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Virtual Cities: An Atlas Exploration of Video Game Cities
Spanning decades of digital history, this is the ultimate travel guide and atlas of the gamer imagination. Dimopoulos invites readers to share his vision of dozens of different gaming franchises like never before: discover Dimopoulos’s Half-Life 2’s City 17, Yakuza 0’s Kamurocho, Fallout’s New Vegas, Super Mario Odyssey’s New Donk City, and many more. Each chapter of this virtual travel guide consists of deep dives into the history and lore of these cities from an in-universe perspective. Illustrated with original color ink drawings and—of course—gorgeous and detailed maps, readers can explore the nostalgic games of their youth as well as modern hits. Sidebars based on the author’s research tell behind-the-scenes anecdotes and reveal the real-world stories that inspired these iconic virtual settings. With a combination of stylish original maps, illustrations, and insightful commentary and analysis, this is a must-have for video game devotees, world-building fans, and game design experts.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2020
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February 20, 2021
(อ่านต้นฉบับภาษาอังกฤษ)
เป็นหนังสือภาพปกแข็งสี่สีทั้งเล่มที่สนุกมากและสวยมาก ผู้เขียนเป็นสถาปนิกที่ชอบเล่นเกม หยิบเอา “เมือง” ในจินตนาการของเกมต่างๆ ตั้งแต่อดีตถึงปัจจุบันที่เขาเห็นว่าน่าสนใจ มาเขียนถึงในแนวจินตนาการ ทำตัวราวกับเป็นไกด์นำเที่ยว อธิบายว่าถ้าหากว่าผู้มาเยือนเข้ามาในเมืองนี้จะพบเห็นอะไรบ้าง บทที่ชอบที่สุดคือบทที่บรรยายเมือง Arkham City, Silent Hill, Sigil, Rubacava, London, Novigrad, Rockvil และ New Bretagne — ส่วนหนึ่งอาจเป็นเพราะเกมที่สร้างเมืองเหล่านี้ล้วนเป็นเกมโปรดของตัวเองด้วย
เหมาะสำหรับคอเกมเท่านั้น คนที่ไม่อินกับเกมจะไม่มีเหตุผลอะไรเลยที่จะอ่านเล่มนี้ อ่านจบจะรู้สึกว่าไม่ได้สาระ แม้แต่ความรู้พื้นฐานเรื่องสถาปัตยกรรมก็จะไม่ได้จากเล่มนี้ แต่ใครก็ตามที่ชอบเล่นเกม สนใจในประวัติศาสตร์เกม หนังสือเล่มนี้ก็คือ “ต้องมี” ในคอลเล็กชั่น
เป็นหนังสือภาพปกแข็งสี่สีทั้งเล่มที่สนุกมากและสวยมาก ผู้เขียนเป็นสถาปนิกที่ชอบเล่นเกม หยิบเอา “เมือง” ในจินตนาการของเกมต่างๆ ตั้งแต่อดีตถึงปัจจุบันที่เขาเห็นว่าน่าสนใจ มาเขียนถึงในแนวจินตนาการ ทำตัวราวกับเป็นไกด์นำเที่ยว อธิบายว่าถ้าหากว่าผู้มาเยือนเข้ามาในเมืองนี้จะพบเห็นอะไรบ้าง บทที่ชอบที่สุดคือบทที่บรรยายเมือง Arkham City, Silent Hill, Sigil, Rubacava, London, Novigrad, Rockvil และ New Bretagne — ส่วนหนึ่งอาจเป็นเพราะเกมที่สร้างเมืองเหล่านี้ล้วนเป็นเกมโปรดของตัวเองด้วย
เหมาะสำหรับคอเกมเท่านั้น คนที่ไม่อินกับเกมจะไม่มีเหตุผลอะไรเลยที่จะอ่านเล่มนี้ อ่านจบจะรู้สึกว่าไม่ได้สาระ แม้แต่ความรู้พื้นฐานเรื่องสถาปัตยกรรมก็จะไม่ได้จากเล่มนี้ แต่ใครก็ตามที่ชอบเล่นเกม สนใจในประวัติศาสตร์เกม หนังสือเล่มนี้ก็คือ “ต้องมี” ในคอลเล็กชั่น
December 14, 2020
Disclaimer: I contributed to the Unbound crowdfunding campaign for Virtual Cities in ebook format, and Konstantinos Dimopoulous reached out to me on Twitter to send me a free hardbound copy for review. This review can also be found on Nerdy But Flirty: https://nerdybutflirty.com/2020/12/14...
