[Vistrix]

Two games that havent been mentioned -

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - I think the voice acting helped massively with the immersion.


Shadowman - mainly for the 1st part of the game and the asylum level.


Good memories.

[TheLucifer]

Bioshock, Half Life 2, GTA San Andreas, Alan Wake, Deus Ex 1 and Human Revolution. I guess that Bioshock takes the first place, playing through it the first time was really beautiful.

Edit: and the Mass Effect trilogy as well.

[Trick_GSF]

Cannot pick just one. In no order:

Uncharted series. (Drake's Fortune especially).

Fallout series.

Portal/Half-Life series.

Mass Effect series.

Tomb Raider series.

Resident Evil series. (Earlier games especially).

Honorable mentions: Mirror's Edge, Prince of Persia, Heavy Rain, Resistance FoM, Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age.

[Stallion Free]

I enjoyed the atmosphere in L.A. Noire most recently. It just happened to strike a chord with me.

[hertog]

It's Shenmue.
The blandness of the character even makes the immersion of his surroundings greater. He fills the role of a silent protagonist even though he speaks :)

[MajorPain]

Red Dead Redemption

Mass Effect 2

Star Wars - The Old Republic

[Barberetti]

The ones that have sucked me in the most over the years:

Doom 2
Quake
Vice City
Fallout 3
Risen
The Witcher 2

I'm planning to check out the STALKER games and the DayZ mod for Arma 2 over the coming weeks, and I have a feeling they'll be up there as well when all is said and done.

[Muffdraul]

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - I think the voice acting helped massively with the immersion.

Soul Reaver *definitely* took the crown in its day. And I say that as someone who played both it and System Shock 2 when they they came out right around the same time.

[Lionel Mandrake]

Megaman Legends



Wind Waker


Shadow of the Colossus

[mdtauk]

Here are a few of mine...

Rapture - Bioshock

The music, lighting, colours, everything gives such an unsettling

Skytown - Metroid Prime 3

You feel a strong remoteness and a little disorientation which makes it fun to explore

Ikana Canyon, Castle, and Stone Tower - Majora's Mask

You get the real sense that it has become a shadow of past glory and a place filled with sorrow and loss. Home to an ancient civilisation

Dark World - A Link to the Past

Coming from the Light World, and drawn in by the defeated Agahnim you know you have entered a place of curiosities and weirdness

The Forbidden Land - Shadow of the Colossus

From the enigmatic name, to the seemingly endless barren terrain, this place makes you feel very small which makes your encounters and defeat of the Colossi, all the more empowering

The Spencer Mansion - Resident Evil GCN

The lighting effects, the sounds and the uncontrollable camera positions make you scared to turn a corner, especially if being chased.

[First Name]

STALKER and Fallout 3 are my picks.

A lot of games are immersive while I'm playing them but these two had me so in to their worlds that I was thinking about them long after I stepped away from the screen.

[richisawesome]

It's gotta be Xenoblade:









Never, EVER been as immersed into a game's world as I was in Xenoblade's.

[faceless007]

Those who have played it will agree: Riven.

[hertog]

Final Fantasy X was also great at this.
Especially in Besaid.

[INDIGO_CYCLOPS]

It's Shenmue. The blandness of the character even makes the immersion of his surroundings greater. He fills the role of a silent protagonist even though he speaks :)

Shenmue definitely for me; also the Yakuza games, GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, Souls series, and one of my favorite P&C - Perry Rhodan Immortals of Terra...

[BigTnaples]

Those who have played it will agree: Riven.

How did I forget Riven.

Amazing immersion.

[Luthos]

This gen, I'd probably say Bioshock or Red Dead Redemption.

[Jake Tower]

Morrowind

[H3xum]

Rapture

A lot of it also comes from my desire for that to be an actual place

[DiddyBop]

Morrowind, after all these years still nothing compares imo.

[robertsan21]

I cant wait until I get a RPG or zelda game with a huge world filled with life just like in real life, from birds to small insects flying everywhere. grass moving in the wind out on huge fields, rivers flowing here and there.

[geebee]

More recently.. Deus Ex Human Revolution, but it could've used less offices..

LA Noire.. could've used more interactive elements within the city.

[Baconsammy]

I'm from Washington state, so Alan Wake felt like being home. It's really that close to reality. I also loved Skyrim and Red Dead's worlds.

[rouken]

i'll go with alan wake. very atmospheric, the lighting really is top notch and helps bring the sense that you're alone in the woods.

and gta IV, immersive city. full of life. and im expecting rockstar will improve it much more in gta V

[benzy]

Deadly Premonition. There's something eerie and quirky about the town and it's people.

