Summary
If there’s one thing open-world games can and should invest in, it is lush landscapes that will never leave the memory of players. Over the course of gaming history, gamers have experienced numerous immensely beautiful vistas that they still talk about to their friends when trying to introduce them to a new game, and it totally works in getting them sold.
The rise of ultra-expensive AAA games gifted players with the result of the tech and artistry put into creating almost unbelievably gorgeous places in video games, and the result is just amazing. This list aims to celebrate some of the most memorably beautiful locations out there.
Spoiler Warning: Some entries will delve into some location-based story spoilers for their respective titles.
Ghost Of Tsushimais one of the mostbeautiful games of all time. It’s the rare title that would easily double as just a photography simulator. Numerous other areas in the game could very well have been here instead of this one, but there’s just something striking about a gorgeous field of red in a game where red is often associated with, well, less peaceful things.
This field is gorgeous regardless of the time in which players visit it, but nothing beats a good sunset in this striking location. Happy photo sessions, everyone!
BeforeThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion,most of the most beautiful locations in gaming got that distinction because they were either the result of great graphics or of some beautiful artwork, often via fantastic pre-rendered backgrounds. Then cameOblivion, which lit everything with the warmest bloom effect of all time.
As a true testament to Bethesda’s art direction, the game begins in the catacombs, where everything is dark and gloomy, and then, when the players leave, they’re greeted with some of the lushest greens ever seen in a game, courtesy of the then-new technology that allowed for the game’s famous bloom effects. TheOblivionremaster still looks great, but it just doesn’t have quite the same magic of the original — nor does anything else.
Though the Braithwaites are terrible people, they sure know about houses. The Braithwaite Manor is one of the most beautiful locations in the game, and it’s also the set for what is one of the most climactic battles in the entire game.
Just by looking at it, most players could possibly see it as just a pretty cool manor that was built with blood money, but it’s so much more — namely, a beautiful manor that’ll also crumble because of said blood money. The less said about it, the better for anyone who hasn’t played the game, as this pivotal location is one of the highest points in the game.
TheHorizonseries is already one of the best-looking of all time. It’s really hard to pick just one location as the prettiest of them all, so picking the most unique-looking and surprising one should probably work as a good tie-breaker.
The choice, then, goes for what the people ofHorizoncall"Dunehollow," but what the people playing know is actually the remnants of Las Vegas. One of the most lascivious places in the history of humankind is stripped down of all meaning, turned into one of the most spectacular light shows ever seen in a game.
BeforeThe Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, fans ofThe Elder Scrollsseries expected to encounter a pretty normal RPG world when embarking on a new adventure. AfterMorrowind,however, things changed. Giant mushrooms where trees used to be? Huge insect-like creatures one could use as a cab? A bleeding-red moon?Morrowindtook a lot of chances in terms of aesthetics, and they all worked beautifully.
The game features easily the most aesthetically varied landscapes in the series, and it all begins with the small port of Seyda Neen, which, despite its simplicity, beautifully encapsulates most of the alien wonders players would later marvel at during the game.
InThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’sspectacularBlood & Wine DLC, Geralt visits Toussaint, easily the most beautiful area in the entire game. Based on southern France, Toussaint really does feel like the perfect place for an epilogue to the main story — or at least the best vacation spot Geralt could’ve asked for.
The fields are always lushly green, the sky is always clear blue, and the vibes are extremely comfy — even with the looming threat of vampires around. Pretty much any area from Toussaint could fit into this list, from the most random vineyard to Beauclair itself, but it’s hard not to pick Corvo Bianco, Geralt’s highly customizable home, as the nicest-looking and comfiest spot in the game.
The surface world ofElden Ring’sThe Lands Betweenis already a place of immense beauty. Despite all of its dangers, there’s beauty to be found even in places as foul as the nastiest swamp of Caelid.
Elden Ringgives players so many beautiful places to look at that they become unprepared for what lies underneath it all. And, being that this a FromSoftware game, they’d likely be expecting an awful crypt, but nope. The Siofra River feels like an alien planet filled with beauty and lights that are almost impossible to describe to anyone who’s yet to stumble upon this place.
Despite its incredibly convoluted story, there’s no denying thatDeath Strandingis the rare game that makes merely walking fun, and it owes a lot of that to its mesmerizingly beautiful landscapes. This is not the United States, but rather a version of the US that was altered by apocalyptic weather effects that conveniently left it looking a lot like Iceland, and the result is beautiful.
Every area inDeath Strandingis worth taking time out of a delivery to snap a few choice pictures. Still, if picking just one area out of the entire game, then the blue flower-filled cemetery from theDirector’s Cutversion of the game might just edge out all other locations.
