As good as it feels to play a game that can thoroughly transport you to a unique, creative, fictional world with its very own set of rules, just as often, it can be equally entertaining to dive into games where the places you’re visiting are actual, real-world locations. From fantastical takes on real locations to games that attempt to more authentically recreate them to everything in between, these games can come in many different flavours, and here, we’re going to talk about some that stand out.
Before we proceed, keep in mind that we’re limiting this list only to games that are set in actual, real places, which games that are set in fictional places that are based on real locations won’t be included- so you won’t see games like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption in here. With that out of the way, let’s get started.
SLEEPING DOGS
One of the most criminally underrated open world crime games we’ve ever played, Sleeping Dogs is something of a shoo-in for such a list. Its open world Hong Kong setting was one of its biggest highlights, thanks not only to how detailed and authentic it was, or how vibrant, alive, and dense it felt, but also how perfectly it served as a setting to the game’s bombastic combat and action.