5 video game open worlds we would love to live in (and 5 to avoid at all costs)

Video games portray immersive open worlds where the player can lose themselves for hours on end. There are times when the video game world feels almost real, close to the point of a simulation, before the player is rudely snapped back to reality.

These worlds are richly decorated with details and embellishments that make them seem almost real and worth living in. Whether it is a fantasy world filled with new sentient species and magical creatures, or a technologically advanced society set in the future, video games have a diverse amount of open worlds to choose from.

While many of these worlds are lush and rich with life, there are worlds where existing would mean a terrible ordeal. Usually due to an impending prophesied disaster or a zombie outbreak, these worlds would be the worst place to call home. So here are five video game open-worlds which would be a great place to live in, along with five more that one should avoid.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.

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5 video game open worlds which would be great to call home

1. The Elder Scrolls Online

The stories of all the Elder Scrolls video games take place in the fictional world of Nirn on the continent of Tamriel, which is composed of a variety of nations. While disaster has featured in different games such as Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, the Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG takes place in several locations.

While the video game world might be the subject of many civil wars, occasional dragon attacks, and recurring invasions by demonic entities, it still has much more to offer. As one of the most stable worlds in video game high fantasy, Tamriel provides a variety of scenery to call home.

For those who enjoy a cooler climate, the nation of Skyrim might prove suitable, while those looking for a more tropical environment can head to Cyrodil. An island vacation awaits in the Summerset Isles, or the Systres Archipelago. Morrowind and Hammerfall are options for those who prefer an arid atmosphere.

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2. Red Dead Redemption 2

While set in a fictional world, Red Dead Redemption 2 is not very different from real world history. Set during the late 19th century, this video game world is a reimagining of the United States' Wild West, with fictional states of West Elizabeth, Ambarino, New Hannover, Lemoyne, New Austin, and Guarma.

Cowboys and gunslingers are abundant in this video game world, with nearly every other individual carrying a firearm for self protection. This makes it perfect for anyone looking to live as an outlaw, trying their luck at being a gunslinger, or simply living a peaceful life in the great outdoors.

Set during a time when technology was nowhere to be seen and horse riding was a crucial skill to learn, people looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life would find this world a nice change of pace. Of course, if a strange group of men walks into town, with one of them talking about mangoes and Tahiti, it would be wise to vacate the premises as soon as possible.

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3. Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars is a world that everyone wants to live in. With the possibility of ending up being force-sensitive and becoming a light saber-wielding Jedi and Sith, the galaxy seen in the Star Wars universe houses a wide assortment of planets to choose from.

As seen in the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG, with a nice enough spaceship and a few credits, one can travel to any of the many systems across the star cluster. While being a force wielder is a great option, there are definitely other options for one to make a living.

One may work as a bounty hunter, like Boba Fett, or a smuggler like Han Solo. Although, if such criminal work seems to be a risky venture to explore, there is always the senate to take part in if one enjoys the intricacies of politics. Else, there is always the simple life of a moisture farmer, or worse, a nerf herder.

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4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Who has not wanted to live in the world of Zelda? Most fans of the video game series would love such an opportunity. The open world of Hyrule featured in the Breath of the Wild video game is one such perfect opportunity, even though Calamity Ganon has taken over Hyrule Castle.

Aside from the Bokoblins and other enemies prowling the land, life in Hyrule is great. Despite taking Hyrule Castle, Calamity Ganon isn’t a very active entity, meaning ignoring it is the best course of action. With Link, the hero of Hyrule, running around and defeating threats daily, common people can live in a peaceful environment.

Becoming a Hylian would mean developing sharp features and pointed ears, but those are minor changes to consider in exchange for the lush, colorful world that would be open to explore. However, it is recommended that one should take at least a wooden stick along for self defense.

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5. Cyberpunk 2077

Despite its lackluster performance, Cyberpunk 2077 is still one of the best games at showcasing a futuristic setting. The video game’s primary environment is Night City, a neon environment occupied by bio-mechanically enhanced individuals who have at least one microchip embedded in their skulls.

It would be a dream come true for many to live in such a technologically evolved society, where the use of cellphones is a thing of the past. This is mainly because all functions of mobile phones have been directly integrated with an individual’s brain chip. The term "wireless technology" has taken on a whole new meaning.

