History Main / LawOfCartographicalElegance

** While ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' largely prevents Link from leaving Hyrule using topography, you'll still be blocked off by an InvisibleWall and a notification that you can go no further if you still manage to make it to the map's edge.

* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'' takes place within the caldera of a dormant supervolcano, a rough circle a little over two kilometers across. Beyond that is a steep drop into an "ecological dead zone", also known as [[FanNickname The Void]], with nothing of interest except three infinitely-respawning hostile Ghost Leviathans, whose raison d'etre is to force you back onto the map. However, if you sink far enough below the map, either by entering the Void or by [[GameBreakingBug clipping/falling through the ground]], you are eventually returned to the surface (presumably to prevent falling through the ground to [[UnintentionallyUnwinnable ruin the game]]). If you're persistent enough, they'll eventually stop chasing you...upon which you'll find nothing more than more Void.

* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'' takes place within the caldera of a dormant supervolcano, a rough circle a little over two kilometers across. Beyond that is a steep drop into an "ecological dead zone", also known as [[FanNickname The Void]], with nothing of interest except three infinitely-respawning hostile Ghost Leviathans, whose raison d'etre is to force you back onto the map. However, if you sink far enough below the map, either by entering the Void or by [[GameBreakingBug clipping/falling through the ground]], you are eventually returned to the surface (presumably to prevent falling through the ground to [[UnwinnableByMistake ruin the game]]). If you're persistent enough, they'll eventually stop chasing you...upon which you'll find nothing more than more Void.

* Most of the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' games are examples of the looping edges (''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'', ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'') or wall borders (VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'') varieties (see exception below).

* Most of the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' games (see exception below).

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'' differs from the later games in the series in that all of Alefgard appears to be surrounded by water. In the second game, it's revealed to be one of several "continents" in the game world.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' differs from the later games in the series in that all of Alefgard appears to be surrounded by water. In the second game, it's revealed to be one of several "continents" in the game world.

* [[WrapAround Loops]], where the player can travel to one end of the map and appear roughly on the same X- or Y-coordinate on the other side of the map. Topologically, this would mean the world is shaped roughly like a [[WorldShapes donut]]. (In geometry, such a shape is referred to as a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torus "Torus."]]) If it only loops on one axis, it probably looks more like a cylinder or may be [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail banana-shaped]]. Even so, this is merely part of the game's presentation, and none of these games are [[GameplayAndStorySegregation ACTUALLY supposed to take place]] on a toroidal or cylindrical world.[[note]]There is at least one [[VideoGame/{{VVVVVV}} notable exception]].[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'' takes place within the caldera of a dormant supervolcano, a rough circle a little over two kilometers across. Beyond that is a steep drop into an "ecological dead zone", also known as [[FanNickname The Void]], with nothing of interest except three infinitely-respawning hostile Ghost Leviathans, whose raison d'etre is to force you back onto the map. However, if you sink far enough below the map, either by entering the Void or by [[GameBreakingBug clipping/falling through the ground]], you are eventually returned to the surface (presumably to prevent falling through the ground to [[UnwinnableByMistake ruin the game]]).

[[quoteright:335:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mappe_9390.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:335:[[VideoGame/MightAndMagic Every continent neatly in its grid.]]]]

* In ''{{Mercenaries}}: Playground of Destruction'', the main game takes place on 2 maps in North Korea, both of which form a perfect square. The player cannot normally reach the boundaries though because passing into a red zone (which surrounds the map a good distance from all edges) will cause the Allies to bomb them until they die. One can reach the edge though certain means, though. Each "Ace" has their own island separate from the main maps, where the same rules apply.

