I must say, Square did an amazing job of making Spira a cohesive world with a rich and unique style of its own in FFX. It's certainly a love it or hate it kinda setting (as most unique environment art styles tend to be), but I really feel that few can argue that Square really didn't a great job of selling Spira as a world. It's actually one of the few non-battle system-related things that I felt they really really nailed in FFX.
I'd say Chrono Trigger has a great setting and it's really cool to see how it evolved over time. I never cared for Chrono Cross' setting (just one tiny archipelago? WTF?), but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most physically beautiful games ever made.
Final Fantasy XI also does a damn fine job of selling the reality of its world, which I'd figure is pretty important for an MMORPG.
Xenogears' enormity makes it an obvious candidate too, as there is just a wealth of information provided both in game and out about the history, culture, and little facts about every town/city/location and the world in general. It's an easy game to hate, but you can't say its environments weren't rich.
And, to pick something that hasn't really been mentioned yet, LUNAR needs to be mentioned too.
I'd say Chrono Trigger has a great setting and it's really cool to see how it evolved over time. I never cared for Chrono Cross' setting (just one tiny archipelago? WTF?), but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most physically beautiful games ever made.
Final Fantasy XI also does a damn fine job of selling the reality of its world, which I'd figure is pretty important for an MMORPG.
Xenogears' enormity makes it an obvious candidate too, as there is just a wealth of information provided both in game and out about the history, culture, and little facts about every town/city/location and the world in general. It's an easy game to hate, but you can't say its environments weren't rich.
And, to pick something that hasn't really been mentioned yet, LUNAR needs to be mentioned too.