For fantasy-set worlds, they need to look realistic enough to entice people and create development stories for the characters. One of the best ways to do this, whether in games, books, or movies, is for storytellers to use real-world locations and places as sources of inspiration for design and writing chemistry and their world-building.
For example, Le Mont Saint-Michel, located in Normandy, France, is an excellent inspiration for Peter Jackson creating the scene of Minas Tirith in Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The creator of Lord of the Rings and the man considered by many to be the father of high-end fantasy, JRR Tolkien, used much of his practical experience. And the places he went to as a primary facility for venues and events in its books. Here we take a look at 10 locations in real life, is the inspiration for the fantasy scene found in some of the most amazing worlds in the game.
10. Bloodborne – Yharnam and Prague
The classy design and unique art style presented in the exclusive PlayStation 4 Bloodborne game of 2015 makes it a candidate for one of the most intricately designed games of the generation. The game’s inspirations are taken from Gothic horror works like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and more.
However, most of the game’s architecture is heavily influenced by the city of Prague. The Great Bridge in Bloodborne is a prime example of this, with similarities to the Charles Bridge in the city. Also, the design of the Astral Clock Tower has many similarities with the Prague Astronomical Clock.
9. Final Fantasy XV – Altissia and Venice
While Final Fantasy XV is a divisive game for many fans, mainly due to its large, large open world, some places in the game where players are allowed to explore and interact are designed quite beautifully.
One of the most memorable areas in the game is the town/city of Altissia, which was confirmed by developers in the Official Final Fantasy XV Ultimate Guide to have been influenced by the famous Venice Canal. It is quite fun to explore Altissia because it offers a break from the apocalyptic topics and the outside world’s context.
8. A Bard’s Tale IV – Skara Brae and a prehistoric village in Scottland
Released on PC in 2018 with a director’s cut released the same year on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, The Bard’s Tale IV is the sequel to the humorous dungeon-crawling role-playing series dating back to 1985.
The city of The Bard’s Tale series called Skara Brae also appeared in the classic RPG series known as Ultima. Skara Brae is based on a real-life Scottish village discovered on the Orkney Islands. This stone-age village dates from 3180 BC to 2500 BC, making it even older than the Pyramid and Henge Stone.
7. Final Fantasy XV – Insomnia and Shinjuku
Final Fantasy XV is a fantasy JRPG game with inspiration from the real world, making the world almost like another cosmic version of our world. As mentioned above, Venice is a clear inspiration for Altissia, and it fits surprisingly well.
However, the inspiration doesn’t stop there. The town of Insomnia, which is very well known in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, is inspired by the Shinjuku area in Tokyo. The most obvious is the significant similarity between the Castle and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
6. Risen – Faranga Island and Sicily
Developed as a spiritual successor to the Gothic series, Risen was released by Piranha Bytes on PC and Xbox 360 in 2009 and 2010. Although not considered an AAA role-playing game, Risen and its construction Kingdoms in the sequel can compete quite well with other games of the same genre.
A good reason for this is because the series’ legends are often based on facts and historical events. Faranga Island was established in Risen based on Sicily’s island with similar architectures and references to the Spanish Inquisition area during the 15th Century. Besides, the volcano on Faranga Island quite identical to Sicily’s active volcano, Mount Etna.
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