Best Gaming Worlds of All Time
There are a lot of video games out there and in this era of mobile and home-based gaming, the choices have never been greater. So how do you cut through the noise and find the “Best of” for any chosen topic?
Well, we’re here to help celebrate and shine a spotlight on some incredible gaming content distributed through the years.
For our ongoing series of articles depicting the best video games, we’d like to point your attention to some of the best gaming worlds of all time. From the colorful lands in the Mushroom Kingdom to the eerie atmosphere found in The Lands Between, there are many video game worlds for you to explore.
Of course, if we’ve missed any of your favorites, feel free to comment below and we’ll get them added on!
Mushroom Kingdom (Super Mario Bros.)
Nintendo has created many fun video games over the years. One of their most iconic franchises is Super Mario Bros., though. This game features an enchanting world filled with all types of life. In it, you have an Italian plumber who embarks on countless outings to rescue the Mushroom Kingdom’s lord, Princess Peach from the evil Koopa King, Bowser.
The world these characters inhabit is lively and breathtaking. It features numerous themes from vast deserts to an illustrious winter wonderland. The wildlife is just as exquisite from walking mushroom organisms to giant anthropomorphic squids. Furthermore, the Mushroom Kingdom has some of the best musical arrangements of all time.
It’s a kingdom that evokes adventurous energy and would feel like a blast to explore. Thankfully, Universal Studios assisted Nintendo in recreating the magic with the grand opening of Super Nintendo World. This is an amusement park attraction fans will be able to visit in Universal Studios Hollywood, Florida, and Japan.
Hyrule (The Legend of Zelda)
Hyrule is a magical land that Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf air from in The Legend of Zelda series. This place harbors vast grassy terrains, mountainous landscapes, and gorgeous oceans. Each entry in The Legend of Zelda series shares a new take on Zelda’s castle and all of them look magnificent, vivid, and expansive.
The civilizations around Hyrule are just as iconic as Zelda’s castle. You have the magical meadows of Lon Lon Ranch and the mystical oceanic terrain in Zora’s Domain. All these areas connect to a fantastical land full of wonder and delight. Furthermore, Hyrule comes equipped with iconic musical themes fans can’t get enough of.
Although it’s great to see the kingdom thrive, it also gives off a menacing aura whenever Ganondorf clashes with Link. This place houses some of the best moments from The Legend of Zelda series and deserves its dues as one of gaming’s best worlds of all time.
Silent Hill (Silent Hill)
Silent Hill is a spooky, mysterious, and chilling place to wander. The misty-like landscape adds to fans’ fear of it. As you wander the town’s streets and walk inside its abandoned facilities, you always get the sense that you’re being watched by an omniscient force. It’s an eerie location to walk in, but horror enthusiasts can’t help but praise it.
Furthermore, Akira Yamaoka’s musical score adds to the game’s tension. The music helps players immerse themselves in Silent Hill’s terrain and will make players feel anxious, timid, and depressed. On that note, the game’s antagonists mesh well with the game’s horrid environment. They all appear creepy, grotesque, and mildly disheveled.
In addition to the game’s mysterious premise, Silent Hill’s a town no gaming fanatic would dare wander into without a companion at their side. With its creepy figures, mind-numbing puzzles, and eerie atmosphere, Silent Hill is one of gaming’s best worlds today.
Rapture (Bioshock)
Bioshock is a wonderful FPS game. It has great RPG mechanics, superb storytelling, and memorable characters for players to interact with. On top of that, Rapture is one of gaming’s best worlds to date. It serves as the setting for Bioshock 1 and 2 and is an underwater city full of gorgeous structures, charismatic individuals, and flashy lights.
Although its creator Andrew Ryan sought to make it a utopia for artists and thinkers, different ideologies caused the city to become a dystopia, war zone, and burial ground for its population. Now, Big Daddies and psychotic humanoids wander its streets, plants, and structures, struggling to survive and prosper in this once-great city.
It’s a saddening tale for a jaw-dropping location like this one. Thankfully, some slot machines, attractions, and buildings retain some ounce of life within themselves. With its many secrets, pretty light shows, and magnificent activities, Rapture is an incredible gaming world worth acknowledging.
Vice City (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City)
The Grand Theft Auto series has given fans many fabulous locations to visit over the years. These cities contain charismatic NPCs, vast oceans, gorgeous buildings, and parodies of pre-established restaurants. While each game has its merits, Vice City takes the icing on the cake by having a city that captures the 80s’ aesthetic to a tee.
