Curious about the best cities in video games?
From Radiata City to GTA San Andreas, we’ve asked PC gamers for their recommendations for the most well-realised cities in games. From the bustling metropolis of The Witcher 3’s Novigrad to the more downtrodden cyberpunk landscape of Night City, there’s a lot of cities to explore.
Whether you prefer exploring the streets of cyberpunk hubs or the vast landscapes of The Witcher 3, there’s a lot of depth to these cities and the experiences contained within.
Whether you’re looking for a unique city landscape, an incredible visual style, or an interesting story, we’ve got a few recommendations for you. We’re sure you’ll have plenty of your own suggestions, so be sure to let us know your favourite city-based games in the comments below.
Here are the best cities in video games:
Grand Theft Auto 4
Liberty City is a bit of a Marmite city, isn’t it? Some love the grittiness of a crime-ridden city, while others are turned off by the lack of a clean and well-lit area to explore. For those who fall into the former camp, it’s hard to beat the level of detail in Grand Theft Auto 4’s rendition of NYC.
Sure, it’s not the most exciting city to explore, and there aren’t many interactivity options, but the attention to detail is phenomenal. There’s always something going on, wherever you are in the city, and you can often find yourself getting involved in other people’s business, whether it’s a car chase or helping a stranger out.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City looks stunning, but as soon as you try to interact with anything, it falls apart. All of the NPCs are static, and the city itself feels empty – not helped by the fact that many players have noted Night City feels dead.
The city looks incredible, though, and driving around in the low-level cars is fun, and the atmosphere is spot on. We just wish there was more to do, or interact with, in Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City.
Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2’s analogue version of San Francisco is full of personality and charm. Not only is the city itself a joy to explore, but the Watch Dogs 2 NPC AI is on-point – they’re not just static NPCs who say the same thing every time you pass them, instead they react to your presence, and their individual AI determines how they behave.
On top of all that, the atmosphere of San Fran is infectious, and exploring the city at night is a joy – especially when you start messing around with the game’s hacking abilities. There’s a reason why Watch Dogs 2 is a favourite of ours here at PC Game Spotlight.
World of Warcraft
There are a few cities in World of Warcraft that are worth mentioning. The first is the undead city, which is a visually spectacular location that’s a joy to explore. The second is the dwarven city, which, as you’d expect from a race of underground miners, is full of tunnels and caverns.
Both of these unique aesthetics are worth exploring, either in WoW itself or via the fan-made Minecraft map.
Mankind Divided
Prague is a stunning city that’s worth visiting in both Deus Ex and its sequel Mankind Divided. The unique mix of gothic and contemporary architecture creates a cityscape that is a joy to explore, and the added element of being an augmented human gives the city an almost alien feel.
This is further enhanced by the many augmented humans you come across, who appear almost haunted by the cybernetic implants they wear.
Saint Denis
Staying with the Open-world trend, Saint Denis in Red Dead Redemption 2 is another city that’s worth visiting, although it’s not quite as large as the cities we’ve already written about. This is a city that’s surrounded by wilderness, so you’ll get a real sense of escaping the city and exploring the landscape.
But it’s also a delight to explore on foot and on horseback, with plenty of unique (and often hilarious) characters to interact with.
The Division
There are a number of great cities in The Division, but for us, the most immersive is the snowy New York. You’ll find yourself navigating the streets of Midtown Manhattan – a place you’ll recognise from countless films and TV shows.
The Division’s New York is a place that’s slowly being brought to its knees by a deadly virus, and this adds a unique atmosphere to the city. You’ll encounter areas that have been quarantined to stop the spread of the virus, and you’ll have to work with other Division agents to try and save the city.
Ghostwire Tokyo
Ghostwire Tokyo is an open-world game that has you hunting down cybercriminals in the Japanese capital. The city itself is a joy to explore, with an interesting but not too complex story, and a number of side activities to keep you busy.
But it’s the unique nature of the game that makes it stand out. It feels like you’re exploring a virtual world rather than an open-world game, and that’s because most of your time will be spent driving a motorbike through narrow alleyways, and across rivers and small islands.
Ghost of Tsushima
It’s hard to make an open-world game that isn’t immersive. The world itself needs to feel real, and beautiful, and Ghost of Tsushima manages that. The game takes place entirely within a city, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a game with a more immersive world-building.
The NPC interactions and mini-stories in Tsushima are another standout aspect. Some of these are simple interactions, such as a beggar asking for money, while others are more involved scenarios, such as befriending a dog that you meet on your travels.
Ghostwire Tokyo and Ghost of Tsushima aren’t the only games that focus on city exploration. The games below are praised for their city exploration, and some of them even take place entirely within a city.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a farming game, and so there’s no real need for a city, but it’s such a well-realised place that it deserves a mention. The valley itself is truly a joy to explore as you take in the sights and sounds of the game, while the game’s NPCs are some of the most real and interesting you’ll find in any game.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The world of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is massive, and there are so many reasons to keep coming back to the game. One of the best is to explore new locations, meet new people, and discover new monsters.
