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Because if the developers pull it off correctly, then playing a game set in a tropical region could be the next best thing to a sunny beach vacation. Now that the world is in the middle of summer, it’s only proper to get a glimpse of what tropical places have on offer without the need to expose oneself to the numerous real-world plagues going about. These tropical games might just double as a beach vacation.
8 Far Cry 3
Release year : 2012 Platforms : Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Far Cry 6 and the first Far Cry are also good candidates here but Far Cry 3 captures the best feeling of a tropical beach vacation gone wrong. Far Cry 3’s Rook Islands is based on some of the more provincial island spots in the Indonesian archipelago. And yes, there’s no shortage of warm, sunny beaches in Far Cry 3. In fact, Far Cry 3’s beaches look cleaner than Far Cry 6’s Caribbean coastline for some reason.
In any case, Far Cry 3 is all about the adventures of Jason Brody who’s one tattoo and beer shot away from becoming the most stereotypical fratboy. The game has no qualms about making him obnoxious. Jason and his friends’ wild vacation in the Rook Islands took a turn for the worse after pirates kidnapped his whole group and it’s up to Jason to team up with the local militia to rescue his friends.
7 Crysis Remastered
Release year : 2007/2021 Platforms : Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The game that made all the PCs weep and vomit their lungs out back in 2007 remains to this day, an icon for graphics technology. Crysis Remastered came along and updated the graphics for the whole trilogy, giving it Ray Tracing and many other contemporary bells and whistles.
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Only the first game, however, is set in a tropical paradise. It begins with a distress signal on an island controlled by North Koreans somewhere off the coast of the Philippine archipelago. What the elite nanosuit-clad spec ops team didn’t expect was that aliens were somehow roped into the conspiracy and are now causing havoc, even turning the tropical island into a frozen anomaly. That’s how much the developers wanted to show off their graphics engine back then.
6 Just Cause 2
Release year : 2010 Platforms : PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Just Cause is also a solid candidate for this entry but Just Cause 2 takes the cake because of the better graphics and more cohesive gameplay. Its premise is similar to the previous game: a lone elite operative is tasked with causing as much havoc in a totalitarian government’s territory in an attempt to destabilize its local dictator.
Just Cause 2 takes place in a fictional Southeast Asian country called Panau. The fictional setting was most likely inspired by Thailand or Indonesia and it has coconut trees and smooth, plain sandy beaches to back up the visual authenticity. Back in its heyday, Just Cause 2 was also praised for its impressive water physics and vast open-world design.
5 Tropico 6
Release year : 2019 Platforms : Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, SteamOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Tropico 6 is a parody of Cuba, where players take on the role of a fictional Caribbean island-nation’s dictator as they build their totalitarian country from the ground up. Hence, it’s a city-builder game, first and foremost though it can also be a good lesson in economics or governance.
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Of course, to complete the theme, Tropico 6 has no shortage of Instagrammable white-sand beaches and lush, humid jungle mountains. Players can even build resorts, plantations, or coastal cities in their own version of a communist paradise or totalitarian dystopia, or both as they’re not mutually exclusive.
4 Dead Island
Release year : 2011 Platforms : Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Kill zombies or go on a beach vacation? With Dead Island, players don’t have to choose. Because this zombie game is set in a tropical beach resort that somehow came under siege by a horde of frenzied zombies. Players assume the role of one of the immune survivors as they get to the bottom of the mysterious zombie outbreak on the island of Banoi.
The game was famous for its refreshing take on the aging zombie formula. Coupled with its picturesque rendition of a tropical beach resort and the turquoise waters common in virgin coastlines, Dead Island became quite a hit among zombie fans and graphics nuts alike.
3 Green Hell
Release year : 2018 Platforms : PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
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2 Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
Release year : 2013 Platforms : PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag marks the first time an Assassin’s Creed experiment went right. They incorporated pirates into their odd assassin Illuminati story but somehow made it work because the gameplay elements were mostly fun. Of course, it also helped that it had one of the most attractive graphics of its time.
Black Flag had one of the best water simulations back in 2013, which is especially noticeable when players are sailing their pirate ships on the Caribbean seas. The game is also a decent representation of life in the aforementioned region back in its portrayed time period. Do be careful of the sharks.
1 Sea of Thieves
Release year : 2018 Platforms : Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Speaking of pirates of the Caribbean, Sea of Thieves is another game that features them in full splendor. This multiplayer-focused game is all about life on the high seas, on the other side of the law. Players can just sail aimlessly, fight others in epic ship battles, and of course, look for booty.
In terms of graphics, Sea of Thieves boasts one of the most jaw-dropping sea and water physics among contemporary games, complete with changing hues based on the depths of the water and the position of the sun. Its character and land models might be cartoonish, but the water more than makes up for it.
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