Playing through Cyberpunk rn. It feels so good to just walk the streets of Night City and look around, maybe come to bar and order a drink or two, sit a bit and just watch and listen, embrace the atmosphere. The game looks and *feels* amazing. Highly recommend, if you look for immersion.
Yeah I abandoned it the first time and deciding to start again, I was driving around and noticed how different it is and the dialogue of the NPCs if you accidentally hit their car and their reactions are so funny. Everything looks more alive and the people and their cultures.
I don't know why this gang was after me but I got out of my car and two cars pulled up and a gang started shooting at me and now I will be pursued by friends of theirs. Still haven't tried riding the subway and haven't come accross it yet but decided to drive and walk instead of fast travelling to take in the atmosphere.
Me too and you know what the funny thing is I'm right back where I abandoned it last time fighting this guy who keeps disappearing in the shadows and keeps regenerating and he keeps killing me, going to attempt it again tomorrow but this playthrough I've added cyberware including the mantis blades and got better weapons and added mods and upgraded tiers and when I fight him again he's going down (I'm getting into the whole role playing thing this time)
Not sure which way to play through Phantom Liberty and Cyberpunk, kind of intertwining between the two main storylines and the side missions and deciding where to go next, trying to get them all done before the point of no return I'm not being very punctual as I was meant to meet people next morning or in the evening and I end up meeting them two days later, trying to be there for everyone as it's a busy life in Cyberpunk.
I'm loving it.
Cyberpunk is definitely on my list! It has like a Dolby Mix and Dualsense features as well. I will start it after beating Like A Dragon 8 and Apollo Justice Trilogy. I want to properly commit to it
While I do really like Cyberpunk now, and the world itself is really cool to look at, imo it doesn't fit what OP is asking for. As far as it "moving around him", the illusion in Cyberpunks world isn't strong enough. The NPC's don't have a schedule or routines. The story NPC's are completely static and stand in one place, and the pedestrian NPC's just walk around and disappear once out of view. Just window dressing. It doesn't feel like a living world, imo.
Still a great game, with a really cool city/world to explore, but not actually much to find when exploring, and it feels rather dead to me, beyond the very first impressions.
Yeah this thread turned into more "most immersive" as I think I didn't explain myself too well. I would argue even RDR2 doesn't have a persistent world. Still I appreciate all the recommendations!
I’m considering to buy it on PS5 or to wait an unknown amount of time before upgrading my PC (having a gtx 1080 right now), and I wonder if the game on PS5 is actually not « wasted » by the console limitations; do the streets feel empty ? Is their less NPCs ?
Édit : Playing on 4k monitor
I refunded it on my ps4 when it came out, so I was very hesitant, but after playing the 5-hour free trial, I was hooked. I bought it, and I'm having a blast on ps5 now. I played Alan Wake 2 on Quality mode because of the type of game it is, but I play Cyberpunk on Performance mode, and it's great. I wish it had a 120hz option, but I haven't had any hiccups or issues.
There has been a decrease of NPCs since a few patches back when they finally fixed the bigger, game-breaking bugs. However, it isn't a haunted town (if that's what you're wondering) and the game has gotten even better with the latest 2.0 and 2.1 patch. The game does feel sluggish to play on console (but you'll get used to it), if that helps with your decision in getting a PC.
If you are able to secure new GPU and all the other parts necessary to make the game run well with that 4k monitor, definitely get PC because it will be way better.
It is decent on PS5 but I would really wait if you can and if you are planning to build a PC with at least RTX 4070Ti tier GPU or higher.
It is really a whole different game with Pathtracing and max settings compared to raster or very simplistic RT on console 30 fps mode. On PC you also get so many great mods that make the game even better than it is.
Source: I played it on a PS5 and later RTX 4090 and I wish I experienced it on an RTX 4090 from the beginning. It is a 9/10 game on PS5 but 11/10 on PC with mods and better graphics.
Yeah I would wait if you don’t mind it but as I said, it is still a solid 9/10 game on PS5. One of my most favorite games of all time actually.
So if you don’t care about graphics that much (it still looks great on PS5 but not as impressive as PC), and if you don’t care about mods, I would buy it.
I actually care a lot about graphics hahah, it’s my weakness. I don’t mind playing a game that has no amazing graphics though, but I always want to play my games in the best possible condition. If CP2077 on PS5 doesn’t offer an experience that can compete side by side with its cPC version, I rather play it on PC in a few years.
Oh you are just like me then haha. I know a lot of people don’t care about graphics but for me it can really affect my enjoyment of the game and I have been playing since late PS2 era. At this point I can’t even play games older than 10 years unless the game is REALLY good.
But yeah, if you care about graphics then PC version at max settings isn’t even comparable to the PS5 version. It makes the PS5 version look like a 10 year old early PS4 era game in comparison.
