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Just wanted to let you know I've completed my quest and passed the course with flying colors (a surprising 95, and first in my class)!
You've been a great help. I couldn't have done my assignment without you! I mean it, litterally!
I also learned a few things about how people relate to landscapes in my favorite type of games. Also, I have a list of terrific games I should play in the future!
Thank you all for your cooperation in this thread, and a big hug 

Tally

Thank you very much and a big hug for your posts. You've been a great help! 

I apologies for not getting back at you sooner, I was busy sorting through the answers I got here and in another forums I posted this thread in.

You talked about beautiful landscapes, exotic locals and relaxing settings, but also, particularly in this forum, put great emphasis on landscapes that evoked "negative" feelings: gloomy, decaying, and otherwise dramatic. You talked about "stories" such places have, their mood and atmosphere.

After carefully reading all you said, I suggest that looking at how people see landscapes in adventure games can show us what people need in their lives. I found that positive moods in adventure games can be classified in 4 types: beauty, relaxation, wonder and adventure. I think many people use adventure games as means to get those things, which we don't have enough of in our daily lives. I also found that "negative" feelings associate more with post-apocalyptic settings and sci-fi, and the "positive" emotions more with fantasy and nature.

I think planners of real environments can look at games and find inspiration to make the places in our real world more inviting. What do you think of this?

As always, I would like your input on anything I said. Feel free to criticize, too!
Thank you again 
Tally

As part of my MA studies in geography, I'm doing a course assignment on landscapes in computer games. I love adventure games, and this forum is interesting in particular because many of you have developing experience. Would you please help me gather some information in my quest for passing this course? 

For me, landscapes and sceneries are a major part of a game, and I love it when places in a game (cities, forests etc.) make me FEEL something.

What do you think is a good landscape in a game?
When you consider games you've played, which places in the game made you FEEL the most, and how?
Which aspects of the landscape made you feel that way?
(For example, parts of the D'ni city on "URU- Ages Beyond Myst" made me feel the emptiness: The large open spaces, the dim lights and also signs of reconstruction in progress such as the road cones and blockages).

I think this can develop into an interesting discussion, because I didn't see this topic in forums anywhere. I will post this discussion in several forums because I need to gather lots of information in a short time. Please don't answer twice...

Please elaborate as much as you like, or be brief if you prefer. Anything goes. If you can supply a link for that game, or even better, a picture of the landscape you talk about, I'd be very grateful indeed.   
Thanks a lot, in advance, for cooperating
Tally