One of the reasons open-world games remain a popular genre is because of what they can offer: total immersion into a fantasy world. And while not all open-world games aim for this lofty goal, there is always a market for those that do. A popular escape for gamers is being transported to nature, away from the urban hellscape real life can turn into.
Games featuring immersive forests, majestic mountains, and gorgeous vistas will always have a pull by virtue of their graphics alone. Lakes evoke a similar feeling, promising players a calm, serene commune with nature, where time seems to slow down to a crawl.
WhileAssassin’s Creed Valhalladefinitely isn’t atop-three pick for fans of the AC games, one thing the game absolutely nails is the visuals. Eivor might not be the most compelling protagonist, but his world is immaculate and immersive in equal measure. Split into multiple different maps, ranging from Vinland to Jotunheim, Eivor’s journeys take him to exotic places over the course of the game.
One of these places is Ireland, which was added to the game in theWrath of the Druids DLC. Ireland is home to dozens of small lakes interspersed throughout the region, with the largest being Lough Neagh, found in the east. Lough is the Irish word for ‘lake’, and the rest of the lakes in this region follow this naming convention. In the base game, the only notable lake is Dudmaston Lake in England, found west of the Ledecestre Bureau.
The open world inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis massive, with everything from gigantic volcanoes to castles to open grasslands to deserts to explore.Unlike its sequel,Tears of the Kingdom,Breath of the Wildhas a little bit less going on when it comes to unique mechanics, but that just brings the beauty of its world setting to the forefront.
Lake Hylia is an iconic location in the Zelda series and has been a core part of this world since beforeA Link to the Past. It can be found in all its glory in the Central Hyrule Region, with the Bridge of Hylia covering its entire length. The Ralis Pond can be found west of Zora’s Domain, home to a powerful Blue Hinox. The water level here is so low that Link doesn’t need to swim; he can walk on it.
Far Cry 5’smap is regularly interspersed withrivers and lakes, often separating different regions into smaller chunks of land. Of the three main maps, Montana is where most of the action takes place and where most of the water is.
The biggest body of water in the game is Silver Lake, which is found directly in the middle of Hope County and branches off into multiple small rivers as it expands throughout the region. Multiple points of interest dot this lake, with a small island in the center dividing the lake into two parts. Other lakes include Snowshoe Lake in the northwest, Langford Lake in the west, and many more.
3The Isle
A Lush, Prehistoric Sandbox
The Isleis an online multiplayer hardcore survival game with a twist. Instead of playing as a human who collects resources to build, craft, and expand,players can play as straight-up dinosaurs, ranging from landbound raptors to flying Pteranodons to underwater Deinosuchus (basically crocodiles) and even full-blown T-Rexes.
The only way to create an authentic sandbox experience for living out this dinosaur fantasy is by creating a vast, lush open world filled with forests, rivers, mountains, and, of course, lakes. The biggest lake inThe Isleis Titan’s Lake, near the center of the map just above the Dam. Smaller lakes like the Twin Lakes, Spring Lakes, and even the Big and Little Hermit are interspersed throughout the rest of the world.
From lush forests to the oxen grazing grounds to the swamplands, the Wild West inRed Dead Redemption 2is very much untamed. A key aspect of the game’s open-world design is its strict adherence to realism. Arthur Morgan is not just an outlaw gunslinger shooting his way out of saloons and bar fights but someone who explores the wilderness at every given opportunity. Often, this pursuit takes him to the natural lakes in the world, mostlyin search of legendary fishto complete his collection. Fishing is a fully fleshed-out side activity players can partake in, allowing them to cast lures into rivers, oceans, and even lakes.
While there aren’t many lakes inRed Dead Redemption 2, the ones that are there are incredibly scenic.In the Grizzlies Westis Lake Isabella, a frozen lake surrounded by snowcapped mountains, home to the Legendary Sockeye Salmon. In the Big Valley is Owanjila, a large body of water where players can fish for the Legendary Smallmouth Bass. The largest lake in the game is the Flat Iron Lake, west of Blackwater, home to the Legendary Bluegill.
Call of the Wild: The Angleris a hyper-realisticfishing simulatorset in an open world, where finding good fishing spots is as much a core part of the gameplay loop as the fishing itself.The Anglerinvites players to cast out a lure, sit back, and enjoy the scenery.
The Anglercan be played in single-player or co-op and offers multiple DLCs, most adding new maps with more lakes to discover. These maps are filled with multiple lakes, small and large, surrounded by mountains and forests. For players looking to relax and appreciate calm lakes with still waters, there is no better game out there.
