This will probably be an obvious one, (I am listening to the original Diablo soundtrack right now, can you blame me?) but I think that Diablo is one of the most atmospheric games of all time. Between the overbearing darkness, the acute sense of claustrophobia, the music, the villagers of the eternally dark village, the grotesque enemies you face, and the lack of feeling 'gamey', everything works perfectly together to make Tristram and the dungeon come to life in your senses. I've played other atmospheric games since, but nothing quite like Diablo.
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Games with the Strongest 'Atmosphere'
- Thread starter Fou-Lu
- Start date
LeadenStride
Member
For me, it will always be REmake. The greatest contributors are the camera angles, the narrow paths and hallways as well as the minimalistic, oppressive background music. And yeah, the zombies.
Spiritwalker
Member
Shadow Hearts, Bloodborne and Demon's Souls for me. All pretty dark games with strong atmosphere.
Alpha Phoenix
Member
Off the top of my head (no particular order):
- Deus Ex: HR
- Alien: Isolation
- Outlast
- Mirror's Edge (I guess?)
- Thief reboot (say what you want about this game, but the city was decidedly atmospheric)
Then again, it depends on your specific definition of 'atmosphere', but I feel the above satisfies the question.
- Deus Ex: HR
- Alien: Isolation
- Outlast
- Mirror's Edge (I guess?)
- Thief reboot (say what you want about this game, but the city was decidedly atmospheric)
Then again, it depends on your specific definition of 'atmosphere', but I feel the above satisfies the question.
Englebert3rd
Unconfirmed Member
I'll be completely unoriginal and say Silent Hill 1/2.
Especially the ambient music/noise in Silent Hill 1, sometimes you think it's the environment and you think that there's something following you.
Yeah, this one too. Fantastic background sounds too, you can really feel alone even in populated areas.
Especially the ambient music/noise in Silent Hill 1, sometimes you think it's the environment and you think that there's something following you.
Yeah, this one too. Fantastic background sounds too, you can really feel alone even in populated areas.
Silent Hill
Banned
Metro games and Silent Hill 2.
Oh, man... definitely this. Just hit me with so much nostalgia.
cjtiger300
Member
Bioshock
deadeyekiwi
Member
I'm not sure they are the strongest, but I also appreciated the atmosphere in wind waker and okami. Also shadow of the colossus is pretty great too.
Jason's Ultimatum
Member
Link to the Past.
JetSetRadio
Banned
Deadly Premonition.
Ni No Kuni.
Shenmue.
Ni No Kuni.
Shenmue.
Systolique
Member
To me it doesn't get more atmospheric than Silent Hill 2.
Mass Effect 1, Shadow of the Damned and Demon's Souls are up there too !
Mass Effect 1, Shadow of the Damned and Demon's Souls are up there too !
Elitist1945
Member
Probably the Metro series.
Newtype-001
Member
Since everyones going to say the obvious ones
Dylan Sexbang
Banned
I feel like Halo CE killed it in the atmosphere department. Marty's music, being on an alien ring world, the introduction of the flood. All of it felt great. Probably some of the most fun levels in an FPS campaign as well. Walking through the jungle in 343 Guilty Spark was white knuckle gripping as an eight year old. And still feels plenty surreal
Super Metroid has an atmosphere that is unmatched to me, even by other games in it's own franchise. It wasn't really horror themed, but there was actually a sense of anticipation and creepiness when playing it as a kid. There hasn't really been anything like it since, although Metroid Prime was close.
Mayor_McCheeze
Member
Loved the atmosphere in Dead Space.
Was great in Dead Space 2 as well...although I was rather disappointed with the rest.
Was great in Dead Space 2 as well...although I was rather disappointed with the rest.
notoriousKTR
Member
Red Dead Redemption
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
Yeah, Super Metroid and Prime 1, especially. I also have to second the guy who said REmake.
Modest Mauser
Member
Half Life 2 for me.
Its subtle, but so well done. Such a strong and real sense of hopelessness in City 17.
Its subtle, but so well done. Such a strong and real sense of hopelessness in City 17.
