Video games provide the types of experiences that other forms of media simply cannot. It’s like you get to be the protagonist of a movie as it unfolds! Often, games are designed in such a way that you unlock features and rewards as you play, giving players a sense of progress and achievement. But what truly can’t be replaced is a game’s ability to let you experience incredible stories, explore different worlds, express your individual identity, and for many people, even make and maintain new friendships.
When you think about it, people who love travelling share some of the same reasons – sharing and hearing stories, seeing different places, opening up their minds and even making lifelong friendships. That’s why Expat Explore has rounded up the best cities for gamers to visit in real life which are also depicted in video games. Read on for the world’s best gaming destinations for gamers to visit in person!
Discover the world’s best gaming destinations in person:
341 Cities in Microsoft Flight Simulator
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Photorealistic
First up on our list is a truly incredible gaming and virtual travel experience. While the gameplay might not be the easiest to master, this is one of those video games that even non-gamers should try out. Or, at least sit in on someone else playing it – there’s no way you’d regret it.
But what makes the Microsoft Flight Simulator so impressive? Firstly, graphics for days! You can almost count the cobbled streets of Italy as you fly over it. Secondly, not only is the game 1:1 scale and accurate to geographical and architectural changes, but it also accesses live weather data from Bing satellites to even replicate the exact weather conditions of the destination you’re playing.
Boston In Fallout 4
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Recognisable/Post Apocalyptic
While the Boston depicted in the video game Fallout 4 is not quite the Boston you would experience on a visit, its accuracy is primarily affected by the game’s post-apocalyptic nature. In other words, it looks enough like Boston, USA to be recognisable, except covered in ash and rubble.
Still, the game provides quite a good glimpse into pre-war Boston, with several streets accurately appearing on the map and even some locations such as the Freedom Trail are depicted fairly accurately. However, you won’t get the full immersion experience of Boston. To do that, you’ll have to visit this city in person!
Related: See the best of Boston on a full free day when you join our Eastern USA & Canada Escape tour.
Washington DC in The Division 2
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Hyper-realistic/Dystopian
If it wasn’t for the dystopian decay depicted in the not-so-distant future, playing The Division 2 would almost have been like taking a virtual field trip to the US capital. It’s almost eerie at times how accurately the city is depicted (albeit a rundown version).
Even attractions such as The Plaza and Old Main are intact and highly recognisable in the game. However, with the economy in shambles, Dollar Flu running rampant, broken cars lining the streets and mercenaries at large, you’d be better off seeing this city in real life to get a safer sense of this political hub.
Related: Visit the real Washington DC, to scale and tactile, on our Eastern USA & Canada Escape tour.
New York City In Marvel’s Spider-Man
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Alternate Universe
New York City is one of the most popular cities in the USA to depict in films, television series and, of course, video games. Except, it’s never quite New York, is it? That’s why Marvel’s Spider-Man makes the list for depicting a decently accurate New York City in a completely fictional universe. However, quite a few creative liberties were taken in the portrayal, as northern Manhattan has simply been snipped.
To see the most accurate portrayal of New York City, just visit it! Sure, you probably won’t be able to swing from the buildings like you can virtually, but the chances of finding a Spider-Man in Times Square are pretty high!
Related: Experience the on-screen icon of Times Square on our Eastern USA & Canada Escape (incl. New York) tour.
Tokyo in Persona 5
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Artistically Stylised
The depiction of Tokyo in Persona 5 is almost eerily accurate to reality. That’s if you look past the highly stylised anime aesthetic and the super-powered teenagers, of course. In terms of structure, though, the Tokyo in Persona 5 is spot on! Areas such as Shibuya and Akihabara are structurally almost identical to their real-world versions.
However, apart from the scale and layout being almost 1:1, it just doesn’t quite feel like Tokyo. With so much of the city’s natural and raw beauty replaced by the anime aesthetic, you’d have to visit in person to truly enjoy Japan!
Related: See the marvels of Japan up close on our Highlights of Japan tour.
Paris In Assassin’s Creed Unity
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Historical Conflict
If you’re looking for a hyper-realistic portrayal of historical Paris, Assassin’s Creed Unity takes the cake! This almost 1:1 scale of Paris set during the French Revolution in France is about as close as you’ll come to walking the streets of Paris virtually. But, as you can expect, it’s not quite the Paris of today.
Plus, you won’t get to experience how Paris plays with the senses. From the smell of croissants to the chatter of locals, being there in person is quite frankly the best way to get immersed in Paris.
Related: Live the local Parisian life with free time to explore! Join our Europe Jewel tour.
Bergen in Driveclub
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Hyper-realistic
This one is dedicated to the memory of Driveclub on PS4, which featured a number of different race tracks across the world. One track, however, sends players racing through the streets of the harbour district of Bryggen in Bergen, Norway. The scale might differ but in terms of getting a strong visual sense of what it would be like walking a city’s streets, Driveclub did great work!
However, since Driveclub was removed from the PS store officially in 2019, now, the best way to truly experience the beauty of Bergen’s Bryggen would be to visit in person.
Related: See Bergen and other incredible cities on our Ultimate Scandinavia & the Baltics tour.
Cape Town in Cities: Skylines
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Simulation
While you won’t necessarily see New York skyscrapers or Italy’s ancient architecture, Cities: Skylines is an incredible way to get excited about the essence of a destination. Since you build your own cities, you have full control over where the Arc de Triomphe would go, for example.
To be honest, Cities: Skylines and the Cape Town replica on YouTube created in the game should perhaps be an honourable mention. However, even though this 1:1 virtual model of Cape Town, South Africa was user-made over many painstaking hours, if it wasn’t for the game’s functionality, plus the extremely accurate geographical terrain, this would not have been possible.
Related: Discover the beauty of the Cape and Karoo on our Cape Town and the Garden Route tour.
Honourable mention: Forza Motorsport
Realism Rating: 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮 🎮
Style: Hyper-realistic
Last but certainly not least is a game that features many locations around the world, but none of them in-depth at all. That’s because, in the circuit racing game Forza Motorsport, you can race on some of the world’s most famous tracks! Think Kayalami in South Africa or Silverstone in the UK. The incredible part is that most of these tracks are not only real but true to life and the views in the background paint a clear picture of the destination.
However, this game only gets an honourable mention because, unlike with the other games, you can’t explore these destinations beyond the race tracks themselves and the generic backgrounds while you race. Plus, aside from a very lucky few, most people are unlikely to tick off visiting every one of these race tracks in person (if you do, please let us know!).
Related: See the world’s most photographable views in real life!
As for the rest of the destinations on our list? Not only are they popular vacation spots but they’re also some of the top destinations on Expat Explore’s single and multi-country tours.
If you’d like to visit any of the exceptional cities on our list (in person, not on-screen), simply book a tour and start packing!