* [[WrapAround Loops]], where the player can travel to one end of the map and appear roughly on the same X- or Y-coordinate on the other side of the map. Topologically, this would mean the world is shaped roughly like a [[WorldShapes donut]] (In geometry, such a shape is referred to as a "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torus Torus]]"). If it only loops on one axis, it probably looks more like a cylinder or may be [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail banana-shaped]]. Even so, this is merely part of the game's presentation, and none of these games are [[GameplayAndStorySegregation ACTUALLY supposed to take place]] on a toroidal or cylindrical world[[note]](with a [[VideoGame/{{VVVVVV}} notable exception]])[[/note]].

* Round worlds are commonly seen in every ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank'' since the second one, though they're not very big worlds, about the same landmass as a regular level.

->'''''Law of Cartographical Elegance:''''' ''The world map always cleanly fits into a rectangular shape with no land masses that cross an edge.''

* Most games in the ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' series are bounded by topography (usually mountains to the north and the ocean to the south). ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' keeps you hemmed into the game world by having your boat [[ButThouMust forbid you]] to continue past the edges.
** It also mentions that there's a storm (which you can see) further on. So, if you like, you can just imagine that ''The Wind Waker'' world is occasionally frequented by ''horrendously magnificent'' hurricanes, and that the game takes place in the eye of one.
*** Being that the world of ''The Wind Waker'' only came about [[spoiler: because the Gods themselves flooded Hyrule, creating the ocean]], that's not as far-fetched as one might believe.
** While ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' largely prevents Link from leaving Hyrule using topography, you'll still be blocked off by an InvisibleWall and a notification that you can go no further if you still manage to make it to the map's edge.

* ''VideoGame/MotocrossMadness'' had an Insurmountable Thirty Foot Fence around the arena, which was actually pretty easy to get over if you crashed into it just right and hit the recover button (in some versions, recovery occured automatical). You can then drive around the border of the arena, but if you drive too far away from it you get fired back into the center of the arena, painfully. Driving along it or even doing nothing doesn't help - sooner or later, you get kicked from the zone of nowhere whatever you do or do not do.
** And [[RuleOfCool awesomely]].

* The world of the ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' series is flat, and you're not allowed to go over the edges.
** Would you want to?
** Yes! There's a Djinni down there.
** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as the edges of the map are quite literally the edges of the world due to the sealing of Alchemy/the Golden Sun/the Stone of Sages causing the planet to deteriorate. Everything beyond the edges of the map is presumably just empty void.
*** Well, empty void and the aforementioned [[GottaCatchEmAll Djinni]]. Incredibly creepy, though.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' differs from the later games in the series in that all of Alefgard appears to be surrounded by water.
** In the second game, it's revealed to be one of several "continents" in the game world.

* In all of the main series ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, the routes and cities are all bounded in by the environment, with mountainous cliffs and impassable forests being most common on land, and convenient rocks marking out the sea routes.
** Noteworthy however is that kanto johto and sinnoh have been shown to share a landmass In fact, [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldandSilver Gold and Silver versions]] show that beyond the Elite Four is Johto/Kanto (depending on your starting point) - and the [[VideoGame/PokemonHeartGoldandSoulSilver remakes]] feature one location not shown on any map: the Sinjoh Ruins, which are shown to be somewhere far to the North of Johto, which serves to tie the Johto region to Sinnoh.

* In the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII''-era games, Liberty City consists of 2 islands and a peninsula with mountains separating it from mainland, Vice City is made of 2 long, parallel islands, and the state of San Andreas is pretty much a huge, neatly formed square of land.
** Out in the middle of nowhere, too. Try flying just straight north/west/south/east. You'll run out of attention span (and maybe trigger a few glitches) before hitting a barrier, I think.
*** If you sail out far enough in SA and try to swim back you can actually be blocked by an invisible wall from getting back to land.

** ''Videogame/GrandTheftAutoV'' continues in the same vein, albeit larger. Los Santos and Blaine County consist of one large lozenge-shaped island surrounded by endless waters extending for miles.

* Perhaps an {{egregious}} example would be in ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', where even the real life location of Manhattan is rendered into a more rectangular shape by shaving off the entire portion north of 129th Street.