I've been playing through the PS2 game ICO lately and it dawned on me that it is probably the most beautiful game I've ever played. I'm not talking about polycounts or dynamic lighting here, but just the overall "Whoa, look at that!" factor that occasionaly crops up in games.
For me I think Tomb Raider was probably the first, more recently Prince of Persia had a similar effect, and now ICO takes the top prize for its triumphant handling of the grandeur or a castle. Almost every room makes my jaw drop and I often find myself climbing up to high spots for no reason other than to get a good view!
What games have had this effect most on you, through all time?
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I had played many RPGs and immersive games previously, but this set the benchmark at atmospheric levels.
Looks more like Smeagol than Jesus.
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