Chris Schulz packs his camera, acts like a tourist and picks five video games with scenery worth savouring
GRAND THEFT AUTO V
Stop stealing cars, take a break from robbing jewellery stores and put that submarine heist on hold for a minute, because outside all that urban carnage there's some incredible stuff to be seen in Los Santos. My advice: find a nice four-wheel-drive, tune into the West Coast Classics radio station for some old school hip-hop, and head towards the giant Vinewood sign up in the hills.
Behind the giant white letters of the Hollywood pisstake is a dirt track: drive up it, turn left and head towards the power station. Now, park your car, grab a nice spot in the grass, and soak in the sunset. Isn't that pretty? Next time, you can pack a picnic lunch and bring your stripper girlfriend with you.
You'll need some sturdy hiking boots to visit Kyrat. The fictional Himalayan area is vast but surrounded by mountainous regions, rocky paths and sharp clifftops. Despotic ruler Pagan Min's cronies are everywhere too - and they'll shoot on sight. So it's best to grab one of the robust quad bikes sitting around at base camp and head offroad to really enjoy Kyrat's sightseeing opportunities. There are plenty: wild boar feasting on foliage beside steaming rivers; quaint villages with homes built on stilts over water and waterfalls spilling out over those piercing rocks.
But be careful: with scenery this good, it's all too easy to get distracted and plunge down the mountainside. That's how my Kyrat visit ended.
THE WITCHER 3
The Witcher 3. Photo / Screenshot
Remember those mystery flights Air NZ used to do? That's a bit what The Witcher 3 is like. Described only as somewhere "in the Northern Kingdoms", your Witcher 3 experience begins in a castle bedroom in control of muscle-bound hunk Geralt.
After being awkwardly told off for checking out your girlfriend's underwear, Geralt steps out on to the balcony to stew, only to find some of the most breathtaking scenery to feature in a video game. Make sure you spend a decent amount of time gazing at the snowy peaks, the winding rivers, the giant treetops and the castle turrets dotted around the region. Later on you'll get to explore them all on horseback - but it's worth remembering this bird's eye view to get your bearings.
DYING LIGHT
Dying Light. Photo / Screenshot
You certainly don't want to hang around for the sunsets in Dying Light. That's when the zombified residents of Harran, in Turkey, go a little feral. At nightfall, your bloodthirsty foes are faster and angrier - and they bring out their chainsaw-wielding boss buddies to double the fun.
You'll want to be in a safe zone sleeping soundly when all this is going down. When the sun comes back up, find yourself a vantage point: head toward the tower block construction side in the East, and just in front of the safe zone there is a precipice where you can soak in the view.
Sure, it's a grimy scene of smog-covered urban apocalypse - but it provides just a little breathing room before you have to put that bent metal pipe to good use again.
THE LAST OF US (Remastered)
About two hours into one of the best next-gen gaming experiences you can have, Joel and his young sidekick Ellie find themselves working their way through a damaged apartment tower. Staircases are busted, floors have holes in them, doorways are obscured by rock fall and the whole thing is leaning precariously on a 90-degree angle.
But there is a safe way around: still attached to the building is temporary scaffolding for a window washer. Climb out on to this, jump on to the neighbouring platform, stabilise yourself, walk around the corner and... Wow. The view opens up to take in a breathtaking expanse of damage, with the twilight sky bathing broken buildings in an eerie glow. There's time to take a couple of photos before this thing collapses, right?
&bull: Chris Schulz's round-the-world trip was made possible with the help of Samsung's curved 55-inch SUHD Smart TV. Visit www.samsung.co.nz for more information.
