Architect's Journal ranks top 10 gaming worlds
by Ben Gilbert 
{ Jun 25th 2009 at 9:00AM }
The list is rounded out by some rather ... interesting choices -- from Jet Set Willy's house to Halo's ring world, and everything in between, which are all discussed in highfalutin terms that we simply can't wrap our heads around. "Gemutlich?" "Miminalism" (note: not "minimalism")? We're sticking with the video games, thank you very much.
[Via Kotaku]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
R (XBL: Esoteric Lord) @ Jun 25th 2009 9:10AM
Didnt have to read any further than the title to see that WoW was going to win.
For the record, Morrowind trumps all of these games easy.
komandoh @ Jun 25th 2009 10:23AM
Yes! My thoughts exactly! Morrowind had the most awesome achitectural design.
tenor77 @ Jun 25th 2009 12:02PM
Bethesda deserves some props on this list. While daggerfall was a nightmare of repetetive dungeons, Morrowind and Oblivion actually felt like real worlds.
Jrinswand @ Jun 25th 2009 12:05PM
I completely agree. After downloading the game on Steam a week or two ago and beginning a new playthrough (after having played 130+ hours on the Xbox) with new textures, I am blown away by how good the game still looks after all these years.
Eh @ Jun 25th 2009 1:28PM
A lot of games blow those away, they probably didnt take very long to make the list. The level design in Tomb Raider 1 was revolutionary, I dont know how you make a list like that without Tomb Raider. And then a game with the most spectacular areas ever, ICO.
Theres just a lot of way better worlds in other games.
Flashback
Final Fantasy
Gears of War
Half Life 2
Shmil @ Jun 25th 2009 4:48PM
This was really more of a "the best selling game worlds"
The Baron @ Jun 25th 2009 9:24AM
It was an entertaining read at least; I think a few of them (especially Jet Set Willy's house) may have been more than a bit tongue-in-cheek.
cuteSAVAGE @ Jun 25th 2009 9:26AM
I can only assume the eleven-spot would have gone to Phendrana Drifts.
Zulef @ Jun 25th 2009 9:29AM
As someone points out on the list :"Super Mario Bros 3, the game in #10, was first released in 1988. Fashion Architecture Taste (FAT) first began in the early to mid 90s. If anything FAT was influenced by Super Mario Bros 3, not the other way around."
So architects dont know their video games!
Vidikron @ Jun 25th 2009 9:58AM
That picture doesn't look like it comes from SMB3.
John @ Jun 25th 2009 9:34AM
They should have included Elders scrolls: Oblivion.
The architecture in that game was stunning, I'd easily say more impressive than WoW.
offday @ Jun 25th 2009 9:54AM
Why do all those screenshots look really weird?
first2di3 @ Jun 25th 2009 10:15AM
What Mario game is that? The article seems to call it just "Marioland", and the screenshot is like no Mario game I have ever seen (unless its supposed to be the new one coming out for Wii later..)
Can someone please point me to the right place to see more about this version of Mario?
cuteSAVAGE @ Jun 25th 2009 11:11AM
That isn't from a game, it's a modified deviation. http://excelsium.deviantart.com/art/Marioland-16773625
The version in the list comes up with a google search for Marioland.
offday @ Jun 25th 2009 11:58AM
I was wondering that too.
So basically, what we have here, is another article talking about video games from a person or group of people who really don't know much about video games.
Blackzarak @ Jun 25th 2009 10:38AM
While I agree WoW has the best world and Marioland(overall) is great, some of those are odd choices like Jet Set Willy.
SlicerD @ Jun 25th 2009 11:21AM
Yeah what mario is that screenshot from? The new one? Or maybe a paper mario I missed?
WhiteShield @ Jun 25th 2009 10:52AM
thats rather disappointing that the capital wasteland wasn't included but hey, at least they have some choices i'd agree with
Duke @ Jun 25th 2009 11:10AM
I think its not included because that is a twisting of an actual place (DC), rather than a new world/place created.
shredhead @ Jun 25th 2009 11:38AM
I would agree on Azeroth, Halo, and Liberty City, but the others...bleh.
Kyattsuai @ Jun 25th 2009 11:46AM
Even though it's a ghost town, I have a special place in my heart for Santa Destroy. It looks like a cool place to live, if not for all the assassins.
Jrinswand @ Jun 25th 2009 12:16PM
Despite having one of the stupidest endings in all of video games, BioShock has pretty cool architecture. I like the Art Deco thing it has going for it.
Dogtopia @ Jun 25th 2009 12:47PM
Where is half life 2. The european aesthetic and design was amazing
Brazell @ Jun 25th 2009 1:16PM
That list sucks. I know they're trying to be edgy, picking .. tetris .. but c'mon.
eNrique @ Jun 25th 2009 1:25PM
No ICO?
No Shadow of the Colossus?
No Zelda?
No Final Fantasy?
haloz?
Cut the crap please.
Elmoogle @ Jun 25th 2009 2:53PM
I can actually envision Tetris as being one of the Planes of Order from the Planescape universe. The ultimate in lawful realities, a nightmare world of endlessly falling and interlocking rectangles. Woah, I just blew my own mind.
Colin @ Jun 25th 2009 3:03PM
Not a bad list, but clearly missing some prime examples: Rapture, City 17, the architecture of Mass Effect, and pretty much every final fantasy since VII. I might even throw in Cera (is that the city name?) from Gears of War.
Matthew @ Jun 25th 2009 3:16PM
http://www.gameinmind.com/game-in-mind/2009/06/the-best-game-architecture.html
Diskoboy7 @ Jun 25th 2009 3:37PM
They nominate Jet Set Willy, but no Jet Set RADIO???
The city design in both games, was nothing short of brilliant. You really feel like you're in a sprawling, Japanese, metropolis.
Author X @ Jun 25th 2009 3:57PM
Actually, based on the context I'm going to say yes, he did mean "minimalism".