Best game landscapes

I love landscapes in games: Weird planets, magic forests...

Which are your favorites (include an image)?

 

Sadly i rarely keep screenshots for long. I'd go with far cry 2 for me since i spent most of the game just watching the landscapes instead of playing

 

Not the best, but definitely one of my favorites:
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion - Shivering Isles
The landscape and environment are very different from Oblivion, the sky at night is absolutely beautiful.

 

wow thats breathtaking for a game

 

Not sure if I can say this, but - Final Fantasy XIV's world is the most beautiful I've ever seen in an MMO and flat out beats most games (even crysis since it is a whole world). When its released I'll be glueing my eyes to the screen indefinitely!

But as far as games that have offically been released? I'd have to say Guildwars. While not a graphical powerhouse, the detail put into the areas is, frankly, quite amazing. Theirs nothing better than wandering through a barren wasteland of decay, only to find a hidden forest thousands of years old, exploring deserted ruins and finally breaking through the thicket to discover an ocean that never seems to end. Combine that with a good group of friends and you have an amazing moment of gaming history.

 

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Has some of the best I have seen, especially near anomalies where the landscape has been altered. Like the spherical section of house removed by an anomaly in Clear Sky. Or the warped water in the swamps of Call of Pripyat.

 

I agree with the Guild Wars statement, there are some pretty neat landscapes especially in the last game (nightfall) and the expansion since the graphics got an overhaul in those 2.

Was that oblivion ss taken with any mods on?

 

Nope, came straight out of Bethesda's website:
The Elder Scrolls

On the other hand, Morrowind with graphics extender mod looks fantastic too.

 

When it comes to landscapes you can't beat ArmA2 and ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead:







For more ArmA II & OA Photography and as a reference go to:
ArmA II & OA Photography I - No images over 100kb - Pictures only NO comments. - Bohemia Interactive Forums

 

I second TomTom's vote. Oblivion (even vanilla) has some mind-blowing scenery. I remember the first time I played...I spent half an hour in the tutorial dungeon killing rats and goblins in an environment of gray against darker gray, and then I opened the sewer gate to the main world, and all the colors and HDR lighting kicked in...HOLY CRAP. The trippy landscapes of Mania and Dementia in the Shivering Isles definitely take it a step further, though.

Some vanilla Oblivion:

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For me it's Fallout 3. Beautiful in a horrible way. And some specific planets in ME and ME2.

 

GTA IV looks pretty cool from a helicopter, lol.

Certain Crysis levels are insane, too.

 

Entropia Universe- If you think youve seen Graphics look at the media sections of this game..... truly beyond belief. im on my work computer so im blocked from well ... everything worthwhile but check it out the media section of the game has some amazing pics. Entropia Universe Portal
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here are a few pics i could manage that wasnt blocked

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/screenshots/original/2008/09/entropia__10_.jpg
http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/200707/TN-353193_Entropia3.jpg
http://i.ehow.com/images/a05/f5/du/buy-crystal-palace-entropia-universe-200X200.jpg

 

Is this like second life with better graphic?

 

Yeah its a bit like second life. essentially diffrent worlds/portals with diffrent rules. some are hunters paradises. some are social parties ect. but one cat makes 100k a year off of taxing people who want to hunt on his island. seriously no joke look it up.

if your a little fat in the wallet it would be an adventure to play. i have enoug to deal with thinking about car payments unfortunately

 

I like Crysis for the graphics and the jungle.

I like Oblivion for a lot of its open scenery (esp after mods)

I like World of Warcraft for the variety and creativity of the environments. When I was on a private server I would log on just to take a stroll through Ashenvale and not actually do anything else but just relax and enjoy the scenery.

 

Bad Company 2 Forest Areas

 

For vast and open landscape with a surprising amount of variety you have to say Oblivion it is just outstanding especially the camera views. I am just replaying it again and remember how outstanding Shivering Isles was and cant wait till im higher level and get back in.

Fallout 3 was good just too dark and miserable to show any real of the wow factor!

Really enjoyed the Dragon Age landscape but just too small and too linear have to say Oblivion so far is by far the best for me!

 

Gothic 3, yeah the gameplay blew but the game was pretty if you had the system to allow it.

Assassins Creed 1 i wasnt impressed with 2 but rolling into damascus the first time ... i gasped

 

Just Cause 2 has that crazy depth.

 

I guess landscapes probably shouldn't be equated with setting, but I really have an affinity for Stalker's. Obviously it isn't beautifuly, but as an environment I think it does such a good job of sucking you in.

