Open-world games often lean into fantasy, sci-fi, or heavily fictionalized environments. But some titles take the opposite approach by recreating real-world locations with remarkable fidelity. These games capture the geography, architecture, and culture of specific cities, countries, or regions, grounding their vast worlds in places that players can actually visit.
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Whether for authenticity, immersion, or commentary, these titles stand out for using real maps and locations as their sandbox, with the best examples faithfully committing to replicating the real world while maintaining deep, open-ended gameplay.
7 Watch Dogs: Legion
London, With All The Iconic Landmarks
Watch Dogs Legion
- Released
- October 29, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Watch Dogs: Legion builds its open world on a near-future vision of London, preserving much of the city’s iconic geography. Westminster, Camden, the Tower Bridge, and even winding backstreets are all fully explorable, with a few extra pieces of technology to spice up the gameplay.
Despite its speculative tech themes, the game delivers a dense, recognizable version of London that’s true to life in layout and design. Neighborhoods retain their real-world character, and traversal options from the Underground to double-decker buses, enhance immersion. It’s not a one-to-one replica, but the core structure and city landmarks make this version of London instantly familiar.
6 The Crew 2
United States, Condensed But Still Real Enough
The Crew 2
- Released
- May 31, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
The Crew 2 presents a scaled-down but geographically accurate version of the continental United States. Players can drive, fly, or sail across re-creations of cities like New York, Miami, San Francisco, and landmarks like the Grand Canyon, with as much speed and leisure as they choose.
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While distances are compressed, the map mirrors the real U.S. In regional layout and terrain. Urban, rural, desert, and mountainous biomes are all represented and integrated perfectly, and the game’s open structure allows seamless travel from coast to coast, offering a rare approximation of cross-country exploration on a single map.
5 Assassin's Creed Origins
Ancient Egypt, Historic Accuracy As Always
Assassin's Creed Origins
- Released
- October 27, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Assassin’s Creed Origins is set in Ptolemaic Egypt, but its recreation is rooted in real geography. The Nile River, the pyramids of Giza, Alexandria, and the Faiyum Oasis all appear where they exist in real life, allowing the game's fictional world to still be grounded in reality.
The world is carefully aligned with Egypt’s topography, using historical maps to guide terrain and settlement placement. Even ancient cities are reconstructed based on archaeological findings, and though the setting is historical, the fidelity to real-world layout and landmarks earns it a place among the most authentic open worlds.
4 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
Bolivia, Built From The Ground Up With Satellite Images
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
- Released
- March 7, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Ghost Recon: Wildlands offers a fictionalized but geographically grounded version of Bolivia. The map features all of the environmental features from salt flats to jungles found in the real-world location, and larger landmarks are all patterned on real Bolivian landscapes.
Ubisoft built the game using satellite data to ensure terrain accuracy, and the result is a vast, varied open world that matches the country’s ecological diversity. While story elements are fictional, the map’s structure remains true to Bolivia’s topography, giving players a grounded sense of the region’s physical layout.
3 Microsoft Flight Simulator
Literally The Entire Planet
Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Released
- August 18, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Asobo Studio
- Genre(s)
- Flight Simulator
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Microsoft Flight Simulator is unmatched in scope, offering a 1:1 scale simulation of Earth using satellite imagery and cloud-generated data. Every continent, country, and city is present, from rural fields to global landmarks, allowing players to fly across the world to any location they choose.
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The game streams data from Bing Maps to recreate the world with astonishing accuracy, with skyscrapers, mountain ranges, and even city streets appearing in real time. While it's a simulator and not an action-oriented game, it's still quite the ride and is the closest any game has come to digitally replicating the entire planet.
2 Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yokohama, A Japanese Full Of Vibrant Lights And Action
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
- Released
- November 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Yakuza: Like a Dragon moves the series from its traditional setting of Kamurocho to a faithful recreation of the Isezakichō district in Japan. Streets, train stations, parks, and shops mirror actual locations, creating a realistic environment for players to explore and immerse themselves in.
This urban space isn’t just accurate, but it’s alive. From local cuisine to signage, the district’s personality is preserved down to its textures and architecture. It’s smaller in scale but incredibly rich in detail, offering one of the most grounded real-world cities in the open-world genre.
1 Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Washington D.C, Fictional Pandemic, Real Location
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
- Released
- March 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Massive Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 is an open-world action RPG set in a meticulously detailed, post-pandemic Washington, D.C. The game recreates iconic landmarks such as the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument, offering players an immersive urban environment rooted in real-world geography.
This authentic representation of the city enhances the experience by grounding intense tactical combat and exploration in a recognizable and dynamic open world. The attention to detail in the city's layout and atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's immersive quality, setting it apart as a leading example of the real world can be translated to the fictional.
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