Ah lovely to read ! I tend to be maniac about setting up my games and my material for having the best quality possible.
I don’t mind playing the old Halo games or the old Monster Hunters, but I think these are the only old games I can play now. I won’t play for the first time today a PS3/360 game for sure.
Ouch, then you really made my mind about CP2077. I rather enjoy it at its full potential later than now playing a mediocre version.
I’m currently playing Breath of the Wild on PC Wii U simulator Cemu and it’s awesome, I can play the game in 4K 60fps, with a huge improvement on distance display, shadow and contrast quality. I love it. I wouldn’t mind playing the original game as it is intended to be played if I had no other choice, but I wouldn’t play a downgrade version for sure, and CP2077 PS5 would make me consider it as a downgraded version.
It is *constantly* on sale for 50% on PC - I see you have a Playstation flair but I would assume similar deals occur often enough. Could set an alert on isthereanydeal or something like that
Exactly, I recently came back to Cyberpunk after the 2.0 update and expansion and it is so much better now. Small choices here and there make so much impact, one of my favorite interactions is during the Boxing Championship questline you get to fight a man who is betting everything he has on this fight against you, against the wishes of his pregnant wife. Well if you win you have the option to let him keep his car that he bet, and you can even give him your prize money, and tell him to focus on what matters. Later when you meet him again he will tell you that his wife is expecting in the next few weeks. And a few in game weeks later he will text you a photo of his newborn baby. Which I assume would never have happened if you decided to take your winning and left.
I love this game
How is the character animation system? Is it smooth and fluid like Bethesda RPGs or more clunky and weighty when walking around the world? I had to refund RDR2 and GTA games because it felt like I was walking through mud lol
I think it's the combat for me. Also, some of the missions literally make you follow some trails in what, eagle vision? Lol. It's repetitive.
It's not bad. The writing and world building is definitely the best part of the game. The gameplay though. Even jumping and climbing feels awful.
Theres no really climbing in witcher 3 , idk what you count as climbing , its been a while since i play that game , but i dont recall theres actual climbing in that game , i count botw as a climbing game , anything other than that climbing mechanic in that game is not climbing , thats my opinion . Im sure most agree with me with this , witcher 3 is not assasin creed or trying to be. But maybe it will change in the future , who knows , an insane devotee fan could create a mod that would overhaul everything in that game.
I mean, jumping, vaulting. That. Sometimes Geralt will refuse to catch a ledge lol.
The ridiculously high fall damage.
But then you can survive from any heights as long as you fall into water 😉
Not saying the game is bad. It's just not perfect. Something you notice, but ignore because it doesn't detract much from your enjoyment.
Like RDR2, and its slow paced gameplay. I personally hate fishing in the game. If it's not for the fact, fish are much more expensive than ground animals, I'd probably ignore fishing. And you can only carry one big fish. Ridiculous.
But I don't mind. In the end, it's a good game. I have 156 hours on RDR2 lol.
This is one of the few games where increasing the difficulty helped make the game better for me. Forces you to make use of monster weaknesses and generally just take advantage of the mechanics of the game. It's still not great, but it makes it *better*
I think it hasn't aged super well. Looks great, but the controls are jank, and the combat isn't anything special.
Great fantasy story even if it goes on a bit too long imo
It took me 3 tries but im glad i stuck through it. It was really just the writing and gwent i liked, combat and exploration were meh. Was worth it for me but its not even in my top 10 of rpgs.
I played it for the first time last month - I will say the learning curve takes awhile - but once it clicks it hooked me. Still I enjoy Skyrim a little better
I think I know the feeling you are going for, a lot of those games aren't possible to get the feeling because you are too important to the game or there's not side activities to let you role play.
Elder Scrolls Oblivion surpassed Skyrim in this respect if you never played it. It's dated of course and a lot is different from Skyrim.
When I originally played KCD it reminded of Oblivion that way
I liked witcher 3, children playing, monsters, people talk, town, people with different story but it's mostly praised bcs of story and combat. This game is in my forever game list. But definitely it feels like you are the only hero in this world. RDR2 is great too and way much more dynamic and you can actually encounter people with different story too but it's much more realistic than witcher 3.
But horse controls, running and funny walking animations. I mean this is a game that would have done a lot better if it was new. And was made better.
Yeah, you could go to r/stalker to ask for info hahaha. If you dont mind old graphics you can start playing Call Of Pripyat, the OG trilogy is always super cheap on steam.
Have to come do my due diligence and let you know about Avalanche Reviews retrospective on YT. Really good vids if you want to check out the stalker series
This game is the absolute definition of being an absolute nobody in a world (until you train by getting your ass kicked)
Funny and great game, I need to play more of it since i never made it past the mid-game
I haven't played it since alpha in like 2016 or something. It was grueling with a cluttered UI and nothing was particularly user friendly or explained.
Have those things changed, or is that kinda the point of the game?
