The most vivid memory of a virtual world I have comes from the original Thief: The Dark Project. The entire game was atmospheric, depicting a proto-steampunk world, complete with religious factions, crazy neo-industrialists, royalists. There was also a walled-off part of the city, which was literally haunted.

When your (very mortal) character enters the haunted section of the city to attempt to gain entrance to the ominous Cathedral in the city center, you are confronted with one of the most genuinely spooky sequences in game-dom. The Cathedral itself is a masterpiece of suspense and dread; 10 Doom 3's couldn't TOUCH the Cathedral's atmosphere.

I'm not generally impressed with 'scary' games or levels either. Thief was great.

Oh, and btw, I 2nd City 17, but the Black Mesa Research Facility deserves a 1b mention. As does the Aperture Science Enrichment Center.

*pulls flight attendant aside*

"OK, lady, I want you to listen very carefully. Unless this flight is diverted IMMEDIATELY to Tripoli and $5 million is deposited into this bank account, this Transformer will jump off of my shirt and blast the living shit out of everyone on board this plane. Also, as you see, my friend is wearing a Darth Vader T-shirt... Unless you obey our demands, he may invoke the Dark Side of the Force... Also, just remember, I have THIS"

*pulls out Terminator bubble-gum card*

FIRST!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, not even close, but this thread deserved one.

AMPUTATION hazard?!?!?! To me, the machine doesn't look all that heavy. Plus, we see the mechanism reset when Jerry *almost* replaces the ball (but doesn't quite). Who's to say the machine doesn't sense obstacles in its way and stop, similar to an automatic garage door?

This looks like a pretty lightweight machine; I wouldn't be too worried about it hunting down Sarah Connor, or clipping a wayward toenail. GREAT invention. Now we just need a robotic string-swinger for lonesome cats!