Typically when we think about video games, we think about our favorite characters: Mario, Nathan Drake, Master Chief, Crash Bandicoot...but do we ever stop to appreciate the worlds that those characters inhabit?

Programmers, artists, and writers come together to create worlds that players will enjoy and, hopefully, remember. Sometimes in games, the world is more memorable than anything else.

Here are five games with worlds I’ll never forget.

BioShock

Rapture is one of the most iconic fictional video game cities ever, and rightfully so. Up until last week when I began BioShock on my PS4 (Yay, BioShock: The Collection!), I hadn’t played the original BioShock since 2010. I was a little fuzzy on the story, except for the main plot points, of course, and I realized that I didn’t even remember the main character’s name. In many ways, Rapture is more memorable than the characters in BioShock. BioShock is even more gorgeous in BioShock: The Collection. Rapture looks more beautiful than before, and I fell in love with the world all over again. Rapture will forever be remembered as one of the most immersive and remarkable video game worlds.

Journey

Journey is a game that doesn’t hold your hand. It doesn’t tell you what to do or where to go, and you don’t even know the name of your character. What’s memorable about Journey is the way the sun shines on the sand and the vibrancy of all of the colors in the game’s universe. Journey is a mysterious game that leaves players with a lot of questions, but it’s a beautiful game with a very memorable world. I will always remember flying through the sky up towards the mountain when I reached the end of my journey.

Grand Theft Auto V

Sometimes I still find it funny that I ended up falling in love with GTA V, a game I thought I was going to hate. I immediately fell in love with the characters, but what I love the most about GTA V is Los Santos. There is so much to do and see, and I never get tired of exploring. There are still areas of Los Santos that I have not seen, and I love that. I love that I will always have something to do and see in Los Santos. The world feels huge, but not overwhelming.

Firewatch

Firewatch had memorable characters and a fantastic story, but it also had a beautiful world. The game takes place in Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. I enjoyed getting lost in the woods, which is odd to say because I generally HATE getting “lost” in games. Usually when I don’t know where to go, I start to panic and I get overwhelmed.

In Firewatch, I was eager to explore in the forest and actually found some beautiful things when I was going the “wrong” way (which happened a lot, as the game equips you with only a paper map and a compass to navigate the forest). I absolutely loved Firewatch, and I plan on replaying it so I can explore the Shoshone with Henry and Delilah again.

Super Mario Galaxy

All Super Mario games have unforgettable worlds, and I was very close to choosing Super Mario 64 for this list. It’s hard to choose just one Super Mario game when talking about memorable video game worlds, but Super Mario Galaxy tops the list for me. I loved every part of that game: the music, the level design, the characters, the story; it’s probably my favorite Mario game to date.

What I loved the most about Super Mario Galaxy was how enormous it felt, and for a game with “galaxy” in the title, it’s fitting for the world to feel vast and open. I loved traveling from galaxy to galaxy, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single level. I am still holding out hope for a Super Mario Galaxy 3 for the Nintendo NX.

What video game worlds were your favorite? Talk to me on Instagram or Twitter: @gottosaurus