Games with believable worlds

[Lotus Victoria]

Hello champions, good to see you.

So, I love atmosphere in video-games, and one of the best things to contribute to atmosphere is world building.

What are some of your favourite games with believable worlds?
If you dislike the worlds of some games, you can say them as well.

Examples of believable worlds:

Deus Ex: The game presents itself in a very realistic way. The cyberpunk elements are minimal, but they are there, and they're integrated in a very smart way.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines: The world is well presented, and you can almost touch the vampire society in that one. Characters are great and everything works in favor of the setting.
Final Fantasy Tactics: Religion is corrupt, politicians are fucking assholes, and the world is well constructed and believable.
The Witcher 3: Good writing and excellent characters make this beautiful world believable as fuck.
Cyberpunk Bartender Action: VA-11 Hall-A: A small cyberpunk game, but clever writing makes the world look alive (the way the city works, how they've replaced water in the future, etc).

Examples of non-believable worlds (In my opinion - and by no means bad games):

Deus Ex - Human Revolution: 11 years from now, we'll have augmented people in the streets, and a shit load of riots against them for no good reason. It breaks the immersion, in my opinion. This kind of tech shouldn't be easily accessable, and even if it happened to be, the riots against them make no sense whatsoever.
Most MMO's: because of the nature of these kinds of game, I have to suspend my disbelief, otherwise it would make no sense.
Undertale: I love Undertale, but the world building of the game is very limited. We get to know a lot of characters, but the world makes almost no sense. Maybe it is the limitations of the technology used (Game Maker), but VA-11 Hall-A used the same engine and the world is a lot more believable.

Your turn!

[Deleted]

I found Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak to be somewhat believable.
Or maybe it's just the story telling itself that was believable? Difficult to say, but it really felt like playing on a future earth - consumed by the desert.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

The Legend of Heroes series by Nihon Falcom: the LoH series has provided me with one of THE absolute most interesting worlds and compelling characters to chew on. The world is set in Zemuria, a 19th-20th century western-european like world that just underwent an industrial revolution. 50 years ago, Professor Epstein discovered the power of Orbal energy, which transformed life as we know it: providing electricity to light and heat the home, raising airships into the sky, and even allowing ordinary people to use magic (in the form of a cheap, orbal-powered pocketwatch). This not only changed the daily lives of people, but the political, economic, and ideological structure of the world! With the widespread availability of orbal power, commoners could now challenge nobility and monarchies. Mobilization across an entire continent could occur in only a few days. As a result, the world is now in a massive upheaval, and the protagonist of each LoH game is desperately trying to keep the world from falling apart. The world of LoH is explored in unparalleled detail: everything from religion to economics to the nuances of local, state, and international politics to idiosyncrasies of each and every NPC in town. No, I'm serious: after a story quest, each and every NPC's personal dialogue (and sometimes, character arc!) is updated, showing you that these people aren't just NPCs who have only one thing to say for their entire lives: they live along with the ever changing world of Zemuria.

Mount & Blade: Warband: Calradia absolutely feels like a real place, fleshed out with numerous villages that create different products and populated by people of various descents (and therefore, worldviews and loyalities), to the bustling towns that sell the goods and the tensions within, to the castles garrisoned by peasant troops and the squabbles and ambitions of the aristocracy, to the vast changing face of the peninsula itself as the turks and danes invade and borders redrawn. It would be higher on my list, if not for the fact that alot of the world was created by copying and pasting the same few buildings and NPC models over and over again, but it still stands as one of the few game world that I believe to exist.

[Sorrior]

Hello champions, good to see you.

So, I love atmosphere in video-games, and one of the best things to contribute to atmosphere is world building.

What are some of your favourite games with believable worlds?
If you dislike the worlds of some games, you can say them as well.

Examples of believable worlds:

Deus Ex: The game presents itself in a very realistic way. The cyberpunk elements are minimal, but they are there, and they're integrated in a very smart way.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines: The world is well presented, and you can almost touch the vampire society in that one. Characters are great and everything works in favor of the setting.
Final Fantasy Tactics: Religion is corrupt, politicians are fucking assholes, and the world is well constructed and believable.
The Witcher 3: Good writing and excellent characters make this beautiful world believable as fuck.
Cyberpunk Bartender Action: VA-11 Hall-A: A small cyberpunk game, but clever writing makes the world look alive (the way the city works, how they've replaced water in the future, etc).

