Final Fantasy XV: Tokyo, Venice and Havana

Final Fantasy XV opens in Insomnia, the capital of Lucis, and the game's developers drew it from Shinjuku, Tokyo's skyscraper district. When the story begins, Insomnia is the one Lucian city still unconquered by the empire of Niflheim, protected by the Crystal's power. In real life Shinjuku is a major commercial and administrative centre of Tokyo, and it houses the northern half of Shinjuku Station, the busiest railway station in the world. Walk out of the station into the towers and you are in the neighbourhood behind the game's royal capital.

Location precision: Insomnia exists only in the game; the pin marks Shinjuku, the district that inspired it.

Visitor guidance: Shinjuku Station is the usual starting point; the skyscraper area lies to its west.

The Citadel, the royal palace of Insomnia, was modeled on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which stands near the Square Enix headquarters. In the story it is where the peace between Lucis and Niflheim collapses: Niflheim attacks Insomnia and steals the Crystal, King Regis is assassinated, and Noctis is left to start his road to reclaim his throne. Today the real building's two panoramic observation decks are free of charge to the public and have gift shops and cafes.

Location precision: The Citadel is fictional; the pin marks the building that served as its model.

Visitor guidance: Free observation decks with gift shops and cafes.

Lestallum is the bustling, tropical city where Noctis stays with Iris and is contacted by the Astral Titan. It gets its prosperity from the energy of a meteor. Game Informer describes the city as reminiscent of Cuba, so this route pins it, loosely, in Old Havana. The match is a loose comparison, not an exact copy. Old Havana, the historic centre, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Location precision: The developers only say Lestallum is reminiscent of Cuba; the pin marks Old Havana as a loose stand-in.

Visitor guidance: Old Havana is the city's historic centre.

Noctis and his three friends set out for Altissia, the capital of Accordo, where his wedding to Lunafreya is to take place. The city is a water town with actual gondolas and gondoliers, and one location in it is inspired by the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront. The real riva is a monumental waterfront in Venice.

Location precision: Altissia exists only in the game; the pin marks the Venice waterfront that inspired one of its locations.

Visitor guidance: A public waterside promenade.

Altissia's cathedral is clearly modelled on St Mark's Basilica, and the city as a whole takes inspiration from Venice, complete with a gondola ride. In the story the city becomes the stage for the game's tragic turn: Lunafreya awakens the Astral Leviathan so Noctis can obtain her power, but Leviathan goes on a rampage when Niflheim attacks. The real basilica is the cathedral church of the Patriarchate of Venice, in Venice.

Location precision: Altissia exists only in the game; the pin marks the Venice basilica its cathedral imitates.

Visitor guidance: In Venice.