Top 10 Best Video Game Worlds of the Century (So Far)

“Ghost of Tsushima” (2020)

Plenty of games take historical approaches, but few of them let you inhabit a world as breathtaking as Tsushima Island. With their home under invasion by the Mongols, players took lone samurai Jin Sakai on a mission of justice. Despite the violence and tension, it was a joy just to exist here. The island was exceptionally well-crafted, with stunning locales and less clutter than you’d find in many open world games. Its side activities, whether constructing haikus or praying at Inari shrines, were part of the history and culture rather than feeling tacked on. With so much love and care put into the setting, we’re not surprised directors Nate Fox and Jason Connell were made official tourism ambassadors.

“Horizon” Series (2017-)

The world of “Horizon” is unique even among the many post-apocalyptic video game settings. In the 31st century, humans have gone back to living in tribes while dangerous, animalistic machines roam outside their settlements. Despite a bit of bloat, exploring this world has been incredibly fun. That’s thanks in no small part to the enemy design; confronting each vicious machine with Aloy’s varied arsenal made for some of the best combat encounters we’ve experienced in modern gaming. However, there’s also a tantalizing mystery at its heart. How did the world end up this way and who built all of these machines? Even after piecing it together in the first entry, developer Guerilla Games proved there were even more layers to pull back in sequels.

“Halo” Series (2001-)

It may have stumbled with more recent entries, but that doesn’t change the fact that “Halo” has one of the most interesting sci-fi worlds in video games. Like “Horizon,” the FPS juggernaut features fascinating events that happened hundreds of years prior. It concerns an ancient race known as the Forerunners, whose technology, including the massive Halo Rings, can still be found across the galaxy. In the present day, the series has chronicled humanity’s fight against the Covenant, a collective of alien races that seek their doom. Although gameplay, particularly its multiplayer, has always been at the forefront, the campaigns have filled us with awe as we’ve uncovered “Halo’s” secrets and traversed its incredible planets.

“Super Mario Odyssey” (2017)

Mario has explored a ton of wacky worlds in his time. But when it comes to those in the 21st century, we must show love to the globe-trotting adventure that is “Odyssey.” After Bowser kidnaps Peach with plans to marry her, Mario and his new pal, Cappy, chase the villain around the globe. Each kingdom is more delightful than the last, and that’s not just due to the high quality level design and art direction the series is famous for. Cappy’s possession ability is a great gameplay hook, and each enemy or character you take control of has a different mechanic that works with each level’s design. The sense of wonder and discovery never dissipated, which kept players hunting for “Odyssey’s” many power moons.

“Grand Theft Auto V” (2013)

Rockstar is adept at building chaotic playgrounds for their even more chaotic fanbase to let loose in. And while Los Santos first appeared in the seminal “San Andreas,” it was perfected in “GTA V.” The plot, which allows you to swap between three ne’er-do-well protagonists, has players going up against various powerful, shady criminals. It’s a great deal of fun navigating the city’s corrupt underbelly. But let’s face it: the real draw appeals to the inner gremlin we all have inside us. Los Santos was a pinnacle of open world design when the game released, yet we all still love hopping back in to cause mayhem. The addition of “GTA Online” certainly didn’t hurt, expanding the possibilities of something already highly enjoyable.

“BioShock” (2007)

Supremely designed and filled with engaging lore and characters, the underwater city of Rapture is one of gaming’s most memorable. Built by villain Andrew Ryan as a utopia with no government interference, it descends into madness long before the player arrives. “BioShock” makes tremendous use of its space; each area is soaked in a gloomy atmosphere thanks to low lighting, unhinged citizens, and the state of the city being in absolute disarray. No FPS world has grabbed our attention more quickly, nor held our fascination so tightly as we uncovered its history and our unwitting role in it. The third game, “Infinite,” switched to an equally corrupt city in the sky, Columbia. But the mood, mystery, and malice of Rapture can’t be topped.

“Elden Ring” (2022)

Every world that FromSoftware creates is brimming with life and death. So it says a lot that “Elden Ring” saw the studio give us its most well-defined yet. With input from George R.R. Martin, who knows a thing or two about building fantasy worlds, director Hidetaka Miyazaki delivered an invigorating and engaging setting to get lost in. The team’s previous worlds were built around hurdles to get over in the form of challenging boss fights. And while those were definitely still present in “Elden Ring,” exploration played a much larger role. Players had more freedom in where they went and what they did, which made The Lands Between an endless source of triumph.

“Mass Effect” Series (2007-)

Set in the far future where both humans and aliens have colonized the entire galaxy, you better believe “Mass Effect” is a great series to spend all your time in. Another sci-fi franchise that has players uncover the history of what came before them, these games have more lore to study than even “Halo” and “Horizon.” However, there’s more than just rich history to discover here. Built with player choice in mind, this version of our galaxy is just as interesting to learn about as it is to interact with. As you go from planet to planet, you’ll be confronted by moral quandaries and vicious antagonists alike. RPGs are meant to take a lot of time, and players had no problem giving it up here.

“The Witcher” Series (2007-)

We’d gladly toss a coin to anything CD Projekt Red gives us. And while Night City of “Cyberpunk 2077” is a wonderfully wicked dystopia, our love (and coin) goes to “The Witcher.” While it obviously appeared in the book series first, CD Projekt Red’s version of The Continent is an astounding achievement. Even in the first game, players were enraptured by the dark political strife and even darker fantasy elements. With each release, The Continent became more alive, yet more deadly. By the time “The Witcher 3” rolled around, we were all in on further exploring and impacting its deep setting. There are many features that make it one of the best games of all time, and the world is a prime example.

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

Although Hyrule had long been a staple of “The Legend of Zelda,” the iteration seen in “Breath of the Wild” was a wholly new design and experience. Gone were the days of linearity; players could head in any direction they chose and find something worthwhile. The addition of survival mechanics made us want to keep traveling, while the sense of discovery resulted in multiple awe-inspiring moments. That’s not to mention its remarkably creative physics engine, which allowed for numerous solutions to any given problem. It was such a monumental achievement that it forced other developers to reevaluate how they built open worlds. And you can imagine our excitement when we learned its sequel added two more layers.

What’s your favorite video game world of the 21st century? Share your thoughts in the comments and be sure to subscribe for more great videos every day!