Good Game: 11 Best Video Game Atmospheres of 2010

Good Game is a weekly column with news and reviews of video games and casual gaming.

The background against which a video game plays out always has an effect on the gameplay experience. But in some games, the setting is so unique and integral to the game, it's inextricably intertwined with the story. For games like these, the environment is part or even most of the appeal.

Several games that fall into this category have been released this year (or will be shortly). Here are my picks of the best, in ascending order of how compelling, important, and effectively integrated the environment is with the rest of the game.

11. Alan Wake (Xbox) — Fictional town of Bright Falls, in the Pacific Northwest

The gameplay in this mystery gets a little repetitive, but the developers definitely created a spooky atmosphere, from the small-town diner to the foggy woods you run through at night armed with a flashlight.

10. Halo: Reach (Xbox) — The human colony of Reach, 2552

You're probably going to be too busy shooting aliens to explore much of the planet in this game, but the vistas, foliage and settlements are worth a second look. 

9. Mass Effect 2 (Xbox/PC) — Outer space, 2183

In this massively popular sci-fi game, the final frontier is populated by unknown planets, new alien races, and cutting-edge spaceships, as well as stunning starscapes. 

8. Mafia II (Xbox) — The Fictional American city of "Empire Bay," 1940s

Everything from the cars and clothing to the music and dialogue work together in this game to authentically recreate the golden era of Mob rule in America.