India's cities have long-fascinated global game studios—sometimes as a living, breathing world, or at other times, as an exotic unknown full of secrets.
The second instalment of IO Interactive's 'Hitman' series showcased Mumbai in one of its missions as a cinematic maze of crowded chawls, film sets, and monsoon-soaked rooftops, truly capturing the spirit of the city without turning into a parody.
Set in the 19th century, the Indian edition of Ubisoft's side-scroller Assassin's Creed franchise features Delhi's Mughal architecture and colonial-era buildings.
The game opens with treasure hunter Chloe Frazer in the bustling markets of Chennai, before she embarks on her Himalayan adventure. Naughty Dog was also praised for including Kannadiga influences in the game.
'Persona Non Grata', a brief mission set in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala, treats the city as little more than a warzone.
Lara Croft’s playground in this instalment of the 'Tomb Raider' franchise—an ancient temple inspired by real temples from Jaipur—is a potpourri of cobras, booby traps, carvings, and crumbling ruins.
Kolkata finds its way in Bond's chaotic pursuit of a freelance arms dealer throughout Southeast Asia. He zips past trams and colonial buildings at a gripping pace, making Kolkata more of a movie set than a city.
The game's fictional Himalayan city of Kyrat borrows heavily from the landscapes, cultures, and politics of the Himalayan regions of northern India, as well as Nepal.