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[increpare]

netstorm (I don't think it's been mentioned on this thread yet)



wonderfully, deeply, and I think uniquely (in its own way) atmospheric game...though bloody hard :/

[JLJac]

I dont like bioshock







*runs

Do not run. You are not alone.

[Lynx]

Do not run. You are not alone.

I think that's the point, when you're hip-deep in an atmospheric survival horror FPS game, the fact that you're not alone is the problem. 

[HannesP]

I don't know if anyone has brought them up yet, anyway:

Morrowind:


I love its limited LOS, I love the ubiquitous brownness, I love all the small little villages built upon or around water. I love those spore pods where people live, and I love Fargoth. Ehh, I take back the last one.

Panzer Dragoon Orta:


There are a few gems in this game, and if every level looked like the one in the screenshot above it would've been a masterpiece. The movie sequence in the end of that level, where it shows that the entire course took place upon a floating animal of some sort, is extremely gorgeous.

Mario Land 3: Wario Land


Maybe the best Mario related 2D platformer. Loads of nice environments, well-designed enemies, atmospheric music etc.

Animaniacs for GameBoy
I couldn't find any pictures of it on Google. It was my first GameBoy game, ever. That should be enough to explain why it's on this list

[reetva]

Mario Land 3: Wario Land


Maybe the best Mario related 2D platformer. Loads of nice environments, well-designed enemies, atmospheric music etc.

YES.

Also, Hotel Dusk:
You really have to see the animation.  Also, so far, the writing is brilliant.

[Günter]

Condemned 2: Bloodshot was very good at drawing you in, and then screwing with your mind. Much of the immersion was from sound design, but it was no slouch graphically.

[Flink]

The City Of Metronome



http://www.tarsier.se/attachments/met_splaycover.jpg
http://www.tarsier.se/attachments/met_mainstr.jpg
http://www.tarsier.se/attachments/switchboardman.jpg

[Pico]

Awesome.

[JLJac]

The City Of Metronome

Don't. You're making me cry!

[Xion]

The City Of Metronome

Woah I'd never seen this game before. Sounds like Beyond Good and Evil (not a bad thing at all) but with sound.

[Rishav]

i don't know how many here know about it, but what about Syberia. In my opinion it is one the most beautiful games ever made. a visual triumph and it all just made it so wistfully atmospheric. I still have the screenshots of Valadilene and often when I am in a bad mood I would boot up the game and play through the 1st level.
I loved the rain, the light mist in the morning, the tiny town with its sparse inhabitants , the small stream and its bridge. the caves and the mammoth pictures, stories of Han's childhood and his consuming desire to find the mammoths again. and the automatons all over. the rusty, squeaky woundup automatons.
An absolute masterpiece of a game as far as atmosphere and visual beauty is considered. unfortunately Sokal isn't that great a game developer as he is an artist.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/syberia/images/2879350/3/?thumb_set=4&tag=thumbs_below;next
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/syberia/images/2879350/9/?tag=thumbs_below;thumb;4
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/syberia/images/2879350/11/?tag=thumbs_below;thumb;1

Probably the only other game with such emotionally affecting atmosphere has to be the venice levels of The longest journey.

another good example for me is Heretic II. an oldie but the Brom inspired visuals were fantastic for its time and I couldn't believe that a game so gorgeously absorbing was based on the quake II engine.

[Jrsquee]

Uru: Ages beyond Myst

[Gainsworthy]

The City Of Metronome

Don't. You're making me cry!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS THING? Tarsier's site is still up, but no updates.

[JLJac]

No publisher. Everyone chickened out because the game had some innovative stuff in it.

 

I think the whole game is made actually, it's just that no-one is willing to print the DVDs.

[Chris Z]

for me it's Little Big Adventure


(my personal favourite game of all time!)

Oh man, props to this guy.  I had totally forgotten about this game and how good it was until now.  It came out in 1993 or 94 but it feels sooo long ago now. 

Also someone mentioned Out of this World and Myst, good stuff.  Bringing back good memories.

[JamesGecko]

Wow. Most of my picks for atmosphere have already been taken. Alright then.

Everyone talks about how great Knytt Stories was, but what about Seiklus?



This screenshot really doesn't do it justice; the use of music, ambient sound, and random small touches did it for me. Like, that fish will randomly follow you around in that pool of water. He's not anywhere else in the game, just there.


I can't find any good screenshots, but the two N64 Zelda games also oozed atmosphere. Anyone else remember the first time they exited the forest in Oceania of Time and saw the field unfold before them in the morning light? Getting sent off by a freaking ninja to save the kingdom? So epic!

The epicness was diminished significantly when I realized I promptly had to go back to town to perform errands to get a Pikachu mask.

[Randy]

These are shots from the DS title my studio is working on.  Since I'm the lead artist on it, it's become my mission to create fantastic atmosphere in the title.  I adore atmospheric games so I hope I've been directing my team correctly to reach my goal.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

@JamesGecko: seiklus is indeed the grandfather of atmospheric indie games. clysm hasn't released a game in so long but hopefully will soon!

[Bree]

Holy crap, Randy, that looks great! I can't wait to see more of the project. Best of luck to you and your team!

[KennEH!]

Randy that is totally awesome.