Vice City contains gorgeous neon lights that light up the city’s various streets, beaches, buildings, and households. Players can explore all types of locales from fast-food restaurants, lighthouses, beach houses, malls, etc. The city is home to some of Grand Theft Auto’s finest characters like its protagonist Tommy Vercetti. With its relaxing atmosphere, gorgeous locales, and incredible attractions, you’d be foolish to overlook Vice City and its gorgeous qualities.
The Pokémon World (Pokémon)
The Pokémon world is vast and full of life. It harbors some of the most recognizable creatures in fiction. From the yellow electric rodent Pikachu to the fire-breathing Charizard, the sheer amount of Pokémon keeps growing with every mainline release. This world also features varied regions that harbor different breeds of Pokémon.
Fans always get giddy when a new region is announced by the company. Not only are there never-before-seen Pokémon in these areas but all the regions contain new gym leaders, champions, and evil organizations for players to defeat. For the most part, they all harbor different personalities, backgrounds, and teams which is impressive for a series that’s been running for many decades now. Even if people aren’t fans of this monster-catching franchise, they can’t deny its impact on the gaming industry.
Minecraft World (Minecraft)
Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time. It’s touched the hearts of teenagers, children, and adults alike. It features simplistic gameplay, amusing characters, and a vast and colorful world. Minecraft allows people to create designs of their wildest imagination. Whether you want to make the world’s largest farmhouse or the most populated city, Minecraft offers you the power to do so.
Minecraft’s textures and block-like aesthetic may not appeal to most audiences, though. However, there are many tutorials online that can transform the game into something captivating for the eye. I recommend playing Minecraft with RTX settings. You can find it online through a quick Google search. It makes the game looks absolutely gorgeous.
Your creations will thank you for the switch. All in all, Minecraft is an enjoyable game to play with friends and family. With its calm NPCs, varied enemies, magical biomes, and endless possibilities, it has to be one of gaming’s finest worlds yet.
Halo Universe (Halo)
Halo is one of the best FPS gaming franchises of all time. This franchise includes excellent characters, gripping storylines, and a vast universe to explore. Each entry introduces new locales to traverse through and more Covenant baddies to gun down. Players will enjoy battling aliens aboard a bizarre spacecraft and fighting decrepit creatures in dark buildings.
While its wildlife and otherworldly creatures are fascinating, the humans who traverse these worlds are equally satisfying. From SGT. Johnson to Master Chief himself, everyone receives just enough spotlight to leave a lasting impression on players. Furthermore, the weapon and vehicle variety in Halo is remarkable. You’ll have a blast traversing the blue skies with the Covenant’s Banshee.
At the same time, driving through the game’s mountainous landscapes with a Warthog is just as fun. With its intruiging lore, multiple civilizations, and a myriad of alien and human technology, Halo offers a slew of fascinating worlds worth investigating.
Azeroth (Warcraft series)
Although World of Warcraft isn’t discussed as much as it used to be, the game took the world by storm when it was released in 2004. It has a strong online following, captivating gameplay, and a beautiful world. Azeroth serves as the world that binds many of the Warcraft titles together. It has rich lore, multiple towns, countless civilizations, and epic battlefields.
It harbors four major continents, each harboring different kingdoms, landscapes, and life. The tales that stem from Azeroth will pull you in alongside the many engaging sights you’ll discover alone or with your companions. The sheer amount of bosses and quests you tackle in Azeroth is as expansive as you’d expect, leading to hours, weeks, and months’ worth of gameplay. Although the Warcraft series feels niche compared to newer titles released today, it shouldn’t be forgotten.
The Lands Between (Elden Ring)
If you’re a hardcore gamer, then you most likely know about Elden Ring. This game went on to become the 2022 Game of the Year victor at Geoff Keighley’s Video Game Awards event. The game has a core fanbase who cherish the game for its challenging gameplay, memorable characters, heart-pumping soundtrack, and beautiful world.
The Lands Between is one of the best worlds to come from a Souls-like game yet. It evokes maturity and darkness with an ounce of hope. Players will be leaning into the third bit a lot during their playthroughs. Every location in The Lands Between looks jaw-dropping, immersive, and appealing to those who love medieval-themed stories.
Furthermore, some locales host fabulous and unforgettable battlegrounds. Players will appreciate the level of craftsmanship given to each locale as they advance through Elden Ring’s plot. Although Elden Ring’s cherished for its challenging boss fights, exploration aspects, and soundtrack, The Lands Between’s overall design deserves just as much praise.
So, there we have it, our pick for the best video game worlds through the years!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!