When gamers are asked what comes to mind when talking about video game maps, usually the large and innovative maps ofRed Dead Redemption,Elder Scrolls,Grand Theft Auto, andAssassin’s Creedare some of the names that may come to mind. Of course, early innovations such asThe Legend of Zelda,Earthbound,Pokemon, andFinal Fantasyare other obvious choices.
RELATED:Simulation Games That Have Great World Building
A gaming map isn’t just great in sheer size but in the detail that it provides a title. The game map itself is its own character. Its addition adds to the style and world-building of a gaming title.
15Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999)
Soul Reavermakes the list due to its unique use of its world map. Much likeZelda: A Link to the Past, there is an alternate reality of the regular world map. Players would have to go from material and spectral planes in order to maneuver throughout the world as the vampire turned reaver Raziel. This game has a cult following for a reason.
Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaverutilizes its game map as an important part of the plot and gameplay, which is great for gamers who are looking for something unique.
14Jet Force Gemini (1999)
A true hidden gem for the Nintendo 64 is this science-fiction masterpiece. Although it isn’t a truly open map per se, there are several world maps, much like inKnights of the Old Republic, but on a much smaller scale. Not to mention players had to revisit these worlds as different characters to carry out different missions. The worlds and characters are truly memorable. The game has players playing as 3 different characters from a galactic law enforcement team in a shoot-em-up against giant insectoids who want to take over the galaxy.
13Beyond Oasis (1994)
Although Sega tried to do its fair share ofZeldaknockoffs, this had to be one of the best. It managed to stand apart and had its own unique gameplay and setting going on. It used the better parts of the Sega Genesis graphics. The map and world in this title were rich and colorful. It used a similar camera dynamic toA Link to the Past, but it still managed to keep its own style.
RELATED:Nintendo Games That Have Awesome World-Building
12Pirates Of The Caribbean/Sea Dogs II (2003)
Imagine a fairly large pirate sandbox game that drew a great deal of inspiration fromSid Meier’s Pirates!Initially, this game was the second iteration of theSea Dogsgaming series. Upon its release stateside, Disney seized on a marketing opportunity to rename it as part of theirPirates of the Caribbeanbrand, and added an incredibly short Keira Knightley opening narration, threw the Black Pearl and few skeletons in it, and voilà.
It wasn’t the brief film nods that made this game a beloved gaming cult classic. It was the large access to the map. The ability to survive storms,naval battles, being a patsy in foreign espionage, or just straight-up pirating in an open map, was quite memorable for many gamers who were lucky enough to find and play this title.
11Gun (2005)
Despite much of this game’s controversy and character depictions that truly made players wince, the game map cannot be overlooked. BeforeRed Dead Redemption, there wasGun.
A lot of the gameplay, such as the quick draw mechanic and map building, helped to inspire a lot of elements used in theRedemptiongames. It was one of the first modern Western maps to be truly open. This game also gave Rockstar inspiration on what NOT to do with a Western game as well.
Related:The Biggest Open World Games Based On The Size Of Their Map
10Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (2005)
Exploring and skating the maps of theTony Hawkseriesis always a fun experience. Yet, arguably the best title among fans is the most overlooked. It has sat in the shadow of Tony Hawk’s Undergroundfor the longest time. But this was the first entirely open Hawk game. Not just entirely open but most immersive and most compelling.
A gritty Hollywood and beyond setting is what players of theHawkgames have been craving again since its release. Not something realistic likeRide, but something more personalized and immersive that still holds on to its arcade roots. This game had all that fans loved about the series and then some.
9Willow (1989)
Yes, there was aWillowvideo game. Based on the 1988 film of the same name. Many kids of the early 90s and 80s may have hard feelings considering the difficulty of this title.
It managed to make the list, however, due to its HUGE world map. Now it wasn’t too big of a deal considering other gaming maps of the time, but for a movie-based video game, the amount of detail to scale was quite impressive.
8The Godfather (2006)
The Godfathervideo game hit shelves the same year as theScarfacevideo game.Scarfacewas a little more popular at the time and had a decent open world map in its own right. But something aboutThe Godfatherjust felt a little more immersive. Maybe because theScarfacegame played out more as a “what if” scenario (i.e., what if Tony Montana survived the massacre in his massive drug lair) andThe Godfathermade you a part of the actual story as one of the unsung members of the Corleone family’s crime syndicate.
There just was something more to it. The game also provided a large number of businesses and turf to take over, and the majority of it was fairly optional. But it made the player feel like a bigger part of the story and environment. Even though the story missions were few and linear, the world and the map allowed for a good deal of exploration. Not to mention players felt a part of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1945-55 New York.
The world map…is a mall! Just having a trueDawn of the Dead-inspiredzombie experiencewith over-the-top parodies and depictions of consumer capitalism and zombies and having it be its own thing is quite impressive.
Players could interact with this map in the best ways. It provided time-restrained planning and killing zombies with whatever a player happened to come across in the mall. The game map was easily accessible yet provided unique obstacles that required strategy. It wasn’t the largest map, but it was definitely well-thought-out.
RELATED:The Open-World Games That Take The Longest To Beat
6Lego The Lord Of The Rings (2012)
As far asThe Lord of the Ringsand open maps go, theShadow of Mordorseries immediately comes to mind. Players and fans are completely correct on the amazing representation and scope of experiencingMordor. Even earlier games based on the films and the spin-off series, such asThe Third Age, did a brilliant job at the time in immersing fans of the series into Middle Earth. However, one map that had it ALL kind of went a little under the radar. What about the rest of Middle Earth?
Lego game fans will go on to mention the amazing open world ofLego Marveletc., and they are not wrong. Yet many do forget that Lego created a whole world map of Middle Earth; sure, it wasn’tJust Cause 3in scope, but it was quite impressive for the time and for Lego. After finishing the game, there were still plenty of maps to explore and characters to collect, and it was easily one of their best maps. Fans ofThe Lord of the Ringsor Lego should definitely add this one to their collection.