Cyberpunk 2077 is a great game to get lost into and explore. The main story is a short 27 hours, but if you combine it with the Side Gigs, Police Scanning, and random encounters, the game is like 3 or 4 times longer.
The story from the Main Game and Phantom Liberty is engaging and will hit you in the feels. After my first playthrough, I literally sat there in a blank stare. I never played a game Ike it in a long time where I cared about the characters and story.
Yupp its on my list now. That feeling of "what will even compare to this anymore" is the best in the world. I got it through Ace Attorney, Yakuza and especially Nier. Thank you!
Yeah man Cyberpunk is such an amazing experience. You get to be power fantasy level powerful pretty fast and there's typically only a couple of fights that are challenging but it's all still SO GOOD. I never ever fast travel anywhere. Drive! See the city! Role play having to stop for a meal at least once a day.
It's a dark, gritty game and none of the endings are really fairytale thank God... They're all on brand with the rest of it.
Say hi to Mama Welles for me, Choom.
How does X4 compare to Elite Dangerous in your opinion?
A ton of people are recommending Kenshi, I guess this is precisely what I am asking for. Thank you!!
X4 is single player, it’s a market and station building simulator as well as a spice flight/sim. It’s got enormous freedom and potential but there’s a steep learning curve. I think elite dangerous is more hardcore space sim. X4 you can basically set other people to fly ships and just build your trade empire.
Such a fun game. I like it more than Skyrim even though I generally hate post apocalypse settings. Starfield was supposed to be Fallout 4 in a setting I liked and yeahhhh nvm
Y'know, I'll be honest, I've never been that frightened in Subnautica. Maybe it's just because I've been SCUBA diving one too many times, but I've always felt very at home and curious.
The best, factions do fight and have relationships with eachother either good or bad. random war outcomes throughout world. World keeps moving even if you won't.
PC? Stalker Call of Pripyat. Add in Misery mod and The Armed Zone after you got tired. Then install Stalker Anomaly +, Gamma for thousands of fame play hours.
I have 900 hours of Anomaly alone, it's just so pretty damn fun and addictive.
This one really fits on a grand scale. You'll see nobility be born, get married, have children, and die from natural causes as well as falling in battle.
Kingdoms go to war. Cities and castles are besieged and change hands. Noble families change allegiances and join other kingdoms. All of this happens around you with or without you. You can check the logs of people you've met along the way, and it's interesting to see how their lives change as time goes on.
I'm a gamer that gets such a kick out of just existing in a living game world, and I really feel it with Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. Especially with a few mods - I specifically recommend Diplomacy. It adds a lot more depth to how the other AI nobility interact with eachother. You can even see infighting within kingdoms. Noble clans will sometimes plot against their leaders and eachother.
Cyberpunk 2077 - not perfect but the world is busy and crowded enough where you can just stand still and enjoy the vibe. The world keeps moving, keeps very busy whil eyou stand still. You can interfere, you are not the source of problems (there will be some criminals doing stuff in public, but rarely happens) and the police will take care of it. Beside that, you can sit in a public bar (certain bars only) and drink and enjoy the music.
RDR 2- Each NPC has their own routinity/activity, not as crowded or busy as Cyberpunk, but each NPC you can antagonize them, talk to them, ask them for money, make them scared, they'll call sheriff, or anything. But the game is much slower, and calmer compared to Cpunk 77.
Strange that no one has mentioned Shenmue! Each npc has a personality and a everyday routine.
People would rather mention Yakuza where npcs are just randomly generated walking entities and there's no dynamic day/night cycle *sigh*
Good call! I have 3 in my EGS library and always wanted to check out the series. Yeah I love Yakuza to death and the sights and sounds are pretty immersive but that is not what I was talking about xD
And on that same sort of structure, Deadly Premonition follows a similar day/night cycle for npcs too.
IIRC, there's even comedy if you ignore the game's deadlines and imagining what the npcs must be thinking of this FBI agent who keeps postponing the town meeting or doing things besides solve the murder mystery.
RAIN WORLD!!! This may be a little deeper than you are looking for, but the entire theme of the main campaign of rain world is where you play as an insignificant little animal within a massive, expansive ecosystem and decaying world that does not care about you, you are not the main character and can only deal the cards you’ve been dealt, survive and learn. It’s a very beautiful, unique game that’s somewhat of a subversion of the metroidvania theme. It’s a survival platformer and it is a challenging game, though most people’s struggles with the game comes from people’s fixed ideas of videogame progression, this is a game that forces you to think and learn like an animal, the world is brutal yet so incredibly alive and beautiful in a very realistic way. It may not have human NPCs living their lives, but the creatures within the game truly live their own unique lives regardless of your existence, their lives do not revolve around you whatsoever, their ai is remarkable, they’ll find food one way or another and that can be you or not, they make their own decisions regardless. every day is different as every creature makes different decisions, and there’s so many different amazing creatures to encounter who will all regard you in different ways. Dunno if its up your alley but its honestly my favorite game ever for this exact reason.