Konstantinos Dimopoulos is well-known on Twitter for his enthusiasm for cities both real and imaginary. In May 2018, he launched a crowdfunding campaign through Unbound to create a video game atlas with the help of illustrators/cartographers Maria Kallikaki and Vivi Papanastasiou (his wife). The campaign was incredibly successful, attaining 210% funding from 1,993 supporters. Dimopoulos has a PhD in urban planning and geography, a MSc in urban and regional planning, and a 5-year engineering diploma along with over 10 years of experience in the gaming industry. He is uniquely positioned to explore virtual cities and what makes them work (or not).
Virtual Cities covers games from 1983 to 2018, exploring cities I’ve never seen and ones I’m extremely familiar with. Each city is presented from an in-universe perspective, making the main text feel like a travelogue. I really liked this aspect, as it made the cities feel more real and added humor at times. Games/cities I’ve never experienced (or even heard of, in some cases) became fascinating through this method, making me want to explore them. I didn’t realize that Batman: Arkham City borrows so much from two of my favorite movies, Escape from New York and Escape from LA, so now I’m very motivated to check it out! I could also appreciate aspects of games I’ve bounced off of. A great example is 1998’s Thief: The Dark Project, which I love the idea and lore of but can’t bring myself to play for very long, even after trying many times. One small thing to note is that if you haven’t played a game, the tour guide-style text can be a bit dense to wade through; I was especially lost reading about Anor Londo from Dark Souls. This wasn’t the case for the majority of entries though, and the book would serve as a great intro to video game lore for some of the most famous cities (Silent Hill, Raccoon City, Midgar).
At the end of the tour of each city, Dimopoulos provides design insights, writing on what makes the city unique, and I found his thoughts valuable and interesting. The historical perspective he provided was useful too. I didn’t realize some very early games had NPCs on schedules! I remember reading a PC Gamer preview of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion that was super excited about this feature. It’s older than I thought. He also points out when cities are lacking something important for real life functionality; some are missing schools or fire departments! Five cities feature design insights from their own creators/designers: The Long Dark‘s Milton, 0°N 0°W‘s Anytown, Bus Simulator 18‘s Seaside Valley, Lamplight City‘s New Bretagne, and B.A.T.‘s Terrapolis.
The maps are intricate, precise, and beautiful. They’re accompanied by well-done illustrations that help you get a feel for the location at street-level, which is especially helpful if you haven’t played the game being discussed. Sometimes there are fun touches on maps, such as Arkham’s City’s compass rose being the bat signal. The color schemes of the maps compliment the games themselves, at least for those I’m familiar with, which was a great detail.
I highly recommend Virtual Cities for those who love any combination of video games, maps, and lore. It’s definitely a book I’ll return to, especially as I play more of the games within it. I’m very inspired to explore (or re-visit!) the cities in this book, and I’m sure you will be too.
Konstantinos Dimopoulos is well-known on Twitter for his enthusiasm for cities both real and imaginary. In May 2018, he launched a crowdfunding campaign through Unbound to create a video game atlas with the help of illustrators/cartographers Maria Kallikaki and Vivi Papanastasiou (his wife). The campaign was incredibly successful, attaining 210% funding from 1,993 supporters. Dimopoulos has a PhD in urban planning and geography, a MSc in urban and regional planning, and a 5-year engineering diploma along with over 10 years of experience in the gaming industry. He is uniquely positioned to explore virtual cities and what makes them work (or not).
