Over the last decade, 3D open-world games have exploded in popularity, and breathtaking new graphics are revolutionizing what customers expect from video game maps. Designers have had to be intentional and detailed in their creations to keep up with demand.
What makes a video game environment interesting? What makes some of the best-rated game franchises in recent memory — Grand Theft Auto, The Last of Us, Fallout — so beautiful and endlessly fascinating to explore?
It may be unexpected, but video game designers are some of the most daring urbanists of our time.
Grand Theft Auto V might be the best example of a real-world city transported into the virtual realm. Set in the fictional city of Los Santos, the open-world playground of GTA V mirrors the landmarks, cityscape, topography, and flora of Los Angeles, with one crucial difference: a notable lack of parking lots. It seems odd for a game centered around steal…
