Gaming’s Most Believeable Worlds

The key to a good game is gameplay. If your game isn’t fun to play, then what do you have? There are games where gameplay is the main focus. Then there are others, where the story and building an amazing universe were clearly the developers passion. These games, in my opinion, are the cream of the crop.

Half Life universe

This is especially evident in Half Life 2. The moment I stepped off that train for the first time, I was awestruck. The other passengers speak to you with real emotions and feeling. Watching a Combine policeman harass a citizen over his luggage, the woman behind the chain link fence waiting for the husband that will never return…it was truly breathtaking.

The same goes for Portal. A universe within a universe, the Aperture Science Center held that atmosphere of mystery and a bit of fear. GLaDOS really was the character that made it. Her dark sense of humor and deadpan voice rounds out this excellent world.

This place just screams "rebellion".

Arkham Asylum

Heralded as the Rapture of 2009, Arkham Asylum is truly one of the most atmospheric and moody settings in gaming. Once you step into the building, you can tell that this place is hell. Scattered papers and overturned desk with curious stains along the walls make you wonder what really happened there. And outside is even worse. Apparently the gardener took an indefinite leave, as the hedges grow unrestrained and the guard posts fall apart. With the lore of Batman deeply rooted in this adventure and characters so well acted, Arkham Asylum really is the Rapture of 2009.

He's after you...

Cyrodiil

The main reason behind this one is this: depth. In Oblivion, you can spend hours and hours simply walking. A dungeon is just over the crest of that hill. A treasure chest beneath the big lake. Bethesda made a complete world with amazing dialogue and fleshed out characters and creatures that interact with each other. Cyrodiil deserves a top spot here.

This is about 1/1000ths of the game.

The Galaxy

BioWare is already known for their top notch RPGs. But they reall nailed it with their Star Trek-esque Mass Effect. Characters are the strong point in this game. The revolutionar dialogue system gave just talking a bit of an action feel. You didn’t have to respond right away, but with the great voice acting, you were probably already making your response yourself. And with the rest of the universe to explore, space has never been so close.

This puts the Mass in Mass Effect

Rapture

You didn’t think this would just pass this list by? Of course not. This, by far, is the most intriguing and complex world gaming had seen. If somebody had just given you the basic concept about the Bg Daddies/Little Siters and an underwater city, you would’ve instantly thought “science fiction” and “future”. But put all that into a 1960’s art deco setting, and someone would’ve called me crazy. Think about it, though, and you realize it can’t be put anywhere else. With references to Atlas Shrugged and George Orwell’s writings, BioShock is the closest the gam industry’s ever gotten to a total masterpiece.

Simply stunning.