Open-world games are replete with intriguing and expansive cities to explore. From the iconic cities of The Elder Scrolls games to the mysterious ruined and/or abandoned cities of the Dark Souls series, these large and often interconnected locations can offer memorable landmark locations as part of a larger world.
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While most cities in open-world games are located above-ground, others provide memorable underground dwellings that make an immediate impression on the player. From the mysterious New Londo Ruins of Dark Souls, to the central hub of the Fallout-inspired UnderRail, these are just some examples of memorable underground cities.
6 The Lord Of The Rings Online
(The Mines Of) Moria
The Lord of the Rings Online
Rather than being a hub or a safe zone, the Mines of Moria in The Lord Of The Rings Online, much like the state of the location in the source material, is a dangerous place full of baddies to take down. This results in an experience that offers a faithful depiction of the iconic underground location. For fans of The Lord Of The Rings and the immediately recognizable dwarven city, it's well worth exploring, despite the aging visuals.
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The Lord Of The Rings Online in general is beginning to age as a massively multiplayer online game, and it fails to boast the level of maintenance that more popular MMOs, such as World Of Warcraft, can offer. However, for die-hard fans of The Lord Of The Rings that can look past the dated gameplay, the Mines of Moria are well worth exploring.
5 Fallout 3
Underworld
Fallout 3
Technically, there are a variety of underground cities all across the Fallout franchise, with each of the iconic Vaults hosting its own distinctive environment and population. However, excluding Vaults, the Fallout franchise's most iconic underground city is arguably the home of the ghouls, the Underworld, in Fallout 3.
Home to all sorts of ghoulish characters of varying charisma, Underworld is a well-hidden location that's quite the reward to discover. As is common with Fallout games, discovery is the heart of gameplay, with exploration being consistently encouraged. Underworld is just one of many underground locations across the franchise, but it's the most memorable thanks to its visual design and population of quirky ghouls.
4 Dark Souls
New Londo Ruins
Dark Souls
- Released
- September 22, 2011
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Adventure
Mysteriously underground and completely flooded, the New Londo Ruins are a tremendously eerie location in the first Dark Souls. The iconic ruined city is haunted by ghosts that can be the death of many newcomers, only able to be killed by a cursed player — or a player wielding a cursed weapon. Players can also make use of a Transient Curse to take out these foes.
The city itself is incredibly atmospheric. Like many of the locations in Dark Souls, New Londo Ruins are dangerous, gloomy, and appropriately dark. This dark gloom hangs about the city's ruined buildings and provides a great sense of atmosphere, while the variety of dangerous enemies and hazards make it a frustratingly memorable place.
3 Arx Fatalis
City Of Arx
Arx Fatalis
- Released
- December 23, 2003
- Developer(s)
- Arkane Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Set in a world in which the sun has vanished and plunged the land into darkness, Arx Fatalis is a first-person fantasy RPG that makes full use of its unique thematic twist. This twist is also the reason for the game to be set underground, featuring a variety of underground locations — including the city of Arx.
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Arx Fatalis was developed by the legendary Arkane Studios (Dishonored, Prey) and features classic RPG gameplay and thoughtful first-person exploration. As far as older open-world games go, the city of Arx itself is a memorable and impressive location, and it's a welcome respite from the dark tunnels that frequent the game's environments; it's expansive and full of people to meet, but — perhaps most importantly — it provides a place for the player to gather their bearings.
2 UnderRail
Core City
- Platform(s): PC
- Released: 2015
- Developer(s): Stygian Software
- Genre(s): Open-world RPG
Practically a spiritual successor to some of the best old-school RPGs (especially Fallout), UnderRail is a frequently challenging isometric role-playing game with turn-based combat. The game takes place in the far future, at a time when humans have been driven underground and forced to dwell in old metro stations. These cities act as the last bastions of humanity, offering a much-needed place of refuge.
Of all the underground locations in UnderRail, Core City is perhaps the most memorable — and the most important. It's a major city and acts as a hub for much of the UnderRail, with various factions at play and a rich history behind its current state. This city is also home to the Arena, another particularly memorable location, and there are plenty of quests to complete in and around the city.
1 Elden Ring
Nokron, Eternal City
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
The full scale of Nokron, Eternal City in Elden Ring can only be accessed after defeating the notorious boss, Starscourge Radahn, which causes a large meteor to crash into Limgrave, opening up new passages below ground. The large, interconnected underground city is situated above the equally captivating Siofra River, a more wilderness-style location. Despite being literally located underground, Nokron, Eternal City has a beautiful "night sky" brimming with stars. This curiosity is one of Nokron's most memorable visual elements.
Elden Ring's Nokron, Eternal City is, like many of Elden Ring's most memorable locations, an incredibly atmospheric and immersive place. It's hardly Elden Ring's most expansive or jaw-dropping location, but the inventive art-direction provides ample awe deserving of marking this as the most impressive underground city in open-world gaming.
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