The texture maps are beautiful and varied, excellent light sourcing is prevalent throughout, fog effects are used, there are realistic earthquakes, there are cave-ins, certain objects can be moved about and stacked, all monster graphics and movements are well done, and the list goes on. The transitions between the first-person engine and cutscenes and the like are also the best I have ever seen. When video-based characters are integrated into the environment, they are done so seamlessly. There are rivers to traverse and wade through, caverns to explore, crevices to creep through, ledges to hug, and again, the list goes on. The music is captivating and never annoying.
Ambient sounds fill the environments and are always appropriate.
The sounds of monsters, weapons, and environment actions like cave-ins and flowing rivers and streams are also far above average. Sounds change depending on position and location, just as they would in real-world environments. Voice acting and audio during cutscenes are also well above average for the most part. Controls are clearly laid out, and colored screenshots of the game are included. At first I thought it should have been in the beginning of the manual, but considering players such as myself might want to find this information while playing, I'm glad they put it at the end.