 

For nostalgic purposes I bring upon a grand old game. The Legend of Zelda: Orcarania of Time. I still remember leaving the forest and reaching Hyrule field.... Now coming from the 2d zelda games this was like a wonderful WONDERFUL dream.

Actually, the BEST game environments ever was Zelda: The Wind Waker..... Man, even though it was all done on the sea and islands, there was nothing better than looking at an island in the distance and traveling there, simply BEAUTIFUL!

 

Fallout 3


Crysis:


Oblivion


Halo 3

 

I wish I had taken some screenies, but I thought Metro 2033's above-ground landscapes were fantastic, and captured eerie, abandoned post-apocalyptia at a level that FO3 and STALKER just never could.

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Also, for an RTS, I thought Tropico 3 had some awesome landscapes and weather effects, with some very purdy sunsets!

Oh, and if we're allowed to include 2d landscapes, some from the Infinity Engine games like Icewind Dale were pretty good, like the underground volcanic lake (with obligatory wrecked lava-ship) in Lower Dorn's Deep.

 

haha tropico 3 i rofl at the election time when somone shaved my name on a goat good stuff

 

All the Halo games and the Mass Effect series have great scenery.

I think World of Warcraft has some really good scenery too. The graphics are kinda on the lower end, but what it lacks on the technical side, it more than makes up for with fantastic art design.

 

ArmA 2 looks absolutely fantastic on "Very High" with 4x AA enabled, unfortulately those settings make the game lag just enough in detailed/heavy action areas to not quite be playable. I had to drop the settings down to "High" with no anti-aliasing to get consistent framerates, which doesn't look quit as good

 

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. isn't post apocalyptic...

I have one of Metro 2033, only one as I didn't find the landscapes very interesting. The above ground sections actually for me just highlighted the designed for console feel of Metro 2033.



S.T.A.L.K.E.R. just did landscapes, atmosphere and immersion better than FO3 and Metro 2033, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. isn't even post apocalyptic.

As a side note, I am reading the Metro 2033 book, much better than the game.

Edit: I am looking forward to the Metro 2033 DLC tomorrow!!! XD

 

STALKER is post-apocalyptic in design and atmosphere, if not technically story. But come on, it's a super-melted-down Chernobyl! If you had visited that area after the first (real-life) meltdown, you'd think you were in post-apocalyptia already!

Still, I don't care what'cha say, I thought Metro was more atmospheric than STALKER (though to be fair, I only played the first one). Don't get me wrong, STALKER's a great game, it's just a little too... unforgiving?... for my tastes. It's hard to play a game where I constantly feel like I'm slowly dying, even when I'm actually making progress.

 

I suppose, a very localized apocalypse? I have only seen pictures of Chernobyl, seen an abandoned Soviet era Boy Scout camp (have pics), and factories during my time in Russia, Never been to the Ukraine though.

Can't give you that it was more atmospheric, linear and consolised? yes, atmospheric? No... The feeling of danger, and survival, just wasn't there. Still a great game though, looking forward to returning to the Metro. XD

I give you S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is unforgiving, but that is part of it's charm. The Zone wants to kill you, and it goes out of it's way to do just that.

On topic: More pics of the Zone these are the swamps in Clear Sky, just started replaying. XD

 

This game uses the Crytek 2 engine...Crysis engine...

Game looks great and loads A LOT faster and more streaming than Second Life could ever dream of!

 

well it has a similar play stayle i think thats why he was asking. various portals/worlds that have diffrent rules for mere social to shooters ect. but its basic premise is a social gaming network like second life. i only knew about it cause i read an article about a guy who makes 100k a year charging taxes on "hunters" who want to hunt on his virtual island. love to see some of those vistas on my new G73 but i couldnt lower myself to that kind of game.

a notable mention a little off basis but i feel Eve Online has some gorgeous backdrops/scenery. i know it the whole planet but its a beautiful game when you see a star eclipsed by a planet with a star base next to you.

 

A couple of Age of Conan shots in DX10...

Picasa Web Albums - Matthew - AOC DX10

 

Mass Effect 2-

As creepy as it was I loved the inside of the Collector Ship
The view overlooking Illium was awesome​

Mass Effect 1 - The planet where Sarens Krogan lab is
WoW - Zangarmarsh and Grizzly Hills sucked me and wouldn't let me leave

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Half Life 2 - The sky view from the Citadel

Those are the immediate ones though pretty much every zone in WotLK was amazing to me. I have to say part of the reason I'm venturing into the architecture field is to create video game enviornments.

 

i Revert yours. Half life 2 after just getting the crowbar. you look up and all their ships are undocking from the tower