Zelda: A Link to the Past still looks great IMO.
I second Jet Set Radio and Rapture. I will ad City 17, Vice City, the village from RE4, Pripyat/Chernobyl from S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and the Williamette Parkview Mall from Dead Rising.
But nobody's mentioned synesthesia, so I will....
Last edited by diskoboy; 04-10-2008 at 05:43 PM.
I have a bunch of favourites but this one is probably the best.
GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY NINTENDO!
When I think of good graphics, I think of Psychonauts. The graphics in that game really took my breath away.
Of course, this isn't a picture of the milkman level. That level made my head spin, though I appreciated how well designed it was. I remember seeing some early screenshots for it in a Game Informer, maybe a 2004 edition? I thought "Holy crap, look at those graphics!"
And, of course, no thread about good graphics can go without mentioning Gitaroo Man. Look at that!
And, also, Incredible Crisis. This game had pretty good graphics for a PS1 game. It also has some well done in-game movies:
Check my auctions here! I am in the business of finding off-beat things, including video game stuff!
View my collection!
Half-Life 2 after the ending happens, and HL2 Episode 1, right at the end.
I wish I had screenies because gawddamn did that place really make my jaw drop in awe.
I rarely see it mentioned, but the "Hell" level in Painkiller is amazing. Imagine a bomb gets dropped on an abandoned city, blows up, and then a split second after the bomb goes off everything freezes and hangs there. That's what it looks like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jggt-xDuRA
Watch past the first "secret" to see what I mean.
I can hardly wait any longer to explore Liberty City.
Last edited by Nesmaster; 04-10-2008 at 10:35 PM.
The arcade game "Boogie Wings" by Data East had some great location eye candy for the time. Not a well known game but it should of been
Last edited by Clownzilla; 04-11-2008 at 10:00 AM.
Wherever politics tries to be redemptive, it is promising too much. Where it wishes to do the work of God, it becomes not divine, but demonic.
Pope Benedict XVI
Many, many...many locations in EverQuest(PC).
So many wonderful locations and designs that one picture could not capture it.
I will second Half Life 2 and Dreamfall... and throw in Tomb Raider.
I was so immersed in all those worlds.
Ico anyone?
This is the type of stuff that dreams are made of!
Last edited by Juskin; 04-12-2008 at 11:36 AM.
Wish I had some screenshots here: Rygar: The Legendary Adventure. The sunset (a beautiful homage to the arcade and NES games) and the main field both blew me away.
A personal favorite (sorry, couldn't find a larger image):
No matter how many times I see it, the intro to FF6 always has a huge impact on me.
For me, Hyrule Field in Zelda OOT definitely stands out in my mind. Up to that point, no game had ever created such a feeling of space and openness. I know the first time reaching the field and realizing how freaking huge it is was a "holy shit" moment for a lot of gamers.
"It's Time To Kick Ass And Chew Bubble Gum......And I'm All Outta Gum"
-Duke Nukem
I'm not sure which part you mean exactly, but the part that always gets me in HL2 is when you're riding on that metal coffin-on-rails (for lack of a better term) inside of the citadel and get to see all the different combine things going about their business.
As for other games, the first time I saw the three major palaces in Daggerfall, the sheer scale of them blew my mind. I can't find any screenshots at the moment, but I remember the one in Sentinel resembled an enormous arabian palace, Wayrest looked like some kind of Parisian mega-mansion, and Daggerfall was a more traditional medieval castle.
Magicant
Simply because...it's frickin Magicant! I remember the first time I played through EB, I immediately played through again JUST to see Magicant one more time.
Total Distortion
The Distortion Dimension - Strange game, more bizarre than anything I've ever seen. Very unique setting and atmosphere to say the least. I have the whole playthrough uploaded, start with the openings and intros if you're interested.
FFXI
The Sarutabaruta Region
Being a Tarutaru, this place is very dear to me. Screw the beaches and the dunes, I'll take the Windustian fields anyday.
And the most atmospheric, engrossing game location for me:
Portal's Test Chambers
There's so much debating as to whether they're real or just a simulation, but either way, they're just so perfect. Their construction is definitely repetitive, with only a few different wall styles, but there's enough variation that it all works together to create a sense of unease. Can't wait for the sequel/"more Portal" that we've been promised.
Many of the locations in Stranger's Wrath. I couldn't find a shot of New Yolk City, so here's Buzzarton.
Syberia constantly drew me in to the locations, just about everywhere I went. I love the architecture (not a common praise for games) and the atmosphere the game conveys overall.
Rez was already mentioned, and I remember when Rez was first shown, a lot of comparisons were made to the movie Tron. So it's only fair that we include Tron 2.0 in this thread, as it is pretty damn good.
For something older, I gotta mention NiGHTS. My favorite location (level) is definitely the Soft Museum. It's just such a unique, and beautiful area. It doesn't look like an actual place, but it very much looks like a place you'd visit in dreams. Instead of a screen, here's a clip. (Not an amazing clip, it's just the first youtube I found)
Finally, this may seem like a strange choice, but, the train in The Last Express. More a "setting" than a location, but the game used its setting so beautifully. It's not about the visual aspect or anything, it's just that the way the narrative works is so compelling.
Last edited by j_factor; 04-14-2008 at 12:59 AM.
Originally Posted by TheShawn
There is one part in Half-Life Episode 2 that I find amazing. SPOILERS AHEAD (We need a tag) - Not that this stuff wasn't known from the trailer anyway. Still.
It's right at the beginning. When you get out of the train car and Alyx walks to the cliff's edge. First you're staring at an amazing view of City 17 in ruins, a huge blue portal above what used to be the Citadel. Then a Portal Storm. You both turn around and watch as the train bridge collapses.
Then later, well at the end if you allow one of the Striders to destroy a building. That whole area is beautiful.
HL2:E2 has some really awesome outdoor environments. (And I showed my friend the garden gnome all of them.)
Also, I still think Wind Waker's ocean is amazing looking.
Serious Sam had some levels that defied gravity. I remember playing them for the first time. What an experience.
Oh, and I remember Max Payne 2 when Max went into the fun house. Both times you went through it, first when it was working, then as it is falling apart around you, so much "fun".