Some places just need a mood change. One of my characters had a really bad experience in going to a place that looked a lot like Hell. We walked down a long stone bridge with hot molten magma boiling on both sides of us. We eventually got to a town with weird mutant people who'd do wild and nasty stuff to ya if they every got a hold of ya. And we were looking for their leader to get us home!!! We played in a friend's basement. Granted, it is dark and gloomy, but it's not Hell. So while all the players were out getting food, the GM decorated the place with candles and red light bulbs and covered the windows. When we got back, and for hours after that, we were all scared to death.

You might not go to Hell every day but every environment has a mood of its own. Make your environment real. Decorate the place. If the place is an ice planet, crank the A/C, open the freezer door, grab a couple fans, and freeze the place up. Now you are your character. It's much more convincing and more fun that way.