Neoleo2143
Member
Most of these games convey dread or mystery. That isn't the only atmosphere to be had though, Earthbound and Super Mario Galaxy convey a whimsical atmosphere extremely well.
MDSVeritas
Member
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was (an, in my mind, remains) just about unmatched in sucking you into the environment. The sound, the visuals; it all contributed to a beautiful and terrifying sense of desolation and loneliness
Damn it, now I have to go replay it.
Haven't played much of them, but it seems the Metro series followed the atmospheric qualities of Stalker well.
Damn it, now I have to go replay it.
Haven't played much of them, but it seems the Metro series followed the atmospheric qualities of Stalker well.
All three Mother games convey their (slightly different) atmospheres very well, so that's a good choice to bring up.
UnforgivenTwin
Member
No love for the last of us?
JudgmentJay
Member
Off the top of my head, Silent Hill 2/3, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, Alien Isolation, Resident Evil HD Remake, Metroid Prime, Chrono Trigger.
User 479360
Banned
Dead Space 1 & 2
RowdyReverb
Member
Bioshock was great in this regard. The way the NPCs interacted with each other, the stories told by the audio logs and the environment itself, the constant reminders that you are indeed under thousands of feet of water. The whole thing exuded the feel of a place that was once a marvel that had only recently fallen to ruin.
RecRoulette
Member
The first Mass Effect. First time wandering around the Citadel is one of my favorite gaming moments.
OrochiJR
Member
Back when Gears of War 1 was released on the Xbox 360, I found it to be one of the tensest, moodiest games I had played up to that point. I thought the whole "destroyed beauty" concept of the game's environments was executed pretty well. The music also contributed greatly (that main theme!).
Metroid Prime and Bioshock for similar reasons. Both do isolation so well, in weirdly similar ways as Prime focuses on the ruins of an alien planet (the name escapes me) after the Space Pirates experimentation and Bioshock focuses on the fall of a civilization founded on individual work merits individual worth.
For something a little different Xenoblade Chronicles. It nails that sense of adventure and the sense that this weirdly built world is really alive and that each new area just feels so unique and beautiful.
For something a little different Xenoblade Chronicles. It nails that sense of adventure and the sense that this weirdly built world is really alive and that each new area just feels so unique and beautiful.
TheDinoman
Member
I think Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest qualifies.
DK Island in DKC1 for the most part was pretty chill and laid back, but DKC2 on the other hand takes place on enemy territory, and the dark pre-rendered backgrounds/graphics and David Wise's beautiful soundtrack gives Crocodile Isle one hell of an threatening atmosphere. I kinda wish we could get another DKC game with a similar tone to DKC2, though Tropical Freeze comes a bit closer thanks to Wise coming back to do the music.
DK Island in DKC1 for the most part was pretty chill and laid back, but DKC2 on the other hand takes place on enemy territory, and the dark pre-rendered backgrounds/graphics and David Wise's beautiful soundtrack gives Crocodile Isle one hell of an threatening atmosphere. I kinda wish we could get another DKC game with a similar tone to DKC2, though Tropical Freeze comes a bit closer thanks to Wise coming back to do the music.
anothertech
Member
Speaking strictly of atmosphere, no one has done it quite as well as The Order, 1800s Gothic London. Gameplay and story be damned.
I'm surprised no one has said eternal darkness. The game has to have amazing atmosphere to suck you in enough for the fear things to work.
Also ocarina of time. It honestly has some of the best sound design relating to atmosphere in a game. Just the right echo in different areas to really sell it for example. Fog or rain coming in at the right moments. I mean sure games have surpassed it in technical detail, but it just hit the right notes in pretty much every different area.
I FINALLY got around to playing this game as of this week! Discovering the citadel was great, im only a few missions last leaving but I already miss it. The blade runner esque music is such a delight.
Also ocarina of time. It honestly has some of the best sound design relating to atmosphere in a game. Just the right echo in different areas to really sell it for example. Fog or rain coming in at the right moments. I mean sure games have surpassed it in technical detail, but it just hit the right notes in pretty much every different area.
I FINALLY got around to playing this game as of this week! Discovering the citadel was great, im only a few missions last leaving but I already miss it. The blade runner esque music is such a delight.
