News
M&A Sessions
Impact Awards
Pipeline 2025
MSP Index
Reports
Events
Resources
Advertise

Business Managed IT Services Cloud

Collaboration Data Centre Digital

Distribution Hardware Mobility

Networking Printing Security

Servers & Storage Services Storage

Telco

End of support for Windows 10 State of AI 2024 Public Sector Tech Report

State of data State of Security 2024 State of the MSP 2024

Kickstarter 2024 Cloud Covered State of Diversity

State of Sustainability 2023

Channel Leaders Golf Day Benchmark Security Awards MSP Index Roadshow

Channel Meets 2025 Pipeline 2025 Impact Awards

Fast50

Photos Channel TV Focal Points

Partner Content Partner Hubs Partner Stories

Media Hub Boardroom Impact Whitepapers

News

Business Managed IT Services Cloud Collaboration Data Centre Digital Distribution Hardware Mobility Networking Printing Security Servers & Storage Services Storage Telco

M&A Sessions Impact Awards Pipeline 2025 MSP Index Reports

End of support for Windows 10 State of AI 2024 Public Sector Tech Report State of data State of Security 2024 State of the MSP 2024 Kickstarter 2024 Cloud Covered State of Diversity State of Sustainability 2023

Events

Channel Leaders Golf Day Benchmark Security Awards MSP Index Roadshow Channel Meets 2025 Pipeline 2025 Impact Awards Fast50

Resources

Photos Channel TV Focal Points Partner Content Partner Hubs Partner Stories Media Hub Boardroom Impact Whitepapers

Advertise

Log in

Email:

Password:

Remember me | Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register now!

Home
Galleries
Software

The 20 most memorable video game worlds

A tribute to the best video game worlds in the history of the medium.

0 Comments

1 of 21

What makes a great video game stay in the memory? While gameplay, graphics and plot all play their part, an often overlooked factor is the world the game takes place in. These virtual playgrounds are more than just a backdrop for the action; they are the foundation on which a game’s immersive qualities lie.

In the following gallery, we pay tribute to the best video game worlds in the history of the medium. Some are memorable for their intricate ecosystems and back-stories, while others broke new ground in visual realism. All share one thing in common: once you step inside them, they are not easily forgotten…

[Note: We have limited our list to original, fictional video game worlds. So no licensed properties (Star Wars, et al) or real-world locations.] <

The Great Underground Empire (Zork)

Back when text adventures were all the rage, the most compelling game worlds existed inside the player's imagination. One of the best games of this era was Zork, the world's first dungeon-crawler. Originally appearing in 1980 on the humble Apple II, Zork enthralled early gamers with its labyrinthine mazes, treacherous traps and sparkling treasures.

Last year, Zork was included as an unlockable easter egg in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Despite a complete lack of visuals, Zork's world is by far the more vibrant of the two. Beware the grue.

The universe (Elite)

Elite originally appeared in 1984 on the BBC Micro. It was one of the first computer games to incorporate 3D vector graphics, and it used them to stunning effect. Eschewing the levels and stages of previous games, Elite opened up an entire universe for the player to get lost in. The vast play area spanned eight galaxies and 2048 separate planets; all crammed into just 16 kilobytes of memory.

Elite's sprawling world immersed players like no game before it (and very few since). To this day, it remains a measuring stick for space exploration games; none of which have managed to replicate the same sense of awe.

Monkey Island (The Secret of Monkey Island)

If you ask a gamer to name a geographical location from a video game, most of 'em will come up with Monkey Island: it's about as iconic as they come. The chimp-friendly island and surrounding archipelago are home to many memorable locations; from ramshackle pirate pubs to cannibal vilages and mission-robbing tree stumps.

The world of Monkey Island might not be particularly deep, but it is certainly funny, which makes it stick in the memory.

Another World (Another World)

The aptly named Another World was one of the first action games to provide a truly immersive experience. From the moment they loaded up the game disk, players were sucked into a strange and alien world thriving inside their computers (the nameless protagonist starts his adventure in front of a monitor, just like the player). The bizarre landscapes and menagerie of motley beasts remain as original today as they did in 1991.

The presence of warring alien factions and slavery helped to give the world an added layer of complexity. Another World tells its story purely through dreamlike visuals, with no text or dialogue to hamper the experience. In this way, it foreshadowed Shadow of the Colossus, which also made our list.

Hyrule (Legend of Zelda series)

From its humble dungeon-crawling beginnings in the original Legend of Zelda, Hyrule has flourished over the years into one of gaming's most fondly adored worlds. From the tranquil expanse of Hyrule Field to the volcanic catacombs of Death Mountain, the game's geographical marvels are legion.

The land is also constantly evolving to suit each new adventure; notable highlights include the flooded seascape in The Windwaker and the blighted realm in Twilight Princess.

Myst (Myst)

Myst is not so much a 'game world' as it is a string of loosely connected geographical puzzles. However, its unique art design and photorealistic environments manage to transcend these limitations.

