What's your favorite video game map? (As in world or open world)

[SonicMage117]

I was just reading an article of Baldurs Gate 2 and it mentions that the map was pretty revolutionary for the time... sorta a 2D Skyrim and packed with things to do - of course I don't have to tell you guys that.

 

 

One of my personal favorite maps was Just Cause 2's map. I thought it was a nice balance of elements while I hated that Just Cause 3 had alot of water (allowing for water vehicles but pointless to me since there is nothing to do underwater). Although Just Cause 3 did have some epic verticality to its strongholds. Just Cause 2 is not close to being my favorite game but the map was and still is one of my favorites to run around in and explore.

[Katphood]

Majora's Mask had a weird and twisted world. Same goes for Planescape: Torment.

 

The Willamette Shopping Mall in Dead Rising and Fortune City in Dead Rising 2/ Off The Record.

 

The Savannah in Far Cry 2 looks pretty mesmerizing and sick, too.

[redneckdevil]

I'm gonna say modded Morrowind map or Fallout 3 modded map. Those 2 maps made we wanna explore everything.

[Leferd]

[LadyCrimson]

Hm. Oddly the game that comes to mind is Might and Magic 7. I loved exploring that game. Dungeons/mazes, dragon caves, stat bonus pedestals to find, teachers to find, treasure/ores, secrets, enemies all over, many towns, eventually flying.

 

Skyrim was pretty but meh, I got bored wandering around pretty fast. In fairness I didn't get far, maybe some areas were better.

FO:NV was ok but it too has the issue of many modern open world's where it just feels a bit empty/not much reward/things of gameplay interest for all the exploring. Everything too far spaced out so you're jumping/running/riding half the time for the sake of "realism."

FFXV I love the game but even I will say the open world section needed more work. It can be very graphically immersive but also rather empty/unrewarding.

[IndiraLightfoot]

I have to say the first map after the prison in Dishonored1, in Dunwall. It was like an epiphany, I had no idea you could build a map so fun and diverse, while still being interesting from the rooftops to the water by the beaches. I have traversed it so many times in so varied ways. Interiors and exteriors are excellent.

Edited January 13, 2018 by IndiraLightfoot

[LadyCrimson]

Oddly the game that comes to mind is Might and Magic 7.

 http://mikesrpgcenter.com/mm7/maps.html   (MM8 wasn't bad either, but I liked 7 more overall)

 

 

...I'm trying to think of others where I loved their world/maps, but mostly what comes to mind is liking single-map levels from old strategy or building/management type games. Those favorite RTS maps you liked to play over and over, trying different strategies.

Edited January 13, 2018 by LadyCrimson

[injurai]

MP-wise: TF2's pl_badwater

 

Open World: RDR's Mexico

 

Multi-path: Deus Ex's VersaLife

[Blarghagh]

Northrend.

[lichtjahre]

Tomb of VARN from Might & Magic VI is my favorite

[IndiraLightfoot]

The world map of M&M VII was extremely fun to explore, and so was M&M VI.

I'd love to mention MotB too, not because it was one single world map to explore with some kind of open-world design, but because the world "excerpts" and dimensions/planes you got to visit there was out of this world and very atmospheric. So much bang for your buck.

[Jozape]

Not sure I can pick any one specific game but I like a little bit of abstraction. Ultima 4 or 5, Wasteland, and Baldur's Gate all have superb maps.

 

I'm not sure why anyone would think Shadows of Amn's and Skyrim's maps are similar. I doubt they've even played Shadows of Amn... That or they have a very limited perspective. Morrowind came out what, a year or two after Shadows of Amn? Ultima 7 came our 8 or 9 years before Shadows of Amn and had a map much more similar to Skyrim's.

[Humanoid]

BG2 was a good game but I thought the map was one of its biggest flaws. Not one that realistically could be solved, but how it compartmentalised everything really hurt the sense of scale of the game. Somehow a supposedly grand city feels remarkably small when condensed down to just the gameplay-relevant points of interest. Give me a seamless, singular world every time - my nominations would be titles like Ultima 7, Sleeping Dogs and The Witcher 3. Skyrim's overworld was good but the countless generic dungeons compromise it.

[algroth]

I had a pretty opposite reaction to Baldur's Gate II myself... I never felt it lacked in size or exploration at all, and if anything I felt that for once a city area in these games was as dense in content as they usually promise to be (in comparison most RPG city hubs feature only three to five significant side-quests per area and otherwise pad out these same so as to appear large instead). I'm currently playing through The Witcher 3 myself and in comparison I'm constantly let down by the dearth of content in each new area I'm finding so far (granted, I'm only about 20-25 hours in, so there's still a bit to go).

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Arx-Fatalis had a great map. Getting into the thick of it may be a touch slow at first, builds very quickly. Almost every zone had three or so ways to get into it. Hidden passages galore. Lots to discover, with great use of elevation. The entire game is basically one dungeon, with your only restrictions being your ability to survive what you get yourself into. I had basically spelunked the entire game before I payed much attention to the actual plot. It was just a joy to explore. Very rewarding to play a mage/thief hybrid and sneak, steal, and infiltrate your way through the game in such a manner that would be considered "breaking the game" by modern standards.

[SonicMage117]

I felt like Skyrim mediocre in terms of open worlds that I've played... simply because there's so much un-used land and when you fill that with mods, like I did, it just feels even worse because then you have more content but yet it feels disconnected somehow.

 

Gosh, it can be beautiful though!

[majestic]

q3dm17, when picked by utter b00ns. Ah, whole nights of joy.

[Hurlshort]

Metavira

[HoonDing]

Vvardenfell

[Keyrock]

The Shivering Isles from the TES IV: Oblivion expansion of the same name.  It's divided into 2 very different, yet equally as crazy halves and has some of the most enjoyable quest lines that Bethesda has ever made. 

[Jozape]

q3dm17, when picked by utter b00ns. Ah, whole nights of joy.

 

Too many nightmares of falling off the edge of the map. Except those nightmares were real.

[SonicMage117]

q3dm17, when picked by utter b00ns. Ah, whole nights of joy.

I think I just realized what this means... Quake 3 Deathmatch 17? Imma b00n when it comes to that game but Unreal Tournament I'm actually okay at! *or so I think*

[Blades of Vanatar]

Wizardry 8’s openness was fun. Realms of Arkania’s exploration was superb for the times. Baldur’s Gate was taking it to the next level at time of release. But Morrowund takes the cake for me. Not normally a single player gamer but loved me some Elder Scrolls!

[redneckdevil]

Morrowind map is beautiful especially modded.