Happy and
colorful. That is the image that Nintendo has cultivated over the
years. And that's the way they are seen by the general public. Just
take a look at their two latest big new IPs, Splatoon and ARMS, and
you'll see it for yourself. Now of course there is nothing wrong with
that, and that's the last thing I would want to imply. But this
image, as true as it is, leads to one simple problem. At least in my
eyes. People tend to see Nintendo as just that. It's just a kids and
family company. And this will and should always be Nintendos main
identity. But to say Nintendo is just that is very, very wrong.
When I say to you,
think of a typical Nintendo title, most of you probably going to have
a very specific picture in mind. But what people tend to forget, when
thinking of Nintendo games, is that there is more than just the Happy
and colorful fassade. There are countless games for Nintendo consoles
with thick atmosphere. Of course this doesn't exclude happy and
colorful ones, but most people tend to forget that. When you think of
an atmospheric game you probably think of something dark and
brooding. Which is a damn shame because atmosphere can come in all
shapes and colors. So today I'd like to focus on this topic. I hope
you'll enjoy my little collection of atmospheric Nintendo games.
5: Xenoblade
Chronicles X
For me this game
is still one of the best games on the Wii-U and it's a damn shame
that so few people have played it. Luckily Xenoblade Chronicles 2
looks just as promising, so maybe this time around more people get to
enjoy the creative worlds that Monolith tends to create. Because if
there is one thing that this studio excels at, then it's creating
imaginative worlds with rich atmosphere. And while the original
Xenoblade had some really cool areas, which has to be expected of a
game set on two gigantic titans, Xenoblade Chronicles X really took
the cake for me. Becaues it was one of the few games that managed to
create truly alien feeling areas. While venturing through Sylvalum or
Noctilum I never had the feeling that something like this could exist
on earth. Together with the genius music this created an alien
atmosphere that has yet to be replicated by another game for me.
There is hardly
anything comparable to the feeling of soaring through the Noctilum
with your Skell. The titanic beasts and awe-inspiring enviroments
just suck me in. Or the contrast between the calm serenity of
Sylvalum and the deadly beasts that inhabit it. The other three
continents int the game, Oblivia, Cauldros and Primordia, don't
manage to live up to that standard fully, but they are just as
beautiful. Especially at night.
Sadly that rich
atmosphere is sometimes interrupted by the gameplay. I'm not talking
about battles or the like, but things like collectibles being small
blue crystals floating on the overworld instaed of actual things.
Picking up an actual plant from the ground or simply driving over a
bluy crystal symbolizing it, is a huge difference. Especially in the
atmosphere department. Still the awe-inspiring enviroments will
(hopefully) let forget about such minor hiccups.
4: Zombi U
Everytime I
mention this game I praise it. But it's simply that good. Especially
for being a launch title on the Wii-U. Coming from a time when
Ubisoft still was fully behind Nintendo this game sought to do what
Red Seel on the Wii couldn't. Showing of the new unique capabilities
of the console and create a good title in the process. What we got is
still one of the best Horror titles on any console. Ubisoft managed
to do the unthinkable and make Zombies menacing again. And they did
it with one simple trick, which also was responsible for the great
atmosphere of the title. The perrfect use of the Wii-U gamepad. I
have already talked countless times that Zombi U used the problem of
competing screens to it's advantage. By not pausing the game when you
open the inventory and forcing the player to look onto the gamepad
they create a threatening atmosphere where you never can relax. Just
how a Horror Game should feel.
Zombi U is the
perfect example that you don't need the latest tech and best graphics
to create an atmosphere that sucks you into the game. It uses the
limitations and possibilities of it's hardware perfectly. That's also
the reason why the port of the game for X-Box, PlayStation and PC
didn't truly work in my eyes. Zombi U only works fully on the Wii-U,
but here it creates a horror atmosphere that doesn't allow you to
relax even one second.
