5. Mushroom Kingdom (Super Mario)
The Super Mario games get praise a lot for their gameplay, and rightfully so, but occasionally we all forget just how enchanting the setting of those games actually is. A magical world full of Princesses, weird turtle-dragons, ghosts, moles, dinosaurs, and, of course mushrooms. Anthropomorphised mushrooms of both the kind and killer variety, as well as edible mushrooms, some that make people grow and other’s that bring them back to life.Then there’s the castles, pyramids, caves, oceans and clouds you can walk on to explore and run and jump and climb on. Then there’s all the ways to transform into animals and magical clothing that makes you fly. Then, there’s all the sweet Go Kart Tracks and the national sport of the no holds barred brawling that draw people from parallel universes to compete. They even have doctors who can cure any disease with just pills. If they could just get rid of that creep Waluigi it would be a perfect world.
~Stephen Krusel
4. Hyrule (Legend of Zelda)
Probably the most iconic overworld in all of gaming, Hyrule in its many incarnations has never ceased to amaze. Whether it’s a thriving kingdom, an untamed wilderness, or a lost, sunken world, Nintendo never fails to create a world that’s worth exploring. It doesn’t matter whether you play them in 3D or 2D, the end result is the same- a game world that deserves to be turned upside down just as much as those pots over there deserve smashing. From rolling hills to dense forests, desert rock to flowing streams, Hyrule has it all. Just be sure to chart your vacation adventure now, before Ganon comes and messes everything up.
~Peter Starr
3. Andromeda (Mass Effect)
Even if the game itself had been lacking for some players, there is no denying the world it gave us. A galaxy outside of the Milky Way; a new frontier. The biggest mystery we have is space. In the original Mass Effect trilogy we explored the Milky Way, and it introduced us to the Turians, Salarians, Krogans, Asari and more alien races. Andromeda takes us to a world even further from our home planet with the objective of making a new home. Multiple and varied new planets to explore, new alien species to learn about, and most of all, a fresh start. Certainly colonizing a new galaxy poses challenges, but with the Pathfinder we could surely make a home on Andromeda.
~Melissa Buranen
2. Pokemon World (Pokemon)
Welcome, to the world of Pokemon.
A dream for players since the release of the first Pokemon game. Why else would we buy all those lovable figures and the Poke merchandise when we get a chance. Think about how much of a sensation Pokemon GO became mainly because of breaking down another barrier and getting us closer to being in that world. Imagine not just owning a Charizard, but flying on one. Or maybe hop on a Blastoise to travel across the sea. Who needs a car when you can ride on the back of a Tauros? Owning Pokemon is only a small part of this dream. The ability to explore the world, find more Pokemon, and travel across all the regions is what we’ve always dreamed about. There are even a multitude of jobs to partake in such as gym leaders, and breeders. The world of Pokemon has a lot of offer, and we’ll always dream of the possibilities.