Traversal in video games, especially in open-world titles, has long been a difficult gameplay feature to make enjoyable. Fortunately, over time, games have managed to incorporate it into their core gameplay loop and even make it a fun distraction. They've gone from making the player galavant around large empty open spaces with little to do other than watch their horse's rear to whizzing around stunning cityscapes in fast cars.
One way they've done this is by making exciting and often visually stunning vehicles for players to use. Whether it's swerving through traffic on a lightning-fast motorbike in Cyberpunk 2077 or throwing red shells from the comfort of a cat in Mario Kart, video games offer up a plethora of fun vehicles to pilot. But wouldn't it be awesome if some of these vehicles existed in real life?
7 The Sparrow - Destiny
One of the many strengths of the Destiny series is in its visual design from its incredible character designs to the colorful array of weapons at the player's disposal. However, one of the best-designed aspects of the Destiny games is the Sparrow.
Accessible to players throughout Destiny's many open areas, the Sparrow is a fast-moving hover-bike with a powerful booster that gets the players to wherever they need to go in record time. Even without taking into consideration the bike's incredibly high speeds, the Sparrow's sleek visual style and its myriad of color schemes and skins would make it an awesome vehicle to own. Driving a Sparrow to work would be a lot more stylish than taking the bus, that's for sure.
6 Cucumber - Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS has a wide range of excellent karts per character. From Wario's Brute to Donkey Kong's Rambi Rider there is simply no shortage of fantastic ideas in the iconic DS kart racer. However, every kart pales in comparison to Yoshi's iconic and excellently designed Cucumber kart.
The Cucumber is quite literally a cucumber-shaped kart. It is green and most certainly mean, as well as a great way to embarrass your fellow kart racers as you race ahead. Having a cucumber car in real life would be an incredible way to get around, if only, like Yoshi, to wave at your fellow drivers as you overtake them in a blaze of glory.
5 Cat Cruiser - Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 is one of the best kart racers on the Nintendo Switch and has seen some pretty amazing memes over its years on the platform. Just like its predecessors, Mario Kart 8 has some excellent kart design. But there is one standout kart that would be perfect for the real world: the Cat Cruiser.
Based on Princess Peach's cat form, the Cat Cruiser is a bright pink car with a nose, whiskers, a tail, and a flowery seat. Not only is a car based on a pink cat a phenomenal idea, but driving this down to your local takeaway for a tasty slice of pizza would be exceptionally cool. Frankly, more pink cat cars in the world doesn't seem like such a terrible idea.
4 Warthog - Halo
The Warthog is possibly the most requested video game vehicle that players want in real life. It makes sense as Halo is one of the best FPS games for beginners and has therefore integrated itself into gaming culture as a landmark series. It's a sleek and stylish military vehicle from the Halo series that fans will likely fondly remember driving into battle only to be blown away by a stray missile.
Unlike other video game vehicles, it's not unrealistic to imagine owning a Warthog. 343 themselves have even commissioned a Warthog in the past. However, until fans see them casually rolling down the streets, these dangerously difficult vehicles to drive will remain a pipe dream.
3 Light Cycle - Tron
While Tron started life as a movie, it eventually went on to receive some less than stellar video games. Nevertheless, one facet of Tron's legacy remains intact: the Light Cycle. The Light Cycle is a beautifully designed bike that emits a colorful ray of death-inducing light. Players drive it around a virtual environment attempting to cut off their opponents with their trails of light.
Owning a Light Cycle in real life may be a little dangerous, especially considering the fact that anyone driving even remotely close to its rear would be immediately destroyed. However, these bikes are far too impressive and well designed to pass up especially if the flashy beam of light were to be made slightly less dangerous.
2 VOLK - Left Alive
Left Alive may not be everyone's favorite game, but its Wanzer designs are undeniably awesome. While the hulking lumbering Zenith HW2 is particularly impressive, it is the sheeny VOLK that stands out the most. It can zip from one end of the map to the other in a few seconds, all while taking a significant amount of damage from enemies.
Owning one of these in real life would certainly be fun and a great way of getting around. While on narrow pathways and highways a VOLK may not be the most suitable vehicle of choice, in a wide-open field or even an abandoned dock full of nefarious villains, it would be perfect for galavanting around in.
1 Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X - Cyberpunk 2077
The Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X is possibly the coolest bike in all of video game history. It manages to stand out even amongst a slew of other intricately and brilliantly designed cyberpunk vehicles that looks so good thanks to Cyberpunk 2077s graphically intensive visuals. This is not only because its name is likely a nod to the iconic Ghost in the Shell character as well as one of the legendary Japanese swords, but because its crimson red shell is simply iconic.
Taking inspiration from Kaneda's bike from Akira, the Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X feels like it should already exist. This is an incredibly detailed and beautiful bike that is a lot of fun to drive around the world of Cyberpunk 2077. If only it existed in reality as well.