Have you guys ever experienced this phenomenon? Have you ever been roaming around outside in a game, and the composition, visuals, and sound effects were so good they actually compelled you to take a deep breath, expecting to smell fresh air, or flowers, or that wonderful "watery" smell you get by rivers or after a new rain?
I remember one warm night at my house as I was reviewing Breath of the Wild. I had the window cracked open, some storms were rolling in, and I had a straight-up inspiring moment in-game. As I was walking through Hyrule Field at sunset, I stopped a moment to listen to the minimal piano that had kicked in, and to watch the wind weaving through the grass around me. At that moment the wind outside in the real world picked up and pushed through my window. I took a deep breath in, and I was fucking transported to Hyrule. It was magical.
I've also had moments like this exploring Skyrim. There's a great sense of vast, mysterious wilderness in that game that I love but, oddly, these "outside" immersive moments always come to me when exploring the towns and cities at night time. The eerie quiet and beautiful music always get to me, and sometimes I want to take a deep breath and smell my surroundings. This happened one night as I was exploring, and Secunda started playing:
So how about you, Era?
Which game managed to create such a believable outdoor ambience and sense of immersion it made you want to literally breathe in and smell the "outside" air? What was the experience like? Can you recreate it whenever you want? Have you ever experienced this in an older / retro game? Am I just a crazy person?
I remember one warm night at my house as I was reviewing Breath of the Wild. I had the window cracked open, some storms were rolling in, and I had a straight-up inspiring moment in-game. As I was walking through Hyrule Field at sunset, I stopped a moment to listen to the minimal piano that had kicked in, and to watch the wind weaving through the grass around me. At that moment the wind outside in the real world picked up and pushed through my window. I took a deep breath in, and I was fucking transported to Hyrule. It was magical.
I've also had moments like this exploring Skyrim. There's a great sense of vast, mysterious wilderness in that game that I love but, oddly, these "outside" immersive moments always come to me when exploring the towns and cities at night time. The eerie quiet and beautiful music always get to me, and sometimes I want to take a deep breath and smell my surroundings. This happened one night as I was exploring, and Secunda started playing:
So how about you, Era?
Which game managed to create such a believable outdoor ambience and sense of immersion it made you want to literally breathe in and smell the "outside" air? What was the experience like? Can you recreate it whenever you want? Have you ever experienced this in an older / retro game? Am I just a crazy person?