Virtual Cities covers games from 1983 to 2018, exploring cities I’ve never seen and ones I’m extremely familiar with. Each city is presented from an in-universe perspective, making the main text feel like a travelogue. I really liked this aspect, as it made the cities feel more real and added humor at times. Games/cities I’ve never experienced (or even heard of, in some cases) became fascinating through this method, making me want to explore them. I didn’t realize that Batman: Arkham City borrows so much from two of my favorite movies, Escape from New York and Escape from LA, so now I’m very motivated to check it out! I could also appreciate aspects of games I’ve bounced off of. A great example is 1998’s Thief: The Dark Project, which I love the idea and lore of but can’t bring myself to play for very long, even after trying many times. One small thing to note is that if you haven’t played a game, the tour guide-style text can be a bit dense to wade through; I was especially lost reading about Anor Londo from Dark Souls. This wasn’t the case for the majority of entries though, and the book would serve as a great intro to video game lore for some of the most famous cities (Silent Hill, Raccoon City, Midgar).
At the end of the tour of each city, Dimopoulos provides design insights, writing on what makes the city unique, and I found his thoughts valuable and interesting. The historical perspective he provided was useful too. I didn’t realize some very early games had NPCs on schedules! I remember reading a PC Gamer preview of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion that was super excited about this feature. It’s older than I thought. He also points out when cities are lacking something important for real life functionality; some are missing schools or fire departments! Five cities feature design insights from their own creators/designers: The Long Dark‘s Milton, 0°N 0°W‘s Anytown, Bus Simulator 18‘s Seaside Valley, Lamplight City‘s New Bretagne, and B.A.T.‘s Terrapolis.
The maps are intricate, precise, and beautiful. They’re accompanied by well-done illustrations that help you get a feel for the location at street-level, which is especially helpful if you haven’t played the game being discussed. Sometimes there are fun touches on maps, such as Arkham’s City’s compass rose being the bat signal. The color schemes of the maps compliment the games themselves, at least for those I’m familiar with, which was a great detail.
I highly recommend Virtual Cities for those who love any combination of video games, maps, and lore. It’s definitely a book I’ll return to, especially as I play more of the games within it. I’m very inspired to explore (or re-visit!) the cities in this book, and I’m sure you will be too.
January 4, 2021
Man, this was so cool! About 3-5 pages per fictional city written from an in-universe perspective and accompanied by maps and illustrations uniquely styled for each one. From New Vegas to Sigil, City of Doors, to the Kabukicho of Yakuza 0's Tokyo, there is a wealth of material and insight here. If I had a complaint, it's that the out-of-universe perspective - contained in a brief inset at the end of each city's description - could be longer! I'd love to hear more about the thinking that went into each one's design, and how it reveals itself for you as a player.
November 13, 2020
Fantastic idea, and beautiful design. Loved revisiting the cities of some of my all time favorites. A great addition to any gamer's* library.
* Not limited to gamers, mind you. This exquisite book will look gorgeous on anyone's library or coffee table
* Not limited to gamers, mind you. This exquisite book will look gorgeous on anyone's library or coffee table
November 13, 2020
Virtual Cities: An Atlas dives into the fictional cities created in computer games. It's part romantic fiction - answering the question: "how would this game level appear if it were a tourist destination?" and "how would this look on a cartographer's map?" - part historical and contextual analysis, where it describes the history of the game's level creation.
My favourite city in the book has been Antescher, based on the ZX Spectrum game Ant Attack. The game is simple, isometric black and white, and the text delves deep into the setting and lifts it from halftone pixels into sandstone and soil crawling with oversized ant overlords.