One of the first CD-ROM games, Myst was lauded by critics for its ability to immerse players in a fantastical landscape. Indeed, its alien vistas remain eye-catching and original even to this day.

Midgar (Final Fantasy VII)

The city of Midgar only makes up a small portion of Final Fantasy VII's map, but it remains more memorable than most game worlds in their entirety. The opening cinematic sets the scene perfectly, with the camera zooming away from a lone flower girl to encompass the entire metropolis. It's obvious that some serious world-building is going on here before you even start playing.

From the heaped slums of the downtrodden to the capital highrises of the Shinra Electric, every facet of the cityscape is perfectly realised. How we wish the original Final Fantasy movie had been set there...

Arcanum (Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura)

Back in 2001, most fantasy RPGs stuck to the same old hodgepodge of wizards, dragons and orcs. But not Arcanum. The game takes place in an emerging industrial world that blends steampunk and magic to memorable effect. This clash between technology and the arcane permeates through the whole game world and all of its inhabitants.

Arcanum was also notable for its open-world setting which welcomed players to explore the landscape in any direction they liked. It even threw in a map editor, allowing you to build your own game worlds.

Liberty City (Grand Theft Auto III)

Ten years on, it's easy to forget how influential and amazing GTA III's world was. In addition to kick-starting the whole sandbox genre, Liberty City presented a tabloid-baiting world of uncompromising crime and violence.

The game's gritty urban sprawl truly felt like a living, breathing city - in which anything was possible. The day/night cycle and assorted weather effects also broke new ground in gaming.

The Forbidden Land (Shadow of the Colossus)

The Forbidden Land feels like a half-remembered fairytale. Throughout the game, the player learns almost nothing about the environment or its history. Normally, this would make for a pretty forgetable world, but in the case of Shadow of the Colossus, it works in the game's favour.

It is a land of queer beauty, populated by striding mountains and murmuring spirits. That Full HD PS3 remake can't come soon enough...

The Grid (Second Life)

The Grid is a virtual playpen boiled down to its purest ingredients. There's no overarching plot, no life-or-death struggle, and no expositional cut-scenes to deal with. Instead, the player is invited to simply do what they will in a constantly evolving cyber landscape.

Whether you want to hunt exotic monsters, go clubbing in a red-light district or simply fly through the air, The Grid can make your innermost fantasies possible. A canny investor can even make a fortune using the world's in-game economy.

Eve Universe (Eve Onlne)

Comprising 5000 interconnected star systems that span several galaxies, Eve Onlne isn't a game you can dip in and out of. In addition to its size, the world is notable for its sociological complexities: players are free to steal from one another, extort payments and cause irreversible death to their enemies, with no intervention from the game's makers. It's like a William Gibson novel come to life.

City 17 (Half-life 2)

Many PC gamers consider Half-Life 2 to be the best game of all time. Part of their appreciation can be attributed to the game world. City 17 is a dilapidated dystopia characterised by fear and urban decay. With its Eastern Bloc-inspired architecture and 1982-esque plot, the world depicted in Half-Life 2 has a surprisingly grim edge. Meanwhile, the looming presence of the Citadel adds an indelible alien flavour.

City 17 was also notable for breaking new ground in computer game physics, courtesy of Valve’s modified Harvoc engine.

Cyrodiil (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)

For most gamers, stepping outside that first Cyrodiil dungeon into the bright green world beyond was a truly jaw-dropping experience. The game set a new benchmark for geographic realism in gaming - and the most amazing thing was, you could go anywhere.

Almost every vista in the game world was fully traversable, with sightseeing opportunities on every corner. While the game offered a quick-travel map option, we always chose to get where we were going in real time. Such was the power of Cyrodiil's visual splendor.

The Citadel universe (Mass Effect series)

The world of Mass Effect is memorable for a whole host of reasons: its size and scope are certainly a factor, as are the intergalactic politics and alien races within. We particularly like how the human race - so often the driving force in sci-fi stories - is just an insignificant bit player here.

While many space-themed RPGs suffer from a lack of cohesion, Mass Effect feels like a real universe. The world it depicts is as complex, engaging and nuanced as the best science-fiction novels. It puts most other science fiction games (and movies for that matter) to shame.

Nuked Earth (Fallout series)

By all rights, the world depicted in Fallout should be boring as bat poop: it's basically a big brown wasteland. However, it is what's inside this wasteland that makes the world so compelling.

The warring states and factions that make up the game world are buoyed along by a fascinating back story, while the wider radioactive landscape is never short on surprises. The game world is also notable for its retrofuturistic stylings; where else do you see 1950s-era logos and products rubbing shoulders with cutting-edge robots?

Purgatory (Limbo)

Sometimes, a single aesthetic choice can make all the difference. Limbo is a 2D puzzle platformer that debuted on Xbox Live Arcade in June 2010. While fairly entertaining in its own right, it is the unique depiction of the game's world that makes it so memorable. Chillingly described as a forest on the edge of Hell, Limbo is a place like no other. It turns creepy silhouettes into an art-form.

