Some video games feature some magnificent and creative fictional cities. Rapture from Bioshock, Yharnam from Bloodborne, and Liberty City from Grand Theft Auto IV come into mind. Developers also like to base their games on real cities and pride themselves in their detailed recreation. It may not be as creative, but it's impressive when done right.
It's impossible to get an exact carbon copy because the map has to adhere to gameplay needs. Some recreations, though, master iconic landmarks and capture the feel of their respective cities. It's especially fun to visit one of these cities in real life and have the feeling of being there before. The cities on this list, in no particular order, don't have to mimic our present time period. These are the 10 most realistic recreations of real world cities seen in video games.
10 New York City (The Division)
A biological weapon wiped out a huge portion of the population and the remains of humanity are trying to survive in the aftermath. In The Division, you play as an elite soldier trying to keep the residents of New York City from complete disarray.
The realism of The Division's New York City is horrifying, as it perfectly encapsulates a destroyed and abandoned New York City. The Division's New York City is amazingly detailed and gives us a terrifying glimpse of what could be. The city is filled with a massive amount of objects and decorations. You can practically picture the crowds of people that used to feel the streets.
9 Rome (Assassin's Creed Brotherhood)
Assassin's Creed always receives divisive feedback when a new game releases, but there is one aspect of the series that all gamers can agree on: the recreation of historical cities are simply amazing.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood's map features accurate recreations of famous landmarks. Side by side comparisons of historical structures like The Pantheon, Castel Saint Angelo, and the Colosseo show that Ubisoft did their research. Compact buildings, fancy architecture, and farmland makeup this game's Rome, creating a perfect stabbing environment for Ezio. The recreation is enough to pull you back in history and have a brief understanding of ancient Rome.
8 San Francisco (Watch Dogs 2)
Looking at the skyline of Watch Dog 2's San Francisco is an almost perfect replica of the real thing. The game captures the several dynamics of San Francisco like the hilly city, the green of the Golden Gate Park, and the seal invested ports.
This fictional San Francisco is one of intense cyber-surveillance. The map does a good job of mixing the real-life city with the fictional world. The bustling city and quirky individuals in the game also captures the San Fransisco atmosphere. Sure, some things are not exact, but Ubisoft made a great replication of one of our most famous cities.
7 Boston (Fallout 4)
Video games have a penchant for making apocalyptic versions of the cities we know and love. Bethesda already made a mutant filled Washington DC in Fallout 3 and decided to give Boston a similar revamp. That being said, Fallout 4 is a strange case because its an alternative take on the city.
The landmarks are accurate but they are placed in the wrong place. We are here to look at the accuracy, though, not a pitch-perfect digital remake. The Salem Witch Museum is nearly identical inside and out, and Diamond City is a creative recreation of Fenway Park. Fallout 4 gets props for establishing an alternative history while staying true to Boston.
6 Washington DC (The Division 2)
Ubisoft proves time and again that they can make some beautiful settings for their games. They are the stars on this list and reasonably so. The Division 2 takes players to a hostile Washington DC, which reaches the levels of realism as its predecessor.
The developers made sure to copy DC down to the tiniest detail, which is what made the setting so impactful for players. It's alarming to see a state capital in ruins and the absence of a country's leadership. The whole map has a ghostly feel making for a truly haunting atmosphere.
5 New York City (Marvel's Spider-Man)
Marvel's Spider-Man has a unique challenge of making a realistic New York City that corresponds with Marvel's lore. The city includes Avenger's tower and Time Square, making it a nearly perfect recreation of New York City within Marvel's lore.
The game's beautiful graphics and accurate scale of the skyscrapers is an astonishing achievement. The massive buildings also make for a fun web-swinging playground. The realistic city and fun traversal mechanics make the dream of becoming a superhero come true. It's no wonder fans love using the game's photo mode.
4 Hong Kong (Sleeping Dogs)
Wei Shen is trying to extinguish a Triad organization in the free roam game - Sleeping Dogs. Walking through the streets of Sleeping Dog's Hong Kong will closely resemble the real city experience. The neon lights, buses, and even the most minute of sounds are accurate.
It's too bad we don't get more of it since the game only covers a small portion of the city. That still doesn't negate the great work by United Front Games, though. Their setting for Sleeping Dogs has a distinctive personality, all thanks to the realistic recreation of Hong Kong.
3 Los Angeles (L.A. Noire)
L.A. Noire was rockstar's successful attempt at making a detective game. It followed Cole Phelps and his several investigations throughout 1940s Los Angeles. The best part was, arguably, trying to be a bad cop by driving recklessly, stepping on dead bodies and asking stupid questions.
No matter how you play, L.A. Noire presents a gorgeously realized Los Angeles. Not only is the city well done, but it accurately fits the 1940's time period from the vehicles to the architecture. That's probably due to the developer's usage of Robert Spence's photographs of a 1920s Los Angeles.
2 Seattle (Infamous Second Son)
Infamous Second Son was an early title for the PlayStation 4 and it's still one of the best looking games on the system. It follows Delsin Rowe who can absorb different powers resulting in some fun combat encounters.
Just like many of the games on this list, the realism comes through for the historical landmarks and not necessarily the layout of the city. The idea of focusing on the most interesting parts of a city makes for a better video game. The map mixed with the extraordinary graphics still makes for a realistic, idealized Seattle.
1 Paris (Assassin's Creed Unity)
Assassin's Creed Unity was a hot mess when it launched but no one can deny its beautiful version of Paris. It took two years for the level artists to model The Notre Dame Cathedral and the results are astonishing. Every detail of the Notra Dame was accurate and confirmed by actual historians. The Unity version was even used to help rebuild the real-life Cathedral after it burned down.
Ubisoft successfully recreated other landmarks such as the Bastille and established a realistic atmosphere of the French Revolution. This was largely due to the number of NPCs on screen at a single time. It capitalized on the panic during that time within an accurate version of Paris.