Atmosphere in games

[Jora 164]

atmosphere, one of the most impactful aspects about a game, i love games that have sometimes little to no direction given to the player, a strong musical soundtrack *or lack there of* in some cases.

 

a list of games that portray these aspects are

 

Ico

LIMBO

Journey 

Dark Cloud

Year Walk

Ecco the Dolphin 

Sewer Shark

Vectorman

 

ect.

 

they are very powerful in the fact that they play at emotion, with small bits of music in a Desolate empty space take Ico for example at the start you are alone with only the sound of the wind and the candle flicker as backdrop giving you a cold along feeling as you venture though that castle till you meet the girl.

 

limbo takes a different but similar take, as it is both visually dark and creepy and the sound track is mostly industrial sounds like metal clanking and such.

 

Journey is just an awesome the music is a calming companion along with you for the ride as well as the kind of open world aspect.

 

they are just beautiful examples of game play at its finest for me 

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

I think I most appreciate atmosphere when it comes to the survival horror genre.  It just strikes me as a fundamental element of any worthwhile survival horror title.  I want it to make me uncomfortable.  Create some degree of tension and suspense.  A sense of being alone and vulnerable; without any significant real world consequences, obviously. ^ ^;  I want to contend with the very atmosphere itself and still somehow survive the in-game experience.  I don't play survival horror games because I want to be Rambo and put a bullet in absolutely everything.  I don't play them for the blood and gore.  I play them for the atmosphere and the challenge.  If there's no atmosphere, there's no game.

[Jora 164]

true very true and Resident Evil Remaster *updated GC version* for steam, XB1, 360, PS3 and 4 is back to its roots so its atmosphere is gold as opposed to COD ughhh..

the camera was supposedto make you fear every corner of that game and it worked!

[Lisa 5,552]

I love Proteus' atmosphere. It's a cute, 8-bit-styled, fun, innocent, colourful and abstract exploration game. You simply roam a randomly generated island to the sound of music evolving around you. Whatever region you're standing in, the music will evolve to fit that region's vibe. If you're ontop of a mountain, the music is very 'airy' and shallow. If you're in the plains of Summer, the music becomes very up-beat and happy.

 

It just makes you want to explore the entire island.

[Denim&Venöm 16,568]

Haven't played games in a while, but I did find the atmospheres of .//Hack infection & Mirrors edge to be well designed. .//hack is just very beautiful, while Mirror's edge is stark and immersive with degrees of realism to it. 

 

Another one to add would be Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. It's first person, rail shooter setting does something that none of the other games managed to do, and that's be surprising & suspenseful. You get the firsthand perspective of being in the building, fighting the zombies or being face to face w/ a giant abomination. Also the music is among the better I've heard in the franchise. Very eerie, & combined w/ the designs of the title screen, interactive menu & level selection, lend it a very dark aesthetic. 

[Phoenix Flair 332]

I really liked KOTOR I and II.  It was a really fascinating exploration of the Star Wars universe, and it had a very different feel to it than any other game I'd played or movie I'd seen set in that universe.  Plus there were a whole lot of side quests to do and rich, intricate back stories to discover.  And there were dozens of choices you could make to change the story.  It was the bomb.

[Radiance64 7,051]

The Metroid series exudes atmosphere of course, especially the Prime games. Even when speeding through the games knowing what I'm doing I feel it, ominous alien worlds will always be ominous I suppose.

[Jora 164]

oh yeah i love the prime games i just scan EVERYTHING and just sit in area's listen to the music lol 

[1Bit 1,531]

I've never really been able to soak in the atmosphere of most games I play...despite people telling me how atmospheric those games are  however, Metro:Last Light REALLY got me...that game is dripping with atmosphere and the level design is so detailed and realistic. And then there's the mission where you go through Dead Moscow...by far the scariest thing I have ever played. No music...just the howling wind and the screams of the dead in your ears. That was a...harrowing experience 

[Alan Crytex 165]

I only played "LIMBO" before. It was a great adventure game, really nice atmosphere! Heard of "Journey" many times but still haven't played it yet, I would play it soon.   I watched a lot of youtubers played "Year Walk". It was confusing for me little bit because I think that's tradition for Sweden.    Also the other games you mentioned in the post, never heard it before. Might look up for it soon! -_-

[Sanctified Absence 126]

I absolutely adore Silent Hill II's atmosphere. As Yhatzee once said:

 

"The atmosphere is like foot thick sheet of whale blubber draped over your head and shoulders."