3: Metroid Prime
You can't talk
about atmosphere without mentioning one of the most atmospheric game
series of all time. Even with it's limited tools on the NES and SNES
Metroid always managed to suck you into it's alien worlds. The
feeling of isolation mixed with the greatness of Samus Aran truly
created an unique atmosphere. So when the series made the jump to 3D
enviroments it continued to do exactly that. Metroid Prime was a huge
risk for Nintendo. Not only was the series on a more than seven year
hiatus, but the preceding game also was one of the greatest of all
time. So could Talon IV keep up with the creepy and alien atmosphere
of Planet Zebes?
To answer this
question quickly. Yes it could. Retro masterfully reimagined Metroid
as First-Person title, and while Talon IV may not feel as alien as
Zebes at first glance, it is an absolutely stunning and atmospheric
place to visit. Even now more than a decade later.
The one thing
Retro absolutely nailed on their first try with the Metroid Series
was the feeling of lonelyness. Exploring Talon IV always feels
dangerous, but never out of your league. After all your Samus Aran.
One of the main
reasons for the great atmosphere of the title is, without a doubt,
the switch to first-Person. This creates a much stronger connection
with the game. Metroid Prime manages to make you forget your
surroundings and completely sucks you into it's alien world. And any
game that still manages that more than a decade after it's release
deserves a place on this list.
2: Resident Evil 4
In 2002 Capcom
announced the Capcom 5. Five exclusive titles for the Nintendo
Gamecube. Among those was one game in particular that created a lot
of buzz. Resident Evil had been a PlayStation exclusive series up
until then. But after releasing the excellent Remake on the first
title on the GameCube the wind seemed to change. And so the excellent
Resident Evil 4 was created from the ground up as GameCube exclusive.
(Ironic because nowadays nearly each available platform on the market
got a port of this game.)
After the third
title in the series and the spin-off Code: Veronica the Resident Evil
franchise was in a tight spot. The games, great as they were, had
started to feel stale. Because of that game creator Shinji Mikami
decided that the gameplay of the series needed a rework. The result
was, and still is, one of the greates horror titles ever.
So what is so
great about the atmosphere in Resident Evil 4? Well I could talk
about how great the game sill looks or how the varied and detailed
enviroments or rural spain suck you in. But the thing that truly
creates the great atmosphere, at least for me, are the enemies. No
longer are you fighting brainless Zombies, but infected villages and
cul people. And while the Las Plagas parasite has made them obedient
towards the cult, it hasn't turned them into mindless Zombies. They
behave quite dynamically and adjust to your strategy. And that's what
makes this game so atmospheric.
1: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Never ever before
have I lost myself to such an extent in a virtual world. Only Skyrim
and my first time playing World of Warcraft in 2005 come close to the
feeling that Breath of the Wild created. When the game was first
introduced in 2014 I couldn't completely believe Nintendos promise of
a truly open game, where you could tackle problems from any possible
angle. But I happily admit how wrong I was. Not only did Breath of
the Wild create the most ''open'' Open world so far, but it also has
showed me the limitations other, similar, games have. Awkwardly
jumping up a mountain in Skyrim now feels so much worse after
experiencing the climbing system in BotW.
To me the game is
the complete package where presentation and gameplay perfectly work
together to create the single best atmosphere in any game I've played
so far.
An important
factor in that is the genious muscial score, that is praised far to
less when talking about the game. Yes the score is very withdrawn,
but that's exactly the idea. It is only there to emphasize the world.
Take the Hebra Mountains as an example. The sparse music there serves
to pull you in and emphasize the feeling of cold- and lonelyness that
these mountains emit. Also when the Score wells up from time to time
it feels that much more intense and special.
If you've never
played Breath of the Wild it's hard to describe but the ability to go
wherever you want simply changes everything. When playing Breath of
the Wild I don't have the feeling that I'm playing a game, instead it
truly feels like an adventure. An Adventure everyone should
experience for themselves.
So what games
manage to suck you in with their atmosphere? Which games let you
forget the fact that you're playing a game? I really love to hear
your answer. So let me know in the comments.
And as always
thanks for reading
