Open-World Games With The Most Cities And Towns, Ranked

Summary

Horizon Forbidden West: 31 diverse towns offer unique cultures and quests.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord: Realistic medieval life with 53 towns.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: 49-85 settlements in Ancient Greece bustling with life and history.

As a seasoned explorer of digital landscapes, I find myself constantly amazed by the vastness and intricacy of the virtual worlds we have created. Among these, the number and variety of settlements and outposts that populate these realms never cease to amaze me.

In open-world games, players have the liberty to navigate and play the game according to their preferences, without strict levels or obstacles. This freedom allows them to roam wherever their gaze takes them. Yet, the pleasure lies in discovering an environment marked by remnants of civilization and witnessing life thrive in a variety of intriguing locations. These explorations into untamed territories provide a soothing balance against immersions into the wilderness.

In the realm of science fiction, shaping mountains and painting forests may seem feasible, but for now, it’s more practical to create within a game engine settings like hand-placed villagers or cities teeming with inhabitants. Nevertheless, some studios have taken it upon themselves to fill their open-world games with an astonishing multitude of settlements.

6. Horizon Forbidden West – 31 towns

A Diverse Neo-Tribal Landscape

In the game Horizon: Forbidden West, approximately thirty vibrant settlements are scattered across the scenery in the main storyline. These towns symbolize distinct tribal factions that emerged following a stunning apocalypse, offering a rich tapestry of culture and personality against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world reclaimed by nature. The industrious Chainscrape contrasts with the tranquil Plainsong, teeming with nature, each town presenting its unique charm to the landscape.

These locales aren’t merely scenic spots to pass through; they are bustling with vendors, weapon merchants, and often serve as starting points for an exciting quest or two. The 31st settlement, named Fleet’s End, was introduced in the “Burning Shores” DLC. While it doesn’t lie within the Forbidden West geographically speaking, it is situated in the broader context of the same game.

5. Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord – 53 towns

A Vast Playground For The Mounted And Bladed

In the dream of wielding a sharp tool and mounting a steed in order to dominate the terrain, it wouldn’t feel quite the same without spaces for peasants and spectators, each with their unique loyalties and cultures. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord offers a more authentic depiction of medieval existence by incorporating 53 towns and countless villages across its vast map.

These settlements play a crucial role in the game’s combat, diplomacy, and economic structures, offering numerous opportunities for interaction and usefulness. Alternatively, players have the option to renounce their pursuit of power and weaponry, instead choosing to live as vagabonds or itinerant merchants among the populace.

4. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey- 49-85

The Ancient Living World Revived on a Massive Scale

In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, you’ll find yourself immersed in a vast replica of Ancient Greece, teeming with 49 significant cities and an extra 36 smaller towns. From the legendary, bustling avenues of Athens to the disciplined, minimalistic Sparta, this game offers a variety of settlements including numerous coastal ports and villages. This rich tapestry is sure to captivate lovers of Ancient Greek history and mythology.

Instead of being just static backdrops, these settings pulse with vibrant marketplaces, arenas, temples, and crowds of NPCs living their lives, though many of them cannot be interacted with directly, and the action unfolds primarily via ambient animations.

3. The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall – At Least 5,040

An Entire Landmass Of Communities Spread Far And Wide

In the realm of Daggerfall, there are approximately 40 capital cities and around 5,000 smaller towns and cities waiting to be discovered, making it a veritable feast for travel enthusiasts who relish the challenge of exploring every nook and cranny. The map of Daggerfall is roughly equivalent in size to Great Britain, and the distance between each village mirrors real-life distances, offering an authentic sense of exploration and adventure.

In the late 90s, due to the constrained data storage capacity, there was only so much variety to fill up this vast, initial, semi-automatically generated map. After the fourth or fifth settlement, each town and village started to seem rather repetitive. However, enthusiasts of this idea might be thrilled to learn that the same developers who created the game are now working on a similarly grand spiritual successor to Daggerfall, but this time with more content to offer.

2. Minecraft – Potentially Infinite

A Near-Endless World Of Villages

As long as you select the “spawn structures” option during world creation, each Minecraft world has the potential to host countless villages ready for exploration. The algorithmic generation process can lead to intriguing outcomes as roads and buildings may intersect with the local terrain, and considering the infinite possibilities coded into the system, it’s always exciting to discover something rare and unusual.

As a cinephile, I can tell you that even the humble villagers in this game are worth remembering. Although they don’t have names or dialogue without a special tag from the player, each one has their unique inventory to sell. These exchanges not only bring life to each village but also create a distinct impression with every trade made.

1. No Man’s Sky – Potentially Infinite

A Near-Endless Galaxy Of Outposts

In No Man’s Sky, you won’t find a game that can surpass the vastness of a cosmos brimming with planets and space stations, each potentially teeming with life or civilization. This grandeur is precisely what this game offers, boasting an astounding array of explorable planets within its universe, numerous ones hosting one or more thriving hubs for trade, upgrades, and the unraveling of exotic alien lore.

Beyond a certain point, the differences among settlements start to blur under the strain of endlessness, as numerous outposts and structures adopt common designs and blueprints. Yet, despite this repetition, the immense size of the universe in No Man’s Sky ensures that you will never run out of new towns to explore within a single human lifetime, due to its sheer scale.

2024-12-16 08:14