Even those people who have never left their hometown, much less their country, have traveled the world from the comfort of their chair or their sofa. Through video games. Everyone probably knowsLiberty City, the fictional city of the Grand Theft Auto sagafrom Rockstar Games. This city is inspired by New York; it’s a bit more dangerous than the real thing, of course, but there are a lot of real-world locations you’ve probably visited from home without even knowing it. It is the same as la Commonwealth de Fallout 4,which is basically the bomb-ravaged city of Boston.
Many find it a good idea to put the story in a fictional place. There is no need to bind to geographic or cultural accuracy and there is no chance of being sued for defamation by revealing a secret of the environment.
But this does not always work. Sometimes,a creator thinks that inventing a name of a city or town is enough even if you discover that there is a true version in the real world.Not only does this make its setup a bit less fictional than was initially thought, but it evidences that the actual location is always tainted with the aura of its (probably better known) ‘invented twin’. Hateful comparisons?
It is fantastic what the amazing worlds that video game developers can create to be able to immerse us. Fantasy locations, as well as sci-fi locations in space, are incredibly common in games, along with made-up locations that are obviously references to real-world locations.
Although generated fantasy worlds are appreciated by many, we also enjoy exploring a game set in a place that already exists. It doesn’t matter if these places are set in the past, present or future, this list is not based on which game is better or which setting is more “accurate” to its real version, butWe present you a selection of video game locations that capture the best sense of place that they are supposed to emulate.
Ready for the ride?