Don't head into this book looking for technical details on how the layout affects the player's user experience, or wanting to use the maps to navigate the games. These are passionate, Marco Polo style reports on a deep-dive into a game's narrative setting, pondering on the lives of the grey-suited people in New Donk city, the ever-decaying meat in the fridges of Silent Hill and the complicated weirdness of Sigil.
You can tell the intense love poured into the book, and if you're a jaded gamedev like me who has lost inspiration, imagination or passion it may just be the tonic you need to lift your heart back into a place of "What if" and "Maybe I could make something that one day people like this author would be as thrilled to explore".
My favourite city in the book has been Antescher, based on the ZX Spectrum game Ant Attack. The game is simple, isometric black and white, and the text delves deep into the setting and lifts it from halftone pixels into sandstone and soil crawling with oversized ant overlords.
Don't head into this book looking for technical details on how the layout affects the player's user experience, or wanting to use the maps to navigate the games. These are passionate, Marco Polo style reports on a deep-dive into a game's narrative setting, pondering on the lives of the grey-suited people in New Donk city, the ever-decaying meat in the fridges of Silent Hill and the complicated weirdness of Sigil.
You can tell the intense love poured into the book, and if you're a jaded gamedev like me who has lost inspiration, imagination or passion it may just be the tonic you need to lift your heart back into a place of "What if" and "Maybe I could make something that one day people like this author would be as thrilled to explore".
January 6, 2021
Brings a geographer's expert eye to some of gaming's most fascinating cities (both famous and more obscure ones - including a couple of personal favourites like Lizard Breath and Fallen London) and wonderfully fleshes them out with words, evocative art, and a series of beautiful maps.
November 29, 2020
What a great read! I'm so happy this book exists, and you can really tell the author knows his urban planning; you're getting insights both from that professional side and the passionate gamer one. I admit to not even having heard about some of the oldies featured in the book (going back to the early eighties!), but I'm even more curious about that kind of stuff now.
I backed this book digital only because of lack of space but now I really regret not getting a physical edition. Good stuff!
I backed this book digital only because of lack of space but now I really regret not getting a physical edition. Good stuff!
November 5, 2020
An exercise in disappointment
Essentially, this book fails to meet the two things it attempts to be: it is neither a good atlas, with crudely drawn map with little to no annotations, making then almost completely useless except as a pretty (sometimes) thing to look at, nor is it a good exploration of videogame cities as it rehashes the first few paragraphs of the plot with little to no insight as to what makes this city interesting. A few lines on city design are slightly eye-catching, but revolve mostly around a few lines from a videogame strategy guide released 10 years ago or one from an interview of the game designers.
Essentially, it's got no real content of its own in the text, and the maps are extremely lacking both in information and beauty. A hard pass, even for map lovers.
The hardcover is at least sturdily constructed on pleasant-feeling paper, so there's that.
Essentially, this book fails to meet the two things it attempts to be: it is neither a good atlas, with crudely drawn map with little to no annotations, making then almost completely useless except as a pretty (sometimes) thing to look at, nor is it a good exploration of videogame cities as it rehashes the first few paragraphs of the plot with little to no insight as to what makes this city interesting. A few lines on city design are slightly eye-catching, but revolve mostly around a few lines from a videogame strategy guide released 10 years ago or one from an interview of the game designers.
Essentially, it's got no real content of its own in the text, and the maps are extremely lacking both in information and beauty. A hard pass, even for map lovers.
The hardcover is at least sturdily constructed on pleasant-feeling paper, so there's that.
November 13, 2020
A completely unexpected book. Thorough, incredibly detailed and well-written it expands the worlds of videogame cities and provides lived-in POVs. The illustrations are for the most part great, though some of the maps lack detail. Overall, loved it.
November 23, 2020
A thoroughly researched, one-of-a-kind book that is an absolute delight to read. It makes you feel that even the most fantastically outlandish of the cities it describes are real, bustling with life and steeped in rich history! A must-read for lovers of both civic-ness and game-ness!
