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[MetatronM]

I must say, Square did an amazing job of making Spira a cohesive world with a rich and unique style of its own in FFX. It's certainly a love it or hate it kinda setting (as most unique environment art styles tend to be), but I really feel that few can argue that Square really didn't a great job of selling Spira as a world. It's actually one of the few non-battle system-related things that I felt they really really nailed in FFX.

I'd say Chrono Trigger has a great setting and it's really cool to see how it evolved over time. I never cared for Chrono Cross' setting (just one tiny archipelago? WTF?), but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most physically beautiful games ever made.

Final Fantasy XI also does a damn fine job of selling the reality of its world, which I'd figure is pretty important for an MMORPG.

Xenogears' enormity makes it an obvious candidate too, as there is just a wealth of information provided both in game and out about the history, culture, and little facts about every town/city/location and the world in general. It's an easy game to hate, but you can't say its environments weren't rich.

And, to pick something that hasn't really been mentioned yet, LUNAR needs to be mentioned too.

 

[jarrod]

I know I'll get crucified for calling it an ARPG, but The Wind Waker's dungeons and towns are easily the most stunning environments in a videogame. Period.

SaGa Frontier, Legend of Mana and Grandia (Saturn) all get honorable mentions for stuff last generation.

 

[ge-man]

I know I'll get crucified for calling it an ARPG, but The Wind Waker's dungeons and towns are easily the most stunning environments in a videogame. Period.

The topic poster doesn't mind that you mention other genres, so there's no need to apologize or be on the defensive. I also agree with your pick--one of the best demo impressions I ever had was seeing the Dragon Roost Dungeon for the first time at a GC kiosk. Actually playing and seeing the game up close eclipsed the impressions I had from the videos I had seen of the game.

 

[dark10x]

A few I didn't see mentioned...

I really loved the world in Skies of Arcadia. It is one of the only RPGs to really convey a large sense of scale. When you stand on an island floating in the middle of the sky, you really DO feel as if you are standing on a tiny piece of rock inside a vast world. Or when you raid the Valua prison walls...I couldn't believe just incredibly MASSIVE that structure felt. I can't quite even figure out WHY it feels the way it does. I was hoping for that same sort of scale in Wind Waker (only with a sea), but that world felt small and compressed in comparison. That was the most disappointing aspect of WW for me...

Anachronox was another interesting world. It felt under-utilized as a result of the Q2 engine, but it was extremely interesting nonetheless. Lots of cool ideas that made it stand out. Would have been better as a straight adventure game, though...

As was mentioned above, Metroid Prime really presented some of the most incredible environments yet seen in a game. I'd also like to say my first experience with Unreal. It has aged, no doubt...but the feelings it conveyed back in the day were just incredible. I couldn't believe I was playing such a game.

 

[madara]

My favs are too numberous to list but basicly anything that is NOT scifi apocalpic theme. I'm so sick of them and there popularity. Going town to town explore in lush fantasy world I actually like to live in is for me.

 

[epmode]

alright, if we're listing games from other genres, i'll add grim fandango. it would qualify on its art style alone, but the voice acting and music make it unmissable.

i'm still amazed that two (+torment) of my favorite games of all-time were released in the same year..

 

[AssMan]

I know I'll get crucified for calling it an ARPG, but The Wind Waker's dungeons and towns are easily the most stunning environments in a videogame. Period.

I'd have to disagree. I thought most of the game's dungeons and towns were bland and uninspiring. The only town and dungeon I can consider good is Windmill Hill and the Fire Temple.

 

[jarrod]

I'd have to disagree. I thought most of the game's dungeons and towns were bland and uninspiring. The only town and dungeon I can consider good is Windmill Hill and the Fire Temple.

Naw, the Forest Isle/Dungeon was gorgeous also, like something out of a Miyazaki movie. Not to mention Old Hyrule, The Wind Dungeon and the Temple of the Gods... everything in TWW was top notch visually.

 

[Diomedeskun]

Yes, I got my hopes up that the rest of the game would be as good as those two areas and was sorely disappointed, but Wind Waker does have some other great areas.

I must, of course, add myself to the Xeno and Final Fantasy support, but Fire Emblem. while taking place in a pretty generic world (or set of worlds), always provides a rich history for them.

Likewise, the expanding world and history found in Suikoden is further extended by the books, comics, and magazines surrounding it (mainly in Japan). It has the deepest history of any game series I have played (other than the Ultima series, but that mainly accumulated due to many games and was rather silly).

 

[AssMan]

I forgot about Hyrule Castle! That was great too!

 

[Diomedeskun]

Hyrule was gorgeous, especially the castle and the view of Hyrule from just outside. Ganon's fortress was an annoying level (the first time), but it really gave a feeling of a fortress packed with Ganon's armies.

 

[NLB2]

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon

Hell yeah, and its sequal Goemon's Great Adventure. I'm so glad Konami's localization team didn't Americanize those games.

 

[Soul4ger]

On the subject of 2.5-D platformers (Goemon's Great Adventure), I'd like to add the Klonoa games (PSone and PS2). The levels are so beautiful.