Video games are known for incredible scenery and epic battlegrounds. A lot of them are made up, but just as many are real places—or inspired by real places—that you can visit today.
8
The Overwatch Nexus From Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 remains a classic game, with people decades later still begging for a sequel. Many things made it great, especially in the early 2000s, but the interesting locations and battlegrounds were a big part of the appeal.
Thankfully, the terrifying Ravenholm isn’t a place you can visit, but the Overwatch Nexus is. While the visual resemblance is already enough of a giveaway, it’s been all but confirmed that this location was inspired by the Serbian parliament in Belgrade.
In fact, the texture files for this building were labeled “parliament” in the game files. The building has a storied history and has served as the seat of the Parliament of Yugoslavia and the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro. It has been the meeting place of the National Assembly of Serbia since 2006. It suffered some damage in 2000 but has since been repaired, and it now stands as a cultural monument in the region.
7
Far Cry 4‘s Fictional Country of Kyrat
Video games can show off some incredibly beautiful environments, but you’d be surprised by how much of it is really just the beauty of the real world on display. In Far Cry 4, the game takes place in the breathtaking, mountainous Himalayan country of Kyrat. That’s not a real place, but the environment was heavily inspired by the real-world countries Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet.
Of course, the environment was exaggerated for gameplay reasons, with much more varied terrain with much less distance between them than in the real world. If the sweeping vistas, snow-capped mountains, picturesque temples, and gorgeous grasslands enamored you in Far Cry 4, you can find all of that and more in the countries that the developers took inspiration from.
Just be warned—hiking up those tall mountains is much more taxing in real life!
6
Anor Londo From Dark Souls
Dark Souls and its many cousin games have long been known for their breathtaking fantasy locations. Anor Londo, the setting for the first Dark Souls game, is one of the most iconic places in the series, introducing players to incredible gothic architecture alongside its confusing labyrinth of halls and unforgiving foes. The exterior architecture of Anor Londo was inspired by the Milan Cathedral in Italy.
Naturally, Milan Cathedral is nowhere near as big as Anor Londo, but the visual similarity is absolutely unmistakable, and for a real-world equivalent, the Milan Cathedral is equally impressive. It took nearly six centuries to construct, beginning construction in 1386 and only ending in 1965. It’s one of the largest cathedrals in the world. It also serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Milan.
Of course, something as grand as Anor Londo has multiple inspirations. While the exterior was inspired by the Milan Cathedral, many aspects of the interior were inspired by the Château de Chambord in France. Even the statues flanking the legendary fog wall to the area’s final boss are based on real statues from the Uffizi, depicting Antoninus of Florence and Benvenuto Cellini.
5
Final Fantasy XV‘s Altissia
Final Fantasy XV departed from several classic aspects of the franchise, but one thing it did keep was the incredible environments, nature and urban areas included. One of the most beautiful cities in the game was Altissia, the capital of Accordo. The city in-game is surrounded by water, with canals and waterfalls all around. Gondolas were available for the player’s party to traverse the waterways around the colorful city.
Needless to say, this is all very reminiscent of Venice, Italy, a city well-known for waterways, stone streets and bridges, and gondolas. There’s no denying that Venice inspired Altissia’s aesthetic. Venice is one of the most popular tourist cities in Italy, and as a place I’ve visited twice myself, I recommend all travelers to stop by at least once in their life. There’s truly little else like that gondola-riding experience.
Besides, this is one city you might want to visit sooner than later. Venice has been slowly sinking for hundreds of years and it’s currently predicted to be completely underwater by 2100. That time could come even sooner if sea levels rise at a faster rate..
4
Yakuza‘s Komorocho
Yakuza’s Komorocho is full of zany characters that bring life and amusement to players. Whether it’s the alleys behind a convenience store or right outside the hottest discotheque you’ve ever seen, there’s always something interesting happening in Komorocho, usually thanks to our boys Kiryu and Kojima stirring up trouble.
Komorocho is a made up playground for Yakuza players to enjoy, but it’s heavily inspired by a real place, Kabukichō.
By heavily inspired, I mean you’ll be able to recognize places from Yakuza 0 if you were walking around the Kabukichō, which is an entertainment district in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It’s a real nightlife district, with tons of host and hostess clubs, nightclubs, shops, and restaurants. Sound familiar? Even the presence of Yakuza members in the district is quite accurate, though hopefully, you won’t be dealing with them if you pay a visit to this place!
3
Sázava Monastery From Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance was fairly niche with its first title, even though it had a cult following. The sequel, on the other hand, has taken the gaming world by storm, selling huge numbers and being praised for the amazing RPG it is. As you may know, Kingdom Come: Deliverance takes place in Bohemia, which is the modern-day Czech Republic. Being a real historical place, you can actually visit a lot of the game locations in real life.
For example, Kuttenberg and Rattay are cities that still stand today, though admittedly, they have changed quite a bit since 1403! On the other hand, there are some locations in KCD that remain mostly unchanged, such as the Sázava Monastery, called the Sasau Monastery in-game. Established in 1032, this former Benedictine abbey might look slightly different after being damaged in a 1746 fire, but it has been restored to its former glory since then.
If you’re the type of gamer looking to visit the Czech Republic and see the many sites from KCD in person, you just have to pay the Sázava Monastery a visit. You won’t even have to weed the garden this time.
2
The Daunt in Horizon: Forbidden West
Horizon: Forbidden West takes the player across tons of vibrant, incredible vistas as they challenge mechanical monstrosities and other threats. The thing is, most of those breathtaking views are real national parks in the United States that are quite easy to visit. Not to mention fantastic stops on any cross-country road trip. Sure, you won’t be allowed to climb all over the cliff faces, but you also won’t get mauled by robotic dinosaurs either.
One great example from the game is The Daunt, the very first major region in Horizon: Forbidden West. This area is modeled after the very real Zion National Park in Utah. Seriously, just Google images from the game area and the real deal and you’ll notice all of the similarities right away. You could even mistake them for one another if the graphical fidelity is high enough. If you think the game’s views were incredible, just wait until you see them in real life.
Many other areas from the franchise are based on national parks as well. Daybrink is Lake Powell, Utah. Hollow Hall is the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center in Wyoming. In fact, almost every location in the Horizon series is based on a real place you can visit today. There’s even a nifty list to help you figure out what is what.
1
Shenmue‘s Dobuita Street
Shenmue holds a special place in gaming history as a visionary title. It was the progenitor of the open-world genre of games, and at the time of its production, the most expensive game ever made. The action-adventure game walked so that Yakuza could run. It featured lots of roaming, life simulation, and brawls, as well as quick-time events. But of course, Shenmue did it all first. The series isn’t without its flaws and failures, but it’s historic all the same.
The primary setting for the first game, Yokosuka, Japan, features Dobuita Street, where players spend a lot of time fighting, shopping, playing minigames, and witnessing what was, at the time, mind-blowing realism. Dobuita Street, and indeed, many locations throughout the first game, are based on real towns in Japan that you can visit today, some of which are uncannily similar.
Of course, it’s not a one-to-one match, but fans of the game who have visited Yokosuba admit that there are many places that look just like the game. The layout may be a little different, and the real deal is bigger than what Shenmue could manage in 1999, but you can definitely see the inspiration. Apparently, a lot of stores on Dobuita Street still have Shenmue posters hanging around as a mark of pride.
Ultimately, this is but a small sample of video game locations based on real places. Reality inspires a lot of fiction and art in general. Whether it’s environments, narratives, weapons, or fashion, you’d be surprised by how much gaming content draws its inspiration from something you can see today, or could have seen in the past.