With self-driving taxi services, holographic lap dances, and talking guns, Cyberpunk’s video game world demonstrates the pinnacle of human technology, or at least one such possibility. And of course, who could forget the cybernetic mods that can be implemented on one's body to increase various attributes?

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5 video game open worlds where settling down would be a bad idea

1. Fallout

The Fallout video games seem like a lot of fun to play, and traversing the wide open wastelands as any of the many protagonists from the series is quite an adventure. However, living in that world would probably be unsuitable for several reasons; one of them being the radiation.

As the game is set after a nuclear apocalypse, the world is irradiated, meaning that staying there for extended periods of time would probably lead to a few horrifying mutations in the body. This can be seen in-game, as there are many NPCs and monsters, termed as Ghouls because of their mutated appearance.

A little casual exploration that would lead to instant death seems like a terrible choice of location to set up a house. After all, it's not like there is much to do inside either, with much of humanity now decimated, and TVs and the internet being stuff of the past. Get into a fight with a Cazador, and it is game over for life.

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2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Seeing as the world of The Witcher requires, well, witchers, to kill monsters that are plaguing human lives, paired with the fact that witchers are growing less in number, it seems inevitable that monsters will soon take over the world. Even if that is not the case, this is still a very dangerous world to live in.

For one, the only way to tell if there is a monster in the area is after it has attacked someone, which means the chances of being brutally wounded or even killed by a sudden monster attack are quite high. Following this, a notice will be posted in the hopes that an expert will come across the settlement and be able to kill said beast.

In the time it would take famous monster slayer Geralt to show up here, and there would presumably be even more deaths. It seems like life on the Continent is like a roll of a die most days, not knowing when you would roll a critical one.

This is in the case of a regular old monster, and not some sort of complicated one like a demon or a hymm. While these might not kill their prey outright, they will turn their lives into a living hell.

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3. God of War (2018)

Normally, life in the Norse land of Midgard would be a peaceful endeavor, at least compared to the Greek one showcased in the God of War video game series. With green forests, hills, and a giant lake, it would be a fine locale to settle down in, or so one would think. Kratos thought the same, until a murderous god came knocking.

But the odds are that if one is a normal human, the gods probably will not be directly intervening in their lives. However, as foretold at the end of 2018's God of War video game, Fimbulwinter is on its way. This is a lengthy period of cold and frost for three times the usual length of winter, with no summers in between. Talk about a chilling predicament.

Fimbulwinter is immediately followed by the literal end of the world. Known amongst the Norse as Ragnarok, this is an apocalyptic event where the Aesir and the Vanir gods go to battle against the giants, with Midgard caught in-between. Why would anyone want to live in a world that is literally ending?

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4. Days Gone

Speaking of the world ending, the world of survival horror video game Days Gone has already ended, at least as its inhabitants knew it. Humanity lives in hiding as the world has been overrun by the infected hordes. Setting up a home in this fictional setting of the state of Oregon is definitely a bad idea.

The protagonist of the game, Deacon St. John, can only survive due to his trusty motorbike, which allows him to make a quick getaway if he has a run in with the zombies, known in this video game iteration as freakers. Appearing in hordes, freakers can easily catch up to anyone who is not in a speedy mode of transport.

Being in constant mode is the way to survive in this game, meaning that anyone without a driving licence won’t last long here. Even if one has a licence, it is imperative that they know how to maintain their vehicle, as repair shops and garages are no longer operative due to zombies.

Unless they enjoy being bitten and turned into a mindless spore-carrying body bag, people should definitely stay away from this video game world.

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5. NieR:Automata

It might be safe to say that being a human in the world of NieR:Automata would probably be one of the most unsafe decisions anyone could make. Taking into consideration that humans in this world have long since been extinct, one would probably be taken in by the Resistance Androids, possibly for questioning.

While the lie is that humans do exist on the moon in a bunker, this is not the truth, as these humans have long since perished due to a complicated series of events. The higher-ups in the Resistance know this, and would either quietly kill off any new humans spotted in the world, or send them to the moon to die alone in a bunker.

If not, then one might be captured by the alien machines that are currently trying to invade the earth. As a fresh source of data and information, the machines would surely study the individual, possibly dissecting them and performing a post-mortem to boot. The world of NieR is really not a great place for humans, and has not been since the end of the Drakengard series.