Just as cinema did before it, the video game industry has taken plenty of inspiration from the Big Apple. Many of the medium’s biggest hits take place throughout New York, from big-budget blockbusters to indie darlings. Given the sheer volume, it’s no surprise that the city never sleeps.
Some provide picture-perfect representations of the city, while others choose instead to add their own creative twist. Whether driving frantically around the sprawling city streets or swinging carelessly above them though, the Five Boroughs serve as a sumptuous setting for the chaos and carnage that so often goes hand in hand with video games.
10 Marvel’s Spider-Man
Never before has a game done a better job of capturing the sheer scale of New York City than Marvel’s Spider-Man. The Big Apple has never felt so large, nor has it ever looked so inviting. Playing the game on the PS4 Pro was an absolute pleasure, so the thought of playing it again on PS5 is certainly a tantalizing one.
The game includes all of the biggest New York landmarks and presents them with near photo-realism. Better still, it’s able to seamlessly integrate many of the most iconic locations from the Marvel Universe, including Avengers Tower and The Daily Bugle HQ. For those looking to take a digital tour of New York, this is undoubtedly the best option.
9 Max Payne
Much like the grizzled detective himself, the version of New York portrayed in Max Payne is dark and gloomy. In both the original game and its sequel, the weather plays a huge part in creating this mood. A blanket of darkness covers the city during much of the atmospheric shots and this imagery is perfectly complimented by heavy showers of snow and rain.
The New York skyline features prominently as a backdrop, but the majority of the locations that Max visits during the game are fictional, even if some draw their inspiration from the real world. Given the violence that takes place throughout the game, it’s perhaps understandable that Rockstar wanted to keep the action away from the city’s streets and landmarks.
8 Tom Clancy’s The Division
Although visually recognizable, the version of New York City found in The Division is noticeably different from the real world location. Thanks to the deadly Green Poison virus, those left alive in the city are often hostile, which makes strolling the city’s streets an even more unnerving experience than it can already be.
Trump Tower and The Rockefeller Center are just two of the many New York landmarks that can be found in the game. Unfortunately, however, they’re located in the lawless Dark Zone, meaning that a visit could cost players a lot more than the usual price of admission. It’s perhaps this inherent danger that makes the game one of the best looter-shooters ever made.
7 Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
Back in the 90’s when Duke Nukem was still relevant, he actually featured in some pretty great games. Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is far from the standard of some of his earlier outings, but when compared with the mangled mess that is Duke Nukem Forever, it’s a masterpiece. Well, the PC version is, at least.
The game sees Duke taking on an army of metamorphic monsters that are threatening to take over Manhattan. Unfortunately, the developers didn’t do a great job of utilizing the city’s landmarks, with very few appearing in the game. Despite this, it still feels like New York, thanks in large to the architecture and giant cockroaches.
6 Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Just like the movies on which it is based, Ghostbusters: The Video Game takes place throughout New York. The original game is starting to show its age a little now, but thankfully the remastered version still renders a fairly crisp and clean representation of the city. Ghouls and ghosts aside, it’s also a fairly accurate one.
Times Square and Central Park are lovingly recreated, while fictional locations like the Ghostbusters Firehouse make an appearance too. Some of the game’s best action takes place in the New York City Public Library and the city’s skyline makes for an impressive backdrop during the game’s outdoor scenes.
5 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty marks the point in the series where Kojima really started to spread his creative wings. Its complicated plot left more than a few players scratching their heads and this would only intensify as the series progressed. Despite its confusing moments though, it still makes for one hell of a game.
Parts of the game take place on the Hudson River while its climax occurs atop the city’s Federal Hall. The game also includes actual footage of the city, although some city-centric ideas were cut due to the events of 9/11. Originally, Arsenal Gear was planned to destroy the statue of liberty, but this was removed at the last minute.
4 Driver: Parallel Lines
Unlike previous Driver games which took place across multiple cities, Driver: Parallel Lines is set solely in New York. It’s a far cry from the series’ first two titles, but a big improvement over the largely underwhelming Driver 3. A big part of that is down to its use of the City.
The game takes place in two different time periods, enabling it to provide two different renditions of New York. While the team could perhaps have taken advantage of this a little better, there are enough changes to easily differentiate the two. It features big landmarks like the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, but where it really excels is through its depiction of the city’s roads, bridges and tunnels. Given that a significant portion of the game takes place in vehicles, this makes a lot of sense.
3 Fighting Force
Fighting Force is a 90’s beat ’em up that requires players to battle their way through the streets of New York to reach the evil Dr. Zeng’s base. It was a largely forgettable title, although it did put the ‘choose your own route’ mechanic first popularized by games like Star Fox to good use.
The Bronx and Central Park both feature as playable areas, while the New York city skyline serves as an eye-pleasing backdrop (for the time, at least). There’s not too much in the way of recognizable landmarks, although the World Trade Center and Empire State Building do appear in the background on several occasions.
2 Deus Ex
Hell’s Kitchen provides the setting for much of the original Deus Ex game. The title takes place in the year 2052 and so there have understandably been quite a few changes, but it’s still very easy to recognize the iconic West Side neighborhood. Its streets are still just as sprawling as they are today and the architecture hasn’t changed too much either.
The game also features LaGuardia Airport and the Statue of Liberty, the latter of which plays a fairly significant role in the game’s narrative. The visuals haven’t held up too well in the two decades since the game’s release, but it’s still arguably the best entry in the series and one worth checking out for those who are fans of the later Deus Ex games.
1 True Crime: New York City
A voice cast featuring big names like Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne and Mickey Rourke and a soundtrack that includes original music from Redman should have made for a fantastic game. Unfortunately, however, the stars just didn’t align for True Crime: New York City. When it comes to GTA clones, it’s one of the most disappointing ones out there.
Despite its shortcomings though, the game provides an incredibly accurate depiction of New York. Real world locations like Times Square and The New York Stock Exchange are easily recognizable while other big landmarks like The Empire State Building provide a picturesque backdrop to the carnage. It’s a real shame that the gameplay wasn’t up to the same standard as the visuals, as this could have been a great game.
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