Examples of non-believable worlds (In my opinion - and by no means bad games):

Deus Ex - Human Revolution: 11 years from now, we'll have augmented people in the streets, and a shit load of riots against them for no good reason. It breaks the immersion, in my opinion. This kind of tech shouldn't be easily accessable, and even if it happened to be, the riots against them make no sense whatsoever.
Most MMO's: because of the nature of these kinds of game, I have to suspend my disbelief, otherwise it would make no sense.
Undertale: I love Undertale, but the world building of the game is very limited. We get to know a lot of characters, but the world makes almost no sense. Maybe it is the limitations of the technology used (Game Maker), but VA-11 Hall-A used the same engine and the world is a lot more believable.

Your turn!

Actually we HAVE the tech to make augmented humans right noiw just in testing so who knows. As for riots wouldn't be surprisex

[Lotus Victoria]

Actually we HAVE the tech to make augmented humans right noiw just in testing so who knows. As for riots wouldn't be surprisex

But the biggest "problem" in the world presented by human revolution is the idea of augmentations. People riot like fucking dogs because other people are able to get augmented? This is supposed to be good, but they present it in a manner so unbelievable that it breaks my immersion. Even more after playing the original.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

But the biggest "problem" in the world presented by human revolution is the idea of augmentations. People riot like fucking dogs because other people are able to get augmented? This is supposed to be good, but they present it in a manner so unbelievable that it breaks my immersion. Even more after playing the original.

I suppose the argument against mechanical prosthetics as powerful as depicted in fiction (and indeed, genetic engineering ala Gundam SEED) would be the fear that normal unaugmented people would be at a disadvantage in the workforce and possibly discriminated against (as in, wouldn't be able to get a job) because all of the augmented people (mechanical or genetic) would be better at their jobs, be it lifting heavy containers or for jobs that require genius. Gundam SEED presents this fairly believably by having the general populace afraid that the new genetically engineered generation would displace them in the workforce, and therefore lead to their demise.

[Lotus Victoria]

I suppose the argument against mechanical prosthetics as powerful as depicted in fiction (and indeed, genetic engineering ala Gundam SEED) would be the fear that normal unaugmented people would be at a disadvantage in the workforce and possibly discriminated against (as in, wouldn't be able to get a job) because all of the augmented people (mechanical or genetic) would be better at their jobs, be it lifting heavy containers or for jobs that require genius. Gundam SEED presents this fairly believably by having the general populace afraid that the new genetically engineered generation would displace them in the workforce, and therefore lead to their demise.

Interesting. I'll take a look at Gundam when I can, because I like the overall idea, I just think that it is poorly implemented in HR, like many other features.

[Sorrior]

Interesting. I'll take a look at Gundam when I can, because I like the overall idea, I just think that it is poorly implemented in HR, like many other features.

Gundam Seed specifically deals with it the other series deasl woth other issues such as Wing and 00 being commentaries on the cycle of h atred and war, classic 0079 just being a war story(though VERY well done) and 08th MS team showing life in the trenches basically. I mean i can go on and on but if you want augmented humans go SEED(though more genetically refined human but more)

Oh and if not seen yet i insist you look into ghost in the shell...The movies and/or Stand alone complex AMAZING cyberpunk worlds where cyborgs are the norm to the point of brainhacking being a common enough crime

[Pony Soldier]

The game that sticks out the most is Mass Effect. Everytime I played those games I felt like I was in that world. Sadly the ending of ME 3 ruined the whole series for me to the point where I can no longer play any of the games because of how the ending to ME 3 made pretty much everything you do in the previous games pointless.

Another one was Bioshock's Rapture. Just like Mass Effect everytime I played those games I felt like I was actually there. The way they pull you into that world is just so well done. Story is really interesting too, has a lot of depth to it.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Deus Ex - Human Revolution: 11 years from now, we'll have augmented people in the streets, and a shit load of riots against them for no good reason. It breaks the immersion, in my opinion. This kind of tech shouldn't be easily accessable, and even if it happened to be, the riots against them make no sense whatsoever.

I think this is exactly what would happen. Take a look at the US for one moment and you see it all in the making right now. Bible thumping "something" purists make up over 30% of the country and would certainly be eager to be offended by someone disregarding god's design when given the oportunity. Many of them prone to violence, all in the name of righteos religious fury. Then you have the poor and uneducated which are just left behind, which would be jealous of those that could affort augmentations. You have riots right now every other month or sometimes week because some group feels disadvanted despite not even trying to actuall change, just wait for when they actually won't even have the chance to change because they can't affort it. On the other side you have the tech hipsters that would do anything to be edgy or ahead of the curve (and later complaining) no matter the prirce even if they had next to no certainty that it turns out well. Even if it means being adicted to some drug for the rest of their lives. When it comes to mankind divided you have the central event that leads to a massive global death toll proving all the critics right, furthering everything. I think that is actually a very plausible part of the scenario, especially in the place where the respective stories play out. The games don't play out in the swiss alps or sweeden for a reason.

