Because of the popularity of open-world video games, players have their pick to explore a huge number of different settings. These range from crossing the galaxy in games likeNo Man’s Sky,exploring the woods of fantasy realms likeSkyrim,or driving through the lifelike city of Los Santos inGrand Theft Auto 5.
Most of these games are set in entirely fictional worlds, while some are inspired by real-life places.The map forRed Dead Redemption 2,for example, often corresponds with areas in the US. A smaller number of games are truly set within our world, and players who long to travel the real world as much as explore the vast number of fictional ones online can actually go and visit these locations. Some of these places are truly beautiful and belong on the bucket list of any world traveler.
10Sásava Monastery
Monastery In Kingdom Come: Deliverance
A hermit named Procopius of Sásava attracted a small community of fellow hermits to a spot in central Bohemia (now Czechia). In 1032, the hermits established a monastery here, and a stone church building was built in 1070. This original stone building was partially unearthed and can be seen from the current monastery’s garden. The current monastery sits in a charming small town in the center of Czechia along the banks of a river that shares its name.
Kingdom Come: Deliverancetakes place in 1403 when Sásava Monastery — called Sasau in the game — was already nearly 400 years old. Players can visit it in the game to complete quests or see it in real life to enjoy a tasteof exploring Europe.
9New York City
Setting For The Spider-Man Series On PS4 And PS5
New York City is one of the most iconic cities on the planet. It has been featured in many different movies and video games, usually under the threat of destruction by aliens, monsters, or environmental catastrophes. It is a beautiful city, from its picturesque skyline to the grandeur of Central Park’s 843 acres of greenery.
All theSpider-Mangames are set in a version of New York City under attack by many ofSpider-Man’s gallery of villains. The game’s exploration mechanics are fantastic, as they take advantage of Spider-Man’s unique ways of traversing the city by jumping, sprinting, and swinging from rooftop to rooftop. New York City has never looked better than from the perspective of a friendly neighborhood superhero.
8Central Madagascar
Area In Uncharted 4
Madagascar is a beautiful islandoff the coast of Africa. It is home to unique flora and fauna like lemurs and majestic baobab trees, as well as mountains and even dormant volcanoes. It is a must-see location for travelers who love spending time in the outdoors or for anyone interested in seeing unique forms of life and nature.
InUncharted 4, Nathan Drake ends up in central Madagascar with his brother and Sully. They race against Shoreline, a paramilitary organization, to find the location of the lost pirate city Libertalia. The views of Madagascar that players get in the semi-open world level of the game are almost as stunning as they are in real life.
7Yellowstone National Park
DLC Region For Horizon: Zero Dawn
Yellowstone National Park was created through a law passed by President Grant in 1872, making it the world’s first National Park. Visitors to the park easily understand why this stretch of land needed to be protected. Not only is it full of forested mountains and the beautiful Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (which the park is named for), but also the largest geysers in the world can be found here.
IntheFrozen WildsDLCforHorizon: Zero Dawn,Aloy ends up in the area and has to help keep the former National Park safe. She discovers a corrupted AI whose purpose was to monitor the Yellowstone Caldera and prevent the supervolcano underneath the area from erupting and causing a mass extinction event. Aloy, with the help of members of the Banuk tribe, saves the AI and the beautiful area that it protects.
6Zion National Park
Starting Area In Horizon: Forbidden West
Zion National Park is one of many National Parks in Utah, in the Western United States. It is a gorgeous area of high plateaus and deep ravines which rivals even the famous Grand Canyon in its beauty.
InHorizon: Forbidden West,Zion is known as The Daunt. It serves as the westernmost region of Carja territory. A city called Chainscrape sits at the bottom of the canyon and can only be accessed by taking a great lift down from the top of the plateau. It is a large starting area for an open-world game, and full of things for the player to explore as they begin Aloy’s second adventure.
5Crater Lake National Park
Region in Days Gone
Crater Lake National Park is one of many interesting volcanic sites to visit in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It was a volcano that erupted for the first time nearly 8,000 years ago. The top half of the volcano blew off, and the crater was filled in with rain and snow over the course of centuries. During this time, the volcano was still active enough to produce a second cone, which grew out of the crater enough to stand above the water level and now forms Wizard Island.
InDays Gone,Wizard Island is home to thelargest settlement (which is still relatively small)in the area two years after the zombie apocalypse began. In a game that focuses on exploration mechanics, riding Deacon’s motorcycle around the lake’s deep blue waters is very satisfying and peaceful — when zombies aren’t around, that is.
4Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Peaceful City In The Last of Us
Jackson Hole is an area just South of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. It is a beautiful valley in the mountains of Wyoming in the Western United States. The city of Jackson is a small town of around 10,000 nestled along the edge of the mountains and the flat expanse of the plains designated as the National Elk Refuge.
In bothgames inThe Last of Usseries, Jackson is a refuge from both the zombie apocalypse and the constant strife between military rule and the fireflies. Ellie and Joel end up living there for years, finding peace in its beauty and its people.
3Iki Island
Island In Ghost of Tsushima
Iki is a small island in the Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan. It sits along the Tsushima Strait on the Southwestern edge of Japan, as one of the thousands of islands that comprise the country. It is a famous spot for tourists to come for fishing, luring in anglers from around the world. There is also a famous spot called Saruiwa, or Monkey Rock in English, which offers beautiful panoramic views of the island.
Iki appears only in the Director’s Cut version ofGhost of Tsushima,in which Jin visits the island to investigate rumors of Mongol forces occupying it. He discovers that the rumors are true, and must retake the island from a general named Ankhsar “The Eagle” Khatun.
2Yosemite National Park
Home Of The Sky Clan In Horizon: Forbidden West
Yosemite National Park is a valley in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Eastern California. El Capitan is the largest rock face in the world at 3,000 feet high and has attracted brave climbers from around the world. The valley is also known for the iconic face of Half Dome, a cliff standing over 5,000 feet above the valley floor.
Aloy comes to Yosemite Valley inHorizon: Forbidden West, seeking to enlist the help of the Sky Clan of the Tenakth tribe. They live in a rockslide-turned-fortress in the valley and refuse to help their fellow tribesmen because they believe that they are safe in Yosemite (called “Bonewhite Tear” in the game). The player must explore the stunningly beautiful valley for ways to convince the Sky Clan to leave their home and not let their fellow Tenakth suffer from the civil war that engulfed them.
1Nassau, The Bahamas
Port City In Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag
Nassau is the capital of The Bahamas and is known for being one of the best beach resort cities in the world. It is a prime example of why so many people associate the Caribbean with being a tropical paradise. From beaches with crystal-clear waters, beautiful palm trees, and miles of idyllic beaches, this is the place to go for travelers who love the ocean.
During the Golden Age of Piracy, Nassau became known as the Republic of Pirates and had more pirates in its population than law-abiding citizens. While exploring the Caribbean Sea inAssassin’s Creed: Black Flag,players can visit Nassau by sailing Edward Kenway’s ship, the Jackdaw to its port. Nassau was one of the only large cities in the area back then and remains one of the largest to this day. Players can go there and admire the beauty of this great port city.
