On the hunt for extremely captivating atmospheric games. Help me out please!

[Swift24]

I learned that now as I have aged, the certain genres and particular games of old just don't really stick with me. My time is so much more precious now that I work 12+ hours for roughly 5 days out of the week. I barely have time to really sit down and appreciate a good gaming session, but there is a lot of filler stuff out there I can't afford to waste time on. It would be much easier for me to list some of my favorite games I consider atmospheric, and maybe based off my list it can help spur a "Eureka!" moment. These are not just games I have played, these are my favorite games. Some are better than others to me, but that's neither here nor there. I am too tired to rank them. I am just going to list them from memory. In the event I don't list one, it means I may have forgotten to list it, or I never played it before.

List: (again the stuff listed is stuff I have played and enjoyed massively)


Bioshock 1&2 (these two are the most recent as of last week that I have played. oh my GOD do I love these games. I will be picking up Infinite ASAP. I want more experiences similar to this one!)

Parasite Eve 1&2

Deadly Premonition ( I actually have this one but I haven't beaten it. I got about 5 hours into it. Really enjoy it)

Silent Hill series. literally, all of them. I have played every single one.

The Path

Condemned 1&2

Killer 7

Shadow of the Colossus

Rule of Rose

Forbidden Siren

Fatal Frame Series

Dark Souls (my favorite game ever)

Limbo

That's about it. There were a few more, but I am drawing a blank. I am really tired. I am going to head to bed, but feel free to leave recommendations and I will check/respond when I wake up later today. Thanks in advance to anyone who helps.

 

[OneCatch]

snip

Given the list you posted I'd recommend Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light.
Setting is a dystopian future in which the survivors of a nuclear war live in the Moscow Metro network. There are fallout-esque mutated animals, paranormal occurrences (some of which are understated and genuinely creepy), and various human factions trying to survive.
Certainly atmospheric, and basically the epitome of dark, gritty, survival horror. As long as you don't mind Russian-accented voice acting.

Also, the S.t.a.l.k.e.r games. More open world, a bit retro now, but still compelling.

 

[Benpasko]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat is my favorite atmospheric game. Once you get the hang of it I recommend turning off the hud and crosshairs for more fun.

 

[Qvar]

If you are into the spaceship arcade pew-pew, you may love Freelancer. I've replayed that game at least 10 times (not kidding) and every time it gives me shivers and makes me go "NO. Damn it Walker, why?!". The story is standard, but the characterization and voiceacting is top notch, one of the greatest i've ever seen, together up there with Bioshock, Metro 2033 (which I won't extend more into because OneCatch already mentioned it) and very few others.

Those others... I would probably say:
3. Darksiders - It doesn't have the over-the-top acting the others do (still good, mind you), but you'll roar "THIS IS SO FUCKING BADASS" every 30 minutes or so.

4. Amnesia - Best. Horror work. Ever. It will force you to stop playing without even throwing a monster at you. Just with the ambience and the constant threat of them.

5. Dead Space - Awesome creeping scenario, plus a very good shooter. It won't make you want to quit the game like Amnesia, but will compensate it with evertything else it has to offer. Also, twinkle twinkle.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Another vote for STALKER. Pripyat gives even Dark Souls a run for its money in the atmosphere department.

Metro has some very atmospheric moments as well, but is a markedly worse series than STALKER, unless you fetishize linear corridor shoots with wonk mechanics.

 

[DarkishFriend]

The original Amnesia and HL1 mod "Cry of Fear" on the computer is really good for dread and haunting atmospheres.

 

[Muspelheim]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat is my favorite atmospheric game. Once you get the hang of it I recommend turning off the hud and crosshairs for more fun.

Chalk up one more in favour for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. The atmosphere in those games is just fantastic. And there are loads of modpacks available that makes it even better.

http://i.imgur.com/DT6myuQ.jpg

The original Amnesia and HL1 mod "Cry of Fear" on the computer is really good for dread and haunting atmospheres.

Those are fantastic, too. Although be warned; Cry of Fear can be a very frustrating game, at times.

Another splendid game for atmosphere is Metal gear Solid: Snake Eater. If you can live with Hideo Kojima amounts of blabbering to people over Spy-Skype, it's marvellous once you get going. It's a lovely experience, sneaking through the forest, camouflaged like a vengeful jungle ghost and eating snakes.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I'll confirm all the recommendations for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. I've played both Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat, and both were among the best games I played this generation, especially Shadow of Chernobyl. The Metro games (Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light) are very similar (albeit a little more straightforward in design, but that's not saying much).

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is one of the most horrifying games you will ever play. It's probably the only game I've considered putting down just because of how scary it is.

F.E.A.R. (the first one) is a good shooter with some atmospheric and horror elements. Unfortunately, the rest of the franchise doesn't live up to the first game (not even close), so I wouldn't follow the story past the first game (not worth following anyways).

Finally, you might want to give Resident Evil 4 a look. While I know the franchise has fallen quite bit the last few years, RE4 was a very good game and deserving of the praise it received. It's not necessarily scary, but it does have a great atmosphere throughout, minus the excessively action-heavy sections towards the latter parts of the game.

 

[Tom_green_day]

The most atmospheric game I've played is Fallout 3, closely followed by The Last of Us. Brutal Legend, Red Dead Redemption and The Saboteur are all also pretty atmospheric but the games mentioned before (that I've played) are more dark atmospherically so I'm not sure if they count.

 

[Thedutchjelle]

I get ninja'd by half the posters.

Yeah, that's right. I was going to say STALKER.


I guess you could also try Metro 2033 and Metro La--

snip

Given the list you posted I'd recommend Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light.

Alright, I guess I can go home.

