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[Archer]

 

[Tex117]

I'm going to date myself, but the most fun I ever had running around a town was at the very beginning of Illusion of Gaia.

Damn, old school.

And nice choice.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

I played only a little bit of Crackdown years ago with a friend online and he was maxed out, so all I could do was play catch-up the whole time. May have soured my experience a bit.

"Games that let you run on roofs" should be the thread title.

Yeah. S'all good though.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Spargus City from Jak 3, not as much. Sorry about the Rock Village concept art - I couldn't find a good screenshot.... Jak and Daxter had really nice hub worlds. They were small, but there were three of them, even if the red sage's hut was pretty barren.

Also,

 

[edeo]

Delfino Plaza

Fantastic game city

Too bad about crappy levels like the ghost hotel.

Super Mario needs more semi-real world locations like this

 

[Lijik]

While Saboteur is not up to some of the other suggestions, it deserved to be mentioned.

Oh man that reminds me I definitely need to check this game out. I bought it at release but couldnt run it at the time, and I have it installed now that I can but I havent gotten around to it yet.

Another one I thought of- any level in Rabbids Go Home where you steal Barney and platform across city rooftops is a total delight. The final Vegas one is a masterpiece

I wish more shots of these levels were on the net

 

[Shaneus]

While Saboteur is not up to some of the other suggestions, it deserved to be mentioned.

Oh man, I think it is up to most of the others mentioned in this thread. If I had to elaborate, I'd say Crackdown is the best purely from a superhero-type situation, but Saboteur definitely in the realism stakes. Nothing ever seemed too unrealistic and Paris of that era was just incredible.

I don't know how I forgot about it in this category. As far as running and jumping around in, it's definitely on par with Crackdown, but on a much finer scale.

 

[rar]

crackdown is the right answer

i liked outset and windfall islands in wind waker but running and jumping isn't exactly zelda's specialty

is there a quake map that's a city? i would pick that because i love quake movement

 

[Iacobellis]

 

[SeriousApes]

Shenmue 2

 

[sorijealut]

Love this thread.

Being in a town/city is my favorite aspect of any game.

An obscure one would be Ragnarok Online.
As a kid, probably Megaman Legends

And then there is Hyrule Castle Town in Minish Cap.

It may doesn't look excellent, but there are so many secrets hidden there, so much to do, it's amazing. Just how a town should be. It is one of the best towns in Zelda history together with Majoras Mask and Skyward Sword.

THANKS FOR POSTING THIS
Loved this game for exactly this.

 

[Jive Turkey]

For me it's:
Pacific City (Crackdown)
Panau (Just Cause 2)
Stillwater (Saint's Row 2 version)
Steeport (Saint's Row The Third)

Infamous 1 and 2. Love gliding on rails and air gliding.

I hated both Empire City and New Marais. I loved traveling around them but that's only because Cole's moves were fun. The actual cities were horrible.

 

[amaron11]

I've always been partial to the versions of NYC in Deus Ex, specifically Hells Kitchen.

It wasn't necessarily deep or very large, but it's always had a place in my heart being my introduction to PC gaming after I got laid off.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

This is definitely a Gravity Rush thread for me. I've never enjoyed traversing a huge city as much as did in GR. I literally spent hours just running around doing cool tricks on buildings and the like.

If we're talking about cities and stuff that I just love the design/architecture of, I'd have to go with Crossbell from Zero no Kiseki. It's the center of the game world and it feels like a living, breathing city, complete with districts and NPCs that change dialogue after every major and minor event. It feels like it's populated with people living out their lives.

 

[Mindlog]

I'm also casting a vote for Crackdown. There are plenty of other games with great open cities that are fun to explore. However, when it comes to pure running and jumping nothing topped Crackdown for me. Climbing the Agency Tower felt right. It wasn't autopilot. Getting up there and finding an Orb was even better!

I've hated almost every carrot this gen. One of the few exceptions was that sweet sweet orb sound.

 

[Squirrel Killer]

Guys... Is it that hard to add the title of the game to your pictures?

This is NeoGAF, where if you don't already know what someone is talking about you don't deserve to know.

 

[Shaneus]

I'm also casting a vote for Crackdown. There are plenty of other games with great open cities that are fun to explore. However, when it comes to pure running and jumping nothing topped Crackdown for me. Climbing the Agency Tower felt right. It wasn't autopilot. Getting up there and finding an Orb was even better!

I've hated almost every carrot this gen. One of the few exceptions was that sweet sweet orb sound.

Did you get vertigo when you made it to the top? I swear that I actually got more and more nervous as I got higher. Same deal with that other really tall boss building in the main city area.

Need to fire it up again. I clocked the sequel last year but it's been a while since I played the first.

 

[kinggroin]

I only played the demo, but Kingdom Hearts 3DS fits, no?

 

[Ra\/en]

And then there is Hyrule Castle Town in Minish Cap.
.

I fully support anyone who mentions Minish Cap. What a great game, and I honestly don't think enough people have played it.

All my favs have already been mentioned already. I think ACII etc has better towns, but I'll never forget the first time I saw Jerusalem from a distance as I headed down the hill in AC 1. It was such a blast to run around in.

I actually had the most fun in San gimignano.

 

[Raife]

The summer camp level in Psychonauts filled that void of never getting to go to summer camp in my childhood. It captured the feeling I would get when my friends would come back to school every fall and tell me their adventures perfectly.