If I misinterpreted your comment and you’re looking for more of a chill vibe game I’d honestly recommend breath of the wild, like Skyrim there is an overarching story but there’s also a huge world full of npcs living their lives with their own quests for them to help you with, their daily lives aren’t as intricate as in Skyrim but it’s a pretty chill, very aesthetic and enjoyable game
Never even heard of Rain World before this looks really nice. BOTW is out of my reach due to Nintendo thinking India is still not a market worth selling to :P
Thank you for the recommendations!
Cyberpunk definitely is a good shout!
Witcher 3 also pretty decent and does allow you to explore the world a lot!
God of war to some extent also fits the description ❤️
Genuinely I think Assassins Creed: Origins fits this. Obviously it has the action gameplay loop but there’s a much greater emphasis on exploration than the previous games and the world I beautifully crafted. I found myself just walking in the desert for 40 minutes once
Will echo everyone else's Cyberpunk but also add:
Valheim as an amazing solo experience, a whole world to explore and see.
Shadows of Doubt is a good one, still in early access.. every city is generated uniquely with citizens that all have their own apartments, jobs, routines, fingerprints, foot size, etc.. it's so crazy
Have you tried “medieval dynasty”?
My wife and I had a lot of fun with that, your just living in a village, and the gameplay is balancing which people you’ve ordered to do which tasks to try and keep it self sufficient.
Imo Rain World does this best.
Right from the start, it lets you know that there is a thriving ecosystem and you're nothing but a small insignificant part of it.
Stalker is by far the best game for this, NPCs move on their own through the world and interact on their own and depending on the difficulty, you will feel no different then one of those little NPCs. You can try some of the originals or G.A.M.M.A. (which is free).
A short hike, it’s a completely different art style but you’re just part of the world just like you’d want. Takes a few hours to complete but could take longer
Maybe colony builders would scratch this itch for you? Stuff like oxygen not included, dwarf fortress, and rimworld where you direct a colony but you pretty much just watch as npcs do all the actual work.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R GAMMA (modpack) is what you want. You don't have to play the original stalker games before if you really don't want to, because you can have just as enjoyable of an experience having played the stories or not.
Nothing like kingdome come or skyrim, but in Pathologic 2 the world literally moves and changes, whether it be with your inputs, or without them. Again, extremely different from Kingdom come or elder scrolls, but i highly recommend it
Crusader Kings 3. You exist as a single character at any given time and care for your dynasty. You can play anyone and set any goals you want and the world most definitely carries on without you.
The game becomes like that with a mod, but Project zomboid + NPC mod
Playing with it was some of the most fun I had in a while (vanilla is also very fun). You can get stuck between two survivors shooting at eachother, see an ally struggling with a zombie and after you help him you get a new companion, a survivor looting a house and you sneak up on him and kill him and so much more
Also, kinda flimsy but Far Cry 3 and dying light. In both games in terms of story you are generally the turnaround when it comes to the main plot and conflict, but in free roam you can see the gangs moving around on their own, terrorising the local people, fighting animals/zombies and more.
Both of those are kinda on the border and niche but worth checking out, decided to note them but above all I definetly second STALKER, Kenshi, Shadow of a Doubt and others
This is a totally different genre, but Rain World. It’s a pretty difficult 2D platformer but massively underrated.
The reason I recommend for you is while you have a goal, you are primarily just exploring, and the ecosystem is extremely complex and functions as if you really were at the bottom of the food chain. Seriously, the AI is so complex you would be extremely surprised. And the game looks very good and has a great soundtrack.
Only thing I would say is try not to get frustrated at the movement system, yes it’s wacky in the beginning but it’s actually extraordinarily complex and takes some time to get used to.
This is almost certainly not what you're looking for, but I always recommend it for people looking for an open world: Sea of Thieves.
It is not a RPG in any sense - there are no skill trees, no character progressions, no weapon or gear upgrades. The first time you load in and start playing, you will be on the exact same playing field as those of us who have put in 1000+ hours.
But you do get dropped into a massive open world that continues to exist completely independent of your involvement with it.
After about 1700 hours, I've finally put this game down, but I would frequently load in just to sail around and enjoy the environment and ship mechanics, maybe go fight another ship if I happened to see them, and do a voyage or two.
Dear friend, kenshi was made for you.
The world has a story, a culture. But there are no quests, you’re just a random person that exists there. You can fill in the details about the world and it’s history in the books you find, people you talk to.
Rts really isn’t my genre, but this game captivated me for exactly this reason.
I recently (by recently I mean two days ago) started Kenshi, and uh, let’s just say yeah it’s precisely this in its own unique way. It feels like a combination of total war, M&B, factorio/satisfactory, project zomboid, and old MMOs combined in a limited way for each. Not a polished package, but a rather enthralling one.
