Gaming environments so complete they're creepy

[Simpler Simon]

I'm sure this has happened to more people than just me. You walk into an environment and you realize just how much trouble the programmers went through to make it complete. Only certain parts of the environment can be accessed, but other details in the far corners have been modeled. And they sit there, unreachable, taunting you in a creepy kinda way.

The most obvious example I can think of is the island on the dam stage in GoldenEye. The mission objective was taken out, but the island's still there. And unless you hack the game to get across, all you can do is look at it through the fog with your sniper rifle. Sitting there. Far away. Creeps me out.

[straw_hat]

I don't think I ever did bother reaching that lone island in Goldeneye once I got a gameshark but seeing it the first time really intrigued me. I wouldn't find out it's exact purpose until, I believe, Nintendo Power addressed the issue.

There's also that lone book locked behind a door you can't open in Super Mario Sunshine. It's in the third mission in Noki Bay when you jump into the glass bottle and is located at the very bottom. GTA Vice City had some examples too such as the submarine and dead guys who are wearing cement shoes that can be seen underwater.

[Juu-kuchi]

The giant key, the sealed door, and Shark Food Island (or something like such) made Banjo-Kazooie so out there in some regard in the case of teasing the players of something more to the game, yet is out of reach for the players.

...Until Banjo-Tooie, but the items in those places and the way you acquire them do feel underwhelming.

Then of course Gobi's then-cryptic comment of heading to a Lava world to get away from you.