More Than A Gamer

The Mushroom Kingdom. The beaches of Normandy. Blood Gulch. Just muttering these locations bring hundreds of memories flooding into the minds of gamers everywhere. Just as memorable as a game’s final boss fight is the location in which it took place. Video game locations are such an important part to modern gaming culture, that entire classes and studies are done to determine the makings of the best video game levels. Here’s some of our most memorable areas of any game.

10. The Vale (Prince of Persia)

If you want astounding beauty that just takes your breath away, you need only take the first step into The Vale. Once you cured the area of corruption, you were left staring into the most vibrant and lush landscapes ever seen. Being able to climb and traverse the world gave you some stunning viewpoints of it’s majestic vistas. This was only one of the areas as well.  There were three others to explore, each commanding a different type of gorgeous environment.

9. Train from Nepal to Himalayas (Uncharted 2: Among Thieves)

In almost every game, the level or the world around you is static. That is why we were so pleasantly surprised when we started this level in a game that already had environments oozing with detail and color.  It was a dynamic, exciting rush through the Himalayan mountains that didn’t just let you admire it from one vantage point, but had mountains and valleys sweeping past you. It’s one of those rare treats that only games can deliver.  

8. Venice (Assassin’s Creed II)

It takes more than just picking a pretty locale to have it become a beautiful environment in a game.  Ubisoft knew that better than most when they crafted a living, breathing, historical Venice that you could explore inside and out. The architecture gleamed as the sunlight reflected off the rivers winding throughout the city.  The distant expanse begged to be explored.  It was a truly immersive city where you could just explore, marvel, and even just walk amongst the people going on with their day to day life.

7. New Austin (Red Dead Redemption)

Last year’s award-winning Western game was ground-breaking for so many reasons. Amongst them was the fully realized and explorable setting of New Austin, Nuevo Paraiso, and West Elizabeth. Certainly the strongest of these was the larger New Austin. Riding all the way down the mountain from Macfarlane’s ranch to the town of Armadillo was such a great display of the game’s varied and life-like terrain. As a testament to the beauty of the game, almost everyone who recounts their experience admits to not using the fast-travel wagons, instead tripling their travel time just to see the world.

6. Peach’s Castle (Super Mario 64)

In the days of the Nintendo 64, large, memorable, or beautiful worlds were not very common. However, if asked what was on the roof of Peach’s Castle, how you got there, and where the flying level is, an incredible amount of people would correctly respond: Yoshi, use the cannon in the lake, look up at the sun. There truly isn’t that much detail or splendor to look at in this hub world, but the perfect layout, the continuous backtracking to acquire more stars, and simple joys of finding a secret painting make Peach’s Castle the greatest hub world of gaming.

5. Nippon (Okami)

Clover Studios were masters of unique gameplay, cell-shaded graphics, and beautiful worlds. All of these facets were present in the Japanese mythology inspired Okami. Even just starting the game in the tiny Kamiki village, the beautiful painting-like art style hits players over the head. By the end of the game players have experienced dark, dreary dungeons, underwater palaces, a bustling city from Japanese antiquity, icy mountains, and even the insides of a dragon and an emperor. Filled with wildlife, and countless puzzles and collectibles, ancient Nippon isn’t just a setting, it’s a character all its own.

4. Rapture (Bioshock)

The eerie underwater city of Rapture will forever have a place atop any lists praising level design and setting. Released in 2008, the game achieved so much with its setting that other studios now use it as a schematic or reference for their own games. Rapture is far more than a setting, instead truly becoming an integral character for the story and for the player. Just taking a few steps through a hallway reveal more about the game’s story, atmosphere, and layout than a thorough synopsis ever could. Every corner of the city reveals events from a dark and painful past. Stumbling upon a new area of the city such as the gardens, or the red light district is one of the most rewarding experiences in all of gaming.

3. Kronos (God of War III)

A boss, a supporting character, and a huge, multi-layered level are all synonymous in the world of Greek gods. The boss fight with the titan, Kronos, is difficult to visualize, even as it unfolds on the screen. Until this moment the incredibly powerful Kratos had fought and defeated hundreds of enemies and a handful of gods. But when faced with taking down a mountain, no, a mountain on top of a country, on top of a continent, the only thing on players minds is: survive. As the camera zooms in, Kratos climbs up Kronos’ right arm. He then swings to the left where the camera zooms out again. All this is done without ever taking control out of the players hands. And having such a detailed model when the camera is zoomed out means the moments when it pulls in close reveal so much tiny detail, like the dirt under Kronos’ fingernails. It all amounts to an amazing fight, and one unforgettable level.

2. Midgar (Final Fantasy VII)

It all starts with that cinematic of Cloud atop the train, then the game starts and thrusts players into a mission as part of the terrorist group Avalanche. To say the visuals of the city were good would be a lie. They were phenomenal. The city was alive, with multiple layers and sections, from the slums to the top section. It was filled with NPCs and secrets. Being the first modern/futuristic metropolitan city in a Final Fantasy game make it deserving of the spot alone. But the city was also an integral part to the story, and was the location of the game’s dramatic climax. We think a city that represents a metaphor of modern society literally killing the planet is something very special, and so did millions of other gamers.

The Forbidden Land (Shadow of the Colossus)

The forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest, and the Forbidden Land looks the greatest.  The environment that Team ICO created is quite literally a masterpiece.  A land with amazingly varied geography, unique architecture, and a majestic atmosphere.  The fact that the land also served a habitat to sixteen wildly different colossi gave the setting it’s purpose, and through your exploration, you discovered it.  As you galloped down into the valleys, climbed high upon it’s peaks, and delved far into it’s depths, you couldn’t help but be mesmerized by this fantastic world.

These games took us around the world, but we know we haven’t seen it all.  Is there something you feel that we could have included on the list.  Let us know in the comments, or create your own list in the forums.  We’d love to see what you come up with!