 

[Jake Tower]

Morrowind + Scroll of Icarian Flight:

 

[Serathis]

I LOVE the Nintendo Land Hub. I just like idling around and watching people walk around and post messages. Makes me feel like I am in Disneyland.

 

[FlutterPuffs]

Xenogears Bledavik. So much things to do! It's one of the most memorable in my opinion.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Did you get vertigo when you made it to the top? I swear that I actually got more and more nervous as I got higher. Same deal with that other really tall boss building in the main city area.

My hands would get progressively clammy. Near the top my hands would actually be shaking slighty. I both loved and hated the Agency Tower.

 

[dralla]

Venice in Assassins Creed 2 is probably my favorite open world city ever. It made me want to go there on vacation.

 

[Jake Tower]

Yeah, put me down for a 'vote' for Crackdown.

I'd love a Crackdown-like game with destructible environments like Red Faction Guerrilla.

 

[GAMERG0D]

Liberty City

 

[CountAntonius]

Yeah, put me down for a 'vote' for Crackdown.

I'd love a Crackdown-like game with destructible environments like Red Faction Guerrilla.

Man imagine crackdown co op with the red faction hammer and all buildings with that level of destruction? All your buddies hacking at at the agency tower trying to bring it down?


*drool*

 

[Ahasverus]

While Saboteur is not up to some of the other suggestions, it deserved to be mentioned.

Cheers.

GAF, I'm dissapoint.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

I like this topic because I love open world game cities, I hope someday we get huge cities with the ability to enter every single building and house and explore every room and floor not just event locations. That would be a seriously crazy world

the city would not have to be any bigger than most cities in games today but the ability to enter every room and find something different would be a new thing. It would take a massive production to create that world but the gameplay elements you could get out of that would be limitless if someone made an engine for that.

I want Miami first

 

[zkylon]

This thread was made for Gravity Rush.



You spend most of the game traversing a huge city in unconventional ways.

It so kills me I'm never gonna play this game :/

 

[iMax]

No running. Definitely jumping.

 

[Stencil]

Kokiriko (sp?) Village in LttP. Purely for the nostalgia, and the music.

 

[diggler41]

Bulworth Academy in Bully
Paradise Island in Burnout Paradise
Original Pilotwings Jetpack level

 

[grosvenor_92]

Yeah, put me down for a 'vote' for Crackdown.

I'd love a Crackdown-like game with destructible environments like Red Faction Guerrilla.

That would be simply amazing and I also place another vote with the person who posted burnout paradise. I'm not a huge fan of racing games but man that game was all sorts of awesome

 

[SomeOneInaHat]

The summer camp level in Psychonauts filled that void of never getting to go to summer camp in my childhood. It captured the feeling I would get when my friends would come back to school every fall and tell me their adventures perfectly.

 

[FreeMufasa]

Delfino Plaza

Manz don't think delfino was that good but coz of how Mario controls, it made it amazing. Flippin n turnin n slidin etc

Sunshine>>>>>>>>>>>>))galaxy

 

[B.O.O.M]

Gravity Rush

Infamous 2

Both cities filled with style and best of all the traverse mechanics of these games makes it one hell of an experience. Loved every minute of it.

 

[Oersted]

Oh, also "The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction". Though I mostly loved that for the diverse ways of causing mayhem

This. And the Spiderman 2 game. Still the best Spiderman game by far.

 

[grosvenor_92]

Mirror's Edge is the obvious answer.

As much as I love Mirrors Edge apart of me wanted to see crowds of people in the city, idk if im alone on that but it would made it seem more real and could of added another element to the game play

 

[KalBalboa]

New Marais in inFamous 2 takes the cake, especially when you're talking about parkour & jumping. The ice launch move & car-charge jump alone give you such an awesome sense of momentum and sheer fun. The city played to the strengths of inFamous's style of movement and was loaded with ways to get vertical quickly.

 

[Lijik]

As much as I love Mirrors Edge apart of me wanted to see crowds of people in the city, idk if im alone on that but it would made it seem more real and could of added another element to the game play

Its funny you bring that up, I was playing that today and noticed the occasional passerby or two and sometimes a dog wandering the streets and thought it was a killer detail.

 

[Shaneus]

Cheers.

GAF, I'm dissapoint.

What is that?

No running. Definitely jumping.

And that? Christ, you'd think people would get a clue when it comes to posting screenshots without names. Fucking hell.

 

[LightofRohan]

Delfino Plaza

Yeaa. My favorite Mario game. Yea. Screw you all! I just love the setting.

 

[Raptomex]

Pacific City - Crackdown

Loved this game and the atmosphere of the city. Played it so much. Shame the second game introduced the zombie creatures. Really ruined it for me.

 

[Angry Fork]

As a PC/PS3 owner this is the one game I've always wanted to play and wish I could. It looked like so much fun.

 

[LightofRohan]

RDR - Armadillo; it's just such a nice place to hang out and see shit go down

And RIP Star Wars Galaxies - Anchorhead. So many memories there.. killing Rebels... sigh...

 

[TUSR]

What is that?

Pretty sure its Myst

 

[Shaneus]

As a PC/PS3 owner this is the one game I've always wanted to play and wish I could. It looked like so much fun.

Owning a PS3 and PC doesn't mean you can't own a 360. I own all three!

 

[Zep]

Surprised I haven't seen Kowloon(from Shenmue II) mentioned. Depending on where you were it ranged from relaxed(on the streets) to chilling(walking through the apartments and underground). The best I've experienced overall in a game.