If your idea of an inspiring video game is Tetris or Super Mario then you’ll be pleased to learn that games have significantly evolved throughout the years. Nowadays video games are used as teaching aids, tools for social change and also just simply fun. But as the industry grows bigger and bigger everyday, the catalogue of games does as well. Throughout the years we have been delivered some truly stellar games that have inspired us and shaped our interests both big and small.

So we thought we’d sit down and ask some of our team which video games have inspired their travels and why:

Katie S., Public Relations & Marketing Manager

1. Game of choice: The Uncharted Series

“So I’ve played all the Uncharted games…I think the first one came out while I was in university and just starting to really think about where I wanted to live after school and what I wanted to do. I wouldn’t even classify myself as a gamer but something about Drake and his laissez-faire attitude just instantly hooked me in. He travels to some pretty diverse locations and is pretty much always going off the beaten track. Even though it is just a game it really did inspire me to stop worrying so much and to trust in my own skills and courage. By the time I blew through the third game, I knew I had to go have an adventure for myself.I booked a flight to Peru without any plan for what I’d do once I arrived. While I didn’t leap across any chasms or climb up any derailed trains, I did have an Uncharted style adventure all thanks to seeds the games planted in my head a few years earlier. ”

Leona, Tour Expert – Customer Support

2. Game of choice: Tomb Raider

“I always really liked Tomb Raider. I don’t want to be cliche but it’s always refreshing to see a strong female lead in a video game so I think that’s why I just found myself enamoured by Lara Croft. This game is cool because it tells the story of her very first adventure which takes place on this island called Yamatai, an old country that used to exist in current day Japan (or so the story goes). The wooded scenery and ancient Japan and Chinese inspired architecture really caught my attention since Asia was always a place I wanted to go. This game is a great one if you’re looking for an adventure that doesn’t require you to leave your flat but beware…it definitely inspired me to travel to some historical landmarks throughout the Pacific, setting me back more than just the cost of the game. Oh well!”

Sebastian, SEO Strategist

3. Game of choice: Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

“I mean this game’s got everything! The map is probably the most stunning artwork in a video game that I’ve ever seen. When I first played through it I decided I absolutely had to go to New Zealand, then it was the Rockies in Canada and then even Bavaria in Germany — Skyrim literally takes inspiration from the entire planet. I also don’t want to reach too far here but a game like Elder Scrolls, where you can interact with the environment as much or as little as you want, kind of helped to reinforce the value of getting off the beaten path and paving my own way when I travel. Oh and not to mention the value of talking to new people in new places so you know which deep, dark caves to stay out of! ”

Christian H., Video Editor

4. Game of choice: Okami

“I played this game for the first time when I was like, 11 or 12 I think and I make a point to keep playing it once every couple years. Everything about Okami is highly-stylized, which makes perfect sense when you consider the fact that it’s a Japanese game by a Japanese designer also set in Japan. There’s a lot of folklore built into the story and that alone really inspired me as a kid to stay imaginative and curious (good qualities for a traveller, right?). In the game you play as a white wolf named Okami Amatersau who has to save Feudal Japan from an evil curse. You travel all around and visit shrines, forests and villages and it’s just a very visually inspiring experience. I dare anyone to try and play this game and not instantly make plans to visit Japan.”

Jackie, Content Specialist

5. Game of choice: The Assassin’s Creed Series

“I played my first Assassin’s Creed in summer of 2010 when I was in school and I’ve pretty much never looked back. Ubisoft might as well have a direct connection to my bank account. These games don’t just have exciting cinematic stories and fun gameplay but the places you can go and the views you can take in — I don’t even care that it’s all virtual, the sense of awe you get when you climb to the top of The Vatican…I haven’t found that in other games. I’ve been to a lot of the places Ezio goes to in Assassin’s Creed II and what’s so cool is that you can rediscover a lot of famous landmarks in a whole new way. Also seeing what these expansive cities, villages and provinces looked during the Renaissance (and countless other time periods the games have visited) is inspiring in its own right. Ezio’s adventures make me want to visit Italy all over again.”