Yes you read that correctly, I am ranking video game buildings now. Is nothing safe from my determination to rank everything? (No)
Phenomenal introduction aside, as graphical power increases on consoles through the years, more and more attention can be paid to the environments games are set in. A bit of a history buff myself, provided I can do all my sightseeing with a DualSense in my hand while comfortably languishing on my sofa, I love getting lost in richly detailed locales. This week I want to highlight some of the best buildings I’ve explored recently either for their amazing design or the sequence of events which take place in or around them.
5) Palace of the Green Dome – Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
The Palace of the Green Dome is everything you could want for a late game environment. It’s always visible, looming over Baghdad and the stunning deserts surrounding the city, with majestic water gardens and copious amounts of armed guards to fiercely defend its grounds and inner sanctum.
Treasure abounds in the Palace, but unfortunately due to Assassin’s Creed: Mirage’s somewhat erratic pacing, it’s likely you’ll be fully upgraded and want for nothing by the time that you get there. Even still, the missions that set Basim loose in it are very fun, with a steady degree of challenge that forces you to take every corner and corridor seriously, provided you can find a way inside at all.
4) Braithwaite Manor – Red Dead Redemption 2
No gamer who has played Red Dead Redemption 2 could ever forget the Dutch van der Linde gang’s iconic march down the driveway to confront the Braithwaite family and rescue Jack Marston.
The gunplay was never anything less than a delight in this game, and with cinematography this compelling along with the stakes being so high, the Braithwaite Manor sequence is easily one of the best in recent(ish) gaming from start to finish. I enjoy how your original invasion of the Manor turns into a defensive position through the course of the mission, as the Braithwaite family try in vain to take it back from you, but there can be no confusion by the end of who wins this ferocious battle.
3) Arche Abbey – Lies of P
Despite my strained relationship with this game I have to give the last chapter its due, the Alchemist’s Tower is an incredible location to end an incredible game. It cuts quite a sight as you step off your shark submarine (you read that right), looming in the distance surrounded by lightning, shambling monsters and the alarming sound of cannon fire as soon as you’re within range. And that’s just outside..
Inside the Tower is a sprawling complex of tunnels and large open rooms where you will participate in spectacular combat. All leading up to the games climax atop the Tower facing down the Hand of God Himself!
The atmospheric lightning storm which envelops the tower adds a brooding and haunting atmosphere to the challenging combat you will experience within. There are various helpful shortcuts to be found as you would expect with a Soulslike, but be in no doubt that you have to put in the work to access them.
In addition to the last three mandatory story bosses you will encounter, there is a wealth of mini bosses to be overcome as well. Arche Abbey will put all your knowledge and reflexes to the test in the battle to its summit. This is quite possibly the most satisfying vertical struggle in all of gaming, and even though you’ll suffer, you will definitely also have a great time.
2) Raya Lucaria – Elden Ring
Any number of Elden Ring locations could have made this list, but when you’re specifically talking about a building, the one that stands out the most simply has to be the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Following the path around Stormveil Castle, or emerging from the trees after the Godrick the Grafted boss fight, the sight that greets you is nothing short of absolutely spectacular.
The shallow lake and terrifying lobster and crab monsters which emerge from it provide surprises every time you need to traverse it, but the Academy itself, punching upwards into the sky is where the real majesty of the region comes from.
The interior of Raya Lucaria flicks drastically between horrid underbelly full of monsters and long sweeping corridors full of scholars who think that they’re better than you. The Red Wolf of Radagon stalks the Debate Parlour and will provide an awkward ‘boss run back’ should you fall against it. Not to be outdone, the main boss of the area, Rennala, has quite possibly the most obnoxious run back in the entire game, and her ability to stonewall players who favour a magic build mean you’ll be returning to Raya Lucaria often throughout your playthrough to try and beat her.
Credit to Dark Tark for pointing out that the impoverished zombies you come across in the darkness below the Academy resemble students heading to early morning classes. Here’s his video which I highly recommend.
1) Hogwarts Castle – Hogwarts Legacy
It could be nothing other than my favourite game of 2023 and one of my most played games since its release. Hogwarts is the best building ever in video games as far as I am concerned.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, and have ever found yourself wanting to explore every nook and cranny of Hogwarts castle, as well as its surrounding area, this game has you 99.9% covered. Certain locations such as the Chamber of Secrets and Whomping Willow are omitted from the game, though in the latter’s case that is simply because chronologically it hasn’t been planted yet. The Shrieking Shack is also not here, though again, purely because it would make no sense for it to be!
The magic and fantasy is all here; attending lessons and caring for magical beasts, all while exploring a dense world brimming with adventure. Also, finally we have Peeves in a game; he’s just as delightfully irritating as you’ve always wondered!
An oddly specific topic I know, but that’ll do it for this list! Let me know in the comments if you agree with my picks or what building you would have included. Thanks for reading and I’ll be back again very soon!
Written and edited by Alexx.
Liberty Lives in the Execution.