So... I had a random thought today after reading something and wanted to hear other people's thoughts, yes. What is the most beautiful city you guys have seen in a video game? Mine is honestly still Mournhold, haha.

Skyward Sword's city in the sky. Absolutely gorgeous.

I know more people are probably going to say Columbia from Infinite, but I still prefer Rapture from the original Bioshock. Though it was even more stunning to see in Burial at Sea.

Mine would have to be Vivec. Mostly because you can get a huge view of the city itself without having to resort to levitation, whereas for Mournhold you have to levitate up real high, and even then you can't see it from outside the walls.

I think I preferred exploring Mournhold more though Such labyrinthine sewers underneath, the last time I played a year or two ago I actually came across a fairly large area I had never seen before!

Now if it was just Vistas in general, I might have to change mine to some of the views in Tomb Raider(the one released a few years ago, not the one that just came out a few months ago). Played through with my wife over the course of a week and a couple of times we just stopped and stared at the breath-taking scenery.

True but revisiting Mournhold in Elder Scrolls Online though. Really helps and shows the beauty of the city much better.

Velika, from the MMO Tera.

The first time I saw Vivec in 2002. That city blew my mind back then. Even if it isn't impressive now I still think of Vivec as a measuring stick of cities done right.

Damascus in the first Assassins Creed game and Constantinople in AC Revelations. I love Islamic art and architecture.

Novigrad in The Witcher 3 - wonderfully crafted european style medieval city, best in any game so far.

The city in Batman Arkham City was beautifully dark and gothic. Like wandering around a Tim Burton movie set.

Divinity's Reach in Guild Wars 2 was pretty impressive.

Most beautifully conceptually? Or as it appears?


I'd say Vivec as far as concepts go.


As it appears?


Pretty much all of them in Assassin's Creed. I'd give the edge to Constantinople though.

This was the first one that came to mind. Rapture was something to behold man.

Another is Detroit(?) from Deus ex HR. It's a damn shame we couldn't explore the city in its entirety.

Any of the cities shown in the Assassin Creed games. The birds eyed views are breathtaking.

Vivec - great impact

Los Santos in San Andreas

Stormwind and Booty Bay in WoW

+1 for Vivec and its crazy sixy art.

Honorable mentions: Ald'Ruhn, Sadrith Mora.

I hope some day Bethesda will recreate something on that level of oddness. I think the best bet is a game that takes place in Argonia. They could take advantage of Argonia's very little known by outlanders and pull off another Morrowind-esque crazy architecture. I'm thinking Helstrom, being so isolated in the center of the swamp, uninfluenced by other cultures, could be made truly majestic and alien. Even fully underwater, like http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/1192/shimmeringexpanse.jpg in World Of Warcraft.

Divinity's Reach from Guild Wars 2 would probably be my first pick. Leth Nurae in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes was another city that I thought was beautiful. I also have a strange affection for Nar Shadda in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Columbia....Infinite.

Dream Zanarkand...FFX.

Stanley's Office Building...The Stanley Parable.

Gotham City...Arkham Knight.

Rapture

City 17

New Mombasa

My picks are both from Dark Souls: (on the phone so hard to link, sorry)


Anor Londo: http://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dark-Souls-SL1-1.png


Heide's Tower of Flame/Heide's Ruin (the name of the city is kind of forgotten): https://www.tumblr.com/search/cathedral%20of%20blue

I'd go along with Rapture too, the pre-embuggerence BaS version, though I wish I'd had more time to explore it in its unspoiled state.

Other cities that come to mind are Novigrad, which I really enjoyed just wandering around taking in the sights (though I'm not sure it's beautiful as such), and the Praesidium from Mass Effect. I also loved the Better Cities mod for Oblivion too, which transformed them into places that were just wonderful to explore and enjoy.

I really like the high fantasy western city take some JRPGs have, like the http://laststory.wikia.com/wiki/Lazulis_City, or the http://www.totallygn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/popscreen2thelastremant.jpg, for example. Really great architectural designs that feel much more epic than the ones found in many western games.

When it comes to TES, I like the http://cdnstatic.gamesas.com/akqacms/files/tes/concept_art/morrowind_conceptart_0000s_0000s_0005_6.jpg. My favorite cities are probably Solitude and Anvil. Also always been fond of Vos in Morrowind for example, but not something I would call a city.

Come to think of it, I'd probably give honorable mentions to The Imperial City from Oblivion (even though it was kind of a letdown as the capital of the Empire) Anor Londo from Dark Souls, The Last City from Destiny and The Citadel from Mass Effect.


Vivec still takes it.

I know EverQuest is not lnown for it's high-end graphics, but for me, the Wood Elf home city of https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6yoEL_7RloQ/maxresdefault.jpg in The Greater Faydark is the most beautiful city I've seen yet. Houses in trees. With wooden ramps connecting. A city in the trees!

Vivec? Man that city was a huge disapointment its just a bunch of blocks there was nothing to it. It was boring and contained no atmosphere for me. I dont think I been to mournhold is that from a dlc?

I judge game cities by how much impact and atmosphere it has for me.

Alright I'll start of with dishonored and DUNWALL CITY it was a fantastically done city it was filled with shadows secrets and disease it perfectlly describes the feel of the game.


Dragons dogma GRAN SOREN this city isnt the most interactive but it is huge like biig it kinda reminds me of the city of attack on titan city but not that big also another reason I like the city is because the buildings are a wood frame tudor housing that pulls of that great city feeling I absolutly love it!

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120909185153/dragonsdogma/de/images/c/c9/BrunnenplatzWiki.jpg


Half life 2 CITY 17 this city is absolutly stunning and filled to the brim with atmosphere every corner far off into the distance gives meand this urge to go explore it even I already know theres nothing there its a great city......despite the ummm situation...


Morrowind had few big cities that I liked but Ill try to name a few

BALMORA was pretty good but a little plain I like cities with more complexity to them.

ALDROUN (spelling) was pretty good but the sands storms got annoying after a while but on another hand gave the city a great atmosphere when it was happening while in the city.

CALDERA had a great medieval feeling to it.

small towns like sedya neen....(spelling) and the ones in the swamp made for great atmosphericall places.

oblivion and had great cities but Ill keep it short with my absolute favorite

BRAVIL it had such an old world charm to it along with the holmes and and stores made of wood and that cannal running through the city it was just fabulouse city with superb atmosphere

LEYHAWIIN (spelling)and it has some of the qualitys of bravil but its way bigger and a lot more fancier then bravil.


Oblivion shivering isles

MANIA AND DEMENTIA the two cities are the most atmospherical cities I have ever had the pleasure of experiancing an A++ to the designers and artist at bethesda for those cities.

Skyrim I only have one city in skyrim that spoke to me but sadly it seems its the most emptiest of all the cities in skyrim. BLACKREACH

that city is the most visually stunning city I have ever laid eyes on. the pure blackness of the area combined with the vividness of the colors and light in this city makes for an awe inspiring sight.

Well those are mine

For me it was Theed in Star Wars Galaxies.

I use Better Open Cities and Leyawiin is fantastic. I feel it really nailed the concept art.

The open versions were awesome: I think the only reason I decided not to use them was the performance hit (I'd already worked through most of the unsupported compatibility "issues"). Leyawiin was a tricky one for me, though: I really enjoyed the version that was in keeping with the concept art, but it somehow lacked the atmosphere of the in-game one (and its BC improvement) so I went back to that.