Top 10 Coolest Fictional Video Game Planets

“Gears of War” series (2006-)
The end of the world never looked so pretty. This “Gears of War” locale is heavily scarred by years of conflict with the hostile, and ugly, Locust horde. The buildings are crumbling, sinkholes are swallowing entire cities, and the main fuel resource, immulsion, is actually poisoning the entire population. But there’s beauty in this hopelessness, and history behind every wrecked thrashball stadium and abandoned laboratory. The world of Sera is painstakingly realized, and although it’s a bleak place to live, it’s Renaissance-style architecture and expansive caverns give it lots of personality, although even if you survive the Locust war, there’s still the occasional freak superstorm to deal with.

“Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” series (2003-)
This planet starts off one of the most epic stories in video game history. “Star Wars” is known for its exotic and unique worlds, and Taris is no exception. The multi-leveled planet boasts a ton of visual variety, including the rich metropolitan Upper City, the seedy and crime-ridden Lower City, and the desolate and hostile Undercity. Serving as the game’s main tutorial level, first time players wind up spending a lot – and we mean a lot – of time on the planet, but thanks to its rich backstory and detailed environments, it still ends up feeling like home. At least until it gets blasted out of existence.

“Ratchet and Clank” Series (2002-)
If Pixar ever made a “Jetsons” movie, the result would probably look something like this next planet. Home to the bustling metropolis of, well…Metropolis, this charming and colourful world was popular enough to appear in multiple games across the “Ratchet and Clank” franchise. An enormous city filled with flying cars and impossibly tall buildings, Kerwan’s pretty scenery is a blast to explore, whether you’re flying a ship around its many skyscrapers, grinding on a rail across the skyline, hopping from platform to platform on a cargo train, or navigating a fitness course. If it weren’t for the fact that the planet is constantly being invaded by the evil forces “du jour”, Kerwan would be a lovely place to spend your vacation.

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#7: Pop Star

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“Kirby” series (1992-)
Where else would a pink puff ball live? The home world of the delightfully cute Kirby, Pop Star shines brightly as a cheerful and fun location that would be right at home in a children’s storybook. The ringed, star-shaped world is very geographically diverse, and features grassy rolling plains, whimsical forests, tropical islands and icy wastelands, among many, many other environments. While the levels may seem par for the course when it comes to Nintendo, Pop Star brims with so much energy and wonder that it’s hard not to smile as you jump, fly, and inhale your way across the land.

“Halo 4” (2012)
The “Halo” series is well known for its memorable worlds (x-ref), but Requiem really stands out. The mysterious Forerunner planet was first revealed in the secret legendary ending of “Halo 3”, but it wasn’t until “Halo 4” that we got to see it in its entirety. Requiem is a “Micro Dyson Sphere”, which is a fancy way of saying that it’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. From space, it looks like the Death Star, but the interior is full of deserts, jungles, and floating Forerunner structures. The intrigue surrounding Requiem’s true purpose encourages players to explore its expansive alien landscapes, and effectively conveys the feeling of discovering a new world. It’s not surprising Cortana doesn’t want to leave.

“Mass Effect” series (2007-)
I’m Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite planet in the galaxy. Home to the gruff, violent and froglike Krogan, Tuchanka has been left nearly inhospitable after suffering through both centuries of nuclear war, and a genocidal plague that nearly killed off its entire population. The heat is blistering, the air is literally radioactive, and carnivorous and wormlike Thresher Maws tunnel beneath the planet’s surface, waiting for juicy Spectres to devour. But while the planet may be an unpleasant place to live, its almost sublime level of hostility makes it the perfect backdrop for some of the “Mass Effect” franchise’s greatest battles. Even the Reapers aren’t safe there.

“Metroid” series (1987-)
We hope you brought your Ice Beam. One of the earliest mainstream examples of a video game planet, Zebes made its first appearance in the original “Metroid”, where it wowed players with its expansive, non-linear environments and creepy alien atmosphere. Add to that the dangerous predators that stalk the cavernous hallways, evil and technologically advanced Space Pirates, ancient Chozo artifacts, and more energy-sucking Metroids than you can shake an arm cannon at, and you’ve got a place that’ll stick in the player’s imagination, if not haunt their dreams. No wonder Samus blew it up twice.

“Xenoblade Chronicles X” (2015)
If you give the player access to giant robots, you’d better give them a big space to use them in. That’s exactly what the developers of this fan-favorite RPG did, creating a planet that was geographically diverse, visually stunning, and of course, absolutely immense. After a ship carrying New Los Angeles crash lands on the planet, the player gets to explore five massive continents, each with its own backstory, landmarks, and exotic creatures. And if the vast environments ever feel to overwhelming, you can always hop into a mech - or “Skell”, as they’re called in-game – and jet across the country side. Just be sure to heed this local’s advice.

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)
The “Final Fantasy” series is no slouch when it comes to creating memorable and fantastical settings, and this planet is no exception. Spread across three continents, Gaia is made up of a seamless mix of cyberpunk cities, industrial factories, medieval-style towns, relaxing rural areas, and pretty much every other type of environment you can think of, making it one of the most fully-realized planets in video games. Its history and culture are just as fleshed-out as the settings themselves, and every detail makes the planet feel like a living, breathingworld. Gaia is an extraordinary place to explore, whether its by foot, by airship, and of course, by Chocobo.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Hunrath
“Obduction” (2016)

PNF-404
“Pikmin” series (2001-13)

Fortuna (Jungle version)
“Star Fox” series (1993-)

“Borderlands” series (2009-)
This ain’t no place for a hero. What originally started off as a monochromatic desert world has evolved into one of the most unforgettable locations in video games. Pandora is a lawless wasteland that serves as home for some of the most ruthless creatures – and people – in the galaxy. From the icy glaciers of the Frozen Wastes to the arid deserts of the Dead Sands, it’s pretty much guaranteed that everything and everyone will be trying to kill you. Luckily, thanks to the treasure troves of loot hidden across the world, as well as the series’ trademark anarchic sense of humour, trekking across Pandora, whether alone or with some friends, is a one of a kind experience.

Do you agree with our list? Which video game planets would you like to visit? For earth-shattering Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com