May 17, 2021
Not only a fantastic showcase on how game cities' thrives for a more "realistic" approach, but also a great look into the past about games which were defined about their cities. Konstantino's work is outstanding on understanding that even the most basic elements can create a sense of place.
Even if you're not that into this kind of read, I highly recommend it because it will give you a new perspecvtive on how you look and play the games on your everyday life.
Even if you're not that into this kind of read, I highly recommend it because it will give you a new perspecvtive on how you look and play the games on your everyday life.
February 1, 2021
Una carta de amor al urbanismo de videojuegos, una obra mestiza, a medio camino entre el tratado sobre diseño y el homenaje con tintes literarios a algunos de los mundos más queridos del medio. Está bien hilado, lleno de reflexiones sobre qué y por qué funciona en cada mapa y lujosamente ilustrado. Imprescindible.
July 20, 2021
1) "This, a most unexpected town of surprises, is filled with glorious anachronisms and rather odd activities and characters. In the Cartographer's Hut, one can find the monocled Wally B. Feed, a hero of the anti-Largo movement and a connoisseur of all things Big Whoop. Woody the Woodsmith's Woodtick Woodshop, on the other hand, may seem unremarkable even if it is the place to discover that a woodchuck could chuck no amount of wood since a woodchuck can't chuck wood. Alternatively, visitors can drop down the hatch to the Bloody Lip Bar and Grill for a selection of grogs and gazpacho soups, or walk the main boardwalk to the Swamp Rot Inn, its pet alligator, and that single room available for rent. At the far end of the plank-walk, on a picturesque set of rocks, Mad Marty's stranded laundry ship provides clean clothes to all, and constant amusement to the three exceptionally famous Men of Low Moral Fiber frequenting it." [Woodtick, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge]
2) "Nameless, for no name was ever needed, and vast beyond measure, the sprawl of the mythic City is a metropolis of countless people, rich banks, arcane powers, groundbreaking technologies, and ancient roots. Here, forgotten magic coexists with electricity and steampowered machines. The hot fires and cold steel of the Metal Age have erected defiant towers atop sacred catacombs and forgotten settlements. The Baron's infamous City Watch patrol worn stone roads under the glow of electric lamps and floating orbs-to occasionally prevent crime, but mainly to police the poor. The rich, powerful, and corrupt city-state of the City is deeply divided by class and beautifully bisected by the Great River running through it from north to south." [The City, Thief: The Dark Project]
3) "Welcome, delicious friend! Welcome to Fallen London, and the Neath. Welcome to the greatest port of the Unterzee. Please enjoy the smog, smoke, gaslight, and delightful gloom. We find ourselves one mile beneath earth's surface in the marvelous, dark, and expensive metropolis housing the Echo Bazaar. Here death is but a mild irritation, corpses love their tea, rats craft wonderfully intricate weapons, and devils are keen on discussing philosophy. Softhearted widows eagerly succor lost souls, ambitious barristers make their rounds, poets and models glower at one another, honey-addled artisans struggle to focus, and feral cats hunt snakes beneath the bell of the House of Chimes.
