Before Cyberpunk 2077’s release, many expected the game to challenge Grand Theft Auto itself with its dense urban setting, believable simulation, explorable building interiors, and optional activities. To CD Projekt Red’s credit, the studio presented Cyberpunk as a narrative-driven RPG first, but expectations for Night City often went far beyond its story-driven content.

In the final game, though, Night City mostly serves as a backdrop to the game’s main story and optional quests, with relatively few leisure activities, basic NPC behavior, and underused stretches of its district space. Despite those limitations, it’s still among the best cities in video games and a tough benchmark to match in scale, verticality, atmosphere, and its unique cyberpunk vibe, with futuristic architecture unlike anything else.

That said, some rare open-world RPGs deliver an even better city experience than Cyberpunk 2077, at least in certain specific areas. Exploring the cities below and interacting with their inhabitants can be more fun and rewarding than spending time in Night City, so here are some of the best urban settings to challenge CP2077 at its own game.

Assassin’s Creed Origins remains among the most beloved games in the Assassin's Creed series’ RPG-ish branch, particularly for its rich, unique setting of Ancient Egypt, brought to life on a spectacular scale. Alongside the allure of climbing the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, Alexandria is another standout location recreated with impressive historical detail. If all you want to do is admire it, AC Origins also introduced the franchise’s first non-violent Discovery Tour mode.

Source link