These 10 video games will satisfy your wanderlust – USA Today 10Best

Photo courtesy of iStock / gremlin

Whether based on real world locations or set in fantastical settings out of designers' imaginations, navigating through these video games can mimic the sense of wonder and curiosity sparked by physically traveling to a new place. If you've been bitten by the travel bug, grab a controller (or your mouse) and give one of these games a whirl.

Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt

Fallout 4 takes players into a post-apocalyptic version of the city of Boston and its surroundings. The open world offers more than 150 hours of play time, with plenty of familiar locales to explore. See if you can find Fenway Park, the Old North Church, Bunker Hill Monument and Walden Pond. If you feel like spending a day at a theme park, albeit a pretty dark and twisted one, make sure to snag the Nuka-World expansion.

Photo courtesy of Unknown Worlds

Set beneath an alien planet's Technicolor oceans, Subnautica is downright gorgeous. It's so pretty, in fact, that you might quickly find yourself running short of oxygen or coming snorkel-to-nose with some pretty nasty sea creatures if you arent careful. A sense of mystery and wonder pervades every element of this game, from its mechanics (youre given very little instruction) to the overarching narrative.

Photo courtesy of Ubisoft

Just about every game in the Assassins Creed series scratches the travel itch by allowing players to explore various cities from all sorts of points of view. The latest installment, Assassins Creed Odyssey, transports you through both space and time into Ancient Greece. Do some tree bathing in the Forest Islands, stop by the Temple of Artemis in Phokis, explore the scenic village of Lalaia or walk among the flower-filled meadows of Erymanthos Peak.

Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt

If you like HBO'sWestworld, youll probably appreciate this Wild West-themed, open world game that debuted in 2018. The map in Red Dead Redemption 2 is believed to be Rockstars biggest to date, stretching from the mining town of Annesburg to the snowy Mount Hagen. Thats a lot of ground to cover, and if youre feeling uncertain of where to start, someones even come up with Yelp-style reviews of every saloon in the game.

Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt

Skyrim the fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls series is set in a fictional medieval realm, albeit one heavily influenced by Scandinavian culture. The hard, cold, open world landscape offers plenty for the controller-toting traveler to explore. Look for the Northern Lights on a clear night, snap some screenshots of the castle at Winterhold and marvel at the impressive architecture of Markarth. Skyrim even transports you into the ethereally illuminated Nordic afterlife.

Photo courtesy of Adam Tyner

The Uncharted series from Naughty Dog has long sent gamers treasure hunting in stunning locations, and The Lost Legacy is no different. Players control treasure hunter Chloe Frazer, who starts out in India on a quest to find a legendary tusk of Ganesh, all while moving through jungles, temples, mountains and vast urban environments. While the game is rather linear, each environment features several paths to explore.

Photo courtesy of Maggie Tyner

This open world driving game spares no expense when it comes to reproducing spectacular scenery. Forza Horizon 4 takes place in Great Britain, allowing players to take a virtual road trip to many famous landmarks, like the Glenfinnan Viaduct that also featured in Harry Potter, the Lake District and the Gatehouse in Edinburgh.

Photo courtesy of Adam Tyner

Far Cry 5 a first-person shooter from Ubisoft takes place in a fictional region of Montana, though all of the states natural beauty remains on full display. Players take on the role of a young sheriffs deputy tasked with bringing down the head of a doomsday cult. Several locations in the game were inspired by real settings, including the Logan Pass Visitor Center, Our Lady of the Rockies, Lake McDonald Lodge and the Melville Lutheran Church.

Photo courtesy of CD Projekt RED

With the recent release of Netflix's adaptation of the long-running Polish book series, now's the perfect time to visit the land of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Its massive open world draws inspiration from elements of Poland, France, Scandinavia and the Netherlands, with a few elves, basilisks and wyverns thrown in for good measure. The game has its fair share of stunning locations to seek out as well, among them the eerie Isle of Mists, the architectural wonders of Vizima, the city of Oxenfurt (inspired by Oxford), and Freyas leafy garden.

Photo courtesy of No Man's Sky

No Mans Sky offers far more than an open world; its an open universe, where you can literally go planet-hopping on an intergalactic jaunt through space. With 18 quintillionprocedurally-generated worlds, youll never run out of planets to check out.

Go here to read the rest:

These 10 video games will satisfy your wanderlust - USA Today 10Best

Related Posts

Comments are closed.