As for the games you already listed, please do note that Bioshock Infinite is not quite the ride that Bioshock 1 & 2 were. It's still a good game, but it's something you should keep in mind. The upcoming DLC looks phenomenal though.

You could also try Deus Ex: Human revolution. It's an FPS/RPG mix, with a good story and a very pleasing art style. I found it quite atmospheric, especially the sections in Hensha.

 

[the_great_cessation]

I'd say check out The Last of Us. The game has a great sense of atmosphere, amazing writing, tense gameplay and a master class story with a surprising amount of theming and subtext. It's also a game that you could def. fit into your schedule taking somewhere around 14 hours to complete. I can't recommend this game more as its easily one of the finest games I have ever played and seems to complement your tastes well.

 

[EHKOS]

I learned that now as I have aged, the certain genres and particular games of old just don't really stick with me. My time is so much more precious now that I work 12+ hours for roughly 5 days out of the week. I barely have time to really sit down and appreciate a good gaming session, but there is a lot of filler stuff out there I can't afford to waste time on. It would be much easier for me to list some of my favorite games I consider atmospheric, and maybe based off my list it can help spur a "Eureka!" moment. These are not just games I have played, these are my favorite games. Some are better than others to me, but that's neither here nor there. I am too tired to rank them. I am just going to list them from memory. In the event I don't list one, it means I may have forgotten to list it, or I never played it before.

List: (again the stuff listed is stuff I have played and enjoyed massively)


Bioshock 1&2 (these two are the most recent as of last week that I have played. oh my GOD do I love these games. I will be picking up Infinite ASAP. I want more experiences similar to this one!)

Parasite Eve 1&2

Deadly Premonition ( I actually have this one but I haven't beaten it. I got about 5 hours into it. Really enjoy it)

Silent Hill series. literally, all of them. I have played every single one.

The Path

Condemned 1&2

Killer 7

Shadow of the Colossus

Rule of Rose

Forbidden Siren

Fatal Frame Series

Dark Souls (my favorite game ever)

Limbo

That's about it. There were a few more, but I am drawing a blank. I am really tired. I am going to head to bed, but feel free to leave recommendations and I will check/respond when I wake up later today. Thanks in advance to anyone who helps.

It seems horror grips you, so I'd say Amnesia and the first Dead Space. Also stay away from Infinite unless you want to pay $60 for a DLC mission.
Hmm, New Vegas might work, and Call of Cthulu Dark Corners of the Earth was pretty good, it was mostly horror, but there were a few scenes that were really great.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

I really wish I could nominate more, but the only ones I can come up with are Borderlands and Far Cry 2. Borderlands because of its early stage with a desolate, western setting and Far Cry 2 because of its incredible sense of place and atmosphere. It'll make you wish you could just sit down, pop a beer and gaze at the sunsets.

Spoiler: My God, the sunsets!

 

[exxxed]

Besides the usual suspects (S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Deus Ex, System Shock, Metro 2033, F.E.A.R., Penumbra, Amnesia) I'd recommend:

-Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

-Thief - series (although I have only played the first and the third, in my honest opinion just because of The Shalebridge Craddle [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw4YZuRUgXA] the third wins)

-Gothic 2 and Risen 1 (very similar in atmosphere)

-The Witcher 1

-Half-Life - series

-Dishonored

-Dark Messiah of Might and Magic

-Arx Fatalis

-Painkiller - series (I'd recommend getting the Black Edition)

-Singularity

-Outlast

-Star Wars: Republic Commando

Ones to look forward to:

-Routine [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaZqV0o7EW4]

-Reset [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g063gr1SPWU]

P.S.
Mind you some of them are older titles (Arx Fatalis for example) that don't hold up that well in terms of presentation, but the atmosphere is still the same, as in fantastic, have fun!

 

[Story]

I don't know...is Okami atmospheric?
If so then I recommend Okami.

Also, if you can get past the mostly unremarkable Gameplay, I thought Zeno Clash was pretty atmospheric personally, in a very strange kind of way. There really isn't anything like them.
Pretty much all of the Assassin's Creed games are pretty cool to me.
Also I'm surprised The Elder Scrolls series wasn't mentioned.

Sandbox games and horror games in general tend to be atmospheric, given their nature.

 

[Exhuminator]

A lot of great recommendations in this thread already. It seems OP likes horror games especially. So here is my recommendation for atmospheric horror games that aren't mentioned often:

Echo Night: Beyond was also released in USA, not just Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_Night:_Beyond

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellnight

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calling_%28video_game%29

This one was made by From Software just before they started on the Souls games. And it shows. This game got an English fan translation, but I don't think I'm allowed to link to it because it's only available as a pre-patched ISO. Definitely worth tracking down.

There's more where all that came from but I think OP's got plenty to play with now.

 

[the December King]

I also will recommend the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series games 'Call of Pripyat' and 'Shadow of Chernobyl'. Still playing and enjoying these games.

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

If you're not afraid to delve into some JRPGs, I'd recommend the Persona series. Persona 3 and 4 will definitely get you up to speed on the current story, as well as introduce you to how Persona works, in general, atmospheres included.

 

[Exhuminator]

I debated not mentioning this one with myself because it's not directly "horror", but it's certainly creepy as hell...

Seriously, King's Field: The Ancient City has incredibly thick atmosphere. It's also another From Software game. What can I say, those guys know what they're doing.

Here's some pics: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/431703-kings-field-the-ancient-city/images

If you can get used to the controls you will enjoy this hidden gem.

 

[Venom 3135]

I'd Recommend any Resident evil game before 5. Particularly 2 and 4. Excellent atmosphere and gameplay.

Also, Clock Tower 3 was a very good, atmospheric game in my opinion. If I think of any more that haven't already been said, I'll be sure to post them.