Favorite Beach Setting in Video Games

The heat is unbearable in my end of the world, and my recent time with Kingdom Hearts and its Destiny Island setting made me think of "What is the best beach setting?". Honestly, I don't recall many beach/tropical based settings in video games I've played. I recall really liking Okinawa in Yakuza 3, as well as the beach scenario in Persona 3.

I think the one that really stood out for me though was the whole setting of Danganronpa 2. Really loved the summer-esque soundtrack from Masafumi Takada as well, it manages to implement the sense of dread regarding the murder scenario with the chippy tunes of summer

So, what are you guys' favorite tropical settings?

At the time, I really liked the beach setting from Final Fantasy X.

Normandy: Every WW2 GAME.

Crysis/Far Cry Instincts.

Summers - Earthbound

The resort bungalows on the piers above the water from Dead Island, or I guess you could count that entire area. Was such a fantastic setting that it was worth the price of the game and ignoring that the rest of it existed.

The beach Dead or Alive stages always wow me.

Sea of Thieves is more about the sea, stars, and sun, but the beaches are nice, too.

I’m surprised no one has said Mario Sunshine yet, but as I recall the majority on Giantbomb aren’t fans of the game. Still! The music in its hub and its overall is pretty neat. Not big on the game either though.

Does Wind Waker count? I remember lots of lovely beach areas.

Edit: Mario Sunshine has so much charm, but it's not the setting people have an issue with, more certain control issues and little niggles. If Mario Galaxy came out before Sunshine, and then Sunshine hit a year later, it's much easier to contextualize how it's inferior as a main Mario game overall, but it's still lovable. I don't think it's bad, and is a worthy entrant for best beaches, easy! If it had come out closer to the end of the Gamecube's life, I bet it would've been much more polished, possibly a masterpiece.

Quite liked the beach part in Bioshock Infinite. Those old timey swimsuits!

Besaid Island is def a good shout out.

Oh! Monkey Island! Those games have such a strong style.

Oh, Destiny Island in KH. Anyone? Yeah? Yeah.

Besaid, maybe? Hmm. I thought Forza Horizon 3's beaches were real purdy too.

I have vague memories of enjoy the management/tycoon game Holiday Island back in the 90s.

There also was Sim Isle, but that was more focused on environmental issues.

Oh, and the Duke Nukem 3D expansion pack "Duke Caribbean: Life's a beach"

I genuinely love the ideas that super Mario sunshine tried to do with its beaches. The sky boxes fused with the way they rendered radiated floor heat was amazing as a child but idk if it’s holds up visually still.

I'd have to say Costa Del Sol in ffxiv

Vice City and the beaches in GTA 5's Los Santos are pretty nice.

I love me a good beach, but besides Super Mario Sunshine I'm having a hard time thinking of games where you actually spend a lot of time on a beach level, outside of like, Senran Kagura Estival Versus. And while that's a very summery game, that's not an amazing beach.

Street Fighter has a lovely beach stage or two!

I love how the waves roll in on the Kanzuki Beach stage, even though that meant it got banned from competitive play quickly. All the while this theme plays:

I don't think there's a beach at all in there, but the ocean and gourmet worlds in Rayman Origins scream summer to me. The ocean world has some incredibly relaxing and summery music in certain parts, while the arctic parts of the food world samples the sounds of ice cubes tinkling in your drink.

Hmm, I can't think of many that I appreciate; not a big beach person. Maybe the beach stuff from Bound? That was pleasant enough. Great game.

Maybe just everywhere in Black Flag. Oh no wait, it's 100% Ash Lake in Dark Souls. Absolutely beautiful. One of the best damn video game locales period.

If Ash Lake counts, sure. That's an awesome place to run around in, although I wish there was more down there. Just some weird enemies, a hydra, and an ancient dragon that doesn't really do all that much.

Tropical settings in general are all fair game I’d say. I would argue that Sapienza is pretty damn good beach/tropical setting. Well maybe not as tropical as others but I really enjoyed the resort parts of that level in Hitman 2016.

I'm not a super beachy guy, so I never paid much attention, but Far Cry sticks out to me for how damn impressive it was. Goes for Crysis too.

Also, seconded on Duke Caribbean. Build Engine beaches are really... something.

It's a tossup between Mario Sunshine and Banjo-Kazooie's Treasure Trove Cove.

Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball

First thing that came to mind.

@tobbrobb: Ooooh, good one! Love me some Jak and Daxter.

It's probably more of an island game than a beach game, but I am particularly fond of Startropics and its tropic vibe. Very few games capture that breeziness for a stage, let alone a full game.

The beach in Chrono Cross.

@tobbrobb: Same, probably my favorite beach jam.

Super Mario Sunshine, Sapienza from Hitman pretty much all the islands in Wind Waker, the beginning of Dead Island, the beaches in GTA5, the final level of Uncharted 4. Love just being in all those places.

Halo, easily. Silent Cartographer is one of the best levels ever.

Yakuza 3, DOAX & FFX are all good ones.

Pokemon Sun & Moon also had a tropical vibe with a lot of nice beaches.

I wasnt a fan of Sea of Thieves but it was a great looking game that almost made me want to explore it's beaches/islands until I remembered that theres no reason to.

This was my immediate pick. Not even sure if I like that area that much as a stage, I suppose it's tranquil enough for the main points in the story you're supposed to go there. But both main and alternate themes are two of my favorites from a soundtrack full of outstanding tracks, and the theme immediately came to mind when the concept of video game beaches came up despite not having listened to the soundtrack in a couple years nor played the game in even longer.

It's not even that kickin' a composition, its just tightly wound and suits the art and dialogue of the area so well both times around.

@wollywoo: oh wow i was thinking i didn't really have fond memories of beach settings in games and then you pull out the treasure trove cove...

Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II's Central Control Area featured a pretty nice seaside location that was a very pleasant contrast to the rest of the game. Later PSO2 would have a similar, larger environment akin to a sandbar, which is inaccessible using the Charter/Spectrum ISP.

I really like the beach town, Summers, from EarthBound. I also really like the beach levels in most of the Kirby games