What places in games do you visit, just to visit?

Are there locations where you go even when you don't gain plot events or experience points, just because they're beautiful, fun, or cozy? Do you like to hang out in any virtual places?

• Erana's Peace in Quest For Glory is a meadow where it's always warm and the flowers are in bloom, there are fruit to eat, and it's safe to sleep. It's simple, but it's one of the only places in the game that's not trying to murder you, and many players find it while dashing about trying not to get eaten.
• The Cosmic Observatory in Super Mario Galaxy. It's safe, welcoming, and otherwordly all at the same time. Standing on a patch of grass and looking down at a planet does that. It has a library and it's populated by the infant forms of stars, enjoying themselves. All in all a nice spot.
• Jolly Roger Bay in Super Mario 64.
• Aquaria: The Home Waters and Open Waters, The Veil, and the Kelp Forest are just beautiful, though I can't find a clip on YouTube that wouldn't lead to vicious spoilers. The Abyss has its charm too, but not in quite the same way.
• The Storm Fortress in Sky Blazer. Oh yeah. Coming through.

We may as well expand this to games that you play not so much for the challenge, but to see the sights and visit the folk.

• Homeworld. A space game with a Middle Eastern theme sounds ridiculous and works wonderfully. Everyone knows that Space Is an Ocean, but Homeworld insists that space is a desert, and that makes it as fresh today as it was twelve years ago. Few sci-fi titles would call a nebula the Gardens of Kadesh; still fewer would get away with it.

edited 13th Dec '11 5:53:15 PM by Kizor

Malon and I are getting married. (Seriously though, Lon Lon Ranch is pretty fun to just hang out at).

Before Cataclysm I used to hang around Azshara. Hauntingly beautiful back then, especially with nobody in it, and I'm still sad that there is finally content there it's all a big goblin circus.

Mystic Ruins from Sonic Adventure, and the first part of Apotos day in Sonic Unleashed.

Al'Taieu in Final Fantasy XI. Full of otherworldly beauty and unique enemies.

Also, everywhere in Myst. Half the fun of that game is exploring places.

edited 14th Dec '11 12:44:48 PM by Mezzopiano

Accumula Town, for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=259C4AaOHn0

Everywhere on Isle Delfino.

edited 14th Dec '11 2:06:55 PM by RTaco

YES accumla town's theme is wonderful!!! I LOVE it.

Modern Rooftop run and Green Hill in Sonic Generations. They're so pretty.

Phendrana Drifts in Metroid Prime. I just go there, sit back on my easychair, and explore the place while listening to its excellent music.

You mentioned Aquaria, so I'm going to add the Frozen Veil to your list. I don't know why, but that place just makes me happy.

The Fairy Hall in Rayman 3. For some reason I just find it an interesting mystic cave, which is a trope I'm surprised we haven't seen more of. I do like to pretend that The Fair Folk are in there somewhere. And the Tuatha Dé Danann.

I like the Sacred Meadow of the lost woods in Ocarina of Time too. I think it would make a nice spot for a picnic. And then I go sightseeing in the Forest Temple. I especially like the courtyard.

For Majora's Mask whenever I'm playing and want an in-game break I head to the Clock Tower. It's nice for there to be one place where the flow of time doesn't reach, and I find it relaxing.

In Oblivion, I kind of took over Elynglynn with the help of a mod. That, and Rolling hills is pretty nice pre-dawn.

There was this unremarkable Korean MMO called Priston Tale back in the day that had one of the best town themes I ever heard for the mage's starting area. And the field outside was just beautiful with this raised section that was like a tunnel made out of trees.

Oh, sweet, I found the track!

edited 15th Dec '11 2:51:46 AM by TheGunheart

Lake Mead Cave...not much loot in there, but the scenery is absolutely stunning, especially when you consider how the wasteland looks like...

Sapphire Blue: I found the Frozen Veil too frustrating myself, but understand why you'd like it. There's a lot to be said for a hidden cove where there are more dolphins and otters than enemies, it's snowing, this music plays and there are giant globes of water floating in mid-air that you can swim and jump through.

I wish we'd see blatantly impossible architechture more often. Though it's not like anything holds up the blocks in Super Mario, is it?

