A synchrotron experiment gone wrong sends an inexplicably rich physicist to a good-looking alien planet that kills him repeatedly in a whole bunch of creative and aesthetically pleasing ways.
From Wikipedia :
Another World was innovative in its use of cinematic effects in both real-time and cutscenes, which earned the game praise among critics and commercial success. It also influenced a number of other video games and designers, inspiring such titles as Ico, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Delphine’s later Flashback. It is now considered among the best video games ever made.