There was something special about realizing that the developers of a game actually took the time to make it so tree branches rustled and crackled when it was windy, and so the sun would rise earlier and earlier the farther north you went.
Having details like this can be sufficient to convince and assure players that the game is of high quality--how could it not, if they bothered to get even food props to make sense? To have horses' testicles sgrink in cold weather?--and the Halo Effect the makes it seem like it is as thoughtful and complete and worthy of praise in many more of its aspects.
