The world has a lot to offer—fantastic cities, historic landmarks and beautiful landscapes. Unfortunately there’s no way to see it all in one lifetime. Unless of course you play a lot of video games. Skip the long flights, crowds and learning foreign languages and visit the world with nothing but a joystiq and a dream. Check out these real locations around the world found in video games.
The Lincoln Memorial in Fallout 3 Source
The Lincoln Memorial – Washington, DC Source
The Lincoln Memorial in Fallout 3
Washington, DC
Have you ever imagined what Washington, DC would look like in a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland? If you’ve played Fallout 3 you wouldn’t have to. Popular DC landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Capital Building can be found in ruins throughout the game. Source.
The Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man Source
Manchester Cathedral – Manchester, England Source
Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man
Manchester, England
Manchester Cathedral doesn’t seem like a likely setting for a first-person shooter, but that didn’t stop Sony. Actually, the use of the inside of the Manchester Cathedral was the source of some controversy—however it lead to a boost in tourism from teenagers who played the game. Source
Roman Colosseum in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Source
Roman Colosseum – Rome, Italy Source
Roman Colosseum in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Rome, Italy
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood gives players the amazing opportunity to visit the Roman Colosseum in its prime.
African Wilderness in Far Cry 2 Source
African Wilderness Source
African Wilderness in Far Cry 2
There may not be any distinct landmarks in Far Cry 2, however the game developers captured the African Wilderness very well.
Kabukicho District in Yakuza Source
Kabukicho District – Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan Source
Kabukicho District in Yakuza
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Shinjuku Kabukicho in Tokyo is known for its shopping and entertainment—full of hostess bars, shops and nightclubs. One of the most notable shopping outlets in the area is Don Quixote, featured in the Yakuza games. It’s a red-light district, so it’s natural that it would show up in a game series about Japanese gangsters.
Brooklyn Bridge in GTA IV Source
Brooklyn Bridge – New York, NY Source
Brooklyn Bridge in Grand Theft Auto IV
New York, NY
Okay, technically this isn’t the Brooklyn Bridge—it’s the Broker Bridge, but it’s clearly modeled after the bridge in NYC. In fact a lot of the locations players can visit in GTA IV’s “Liberty City” closely resemble real-life New York City locales—including Battery Park, the Chrysler Building, Hearst Tower, Times Square, JFK Airport and more. Source
Ko Tapu Islands in Tomb Raider Source
Ko Tapu Islands – Phang Nga Bay, Thailand Source
Ko Tapu Islands in Tomb Raider Underworld
Phang Nga Bay in Thailand
Lara Croft has explored many parts of the world, uncovering long lost secrets and treasures in fictional tombs. However, many of the locations she visits are based on real places, including the Ko Tapu Islands in Thailand.
Serbian Parliament in Half Life 2 Source
Parliament – Belgrade, Serbia Source
Serbian Parliament in Half Life 2
Belgrade, Serbia
The Belgrade, Serbia Parliament building can be found in Half Life 2, however in the game it’s known as the Overwatch Nexus in City 17. The plot in Half Life 2 follows an alternate history of Earth that takes place in a fictional Eastern European city resulting in this real-world landmark serving a completely different purpose.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl Source
Chernobyl Power Plant – Chernobyl, Ukraine Source
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
Chernobyl, Ukraine
Considering that you can now take a tour of Chernobyl it doesn’t sound that weird to visit it in a video game. Source
The Pantheon in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Source
The Pantheon – Rome, Italy Source
The Pantheon in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Rome, Italy
Gamers can save themselves the trip to Rome by visiting the Pantheon in Assassin’s Creed, but unfortunately it’s likley to be just as crowed—especially in multi-player mode.
Left: Kathmandu in Uncharted 2. Right: The real Kathmandu, Nepal Source
Kathmandu in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Kathmandu, Nepal
Nathan Drake gets around in Uncharted 2, (and no we’re not talking about NPCs Elena and Chloe) visiting amazing places around the world like Kathmandu, Nepal. The attention to detail in creating the atmosphere of Kathmandu is pretty impressive.
Plaza de Cibeles in Gran Turismo 5 Source
Plaza de Cibeles – Madrid, Spain Source
Plaza de Cibeles in Gran Turismo 5
Madrid, Spain
The real-life scenery in Gran Turismo 5 looks breathtaking… it’s such a shame that you’re zipping by most of it at 100mph or more.
