by Shameera Nair Lin
Think about the first time you ever imagined a place in your mind. Then, think about being able to play through that landscape in the form of a game. Video games are a portal to celebrate the imagination. Today, we will be looking at some of the best landscapes to immerse yourself in while playing a game.
1. The Yakuza Series (PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Series X/S, Microsoft Windows)
First released in 2005 as ‘Yakuza’, the Yakuza franchise has become a staple in modern gaming. While known for its over-the-top humour and its surprisingly heart-warming narrative, the primary setting of the game, Kamurocho – based on Kabukicho in Tokyo – is a setting witnessed over the course of the games, with a depth of detail you would struggle to find in most games. For instance, where else would you be able to eat takoyaki at Gindaco mid-game while searching for toilet paper in another part of the city to complete a substory?
Apart from Kamurocho, the latest game in the series, Like a Dragon, is set in Ijincho, modelled after the real-life district of Isezakichō in the Yokohama prefecture, alongside several other locations.
2. Sleeping Dogs (PS3, PS4, Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Xbox One and Series X/S)
Now here’s a game you do not want to sleep on. Sorry, we will see ourselves out now.
Sleeping Dogs is an open-world game set in Hong Kong. Though the plot is your run-of-the-mill redemption arc, the digitised version of Hong Kong itself is the main reason to spend some sleepless nights trying to immerse yourself in the rich vibrancy of the area.
There are pirated CD sellers in the night market, angry Cantonese sentences screamed at your protagonist as he messes up the environment, a Bruce Lee homage, tacky billboard advertisements and everything you could ever wish for in a game set in Hong Kong. Have a look below and decide for yourself.
3. Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)
Wheel yourself away into a world of moons, sand and a version of New York City called ‘New Donk City’. Perhaps the best Super Mario game to have ever existed, though we personally have a soft spot for the early 2D iterations, there are very few settings quite as fun as running through a metropolitan kingdom with a funky jazz tune in the background, as you try to complete your mission.
4. Forza Horizon 4/5 (Xbox One and Series X/S, Microsoft Windows)
Something different from the rest of this list, the Forza Horizon franchise is undoubtedly the best open world racing game today. Forza Horizon 5, in particular, is especially spectacular in its rendering of modern-day Mexico, replete with rivers, varying terrains true to the region, & ancient historical landmarks still standing today. For those wanting to travel but lacking in time, look no further.
5. Microsoft Flight Simulator (Xbox One and Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Cloud Gaming)
Speaking of travel, the final game on our list today is unmatched in its scope of travel. In fact, you can travel to most corners of the world. A longstanding series from Microsoft launched in 1982, the Microsoft Flight Simulator series is a marvel in gaming history.
The 2020 iteration of the game is a modern masterpiece: you are able to navigate various airplanes through real-time landscapes retrieved using data from Bing Maps. Just to test out the theory, we took the airplane out for a quick flight to…Mid Valley Megamall. And believe it or not, it was very much true to life.
For an extensive look into the making of the game, watch this documentary on how Microsoft Flight Simulator successfully recreates the world around us.
