I don't consider myself a big gamer, but I find myself enjoying playing games from time to time that really grabs me. Usually, I find myself drawn to games that have an immersive and large world to play in along with well-developed characters. Even if you don't play games, I highly recommend playing (or watching play-through of) these five games in particular.
1. Stardew Valley
For Harvest Moon lovers, this RPG is a flash from the past. You start the game with inheriting a farm from your grandfather in Stardew Valley. The location is an escape from busy modern life. There are lots of opportunities for building your farm however you want; you can farm, mine, tend to animals, forage, and even complete tasks for your fellow villagers. What makes this game stand apart from being a Harvest Moon copy is its Minecraft inspired crafting system.
2. Firewatch
This story-heavy game is a mystery set in Wyoming wilderness, where you play as a man named Henry who has left his life behind to work in a fire watch tower. Other than exploring the expansive nature-filled map around you, your main form of gameplay is communicating through a handheld radio to another fire watch named Delilah. Communication and character development are the center of this game.
3. Okami
Even if this game is an older, I still find myself returning to it and replaying it. You play as a goddess reincarnated in the form of a wolf named Amaterasu. Your mission is to rejuvenate the world and banish the evil spirits from Nippon. As you run around and regain your powers, you help many different characters all over the map. The world itself is large enough that there's plenty of side missions to play outside of the game. This is a game that is timeless, and I highly recommend buying it if you haven't.
4. The Last of Us
While I'm not huge on horror games, The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic zombie game that stands out from the rest. The game starts out with the start of the spread of a virus that turns people into The Infected. You follow the story of Joel, an older man who lost his family, and Ellie, a young survivor. The story is heartful and deep, and the world is intricated. Along with the main plotline, there are plenty of small details that define the world around the characters.
5. Soma
Once again, while I usually don't like horror games, Soma is another game that has a story that made me want to play this game over and over again. The game is set in the future in a remote research facility after the world has suffered from a meteor strike. You play as Simon, a man from the past who doesn't know why he's suddenly woken up years ahead of his time. One of the things that makes this game super immersive is the enviroment; not only are you in a creepy, abandoned facilty, you're also underwater.
