/The End Of The World from the KH series are also deserving of a nod. As well as Dragon Age: Origins

And back in the day I used to love the locations from Abe's Oddworld/Odyssey as well as Parasite Eve's initial area on a destroyed and creepy as hell apartment building/shopping mall complex.

 

[lacktheknack]

Riven (didn't play the other games)

Y NOT

<spoiler=Myst>http://www.mystjourney.com/img/screenshots/myst-74.jpg

<spoiler=Myst III>http://myst5.com/images/exilegallery/edanna_4.jpg

http://hardcoregaming101.net/myst/4-%20ExileImages/AgesCover/Edanna.png

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Oji28mmSbI/TWKOmHnXhlI/AAAAAAAAAMw/_ZpWu6lS-5s/s1600/amateria_2.jpg

<spoiler=Myst IV>http://www.mwallpapers.com/wallpapers/myst_4__1-1280x1024.jpg

http://www.adventurearchiv.de/r/mystrevelation017.jpg

<spoiler=Uru>http://www.mtn-man.org/images/URUWide/wide-ahnonay01.jpg

http://www.magma.ca/~daylmer/Urulive/picture/GahreesenWideShot.jpg

You're really missing out, man!

 

[Darren716]

Panau from Just Cause 2 the size and scale is absolutely amazing especially since you can go to literally any point in the game and not encounter any loading time.

 

[Vigormortis]

One of my favorite "vista" moments in a game was at the beginning of Half-Life 2: Episode 2 when you get to see the destroyed Citadel, and the massive portal, looming over what remains of City 17. The effect of the portal, the sound echoing in the distance, and the overlook of the wilderness below was fantastic. Then, went the portal storm hit, and that wave of energy expands from the center of the pile of rubble out towards and beyond the player, it gave a palpable sense of scale to the whole scene.

As a pure piece of "eye candy", it was still great but not 'quite' awe-inspiring. However, the way the whole scene panned out; the looks, the sound, the animations; it cemented itself in my memory forever.

Some developers out there seem to grasp how to do the "vista" scene better than others. Valve, Bungie, Irrational, Rock Steady, Naughty Dog, Bioware, Bethesda, Crytek. Say what you will about their respective games, but they sure know how to make eye-candy.

This will blow your fucking mind

Blow it right the fuck away. Seriously, I want the next Portal to be like this and fuck with my perceptions of reality. Or maybe a game where you go mad and this is what happens to the levels?

There are actually one or two levels in Portal 2 that feature that sort of impossible geometry. The instances of them are well hidden, but were necessary to make those particular levels possible.

They talk about it in the commentary.

Still, I'm with you. A game like Portal, built entirely around Non-Euclidean architecture, would be amazing.

 

[RustlessPotato]

Somehow Prey comes to mind. Prey 2 looks great as well.

I thought Morrowind was the only elder scrolls I played that had a real "strange" feeling attached to it. I had great fun with Oblvion, but it was just generic and mundane, though Skyrim did make it a bit better. I like frozen landscapes.

 

[McMullen]

This will blow your fucking mind

Blow it right the fuck away. Seriously, I want the next Portal to be like this and fuck with my perceptions of reality. Or maybe a game where you go mad and this is what happens to the levels?

WE MUST GO DEEPER!

Some parts of Hell in Doom 3 were quite interesting, although it's still not enough to make up for the monotony of the rest of the game. So many hours of twisty metal passages all alike...

I'm assuming Minecraft doesn't count.

First time I saw Damascus in AC, I was completely blown away. I had not known such things were even technically possible. Wish I could get that feeling back.

The northwest island in Just Cause II had a fantastic WTF is this shit?! atmosphere to it, especially if you try flying there before the mission involving it. It makes you think you're in serious trouble for a while. It never quite delivers on that threat, but still.

The Citadel Core in HL2 Episode 2, especially since I had a rig capable of maxed-out graphics settings the first time I saw it. Bloom done right!

The Anvil of the Void in DA:O.

The entire setting of Red Dead Redemption. You can tell the environment artists spent a lot of time in various deserts. I've spent lots of time just wandering the hills near Fort Mercer, watching the sun rise and set and playing hide-and-seek with the cougars. (Seriously, the way those cats jump out of the bushes there was initially more terrifying than anything in Doom 3).

 

[SckizoBoy]

The Assassin's Creed games always impress me with their visuals, they make me want to be in Italy (with a good bottle of wine!)

Yah, I'm with you on that one... felt a sudden desire to visit Venice after ACII (and purely for the Basilica Cattedrale di San Marco!)

And for all it is a maligned game (hell, I didn't get as much fun out of it as I should've) Istanbul from AC:R was an awesome sight. (Just getting to the top of view points and mashing the 'e' key... -_- )

 

[TerribleAssassin]

Bioshock.

Rapture.

Second to none.

Seconded, every single detail about Rapture had at least an hour's dedication.

Either that or Hyrule from OoT, even though there was a lack of graphical prowess, there was some damn fine work in making a beautiful playing space.

 

[Bugerion]

The Milkman Conspiracy in Psychonauts. Here is some concept art:

Spoiler

Seeing the game pan over the scene as you leave Boyd's house and Raz is like "Nice...normal...neighbourhood..." is just awesome.

I'm the milkman,my milk is delicious.Special delivery today

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Alice: Madness Returns

Spoiler

Final Fantasy XIII

Spoiler

Homeworld 2

Spoiler

Metro 2033

Spoiler

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Spoiler

 

[XMark]

I'm about halfway through Syndicate now, and I looooooove that one level that starts with flying around the fancy Uptown skyscrapers.