 

I can't put it any better than that.

[DATA EXPUNGED 324]

Well, PT had an atmosphere so thick, you could cut it with a knife, and it had little to no soundtrack. 

 

Also, all of the Silent Hill games I ever played (1-6) were all glorious in terms of atmosphere, however, were a little less subtle than PT. 

Oh, EarthBound, how could i forget EarthBound. 

[Megas 27,080]

Metal Gear Solid, Metroid and Bioshock are really good at atmosphere

[Blue Moon 6,336]

I also agree with Journey and LIMBO; those games have fantastic atmospheres.

 

Another game that I think has an amazing atmosphere is Fallout 3. The radio, the eerie ambiance of the wastelands, the ruins of towns and homes with all the skeletons that sometimes tell their own story; all of these make for one of my favorite atmospheres in gaming.

 

The Wolf Among Us and Heavy Rain are both really good at atmosphere as well; they have this really cool noir feel to them.

[Deae Rising Shine~ 52,493]

Good stories, great soundtrack, great characters, emotions, the right feeling for the genre etc. is for me part of the atmosphere. My favourite are the Metal Gear games

[Jora 164]

yeah there is no mood with out a soundtrack, there is no story with out plot and there is no game without an atmosphere

[SCS 7,444]

I love atmospheric games. One of the most beautiful, immersive, and atmospheric games I have played in a long time is Child of Light. It's so deeply enthralling, ambient and tranquil I've even fallen asleep wearing headphones listening to the game's music and ambient sounds.

[An Unknown Pony. 370]

Half Life 2 is one of the most atmospheric games i ever played,The Music really Fits what the player is doing,Ambient Noises are also amazing.

[Vemillia Nightshade 2,247]

The Metroid series exudes atmosphere of course, especially the Prime games. Even when speeding through the games knowing what I'm doing I feel it, ominous alien worlds will always be ominous I suppose.

 

Well I will say you are on the right track. Metroid in both 2D and 3D has a level of atmosphere it serves up and by god it serves it up well. There is a desolate nature to it that make it feel like you on an adventure on your own through less than friendly worlds. Prime 3 Corruption had it's meh spots when it comes to atmosphere but that was mostly parts where the Galactic Federation is involved. I know I'm nit picking but I AM a totally dedicated fan to Metroid.

 

I absolutely adore Silent Hill II's atmosphere. As Yhatzee once said:

 

"The atmosphere is like foot thick sheet of whale blubber draped over your head and shoulders."

 

I can't put it any better than that.

 

Thank you for that quote as that is the best way to put a otherwise indescribable atmosphere that SH2 had. It isn't just the monsters, it's also the environment and music that add a nice touch to what makes that game so good. Also a well written story for the game added to it. The endings were also very diverse which upped the replay value more for courageous players.

[Winterbass 763]

I love atmosphere in games. It's not always necessary to have in every game to make it good, but sometimes it can pack a very strong punch. Games like Thief and Dishonored remind me of a strong atmosphere. It's not just the music that makes the atmosphere, it's their characters, the art style, the story and the environments that also play a big part in it. From the lonely yet closeness you feel in Ico with the mute angel, to the brimming streets of Deus Ex HR. From the gritty harsh wastes of Fallout to the welcoming flowery fields of Cyrodiil. Every little thing plays into that particular atmosphere the devs try to create for you.

 

I love all kinds of genres and types of gameplay. Whether it's linear or free for you to explore, whether you're mostly bound to the story or the story hardly plays any roll most of your game, it's all welcome to me if it's executed in the right way. I just love taking in the atmosphere and immersing myself in the world. Doesn't matter if that's through reading the lore on the internet, experiencing the world by just playing or following the interesting story or stories. The more I know about the world the more I'm immersed in it and the more I notice the little things the devs put into the game to make it more atmospheric.

 

In the end, a ton of games have some kind of atmosphere to them. Sometimes that atmosphere is heavy and sometimes it's barely there. Whether or not it's there, it's just one of the ways I love to experience games even when atmosphere is not its strongest point.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Winterbass