This leaning clock tower half-sunken in the Stolen River, rumored to be a perversely exclusive club, was once referred to as Big Ben. But, just as Baker Street became Moloch Street, Piccadilly is now called Lusitania Row-its name was changed over thirty years ago, back in 1861 when London was stolen by bats and dragged deep into the earth. The monarch, Her Enduring Majesty the Traitor Empress, is said to have sold the city to the Bazaar in exchange for her husband's life, and the metropolis now rests on the shores of the ancient black ocean. Hell is close, immortality is cheap, and the screaming has subsided in the former imperial capital and latest home of the Echo Bazaar. Londoners can, after all, get used to anything, and despite what anarchists claim, London was never better off. It's so peaceful, so beautiful here." [London, Fallen London]
4) "From bayou residences and shotgun houses to bungalows and remote swamp houses, New Orleans' districts are rich in architectural delights. Creole cottages, double-gallery houses, townhouses with large courtyards and intricately wrought-iron balconies line the streets of the emblematic French Quarter and house the Museum of Death, the Napoleon House, and mystery novelist Gabriel Knight." [New Orleans, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers]
5) "Half a century has passed since the battle of T'leth and the second alien war, but the deep scars on Earth's biosphere have yet to heal. Severe atmospheric and climatic changes forced millions to leave for off-world colonies, and led to the construction of self-contained, self-sustainable megacities to house the remaining population. Commissioned in 2080, MegaPrimus was the very first settlement constructed under the Megapolis Plan. Built over the ruins of Toronto, Canada, this beacon of hope has already become an important historical achievement. Under the constant threat of invasion, and surrounded by a toxic, hazardous atmosphere, the meticulously planned vast city has been thriving. Featuring the most advanced technology throughout the Sol System, it blends the finest human and Sectoid achievements to provide comfort and safety to a population growing healthy, genetically engineered babies in procreation parks and educated, disciplined citizens in psionic schools." [Mega-Primus, X-COM: Apocalypse]
2) "Nameless, for no name was ever needed, and vast beyond measure, the sprawl of the mythic City is a metropolis of countless people, rich banks, arcane powers, groundbreaking technologies, and ancient roots. Here, forgotten magic coexists with electricity and steampowered machines. The hot fires and cold steel of the Metal Age have erected defiant towers atop sacred catacombs and forgotten settlements. The Baron's infamous City Watch patrol worn stone roads under the glow of electric lamps and floating orbs-to occasionally prevent crime, but mainly to police the poor. The rich, powerful, and corrupt city-state of the City is deeply divided by class and beautifully bisected by the Great River running through it from north to south." [The City, Thief: The Dark Project]
3) "Welcome, delicious friend! Welcome to Fallen London, and the Neath. Welcome to the greatest port of the Unterzee. Please enjoy the smog, smoke, gaslight, and delightful gloom. We find ourselves one mile beneath earth's surface in the marvelous, dark, and expensive metropolis housing the Echo Bazaar. Here death is but a mild irritation, corpses love their tea, rats craft wonderfully intricate weapons, and devils are keen on discussing philosophy. Softhearted widows eagerly succor lost souls, ambitious barristers make their rounds, poets and models glower at one another, honey-addled artisans struggle to focus, and feral cats hunt snakes beneath the bell of the House of Chimes.
This leaning clock tower half-sunken in the Stolen River, rumored to be a perversely exclusive club, was once referred to as Big Ben. But, just as Baker Street became Moloch Street, Piccadilly is now called Lusitania Row-its name was changed over thirty years ago, back in 1861 when London was stolen by bats and dragged deep into the earth. The monarch, Her Enduring Majesty the Traitor Empress, is said to have sold the city to the Bazaar in exchange for her husband's life, and the metropolis now rests on the shores of the ancient black ocean. Hell is close, immortality is cheap, and the screaming has subsided in the former imperial capital and latest home of the Echo Bazaar. Londoners can, after all, get used to anything, and despite what anarchists claim, London was never better off. It's so peaceful, so beautiful here." [London, Fallen London]
4) "From bayou residences and shotgun houses to bungalows and remote swamp houses, New Orleans' districts are rich in architectural delights. Creole cottages, double-gallery houses, townhouses with large courtyards and intricately wrought-iron balconies line the streets of the emblematic French Quarter and house the Museum of Death, the Napoleon House, and mystery novelist Gabriel Knight." [New Orleans, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers]
5) "Half a century has passed since the battle of T'leth and the second alien war, but the deep scars on Earth's biosphere have yet to heal. Severe atmospheric and climatic changes forced millions to leave for off-world colonies, and led to the construction of self-contained, self-sustainable megacities to house the remaining population. Commissioned in 2080, MegaPrimus was the very first settlement constructed under the Megapolis Plan. Built over the ruins of Toronto, Canada, this beacon of hope has already become an important historical achievement. Under the constant threat of invasion, and surrounded by a toxic, hazardous atmosphere, the meticulously planned vast city has been thriving. Featuring the most advanced technology throughout the Sol System, it blends the finest human and Sectoid achievements to provide comfort and safety to a population growing healthy, genetically engineered babies in procreation parks and educated, disciplined citizens in psionic schools." [Mega-Primus, X-COM: Apocalypse]
September 30, 2021
The book fails at something very basic. The texts often mention city landmarks, quarters, streets and other elements, but then the maps are just so poor and useless. Most of them lack any anotation, so it's impossible to look at them and understand them in relation to the text. There are almost no legends or street/quarter names, and landmarks mentioned in the text aren't even highlighted on the maps.