Egad, a wheat field on Ghibli Hills. I figured that RPG characters just ate wandering monsters.

Also: That's right, Rayman! I forgot to mention the Dream Forest in the first game. The rest of the game is sadistically difficult, but the Dream Forest is just overwhelmingly pretty.

I expect I'd feel the same way about Astal if I could get Sega Saturn emulation working.

edited 15th Dec '11 3:55:11 AM by Kizor

I may have not liked the game very much, but I gotta give Oblivion credit for making a gorgeous sunset whenever you're near the ocean. Check the Youtube video after 0:55 to see what I mean. And what's really astonishing about that video is that the system rendering it was actually weaker than a PS 3 yet still managed such visuals!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBxzRh0Prjg

edited 15th Dec '11 4:41:27 AM by SgtRicko

Point Lookout in Fallout 3.

I always enjoyed the scenery and taking in the isolation. Also liked listening to the ambient music there instead of the Capital Wasteland.

edited 15th Dec '11 4:47:52 AM by TheFreeman

Homeworld is still one of my favorite games ever. I played it so much I wore the first disk out and bought another. The Gardens of Kadesh and the Junkyard are two great levels in it worth playing just to be there.

In World Of Warcraft I spent a lot of time in Winterspring. Except for Furbolg slaughter for rep there was no reason for most people to go up there. Once Burning Crusade came out it was a wasteland. Made it easy on an RP server to pick a house out and declare it my own. Also, Caverns of Time BEFORE BC came out. Again, almost always empty and nice scenery. I'd go to Zul'Gurub at the drop of a hat. Didn't matter, even after I'd got all the loot I needed out of the place I'd still go just for fun. It was also fun to sneak into empty zone. All the scenery porn, none of the mobs to fight. In fact World Of Warcraft was full of these scenic locations that were well out of the way but if you went looking for them you could find some really nice places to visit.

Mount Chiliad in San Andreas

The Balcony is cool.

Where do I begin with Guild Wars? I often find myself clearing monsters out of an area, and taking the senic route to my destination, just because the environments look so freaking gorgeous. I found myself being blown away by the aesthetic of a dilapidated, broken city block, for crying out loud.

I like visiting the ICO Beach in Shadow of the Colossus. And also the save shrine right above it.

Skag Gully in Borderlands. So fantastic.

I like to walk around the castle in Mario 64 for ages, most of the maps I visit just to sight-see as well.

Madain Sari in Final Fantasy IX.

Loads of places in Majora's Mask as well as Ocarina of Time. I just can't get enough sightseeing of the Forest and Water Temples; I go wandering around in a daze of admiration.

Also, pretty much the entire reason I play Yume Nikki is this. Total fascination...

edited 17th Dec '11 2:00:31 PM by NilAdmirari

The Calm Lands are one of my personal favorite places to go.

Freezeezy Peak in Banjo Kazooie, especially around this time of year. SO CHRISTMASY. The giant tree, the giant snowman, the giant presents... you get the picture. And the music! It's like a lost Christmas carol! CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!

From the same game, Click Clock Wood, especially Nabnut's house. I love the music both outside and in the house, and I especially liked Nabnut's "bathtub" on one of the upper levels of his house. Plus, I love that wood-furniture look.

Level 4-3 in Kirby64, also known as "The Mall." I always liked pretending to "shop" there, and inhaling certain enemies for specific powers in different parts of the level. Plus, it's one of the most colorful in the game, and has great music.

Village Bridge in Pokemon Black and White. Again, it's the music.

Rocket Robot On Wheels is an entire game I just like to hang in. Every level has something that's fun to just play with. The first level has the ultra-fun Dune Dog to race in, the second level lets you paint the level crazy colors, the third... OK, that one's not as cool, but in the fourth, you FLY, in the sixth, it's made out of candy and has some fun glitches, and I purposefully saved the fifth for last because it has the GLIDER BIKE. A bat-winged motorcycle. THAT FLIES. You zoom off cliffs, pop out your bat wings, and glide gracefully through the air. It feels badass and wonderful.

Zora's Domain. There is a soothing Carribean vibe to it...and no shitty monsters around. Oh, and the Hyrule castle courtyard.

Anywhere except big boo's haunt in fluffy action games such as Klona.