An open world RPG with the most detailed cities

RPGs used to have amazing cities when everything was more connected via world maps. NES and SNES RPGs were simpler, but in the PS1 and PS2 era there were some really excellent examples in big franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Questand so on.

Fewer cities were created in the HD era as the push was instead to create expansive open world experiences and get rid of the world map. That said, over the years there have been some RPGs with one big city that's incredible, or several smaller towns and cities that are packed with detail. For RPG fans who miss the golden days of exploring towns and cities, perhaps these examples will suffice.

Cyberpunk 2077

Move around the night city

Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in one city, Night City, although players can also venture out into the desert wasteland and come across small campsites. The city is easily the size of something like that Grand Theft Auto 5but perhaps even bigger and stickier.

There are more places to visit inside and the NPCs and traffic help make the town feel alive and clustered with everyone trying to make money. Since this is a cybernetic future, the team at CD Projekt Red was able to be more creative with building and character designs, adding more flavor to the mix.

Pokemon Legends: ZA

What if the city was a gym?

Pokemon Legends: ZA takes place exclusively in Lumiose City, but players can still catch Pokemon. Some will roam the rooftops of cities, while others will stick to predetermined zones, and wherever the Pokemon hang out makes sense in context.

At night, the city becomes a kind of gym and Pokemon trainers fight to become the best in the city. Game Freak managed to squeeze a lot out of a single location, and it's a pretty expansive world, even if it doesn't immediately feel as open as it has in the past. Pokemon records.

Tom Clancy's The Division

Cold streets of NYC

Tom Clancy's The Division is another game that takes place in one city, namely a famous one: New York City. During the pandemic event, most of the city was evacuated to protected quarantine zones, leaving behind ramshackle houses, streets littered with debris, allowing lawlessness to reign through the various factions.

Players are then sent to reclaim the city as a tactical force known as The Division. Even though players can only walk around the city, the locations are pretty diverse and give off the aura of a cold NYC winter.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Paradise on every level

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the first Yakuza a game that takes place in the American city of Honolulu. The streets are dotted with colorful NPCs and shops, some of which players can enter directly without loading.

There are also sections where players can explore slightly older neighborhoods in Japan from the series, but Honolulu is the main draw. Whether you're on foot or on a scooter, players can expect to see plenty of sights and mini-games in between turn-based battles.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

How to get through Midgar

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth restores and expands the cities that were in the middle half of the original version Final Fantasy VII. The first town players encountered after leaving Midgar in the PS1 version was Kalm, and it was just one square with connected shops to go to. Kalm in the remake is absolutely huge in comparison and amazingly detailed to look like a quaint little German village.

There's also Junon, Costa del Sol, Cosmo Canyon, and other facilities big and small to explore. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth it really feels like a game where Square Enix has pulled out all the stops, from city and world designs to mini-games to action-packed combat.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Fantasy Done Right

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was the finale of the original trilogy, the sequels of which kept getting better and better. CD Projekt Red definitely finished on a high with the vast world it offered players to explore. Novigrad, White Orchard, and Kaer Trolde are just a few of the areas players can explore, each with their own set of NPCs and attached quests that can take players hours to work their way through.

Kaer Trolde is one of the best because it's only a citadel, technically, but also a great living space for the people nestled in the mountains. The design of each small camp and town is influenced by European folklore, making each location feel authentic to history, even if it's a monster-infested world.

Dead Island 2

The rough streets of LA

Dead Island 2 is no longer set on an island, but the area is still bright and sunny. Players will start in the Hollywood Hills and then head to the Venice Beach area, and those are just two of LA's iconic areas worth mentioning. The fun thing about this recreated city is that all the zombies fit into the rich theme of the area.

Players will battle a host of scrawny millionaires, bikini babies, tennis players, weightlifters and more. The pomp and circumstance of LA is captured well, even if it's a bit over the top in this first-person zombie brawler.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Medieval history

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is based on medieval history in the Czech Republic and puts the player in the role of an inferior member of society trying to work his way up. There is nothing fantastic about the towns and quaint cottages scattered around the world, but the historical value is unmatched, similar Assassin's Creed game.

It goes beyond the renaissance fair clothing, because even in these cities everyone's behavior is on point. Players can practically smell the mud in the common quarters and the wafting smell of roast chicken and stale beer in the gathering centers. It looks real.

Hogwarts heritage

Welcome to Hogwarts

Hogwarts heritage doesn't have many cities to speak of, but that's fine anyway for fans who want to explore the world Harry Potter with your own eyes. For those who don't know, Hogwarts is a magical academy whose massive campus resembles the design of the city and is full of book and film references from famous characters to iconic cameos.

In addition to the surrounding lands, players can also explore a legal village within the lore: Hogwarts. Hogsmeade is smaller in scale than Hogwarts, but regardless, it's authentic and full of Easter eggs.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Prague in the future

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a sequel Deus Ex: Human Revolutionset in a futuristic version of Prague in 2029. Even in 2016, when this game was created, it seemed far-fetched to have the technology that Prague does in 2029, but time makes fools of us all, as they say.

Whether it's the future or not, Prague still has its quaint and homely charm, as the houses look hundreds of years old. Now there are flying cars and floating TVs to accompany the old world architecture. This juxtaposition of old and new is what makes Prague so interesting to explore, from the streets to the myriad of apartments.