[g23]

Max Payne

[fanboi]

Skimmed through... no mention of DayZ?

[Hansel?]

Holy balls at it taking 28 posts to mention Rapture. For shame.

Super Metroid #2.
King's Quest 6 being my personal #3.

[Blizzard]

Minecraft and Skyrim are probably the most atmospheric/immersive games that come to my mind.

[SkoomaSuckinSwit]

The Elder Scrolls games.
RockStar's Grand Theft Auto games & Red Dead Redemption
Final Fantasy XI (my first MMO)

Notice a trend - huge open worlds, day/night cycle, RPG/upgrading elements.

[olimpia84]

BioShock and REmake are definitely on top of my list.

[shinobi602]

Damn, and Xenoblade's a Wii title? Looks pretty damn great.

[BlueTsunami]

Music, scenario, environment all work together wonderfully

[Magicpaint]

Metroid Prime is still the best I've ever seen. It feels so organic. It didn't feel like I was walking through a created digital world as much as I was discovering an actual one. Retro's commitment to varied assets and unique textures and geometry make that game's world truly something breathtaking in which to wander about.

Yep, easily the most immersive world I've ever explored in a videogame.

Another is Majora's Mask.

[JB1981]

Just started Deus Ex: HR and man is that game crazy immersive.

[schnarf]

The Witcher 2 - Each location feels organic and "lived in".
Red Dead Redemption - The sheer size and beauty of the game world is unlike any other game that I can think of. Just riding around the landscape is fun in and of itself.

[revolverjgw]

Thief 1-2-3 have this steampunk/medieval/Victorian aesthetic that is so fucking well realized, I can't get enough of that world.

[Host Samurai]

Fear Effect had such an awesome atmosphere that combined Ghost in the Shell with Blade Runner and took you from the Hong Kong skylines all the way to Hell with 90's styled anime graphics...you would never know that a western developer made this game. I would kill for another one.

[sublimit]

Ico
Shadow of the Colossus
Journey
Silent Hill 1-3
Resident Evil 1-3
Tomb Raider 1-5
Shadow of Memories
Siren games
Dragon Quest VIII
Dragon's Dogma
Nier
Demon's/Dark Souls
A Shadow's Tale

[Martian]

Red Dead Redemption
GTA IV (didn't like the gameplay, but the atmosphere was awesome)
San Andreas (bloody good with countryside)
Legend of Zelda : OoT & Minish Cap
Fallout 2 and 3
Far Cry (the first)

[Taffer]

Fear Effect had such an awesome atmosphere that combined Ghost in the Shell with Blade Runner and took you from the Hong Kong skylines all the way to Hell with 90's styled anime graphics...you would never know that a western developer made this game. I would kill for another one.

Did you not like FE2? I barely played the first so I'm curious how they compare.

[Requeim]

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Demon's Souls

[Aguirre]

Morrowind. Nothing else even comes close to Morrowind.

uhm well skyrim comes close? closer? in fact better?

[shinnn]

Condemned.. damn.. that game made my heart beat faster.

[theowne]

uhm well skyrim comes close? closer? in fact better?

Maybe for you, but for me, Morrowind's world was far, far more unique, atmospheric, immersive and interesting than that of any other Bethesda game.

[zlatko]

Vana'diel from FFXI for me.

[i-Lo]

• Demon's Souls
• Dark Souls
• Killzone 2
• Mass Effect franchise in parts
• Uncharted franchise in parts
• Dead Space
• Skyrim
• Fallout 3

[Sojgat]

Two games that havent been mentioned - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - I think the voice acting helped massively with the immersion.

This. Soul Reaver is one of the most atmospheric games ever. Nosgoth remains my favourite world in all of videogaming, the game's color palate and sound design play a huge role in this. I would love some kind of remake or reboot of the franchise but fear that the special something that this game has might never be recaptured.

[ThankeeSai]

Silent Hill (1)

Metroid Prime.

Fallout 3

[richisawesome]

I'd also nominate Terranigma. A true gem that North America missed out on, but luckily us in the UK got. It had a vast, living world, dark and omnious caves and dungeons, lush forests and jungles and high mountains. Like a great Zelda game, it was an absolute joy being invested in that world.

Had it brought for me years ago at a birthday. Traded it in at Gamestation back when they were cool

only it wasn't cool because I obviously didn't know what it was worth, and now I hate myself for it. gah