It feels like cities they are the basis imagination genre. As you explore a fantasy world, you will likely visit different biomes. There is usually a forest, a desert, a mountain, and a snowy or fiery region. Then there are swamps, coastal cliffs, poison biome, grasslands, and caves or canyons, but these are interchangeable and don't always appear. Something that almost always comes up though is the city.
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Intricate traditions, different races, centuries of history and an unmistakable atmosphere make these fantasy worlds truly unique in the RPG genre.
Fantasy cities are perennially interesting. They provide something familiar to latch onto while showcasing the world's unique culture, architecture, art, economy and people. They are usually a merchant hub and a great place to pick up side quests. However, these other fantasy games do not play by these rules. While you're still casting spells, swinging swords and taking down magical creatures, you will never explore the city at any time during their gameplay. They will be sorted according to the quality and origin of the games themselves.
7
The Pathless
Nothing but wilderness and ruins
Thanks to his narration, The Pathless takes place in an isolated environment. Sure, there's plenty of gorgeous scenery and impressive ruins dotting the scenery, but there's nothing to be found in the way of civilization or people. Fortunately, this is a feature, not a bug. A hunter travels to a remote island from which a dangerous curse emanates. He meets the Eagle Mother, who joins Hunter on her quest, and then sets out to rid Godslayer Island.
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This curse is the kind of thing that will suffocate any life it comes across; well, sort of. The curse corrupts the gods, and the gods preserve life, so the curse inherently threatens that preservation. While The Hunter spends most of her time removing corruption from the gods found throughout the island, we never really see the effects of her actions on the wider world. Meanwhile, the island itself has been so thoroughly corrupted that although it still serves as the home of the gods, any kind of city that once existed has been reclaimed by the wilderness.
6
Gothic
Life In The Prison Colony
Gothic
- Released
-
November 23, 2001
There is an inherent hopelessness in it gothic settings. This is a dark fantasy RPG from the genre's heyday, released in 2001. While its look and mechanics may be dated, we can hope that the upcoming remake will touch things up in those departments. Hopefully the remake will have nothing to do with the story and world.
Gothic takes place in a mining colony run entirely by prisoners. They mine magical ore to be used to make weapons for a distant war against the goblin army. To trap the prisoners, the king commissioned a dozen wizards to build a magic dome around the mine. However, the mages lose control of their magic, the dome expands, trapping them inside and the prisoners take over. Gothic takes place inside this dome and you play as one of the many prisoners. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are no major population centers in this makeshift prison colony. You'll see some dilapidated castles and lots of dilapidated camps, but nothing that represents an actual established city.
5
Valheim
No locals to help the fallen Vikings
Unlike many other games on this list, Valheim it's not so much a pure fantasy game as it is a viking survival game with characters from norse mythology populating the world. Players create a fallen Viking and explore the world of Valheim, battling enemies to prove they deserve to enter Valhalla.
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While there are a variety of biomes to explore, from swamps to forests to molten Ashlands, there isn't much civilization in the world. This fits both the setting and the genre. It's not unheard of, but starting a major city in what is essentially purgatory seems like the kind of endeavor that no one would take on, especially if the place is full of Vikings trying to fight their way to paradise. In this context, who is satisfied with being the glorified mayor? After all, Valheim is a survival game and having a big city to visit and stock up on resources kind of defeats the purpose.
4
Hades
Society is not welcome in the underworld
Hades
10/10
- Released
-
September 17, 2020
The transition from Norse mythology to Greek mythology, Hades also takes place in the afterlife; in this case the Underworld, administered by the God of the Dead himself. You play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, who is desperate to escape from the underworld to meet his mother Persephone in the surface world. While his father disapproves, Zagreus is adamant and ventures into the lands of the dead again and again, no matter how many times he is knocked down.
Much like in Walheim, not so surprising that there are no cities Hades. First, the dead aren't destined to build strongholds in their afterlife, and second, Zagreus doesn't exactly stick around. It is constantly moving forward from one region to another. A city would immediately slow down that dynamic, ruining the believability of Zagreus' journey and breaking the roguelike pace that is so integral to the flow of the game.
3
Shadow Of The Colossus
No cities, no citizens, just sixteen giants, a man and a horse
An argument could be made for including the city in the other games on this list (provided it was done without twisting the story or world building), but Shadow of the Colossus there is absolutely no place for one. This is a game that is built on solitude. The world is empty except for the sixteen titular colossi and a giant temple at its center. Even the protagonist's name, Wander, suggests loneliness and isolation.
There are signs that cities once stood in this land, but they are long gone and nothing but ruins to indicate that someone lived there. This is now the land of colossi, and Wander's goal is to defeat each and every one of them. By the time it's done, not only are there no cities or people, but literally nothing. Just an empty expanse of land that once had majesty and wonder.
2
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
By the time you arrive, the cities are long gone
Hyrule was never a place with a ton of busy cities or mobs of NPCs. Link's adventures usually take place in vast wild lands with lots of puzzles to solve and enemies to fight, but not much in densely populated areas. Even considering that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is probably the loosest plot of all Zelda game.
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There are many kingdoms, but they are not based in cities. Some are surrounded by small towns like those scattered across the map, others are built into the side of a volcano, but calling them cities would be a stretch. Even Hyrule Castle, the massive structure in the center of the map, has no city around it. Link visits them all, collects some quests, and can even build his own city, but at no point is there a bona fide city to walk through.
1
God Of War (2018)
Gods don't need cities
There are probably cities somewhere in the Norse Empire where Kratos settled to raise a family, but we never see them. Kratos has built his cabin in the middle of a snowy forest, and when he and his son Atreus leave, they head for a lonely mountain. The pair must visit other realms like Niflheim and Alfheim, but even there you're looking at larger expanses of wilderness and/or wasteland than a city.
One could argue that Alfheim is a city, or once was. It's certainly full of structures and pathways that suggest civilization once flourished here, but centuries of warfare have destroyed all recognizable urban features outside of some spaces that might be buildings. continuation, God Of War Ragnarok, features several cities, including the shining city of Asgard. However, God of War 2018 is a more personal journey between Kratos and Atreus that doesn't get distracted by a ton of NPCs or side quests.
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