Most visually jaw-dropping levels/sceneries?

The title is pretty self explanatory. What are the most visually stunning levels that you have seen in a game? I'm talking about entering an area and witnessing a sight to behold which leaves you sitting there motionless, just admiring the awesome scenery while you gently pan the camera to witness the level in all its glory.

For me this is probably a tie between the first time you see the floating structures in Bioshock infinite and the Dragon Aerie level in Dark Souls II... holy shit man, those pillars!

The first thing that came to mind was leaving the vault in Fallout 3.

Seeing Anor Londo for the first time was pretty cool too.

BioShock Infinite is definitely up there. Anor Londo in Dark Souls (a lot of parts of Dark Souls, really). Several parts in Shadow of the Colossus. The second level of Halo 4. Being on top of a really tall structure in Just Cause 2.

Uncharted 2 train sequence and Journey sand surfing are a couple of stand outs in my mind.

For me, the first time I stepped on Aegis VII in Dead Space. Being in the Ishimura the entire game and stepping out to look into a huge crater and the red-ish skybox was a nice surprise to me. There are a lot really, and these kind of things are very important to me in games, but that comes to my mind, and the reason I reassessed my feelings on Dead Space and I finally came around to the game (as I had initially not liked the game too much), it then turning out to be one of my favorite games ever, and one of my favorite series.

What immediately comes to mind is Dear Esther's cave section and Core level of Crysis.

Obligatory Bioshock infinite reference

Also, the first time you leave the sewers in Oblivion was indescribable. Such a great game

Sovngarde in Skyrim

Fez

You guys fucking kidding me? The fact that Deckers Die wasn't in the first response is depressing

Leaving the Vault in Fallout 3 is a classic. Same with Oblivion and stepping off the boat in Morrowind. Arriving at the main field in Ocarina of Time was incredible too.

in Dead Space 2. It was a great way to bring up old memories but not be lazy about it: the new assets (the UV and covers over everything) say everything that needs to be said.

Leaving Midgard in Final Fantasy VII in 1997. At the time that game was really something special.

@ntm: The Dead Space series does a really good job with it's level designs and 'wow' moments, they just felt like they were built with such care and detail to make them feel like you are in real places and just visually cool looking places.

Anyways, off the top of my head here is a few.

Bioshock 1: The entire beginning, the plane crash was great but then getting into the submersible and slowly floating through the ocean and past Raptures buildings and seeing the sea life and things to come in the game and having it accompanied by that amazing ost score for that scene, fucking gorgeous.

Shadow of the Colossus: The first boss fight really, but there is a lot of great moments and visuals in that game, but the minute you see the first boss fight you know if that game is for you or not.

Alien Isolation: Finding the original derelict ship and eggs from the first Alien movie, also that room that powers the ship that is made of A CONSTANT LIGHTNING STORM HOLY SHIT!

Left 4 Dead: Airport campaign, the plane crashing, zoooooooom crash booooooooooooom hoooolyyy shiiiiiiiiiiiit!

Phendrana Drifts, Metroid Prime.

The backdrops of Oboro Muramasa and Odin Sphere.

Alien Isolation. Just amazing throughout.

Vault moment from Fallout 3 gives me goosebumps every time. (same with skyrim!)

theres a few moments in GTA 5. driving up that road that leads to the city when your on the hill and just see everything in the distance at sunset was pretty great.

Honorable mention goes to kerbal space program. I spent so long designing a small rocket satellite and getting it into orbit. I finally nailed it and rounded out the orbit perfectly and expanded those solar panel arms in the darkness with earth between me and the sun. Then the sun pierces the horizon of the planet and comes around on my machine and hot damn I thought humanity would just be all right for a moment.

Sif in Dark Souls is a very cool moment. Swords everywhere with a great white wolf perched on a giant tombstone.

Opening to The Link to the Past. There was rain! It was the first in wet pavement technology.

Mass Effect 2 / Journey photos were taken with a flip phone so excuse the image quality. GTA photos from PS3 version; having played so much of the PS4 version it's kind of amazing to remember how awesome it already looked.

Wind Waker, the first time on the open seas.

Muramasa

Ori

Half Life: Opposing Force, you know the spot.

