Virtual Cities - Book Review

Virtual Cities by Konstantinos Dimopoulos is a more studious videogame tome than I usually read. When I first saw it on the Unbound crowd-funding publishing site, I had missed the original funding drive. Fast forward a couple of months and its presence on Amazon quickly led to a purchase. So what exactly is this book about?

Dimopoulos is a games designer and game urbanist (with a Masters and PhD in Urban Planning - check out his impressive CV here) who, alongside visual artist Maria Kallikaki, has created a book that investigates the design and implementation of cities in a selection of forty-five videogames. Sitting somewhere between shelf-based reference and coffee table atlas, this is a high quality 208-page hardback though a Kindle version is also available. Each of the entries is given between four and six pages, each consisting of a description of the city, a dedicated map of the settlement, a couple of illustrations and a box out containing comments from either Dimopoulos or, in a small number, that particular title's designer.

The descriptions of the cities themselves are definitely the highlight and each one has been cleverly done. Rather than have identikit accounts which, if repeated for each of the entries would get more than a little stale, the author has framed each city differently. Be it a travel guide, a "historical" note, or the telling of a legend, this in-universe approach is fresh and engaging. By writing about each city as if it were real, you not only gain essential background information and atmosphere, but also a real sense of depth to the story behind each one. And that is a key point for this book - the city is not just a setting, it is part of the story itself and exists not only to wander around but also to provide immersion for the player. By having carefully designed city settings, the engagement the player feels is increased. With the examples chosen for Virtual Cities, the author has proven this with each of the selected games. 

It also helps that Dimopoulos has not constrained himself to a particular gaming period - the games covered here were released between 1983 and 2018. Nor has concentration been given to purely blockbuster titles - I had to Google some of the games as I had never heard of them. What is clear from each entry is that Dimopoulos knows his stuff - both in the sense of videogames design and urban development. He points out exactly how a particular city feels "right', real and believable. He is also clear that, where a settlement is physically impossible, it still works as a concept and to the established in-game rules whatever they may be. Despite the changes in style and presentation, each entry is easy to read and consistently good. 

The commentary sections are interesting and of a suitably different tone from the main text, whether written by Dimopoulos or a guest writer. Here, we get a wider view of the city's place in game, how it relates to real world theory and the various influences that led to its creation. Although much shorter in length, the insights provided by these compliment the main text wonderfully and serve as an explanation as to why each city was included in the book.

The illustrations are stylistic and may, to some, appear quite basic, but the illustrator has done a good job in my humble opinion. The city maps are great, and whilst they may not match the in-game maps you might be familiar with, it is best to consider these as representations rather than direct copies.

I didn't rush through this book, instead reading a couple of entries at a time and letting my mind work its way through the ideas and concepts presented. After finishing it, I admit to being intrigued by some of the landscapes described and have purchased a number of the titles featured here to go with a few I already own. What I feel this book does is give a new perspective on what is a key part of many a video game - the character of the urban environment the player finds themselves in. The importance of having a believable canvas has always been relevant and the fact that videogames developers were thinking about this nearly forty years ago shows that it's not a new idea to the medium. If characters are placed in a city or town that doesn't feel right then it can destroy the very immersion the creators are aiming for. Once that immersion is gone, it can be impossible to get back, spoiling the experiences of the player. In Virtual Cities, you will find many examples that demonstrate that even the smallest detail will benefit that sense of immersion. 

With Virtual Cities, Dimopoulos has written a brilliant book that takes a unique approach to videogames and one that tackles a subject little raised in the art form - because yes, videogames should be considered an art form. This book is not only for those who play videogames, but is also a reference for games designers and, really, anyone interested in world building in general. All in all, a highly recommended read.

Virtual Cities can be found on Unbound.com here, and on Amazon here. You can find out more about the author here.