The only thing I find very questionable is obviously the timeframe, but they were bound by the original Deus Ex lore to kinda put it there, because 2029 is already the year for J.C. Dentons birth. Personally as someone working with tech I don't see us getting to that level in the next 20 years, let alone 11. Maybe we could get the controlling part right, but I doubt we will invent systems that would be able to power it that way as described in the series. It finding mass market acceptance or being affordable obviously not as well. The manufacturing actually happening in detroit, yeah lol, as if .

[ParanoiD84]

Alien Isolation i guess, feels like your in the movies on the Sevastopol or the first one atleast. They really nailed the sound design, atmosphere and game design.

Easily the best movie to game adaptation imo.

Not much of a world though just a space station but still you get a feel of how that future looks with the 80's look and all.

[Slykila]

I played a bit on Destiny 2 yesterday and the visuals are stunning! The worlds look absolutely amazing!

Edit: My bad thought you said beautiful not believable lol

[Swalload]

Pretty much all Assassin's Creed games. Not so hard to be believable when it's literally based on historic reality lol.

[Lotus Victoria]

*snip*

My problem with HR is not only that (which I still think that it's hard to happen, and even if it does, it will not be in such an extreme way as represented in HR). The whole elevated Shanghai thing, and how people treat you like you're some kind of charismatic god, it all feels very "video-game-y". And the elevated Shanghai isn't happening anytime soon, that I'll guarantee .

I treat HR as a video-game, a very fun one. But it's a video-game in every sense of the word. It is like an alternative universe. The original one was a lot more grounded, but hey, the original one was made in a different era, by different developers.

[Arrashi]

Touhou project. Whats not to believe ?

[Cosmic Janitor]

My problem with HR is not only that (which I still think that it's hard to happen, and even if it does, it will not be in such an extreme way as represented in HR). The whole elevated Shanghai thing, and how people treat you like you're some kind of charismatic god, it all feels very "video-game-y". And the elevated Shanghai isn't happening anytime soon, that I'll guarantee .

I treat HR as a video-game, a very fun one. But it's a video-game in every sense of the word. It is like an alternative universe. The original one was a lot more grounded, but hey, the original one was made in a different era, by different developers.

I'll give you shanghai, that seems improbable (though it is a hyperbolic projection of the mega city building trends. If someone were to start thinking about the whole city instead of just individual skyscrapers it might be not completely unfeasible. But looking at the US, currently, there is no doubt this could become a reality. Heck back when the game was made the social climate was considerably better, fast forward not 5 years and you have a huge divide in the population.

[Deleted]

But the biggest "problem" in the world presented by human revolution is the idea of augmentations. People riot like fucking dogs because other people are able to get augmented? This is supposed to be good, but they present it in a manner so unbelievable that it breaks my immersion. Even more after playing the original.

Aren't you a little naïve? You will literally have people who will either lose jobs or not being to get jobs because they lack said augmentations. Unless said augmentations are widely available and affordable I don't see any version of the future where people won't riot against it.

It's just more thing that will push already poor people even further into poverty.

[procne]

But the biggest "problem" in the world presented by human revolution is the idea of augmentations. People riot like fucking dogs because other people are able to get augmented? This is supposed to be good, but they present it in a manner so unbelievable that it breaks my immersion. Even more after playing the original.

If you paid more attention when playing DE:HR and read deeper into various messages in the game you would see how it makes a lot of sense and is very believeable.

Starting with "they took our jobs" argument because non-augmented people couldn't compete with augs, going through forced augmentation in some places and ending up with riots / anti-aug movements being inspired and fueled by the Illuminati to seize control the augmentation technology.

[PACOX]

Metal Gear Solid, maybe up to fire because I haven't played that one yet so cant vouch for it. Its basically what the crazy homeless man is talking about with a touch of Sci-Fi.

[Deleted]

Dark souls, the three of them.
The first one specially, because of its brilliant cohesive design, the world feels believable, and in terms of gameplay these series of games are among the best for me.
Another game i really enjoyed back in the day was the elder scrolls morrowind, the gameplay is not on par with DS games, but the gameworld still feels amazing, even if you play it today.
Might and magic 6-7-8, the world of Erathia was very well constructed with M&M and HOMM series.