A Very Serious Player’s Tour of Video Game North America

I have a confession: I am not a travel writer. I am a player with a map, a questionable sense of direction, and a habit of treating virtual bus stops like sacred landmarks. North America remains the most popular playground in games for a reason: it gives developers cities, forests, wastelands, highways, and enough recognizable skyline material to make me point at my screen like a confused tourist. In 2026, these digital road trips still hold up, partly because they mix real places with fictional ones, and partly because I can visit Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, and a post-apocalyptic America without paying for luggage.

The Last of Us: Nature’s Least Relaxing Walking Tour

I started my tour with The Last of Us, which is a lovely game about bonding, hiking, and occasionally screaming at a fungal nightmare. When a fungal virus reduces humanity to zombified states, the world falls into ruin and nature takes over. Joel and Ellie venture across North America in search of the Fireflies, a group of freedom fighters who might create a vaccine decades after society collapsed. I developed emotional bonds with both characters, which was inconvenient because I also needed to avoid nail-biting scares and thrilling combat. Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, and Colorado are all on the itinerary. I packed tissues and a shotgun.

Fallout 4: Boston, But With More Radiation

As the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, I embarked on a journey through the apocalyptic wasteland of Boston centuries after atomic bombs ravaged the world. Fallout 4 is not shy about its roots, and plenty of real-life Boston locations appear in-game as detailed landmarks. I went for the history and stayed for the radiation. Super Mutants, bandits, and Synths cause a ruckus in the new Boston, while the Minutemen resurge for the Commonwealth in the late 23rd century. It is the only city where I have been politely asked to help a settlement and then immediately chased by something with too many arms.

Infamous Second Son: Seattle With Superpowers

Getting superpowers never felt so good as in Infamous Second Son. Delsin Rowe is a Conduit who discovers his new abilities as a superhuman, and I used those powers for good, for bad, and occasionally for both because I am a complicated person with a controller. Seattle is brought to life with great locations, including the Space Needle observation tower. For an early PS4 title, the sights and graphics are impressive. The cast is strong, and the story improves because players make life-changing decisions that affect the people and city around them. I made one heroic choice and then accidentally threw a car into a coffee shop. Character growth is messy.

Grand Theft Auto 5: Los Santos, My Satirical Home Away From Home

Most Grand Theft Auto games take place in North America, but Grand Theft Auto 5 is perhaps the most defined by its location. Los Santos is an unapologetic fictional parody of Los Angeles, and I still get a surprise when I see the real-life counterpart to a spot in the game. The satire of American culture is sharp, and where better to do it than Hollywood? Or, as the game calls it, Vinewood. I love the freedom to commit endless crimes or simply explore the vast open-world map. Sometimes I drive responsibly. Usually, I do not.

Assassin’s Creed 3: History Class With Snow and Hidden Blades

Assassin’s Creed 3 exists in an interesting time among the flagship Ubisoft franchise. It had to impress after the Ezio Trilogy concluded. It may not be everyone’s favorite, but it is hard to deny the experience of the American Revolution through the eyes of Connor Kenway, a Native American Assassin. The game takes place near Boston and New York and covers the war for independence between 1775 and 1783. The American Revolutionary War takes center stage, but I easily got lost in the developing cities and snowy forests of North America. I learned history, stabbed some people, and forgot which century my GPS was in.

Cyberpunk 2077: Night City Wants Me to Leave, But I Cannot

Set in the heart of California, Night City is a place where everyone wants to leave but no one can escape in Cyberpunk 2077. This futuristic dystopia depends on consumerism and technology. I walked the streets not knowing whether a rogue bullet from a gang member or a stab wound from a Cyberpsycho would take my life too soon. The cityscape is bustling and slightly claustrophobic, and corporations seem to have infinite, intimidating power. Even looking up in Night City, there seems to be no end to the greed. I looked up once and a flying car almost landed on my face.

Death Stranding: America’s Most Aggressive Delivery Job

After a cataclysmic event severs humanity’s connection with one another, Sam Porter Bridges is tasked with the impossible mission of embarking across America to deliver hope once again. In Death Stranding, Sam traverses harsh terrains and environments, connecting survivors and their shelters to try to reunite the world one step at a time. There is combat, but the center stage belongs to connecting humans and bringing light back to a shattered world. I saw the ruins of America and the landscapes that made it such a desired frontier in the first place. I also fell down a hill, dropped a package, and apologized to a rock.

Red Dead Redemption 2: Outlaw Tourism at Its Finest

Being an outlaw in the Wild West has never been so inviting thanks to Red Dead Redemption 2. I followed the story of Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang, a family of misfits on the run from federal agents as they rob, steal, scam, and fight their way through North America to find the peaceful life they want. The game contains five fictional states with real-life inspiration: West Elizabeth, New Austin, Ambarino, New Hanover, and Lemoyne. Each has different gangs, settings, and themes, which gives exploration an immersive feel. I wanted a peaceful life too. Then I accidentally stole a horse and had to rethink my priorities.

My Highly Scientific Summary

So yes, North America is perhaps the most popular setting for games to explore, and I am clearly part of the problem. These games use open-world design and large-scale areas to show bold, iconic, or recognizable sights. Many take place in cities and towns, some more fictional than others, but they all strive for realism. In 2026, I am still touring these virtual places, still getting emotionally attached to fictional cities, and still walking into real lampposts because I was thinking about Vinewood. 10/10, would get lost again.