Journey

Shadow of the Collosus

and multiple areas of the Metroid Prime series

Several points throughout the God of War series are pretty damn impressive visually.

I also had to stop for a moment when I came across the dragon in Dark Souls 2. It's huge!

When you first step outside in Oblivion. A river as far as you can see, rolling hills, and the freedom to go anywhere. It was the first 360 game I played that blew me away. Kind of the next step after Halo's Halo moment.

Bioshock: Infinite when you first start walking around and just soaking in the world.

Moonlit Wilderness in Tekken 5, with that music... I spent so much time in practice mode just fighting an Ultra Hard computer.

Oh, and the Sky Sanctuary in Sonic 3 was something else. It just seemed endless, with that Death Egg in the background.

Vanillaware games. Some stuff in Uncharted. And I honestly take a bunch of screenshots in Battlefield 4 multiplayer.

• The skybox in Mass Effect 3 specifically Palaven.
• Oasis in Fallout 3. It's a nice change from all the grey and brown from the Capital Wasteland.
• The Otherworld shopping mall in Silent Hill 3.
• Seeing the giraffes walking by in The Last of Us.
• Revisiting Shadow Moses in MGS4.

The entire helicopter chase into the hotel in Uncharted 2 is so incredible I could hardly believe it was happening.

I guess this is more of a moment than a level or scenario, but that part in the first Modern Warfare when the nuke goes off was pretty jaw-dropping for me, considering I was like 13 and had never really seen something like that before.

The Snow in Pokemon Diamond.

As others have mentioned, leaving the vault in Fallout 3 was pretty impressive visually.

Halo 3 was also one of my first games on the 360/PS3 generation of consoles. The jungles at the start were so immersive. Plus the huge explosions of scarabs and the way the screen seemed to dim just by the intensity of the light was amazing!

I played the first Bioshock in late 2012 (so 5 years after release), and I was still blown away by how detailed the environments were, especially in the beginning.

I liked the idea of that part, but I thought it really overstayed its welcome.

Beginning of God of War 3 where you are fighting on top of Gaea and the camera zooms out to show all the Titans ascending Mount Olympus. Really the entire opening section of God of War 3 is quite the spectacle.

Stepping out of the caves on Requiem in Halo 4 and being greeted with that immense view. I sat there and gently panned until the awesome soundtrack finished playing out.

The icy lake section of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

Being on almost any hilltop at sunset in Red Dead Redemption.

Journey. Okami. Souls. Brothers. Prince of Persia '08. Fuck there's so many games with just visually amazing levels.

the battlefield of dead giants in Brothers

Go to dead end thrills.

Others have pointed out and Journey, several Naughty Dog moments (when you fall from the plane in Uncharted 3 I died because I couldn't believe I could still have control) are no brainers.

Shadow of colossus and some Souls locations as well.

Another late addition would be Valiant Hearts, the first scene playing as the girl in Paris for example. Very nice art throughout.

Most places in El shaddai.

Ori and the Blind Forest

Stepping outside during a blue sky and seeing the tall douglas furs being majestic while a breeze blows occasionally.

I live in Portland so you have to understand that this isn't too often haha

Crysis first level island when you look down the hill and see the ocean.

While not technically impressive, the part when the player finds themselves in the Kingdom of Zeal in Chrono Trigger comes to mind. I remember just idling there on the overworld and listening to the music that played.

When you exit the church in the beginning of Bioshock Infinite and you go down with the elevator.

The opening scene in Killzone: Shadow Fall when you're in a helicopter and overlook the city.

The overlook in God of War when you witness Aries's attack on Athens army.

Upon first entering Anor Lando in Dark Souls.

Proteus.

In the first Homeworld when you see Kharak burning.

The Trine games have plenty of really pretty areas too in my opinion.

The Alaska level in Advanced Warfare is pretty breathtaking with how they model the icecave.

Really the point is that there are so many fucking stunning games out there, large and small.

HOORAY!

I remember the first game that made my jaw drop was definitely Uncharted 2—specifically the train part.

Right now Ori and the Blind Forest has made my jaw drop a couple of times. I can't see a 2D game looking much better.