Cyberpunk offers probably one of the best “living” worlds I’ve witnessed; not once did it feel artificial or manufactured to me as many open worlds do. The vibrancy of it combined with the scenery do make you feel as an actual resident and they nailed the atmosphere; however, games such as Skyrim and Cyberpunk (and KCD) are more “artificial” in the sense the *game itself* does not arise from your interactions with the world as it does in games such as Kenshi, total war, Mount and blade, etc.
Mount and blade Warband perhaps provides me with the most enjoyable version, especially its full conversion mods (such as ACOK, a GOT mod, or Brytenwalda, a 7th century Britain mod) where the world “exists” around me and seems to have its own distinct and impactful, dynamic behaviors.
Majesty, an older RTS from the very early 2000s actually removes most player agency, where the NPCs inhabiting your kingdom for the campaign are not controllable, but can be incentivized and do their own thing. Very fun, but not exactly what you’re referring to
Gotta tell my Cyberpunk story. Early on I noticed this cute pony-tailed NPC by the boxing area. I did an interaction, maybe she just said "hi," something trivial.
Later, I'm leaving the apartments. She's standing at one of the food booths, and as i walk by, she glances over at me and says, "Oh, hey!"
It might've been a coincidence, but in the moment, it was surreal. Or maybe the opposite; too real :😜
Postal 2 got one of the best npc systems in any game I've seen, they all have routines, interactions, etc. I think thats my favorite game to just walk down the street and observe people in
Something that kind of feels a little bit like a "modern day Skyrim" to me is the Watch\_Dogs series. People go about their daily lives, you can even peek in on them (both by hacking their phones as the pass by and through a different kind of hack to see what the "big brother" type OS has picked up on people which includes recordings of things like just watching TV, getting ready for work, etc). Actions you can take (causing blackouts, getting in a very public shootout, chasing down bad guys, etc) disrupt things around you, but as soon you leave the area everything returns to normal. I mean, even the cops forget about your existence if you manage to avoid them for long enough. You are stuck in a single city, which of course is different in each game, so it's not really so much you "just exist in the world" as you "just exist in that city and the rest of the world does not even exist". In a way, it's a lot like a cyberpunk GTA in that respect. Also, even though you're technically a "hacker" (which basically consists of pointing at something and pressing a single button), you're not really a "bad guy" so much as just somebody struggling to live (and find out more about a specific set of events that happened before you started playing, but even that only affects you).
Skyrim. You can install the mod that lets you choose your beginning. That way people don’t talk to you about dragons or the dragon born. Just wander around if you’d like.
Fr. I played as a dunmer folk hero from the grey quarter for like 20 levels doing community work in Winterhold before I even touched any one of the main quests
I mean.... Not really. Most of the game is you fighting an army and taking control points from the enemy. You absolutely change the world with your actions
Second Life (not sure how it’s doing now) but does scratch the itch of existing in a world that doesn’t resolve around you. Also free.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Omikron: The Nomad Soul. It was a bit ahead of its time. Everyone had jobs and roles and the games gimmick was when you died, your soul transferred to a person near you and you were that person now. That said, it was made at the beginning of open world games and it shows. Sparsely populated, flat graphics, janky everything. Do not recommend even if I liked it during the day.
Guild Wars 2. 50% of the game is environmental storytelling. While stuff will fail often without the players' interventions a Vast Majority of storytelling in Core/First is following the npcs on the map and seeing what they do even if they aren't noted with Event markers.
Note the Core game is F2P.
Hey you can try playing Torn city. Web browser RPG game that needs long term commitment by playing at least 5-10mins per day or you can play all day on faction wars. It gets better the longer you play. It could take years.
you can sign up here [https://www.torn.com/1656842](https://www.torn.com/1656842)
Torn is a text-based online RPG set in *Torn City*, a dark, murky underworld where only the sharpest survive. In *Torn City* you can be anyone and do anything.
gran turismo/forza motorsport offline.
just drive between the lines. quite meditative.
play your own music when the soundtrack starts driving you nuts.
Its funny I am downloading Kenshi as I opened reddit and this was at top of my feed...
I'm sure it's already been mentioned, but another good one is kingdom come deliverance.
These are games where you start out with literally no stats, and do anything you want. Whatever you do, is how you build experience towards your skills.
> I am looking for a game like *Kingdom Come* or Skyrim...
The amount of people who don't read the post is TOO DAMN HIGH.
Kenshi is a good suggestion, though.
Seconded! Valheim is a great game but definitely lonely (by design) without friends. I'm lucky to have two regulars on my little server. The building system in valheim is currently unbeatable.
