The 5 Most Beautiful Video Game Worlds

There’s no doubt about the fact that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the best games ever made, as it simply revolutionized the idea of adventure and exploration in an open-world setting. Admittedly, this giant video game world is filled with vast open landscapes, mountains, square miles of forests, and breathtaking waterfalls, all of which add a sense of tranquility to the world. Developers opted to keep the number of populated areas in the game scarce, relying on the vastness of tranquility-inspiring nature to instill the feeling of the explorable unknown.

This design plays nice with the game’s overall aesthetic, which uses a blend of cell-shading and realism that brings this world to life. Additionally, the game’s day-night cycle also adds another layer of beauty, allowing gamers to enjoy adventuring and exploring this video game world on both bright sunny days and moody, atmospheric nights.

While many modern fantasy games, such as Final Fantasy XIV, rely on modern graphical hardware to display the beauties of their video game worlds, the 2006’s Okami takes an entirely different approach. The beauty of Okami’s in-game world, called Nippon, isn’t in its graphical fidelity but rather in its gorgeous and unique style that resembles the Japanese Sumi-e art. The entire world of Okami is set in feudal Japan and takes the form of a Sumi-e painting style, with the entire landscape and characters looking like they were painted using bold brush strokes and water-based colors.

The fact that the game belongs to the sixth generation of titles doesn’t take away from the experience. However, if you want to explore this video game world in its full beauty, we suggest you dust out your old PlayStation 2 and find a CRT television set—it really doesn’t look nice on new HDTVs.  

Unlike the previous items on this list, the 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn showcases the true strength of Play Station’s newer gaming hardware in terms of graphical fidelity. The game has one of the prettiest video game worlds ever made—the narrative takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth where humanity has regressed to a more primitive state, and both flora and fauna have fused with technology.

This video game world is a mixture of diverse landscapes—some of which are based on real-life locations—detailed environments, ruined cities, and unique creatures. Abandoned places are overrun by technology infused plant-life made of synthetic materials, while the game’s world is populated by a variety of robotic creatures. The latter are both beautiful and terrifying, as they’re clearly mechanical, but their intricate design and lifelike movement make them feel like living, breathing beasts. It really adds a layer of complexity and depth to this video game world.

Those waiting for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 can still enjoy the beautiful landscapes and sunny beaches of Los Santos and the rolling hills of Blaine County. This is one of the most beautiful video game worlds, as it resembles Los Angeles in close detail, including the stunning sunsets and sunrises that cause a warm, golden light over the in-game world. There are also iconic landmarks, such as the Hollywood sign and the Vinewwod sign, and intricate and detailed urban areas.

The whole video game world feels like a living, breathing city, with pedestrians and traffic going on about their business, while the dynamic weather adds a layer of realism and beauty to the world, creating a sense of immersion.

And while the Lands Between from the 2022 Game of the Year, Elden Ring, look pretty impressive, the world of its spiritual predecessor, Bloodborne, seems more beautiful—especially if you’re into dark, Gothic-inspired worlds decorated with Victorian-era architecture and fashion. In fact, the Gothic-inspired architecture with intricate details of towering structures is what gives a sense of grandeur and beauty to this video game world.

But architecture isn’t the only thing that makes Yharnam beautiful. The presence of Lovecraftian-inspired horrors, werewolves, and vampires, paired with atmospheric lighting and a haunting soundtrack, is what makes this beautiful video game world both haunting and captivating.

Video games can take players to incredible video game worlds filled with the most stunning visuals, and these five worlds will take your breath away. So, grab your controller, sit back, and enjoy the view.