For gamers behind the times

EDIT: about “abandoned”, I was aiming for a vibe rather than a strict dictionary definition. Isolated might work better, point is the facility is cut off, dysfunctional, etc. A skeleton crew isn’t a big deal, etc.

My favorite video game level use to be Peragus from Kotor 2 which involved exploring a mining station and finding out how all the staff workers were killed.

More recently I was playing Mass Effect 1 on Noveria and going up to Peak 15 research lab where the scientists were blocked from leaving due to a blizzard. The dreadful atmosphere, mystery, and uneasy tone really makes stuff like this click in a Video Game setting.

Some entire games are made up of this idea like Systems Shock 2 or Metroid Prime but in general the whole rogue AI thing doesn’t work for me as I want to have a multilayered investigation with no obvious culprit or villain to “shut down” so to speak.

I loved Bioshock but I don’t know if there are any specific levels that fit the definition of “abandoned facility” even given how nebulous that term is. But its obviously a mainstay in game design given how many developers across genres and generations have continued to utilize that same concept.

It works better in video games (IMO) that books or movies because the interactivity allows players to explore and investigate at their own pace while also applying input to decide how much information should/can be revealed by the end.

Ok, so with all that being said, what are some of your favorites and why?