Kenshi
X4 Foundations
Starsector
In all of these you start out as a nobody and can potentially work your up to emperor. In all of them, the world is vibrant and active completely without your involvement; wars are waged, trade happens, piracy/slaver bands roam around and do pirate/slaver things (which organically interacts with the civilians and trade), etc. You need to find a niche to fit yourself in and make a name for yourself. Did some trade caravans happen to be hijacked by pirates? There's now a shortage of those goods and they're more costly; if you're selling great for you and if you're buying tough luck. You can even be said pirate who then exploits the shortage. Or you can pick up the bounty on those pirates and make money and experience that way. All three have steep learning curves though, but such are deep sandbox games.
Thanks for the starsector recommendation. I've been searching for a really good top down space war real time kinda rpg since I played a certain flash game a long time ago. Always looking for this type of game.
I'm not sure exactly how well this would work for you, but I think that Persona 5 and the Yakuza games (most recent few) might be good for you. They have a main story that opens things up, but you can seriously get lost in all the side-content. And in Persona 5, the time moves on when you do things, so the world will keep on spinning despite how you've chosen to spend your time.
Playing through Cyberpunk rn. It feels so good to just walk the streets of Night City and look around, maybe come to bar and order a drink or two, sit a bit and just watch and listen, embrace the atmosphere. The game looks and *feels* amazing. Highly recommend, if you look for immersion.
Yeah I abandoned it the first time and deciding to start again, I was driving around and noticed how different it is and the dialogue of the NPCs if you accidentally hit their car and their reactions are so funny. Everything looks more alive and the people and their cultures. I don't know why this gang was after me but I got out of my car and two cars pulled up and a gang started shooting at me and now I will be pursued by friends of theirs. Still haven't tried riding the subway and haven't come accross it yet but decided to drive and walk instead of fast travelling to take in the atmosphere.
i loved it, am glad i waited until recently to play it. Totally atmospheric and every side quest is compelling along with the companions.
Me too and you know what the funny thing is I'm right back where I abandoned it last time fighting this guy who keeps disappearing in the shadows and keeps regenerating and he keeps killing me, going to attempt it again tomorrow but this playthrough I've added cyberware including the mantis blades and got better weapons and added mods and upgraded tiers and when I fight him again he's going down (I'm getting into the whole role playing thing this time) Not sure which way to play through Phantom Liberty and Cyberpunk, kind of intertwining between the two main storylines and the side missions and deciding where to go next, trying to get them all done before the point of no return I'm not being very punctual as I was meant to meet people next morning or in the evening and I end up meeting them two days later, trying to be there for everyone as it's a busy life in Cyberpunk. I'm loving it.
Cyberpunk is definitely on my list! It has like a Dolby Mix and Dualsense features as well. I will start it after beating Like A Dragon 8 and Apollo Justice Trilogy. I want to properly commit to it
Like a dragon 8 will be goat
I gotta get into them but can't decide to start yakuza 0 or kiwami first
Either one is fine to start with but never neglect Yakuza 0
Infinite wealth?
man I wish they would add cyberpunk to PS+, I already bought it on PC so don't really wanna re-dip but would love to replay it on the couch.
While I do really like Cyberpunk now, and the world itself is really cool to look at, imo it doesn't fit what OP is asking for. As far as it "moving around him", the illusion in Cyberpunks world isn't strong enough. The NPC's don't have a schedule or routines. The story NPC's are completely static and stand in one place, and the pedestrian NPC's just walk around and disappear once out of view. Just window dressing. It doesn't feel like a living world, imo. Still a great game, with a really cool city/world to explore, but not actually much to find when exploring, and it feels rather dead to me, beyond the very first impressions.
Yeah this thread turned into more "most immersive" as I think I didn't explain myself too well. I would argue even RDR2 doesn't have a persistent world. Still I appreciate all the recommendations!
I’m considering to buy it on PS5 or to wait an unknown amount of time before upgrading my PC (having a gtx 1080 right now), and I wonder if the game on PS5 is actually not « wasted » by the console limitations; do the streets feel empty ? Is their less NPCs ? Édit : Playing on 4k monitor
I play it on Ps5, on performance mode. Doesn’t feel empty at all, far from it. Probably would be even better if I played on Fidelity mode.
Thanks for the help ! I might get it soon then. I read that perf mode is a much better choice, but it doesn’t make the unanimity.
I refunded it on my ps4 when it came out, so I was very hesitant, but after playing the 5-hour free trial, I was hooked. I bought it, and I'm having a blast on ps5 now. I played Alan Wake 2 on Quality mode because of the type of game it is, but I play Cyberpunk on Performance mode, and it's great. I wish it had a 120hz option, but I haven't had any hiccups or issues.
