The Dorklyst: 8 of the Greatest Floating Islands in Videogame History

As long as mankind has stood on dry land, we have looked up at the sky and wondered, “Shit, dude, how cool would floating islands be?” While science and technology continue to fail us day after day, videogames have come through to stoke our imaginations with images of our ultimate aspiration: to live among the clouds. In the spirit of that lofty ideal, here’s our list of the greatest floating islands in video games.

8. Skyloft (Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)

The only way living on a series of floating islands could ever be construed as a safe idea is if you don’t actually know that solid ground exists beneath you. Luckily for Link, Zelda, and the other inhabitants of Skyloft, a life surrounded by nothing but a sea of clouds (and of course the ever-present threat of death by freefall) is all they’ve ever known. As a result, the people of Skyloft appear to be both prideful, brave, and severely ignorant. Possessing the Triforce of Courage doesn’t really seem that impressive when one of the main hobbies for Skyloft youth appears to be jumping off cliffs and then hoping that one of the island’s indigenous giant birds will break your fall. Eventually, Link makes his way to the surface world of Hyrule, but can travel back to Skyloft using the Skyward Sword at any time. We can only hope he uses this ability to help drastically reduce Skyloft’s ultra-high mortality rate among wandering blind people.