The best games set in Chicago would ideally have engaging gameplay in a city that looks like the Windy City. Unfortunately, unlike games set in Los Angeles, games that take place in Chicago tend to mix in aspects of other cities.Watch DogsandJohn Woo Presents Strangleholdare prominent examples of these almost-Chicagos.
On the flip side, there are still great or fun-to-play games that are set in Chicago or have Chicago-based levels.Empire of Sinreferences Chicago’s history with bootleggers, whileWolfenstein II’s DLCThe Adventures of Gunslinger Joebarrels through Chicago’s industrial underbelly. Other games play around with their Chicago map to suit its story, or focus on giving players a great experience.
Perfect Darkis fondly remembered as a pioneer first-person shooter. With never-before-seen graphics and shooting mechanics at the time,Perfect Darkis up there withCounter-Strike,TimeSplitters,Quake III, andDeus Exas FPS classics.
What it’s not remembered for is its 1:1 fidelity with the locations its maps are based on. As a futuristic alternate reality,Perfect Dark’s take on Chicago is naturally cyberpunk and different.Perfect Dark’s Chicago features a mix of English and East Asian writing systems, vibrant and grimy environments, and a lot of spotlights for back alleys and sewers.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Meis wholly focused on serial killer H.H. Holmes’ so-called “Murder Castle.” The home no longer exists inits original locationin Englewood, Chicago, but there are enough photos of its exterior forThe Devil in Meto have a great basis for its two locations.
The Murder Castle’s exterior in the game’s 1893 section is accurate to that of historical pictures and illustrations. From the brick, to the windows, and various shops under Holmes’ two floors of hotel,The Devil in Me’s version of the Murder House is a good digital record of this Chicago curiosity.
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Still Life’s status as a “good” video game is debatable, but this fixed third-person POV mystery-puzzle game tried to do Chicago justice. Victoria searches fora serial killerin a moody Chicago that nonetheless looks more vibrant than its haunting Prague counterpart.
The Chicago Police Station, Victoria’s father’s house, and various interiors are surprisingly rendered well, with features that are recognizable even if warped. Unfortunately, the series departs for Maine inStill Life 2.Without the third and final game, gamers would never know if it would have come back to Chicago.
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John Woo’s Strangleholdis aHollywood tie-infocused on bringing a cinematic experience to consoles. In addition to having a plot spun as a sequel to Woo’s action flickHard Boiled, it was also Midway’s first venture into using Unreal Engine 3.
For their first venture, Midway Chicago didn’t do half bad when it came to rendering competent expies of iconic hometown locations. The Chicago History Museum is inspired by the city’s natural museum and art institute, sporting dinosaur skeletons and a huge lion statue in the lobby. Meanwhile, the penthouse level took cues from Chicago’s historic high-rise apartments.
This criminal empire sim draws heavily from Chicago’s bootlegging history and 1920s style.Empire of Sim’s city management mode gives structure to the player’s underworld wealth. Its TTRPG mode and cutscenes, meanwhile, show off 1920s Chicago through top-down maps and close-ups.
Empire of Sin’s rendering of nighttime Chicago feels appropriate to genre expectations. The L-train passing by a lit-up theater, barrel-laden basements, the nighttime view of street markets, cabarets, and so on make Chicago feel irreplaceable. There’s also the matter of the playable crime bosses, most of whom are based on real-life historical crime figures.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklisttakes place across different cities, but Chicago is the first city to get hit. And althoughperfectly stealthy playerswon’t see much of Chicago’s skyline or the mall inspired by Woodfield and the city’s myriad malls, “American Consumption” does a pretty good job getting that nighttime city feeling.
Chicago is also a good introduction toBlacklist’sdifferent approach to the series’ gameplay. Some levels are better suited for classic stealth players, while others explore the game’s new, more action-centric elements.
Resistance 2was all about fighting aliens. But its 2008 version of a monster-overrun Chicago made walking around instead of shooting tempting. The Windy City’s iconic Chicago school-style commercial buildings, international style, greystones, and art deco fronts offer rewarding views when players aren’t shooting Chimeran armadas.
That’s not to say thatResistance 2isn’t fun on its own.Resistance 2is still consideredthe best of the series by some gamers because of its amazing story mode and, at the time, huge online multiplayer and co-op mode.
The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe’s Fun Revenge Fantasy In ChicagoDLC follows the in-game fictional character Joseph “Joe” Stallion as he seeks revenge against his Nazi captors. Joe’s revenge takes him across Chicago, reinvented inWolfenstein II: The New Colossusas a Nazi-captured Americana hellscape.
Though it’s admittedly light on Chicago fidelity,Wolfensteinis nonetheless a greatWolfensteingame with a Chicago set. The action is silly and bounces between blast-them-all gunplay and disciplined shooting. Stealth is as fun as large set pieces, and the final boss makes the journey worth it.
Hitman: Absolution’s skyline and Chinatown knock it out of the park. Chicago from the rooftop in the Sniper Challenge DLC is gritty and picturesque at the same time. Chinatown is hardy in the murky evening, yet captures the vibrancy of Chicago’s buildings while integrating its crowd system.
Chinatown in particular shows offAbsolution’s crowdblending, one ofthe better featuresof the title that series fans appreciate. The level was also close to the vibe of olderHitmanlevels, and one of few levels inAbsolutionwhere players can achieve Silent Assassin.
Watch Dogs’ version of Chicago gets mixed reactions from people who live there. Some like how it captures the city’s vibes even if it’s not photo accurate. The Loop in particular got most of the praise, with the rest of the City Hotspots getting most of the details right.
Others feel Ubisoft Montreal took the Vancouver route that channels like the CW Network take with its shows, and made Chicago a hybrid of the US city’s vibes and Canadian features. Still,Watch Dogswas fun and unique enough that Ubisoft got to make a sequel that featured aslightly more accurate San Francisco.