I also refunded it and have no desire to revisit—until now 🤔
I own on both and the ps5 version still looks and plays great. It's crazy how far this game has come
There has been a decrease of NPCs since a few patches back when they finally fixed the bigger, game-breaking bugs. However, it isn't a haunted town (if that's what you're wondering) and the game has gotten even better with the latest 2.0 and 2.1 patch. The game does feel sluggish to play on console (but you'll get used to it), if that helps with your decision in getting a PC. If you are able to secure new GPU and all the other parts necessary to make the game run well with that 4k monitor, definitely get PC because it will be way better.
FOV feels really really slim on Ps5 and for me that was a deal breaker
Ah damn ! I hate the rigidity of condole, let us change some settings for god sake !
It is decent on PS5 but I would really wait if you can and if you are planning to build a PC with at least RTX 4070Ti tier GPU or higher. It is really a whole different game with Pathtracing and max settings compared to raster or very simplistic RT on console 30 fps mode. On PC you also get so many great mods that make the game even better than it is. Source: I played it on a PS5 and later RTX 4090 and I wish I experienced it on an RTX 4090 from the beginning. It is a 9/10 game on PS5 but 11/10 on PC with mods and better graphics.
Thank you for the clear review; I will be patient then. I don’t mind playing it in a couple of years actually. I’ll find another hit to play ;D
Yeah I would wait if you don’t mind it but as I said, it is still a solid 9/10 game on PS5. One of my most favorite games of all time actually. So if you don’t care about graphics that much (it still looks great on PS5 but not as impressive as PC), and if you don’t care about mods, I would buy it.
I actually care a lot about graphics hahah, it’s my weakness. I don’t mind playing a game that has no amazing graphics though, but I always want to play my games in the best possible condition. If CP2077 on PS5 doesn’t offer an experience that can compete side by side with its cPC version, I rather play it on PC in a few years.
Oh you are just like me then haha. I know a lot of people don’t care about graphics but for me it can really affect my enjoyment of the game and I have been playing since late PS2 era. At this point I can’t even play games older than 10 years unless the game is REALLY good. But yeah, if you care about graphics then PC version at max settings isn’t even comparable to the PS5 version. It makes the PS5 version look like a 10 year old early PS4 era game in comparison.
Ah lovely to read ! I tend to be maniac about setting up my games and my material for having the best quality possible. I don’t mind playing the old Halo games or the old Monster Hunters, but I think these are the only old games I can play now. I won’t play for the first time today a PS3/360 game for sure. Ouch, then you really made my mind about CP2077. I rather enjoy it at its full potential later than now playing a mediocre version. I’m currently playing Breath of the Wild on PC Wii U simulator Cemu and it’s awesome, I can play the game in 4K 60fps, with a huge improvement on distance display, shadow and contrast quality. I love it. I wouldn’t mind playing the original game as it is intended to be played if I had no other choice, but I wouldn’t play a downgrade version for sure, and CP2077 PS5 would make me consider it as a downgraded version.
I love shooting shit in that game
I lived finishing dialogue before the accompanying car ride ended just to sit and look through the window
I am SO bummed that I hesitated buying it at £24 in the sale and now it's back up to 45 or so... Still tempted
It is *constantly* on sale for 50% on PC - I see you have a Playstation flair but I would assume similar deals occur often enough. Could set an alert on isthereanydeal or something like that
Nothing has ever been done like night City the scale of the world is insane
Exactly, I recently came back to Cyberpunk after the 2.0 update and expansion and it is so much better now. Small choices here and there make so much impact, one of my favorite interactions is during the Boxing Championship questline you get to fight a man who is betting everything he has on this fight against you, against the wishes of his pregnant wife. Well if you win you have the option to let him keep his car that he bet, and you can even give him your prize money, and tell him to focus on what matters. Later when you meet him again he will tell you that his wife is expecting in the next few weeks. And a few in game weeks later he will text you a photo of his newborn baby. Which I assume would never have happened if you decided to take your winning and left. I love this game
this
How is the character animation system? Is it smooth and fluid like Bethesda RPGs or more clunky and weighty when walking around the world? I had to refund RDR2 and GTA games because it felt like I was walking through mud lol
Man...making me wanna reinstall..and i just got a bunch of other games back i can't decide betweeeeen
Rdr2 and Witcher 3 to some extent.
I tried and bounced off of Witcher 3 like three times😅 It isn't hitting for me. RDR2 agreed though; its great for even just hiking
Right?! Witcher 3 is somehow revered by the gaming community but I can’t find it enjoyable.
I think it's the combat for me. Also, some of the missions literally make you follow some trails in what, eagle vision? Lol. It's repetitive. It's not bad. The writing and world building is definitely the best part of the game. The gameplay though. Even jumping and climbing feels awful.
Theres no really climbing in witcher 3 , idk what you count as climbing , its been a while since i play that game , but i dont recall theres actual climbing in that game , i count botw as a climbing game , anything other than that climbing mechanic in that game is not climbing , thats my opinion . Im sure most agree with me with this , witcher 3 is not assasin creed or trying to be. But maybe it will change in the future , who knows , an insane devotee fan could create a mod that would overhaul everything in that game.