The illustrations and map drawings could have saved some aspects of the book, but also feel poor, with just a few exceptions. Texts are ok, and if you have played the games mentioned you can enjoy them more as it's easier to imagine what's being depicted.
The illustrations and map drawings could have saved some aspects of the book, but also feel poor, with just a few exceptions. Texts are ok, and if you have played the games mentioned you can enjoy them more as it's easier to imagine what's being depicted.
December 6, 2021
Teniendo en cuenta el scope del libro, quizá falla en lo técnico a la hora de hablar de las ciudades, pero en mi opinión realiza un trabajo fantástico tratando de poner en contexto el por qué de los lugares y describiendolos de manera literaria. Además, si bien no todos los diseños son adecuados, la mayoría de ilustraciones que acompañan los títulos de los que se habla son adecuados, cuando no preciosos.
January 15, 2021
Amazing read , very well written while the illustrations brought this book to a whole new level!Highly recommended!
January 28, 2021
An amazing atlas where we can see the imaginary world of the fictional cities that we’ve met in video games.
Very well written and uniquely illustrated.
Totally recommend it!
Very well written and uniquely illustrated.
Totally recommend it!
February 14, 2021
This book was a real disappointment for me. It provides very little insights on either the video game aspects OR the urbanism aspects of virtual cities. Instead it provides in-fiction descriptions of the titular cities which read like a boring summary of the games covered, maps without keys/legends/information, and uninspired graphical recreation of game scenes and scenery - all in the same style regardless of the games own style, genre, and period.
If you're in the mood for new cities and books about video games, I'd rather recommend you pick up any traveller's guide for a place you haven't yet visited and a good book about video games like Sid Meier's memoir perhaps.
If you're in the mood for new cities and books about video games, I'd rather recommend you pick up any traveller's guide for a place you haven't yet visited and a good book about video games like Sid Meier's memoir perhaps.
June 18, 2021
I generally thought it was a fun book and a great concept. I'm a bit disappointed in some of the location choices however. As examples, while I'm a huge fan of StarCraft, why Tarsonis City was chosen to analyze rather than Augustgrad perplexes me a bit; and multiple games in London maybe should be combined into a single entry/analysis, not take up two slots. I also think the book would have benefitted from a bit less in-universe perspective and a bit more critical analysis.
But, I think it's still a good beginning and hopefully the jumping off point into more volumes. There are a lot of worlds out there with a lot of locations to explore urban design.
But, I think it's still a good beginning and hopefully the jumping off point into more volumes. There are a lot of worlds out there with a lot of locations to explore urban design.
August 23, 2022
Interesting method: uses a travelogue-style description with artist interpretations instead of screenshots for a more immersive feel and inspo tidbits here and there. But absolutely devoid of any overarching analysis whatsoever. It's value is probably in its niche, but otherwise simply a very long crowdfunded listicle.
December 20, 2020
I wish it was a volume that would look into cities in video games of different consoles. I am a big SEGA fan. I wish there were more city maps from SEGA games.
January 7, 2024
Super cool and interesting book all about virtual cities in games. Gave me a list to look for! Wonderful visuals.
November 10, 2021
Thought it would be more architectural rather than just lore honestly
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