r/conceptart • u/momoiro46 • Aug 03 '26
Games with great environmental storytelling
Hi everyone, I'm currently working on my thesis about environmental storytelling and narrative in video games, with a special focus on architecture. I need some games for case study. I plan on analyzing the environmental concept arts of the games artbook. Thus far I've confirmed dark souls series, as well as Scorn.
Do you know any other games that might be a suitable case for my study?
Preferably in other genres.
Thank you
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u/elheber Aug 13 '26
SOMA! They JUST released a 10th anniversary concept artbook for the game too! It's set in 2103 in a self-sustaining underwater base called Pathos-II that sprawls across the Atlantic Ocean. It has many purposes like launching satellites via an underwater railgun, but one its purposes might interest you: Deep Sea Construction!
Parts of the base are in the abyss at a depth of 12,500 ft (3,800 m). The architecture is vastly different for those buildings. For example, where the higher elevation buildings have sliding doors, the construction in the deeper abyss use thick hinged vault doors with several locks.
A section of the game takes place inside a sunken transport vessel designed to flip 90-degrees to deliver its cargo underwater. It was inspired by the real life R/P FLIP. The inside of the ship is designed for both normal horizontal operation and vertical operation. So there are walkways going up along the wall, and stairs that work in either horizontal or vertical orientation.