This strange land of darkness and shadow is at turns eerie, sinister and starkly beautiful. It injects the game with a languid, almost imperceptible sense of dread; like some terrible trauma at the edge of memory. Hell is for children.

Rapture (Bioshock)

When people complain that there's no originality in gaming any more, direct them to the underwater city of Rapture. Borrowing themes and ideals from the works of Ayn Rand, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, Rapture is a stunningly realised broken utopia that looks totally unlike any other game on the market.

The murky world of Rapture is a highly impressive achievement that fires on all cylanders: its backstory, art design and inhabitants are all fautless.

Ferelden (Dragon Age)

While it undoubtedly owes a heavy debt to Tolkien and the D&D mythos, Dragon Age deserves a place on our list due to the sheer bloody-mindedness of its world building. Ferelden is a rich and socially complex realm steeped in thousands of years of history. It also looks fantastic, with the city of Denerim being a particular highlight.

The game's overly familiar plot in no way diminishes the scope of the world it takes place in. It makes most other fantasy game worlds look like flimsy cardboard cutouts.

New Austin (Red Dead Redemption)

“Oi, what’s this doing here? You said no real-life locations!” In fact, Red Dead Redemption takes place in a fictionalised ‘re-imagining’ of the Wild West; in much the same way GTA's Liberty City was a homage to New York. The game hands you a six-shooter and throws you into the vast untamed swathes of the American West, where salvation and damnation are just a stray bullet away.

As compelling as the storyline is, the true star of Red Dead Redemption is the American landscape itself. The sunsets in the game are spectacular to behold, as cinematic and poetic as any John Ford movie you care to name. Special mention must also go to the critters, beasts ‘n’ varmints that litter the landscape. Sheer co

Tags:

3 360 games playstation video xbox

Microsoft tests Windows Update with third-party apps included

DTA seeks input on end user license agreements for new software and cloud module

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 receives broad partner ecosystem support

Partner Content

Tech For Good program gives purpose and strong business outcomes

Ingram Micro Ushers in the Age of Ultra

Channel can help lead customers to boosting workplace wellbeing with professional headsets

How NinjaOne Is Supporting The Channel As It Builds An Innovative Global Partner Program

Secure, integrated platforms enable MSPs to focus bringing powerful solutions to customers

Events

techpartner.news MSP index - Brisbane

techpartner.news Channel Leader List / Golf day

techpartner.news Pipeline Conference 2025

Integrate Expo 2025

Security Exhibition & Conference 2025

Most popular tech stories

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content

Westpac hires CBA's data chief to lead AI, data and digital

Coles merges digital and customer leadership

Orica to set new workforce systems live in Australia in July

City of Sydney's HR uplift to help career management
Transport for NSW restructures tech division

Telstra to move away from 'best effort' connectivity, let users tweak attributes

In Pictures: Freshworks IT modernisation roundtable

Vic firefighters doing battle with IT outages

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content
Blackberry celebrates "giant step forward"

Photos: The 2024 IoT Awards winners

Axis Communications opens experience centre in Sydney tech hub

How the University of Melbourne used LoRaWAN and IoT in ‘COVIDSafe’ strategy

Perth IoT vendor Digital Matter names new chief executive

OTHER TECH SITES: Digital Nation | IoT Hub | iTnews

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorisation.
Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of nextmedia's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Log in

Don't have an account? Register now!

Email:

Password:

Remember me | Forgot your password?

The 20 most memorable video game worlds

A tribute to the best video game worlds in the history of the medium.

The Great Underground Empire (Zork)

The universe (Elite)

Monkey Island (The Secret of Monkey Island)

Another World (Another World)

Hyrule (Legend of Zelda series)

Myst (Myst)

Midgar (Final Fantasy VII)

Arcanum (Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura)

Liberty City (Grand Theft Auto III)

The Forbidden Land (Shadow of the Colossus)

The Grid (Second Life)

Eve Universe (Eve Onlne)

City 17 (Half-life 2)

Cyrodiil (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)

The Citadel universe (Mass Effect series)

Nuked Earth (Fallout series)

Purgatory (Limbo)

Rapture (Bioshock)

Ferelden (Dragon Age)

New Austin (Red Dead Redemption)

Related articles

Microsoft tests Windows Update with third-party apps included

DTA seeks input on end user license agreements for new software and cloud module

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 receives broad partner ecosystem support

Most popular tech stories

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content

Westpac hires CBA's data chief to lead AI, data and digital

Coles merges digital and customer leadership

Orica to set new workforce systems live in Australia in July

City of Sydney's HR uplift to help career management

Transport for NSW restructures tech division

Telstra to move away from 'best effort' connectivity, let users tweak attributes

In Pictures: Freshworks IT modernisation roundtable

Vic firefighters doing battle with IT outages

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content

Blackberry celebrates "giant step forward"

Photos: The 2024 IoT Awards winners

Axis Communications opens experience centre in Sydney tech hub

How the University of Melbourne used LoRaWAN and IoT in ‘COVIDSafe’ strategy

Perth IoT vendor Digital Matter names new chief executive

Log in