Images By THE AUTHOR, WIKIPEDIA, and WIKIA

Video games allow us to enter worlds unknown, taking on the roles of characters we take control of to interact with the virtual world. Often, games take us to distant galaxies, fantasy realms, or alternate universes. But what if you could visit some of the places you’ve encountered on screen in real life? Here are some iconic video game locations based on real-life areas that you can visit.

Counter-Strike 2’s Canals

Counter-Strike has served as the top first-person competitive shooting game for nearly two decades since its inception as a Half-Life mod. To date, it continues to be the most-played game on Steam. As of writing, there are currently one million players playing CounterStrike 2. Counter-Strike has left quite an impact due to its familiar settings where those playing as terrorists and counterterrorists duke it out. Even non-players of the title can recognize maps like the iconic Dust II and its Moroccan-inspired setting. Then there’s the Italy map, taking inspiration from the country it’s named after. Also inspired by Italy, though, is Counter-Strike 2’s Canals map.

First featured in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2017, Canals is heavily based on Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy after its map designer, Iikka Keränen, visited the area. You’ll instantly recognize recreated locations like Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, and St Mark’s Clocktower, to name a few.

Assassin’s Creed’s many historic locations

While on the topic of Italy, another iconic video game that takes place in its various locations would be Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed 2. Filling in the shoes of Florentine nobleman Ezio Auditore da Firenze, we follow his journey as he carries out tasks for the Assassin Brotherhood. It’s worth noting that this league of assassins is even based on an actual organization known as the Order of Assassins, notorious for carrying out assassinations of influential people in the medieval Middle East. While Italy often comes first to mind for Assassin’s Creed players, the triple-A franchise has also had games that take place in Turkey’s famed Constantinople, various US locations during the American Revolution, France, Egypt, and England. Soon to hit the market later this year, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is stirring excitement online after its setting was revealed to be feudal Japan. In Shadows, you’ll be playing as real-life African samurai Yasuke, who served under Japanese daimyō Oda Nobunaga, and a Japanese shinobi (ninja) named Naoe.

Fallout 4’s Boston wasteland

After the recent success of Amazon Prime’s Fallout series, more new fans have decided to dip their toes into trying the Bethesda-published titles. For the older Fallout entries, we are exposed to all that remains of Washington D.C. in Fallout 3. Meanwhile, Fallout New Vegas has you going through the unforgiving Mojave Desert as warring factions try to take control of New Vegas. New Vegas, as the name suggests, is the rebuilt settlement attempting to revive the gambling grandeur of Las Vegas, Nevada. New players, however, are more than likely to flock toward the easiest of the franchise to enter, Fallout 4. Fallout 4 largely takes place in the remains of Boston. You’ll recognize historic locations like Boston Common, known as the oldest city park in the US, and the Massachusetts State House, one of the oldest state capitols still in use. It’s rather spot on, save maybe for the wrecked buildings, rampant radiation, crazy raiders, and kill-hungry super mutants.

Microsoft Flight Simulator and the whole world

Why stop with single destinations when you can explore the whole world? Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) allows players to take control of their plane of choice and take off from any airport in the world. Utilizing map data from Bing Maps, the game recreates maps as accurately as it can in-game. Just imagine taking off from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and landing virtually wherever you desire. You might even learn a thing or two about piloting aircraft as the attention put to detail in controlling the in-game planes strives to be as accurate as possible.