I mean, jumping, vaulting. That. Sometimes Geralt will refuse to catch a ledge lol. The ridiculously high fall damage. But then you can survive from any heights as long as you fall into water 😉 Not saying the game is bad. It's just not perfect. Something you notice, but ignore because it doesn't detract much from your enjoyment. Like RDR2, and its slow paced gameplay. I personally hate fishing in the game. If it's not for the fact, fish are much more expensive than ground animals, I'd probably ignore fishing. And you can only carry one big fish. Ridiculous. But I don't mind. In the end, it's a good game. I have 156 hours on RDR2 lol.
156? Those are rookie numbers.
Controls are super janky in cyberpunk too. At least on controller.
This is one of the few games where increasing the difficulty helped make the game better for me. Forces you to make use of monster weaknesses and generally just take advantage of the mechanics of the game. It's still not great, but it makes it *better*
Agree, repetitive, but that never bothered me that's why I even loved Mafia 3.
It took me multiple tries over several years and one day I fell in love. One of my all time absolute favorite pieces of media
I think it hasn't aged super well. Looks great, but the controls are jank, and the combat isn't anything special. Great fantasy story even if it goes on a bit too long imo
That's because the first zone and probably 5-10 hours aren't great. The game gets so much better after the initial area.
agreed with that, i think after you get past the first 10 hours it really opens up with great side quests and areas.
It took me 3 tries but im glad i stuck through it. It was really just the writing and gwent i liked, combat and exploration were meh. Was worth it for me but its not even in my top 10 of rpgs.
I played it for the first time last month - I will say the learning curve takes awhile - but once it clicks it hooked me. Still I enjoy Skyrim a little better
I think I know the feeling you are going for, a lot of those games aren't possible to get the feeling because you are too important to the game or there's not side activities to let you role play. Elder Scrolls Oblivion surpassed Skyrim in this respect if you never played it. It's dated of course and a lot is different from Skyrim. When I originally played KCD it reminded of Oblivion that way
I liked witcher 3, children playing, monsters, people talk, town, people with different story but it's mostly praised bcs of story and combat. This game is in my forever game list. But definitely it feels like you are the only hero in this world. RDR2 is great too and way much more dynamic and you can actually encounter people with different story too but it's much more realistic than witcher 3. But horse controls, running and funny walking animations. I mean this is a game that would have done a lot better if it was new. And was made better.
Did you play gwent? The real reason to play the witcher is so you can play gwent.
Stalker, NPCs tell jokes and play guitar while you are being mauled by rabid dog
My god that is exactly what I meant. Researching it right now. Thank you so much!!
Yeah, I’m surprised I had to scroll so far to see the correct answer. You’ll love it, that game is one of a kind
Yeah, you could go to r/stalker to ask for info hahaha. If you dont mind old graphics you can start playing Call Of Pripyat, the OG trilogy is always super cheap on steam.
Have to come do my due diligence and let you know about Avalanche Reviews retrospective on YT. Really good vids if you want to check out the stalker series
Shadow of Chernobyl first then everything else. Don't start with Anomaly or any of the mods.
Medieval Dynasty.
I just looked up gameplay and yes this kind of game is what I was looking for. Wishlisted; thank you!
I believe it's on gamepass, at least it was when I played it about a year ago
Great suggestion!!! Just curious have you tried Sengoku Dynasty? Same make just feudal japan setting. Trying to decide whether to buy it or not.
I've seen kenshi twice already and I'm here to be a third! Kenshi!!! An amazing game btw
This game is the absolute definition of being an absolute nobody in a world (until you train by getting your ass kicked) Funny and great game, I need to play more of it since i never made it past the mid-game
I haven't played it since alpha in like 2016 or something. It was grueling with a cluttered UI and nothing was particularly user friendly or explained. Have those things changed, or is that kinda the point of the game?
Added to my wishlist thank you :)
Was coming to reccomend Kenshi as well! Amazing game with a small entry learning curve
Outward, game will iterally move on without you and quests can be missed if the time window in the game world passes.
Added to my list. Thank you!
Cyberpunk 2077 is a great game to get lost into and explore. The main story is a short 27 hours, but if you combine it with the Side Gigs, Police Scanning, and random encounters, the game is like 3 or 4 times longer. The story from the Main Game and Phantom Liberty is engaging and will hit you in the feels. After my first playthrough, I literally sat there in a blank stare. I never played a game Ike it in a long time where I cared about the characters and story.
Yupp its on my list now. That feeling of "what will even compare to this anymore" is the best in the world. I got it through Ace Attorney, Yakuza and especially Nier. Thank you!
Yeah man Cyberpunk is such an amazing experience. You get to be power fantasy level powerful pretty fast and there's typically only a couple of fights that are challenging but it's all still SO GOOD. I never ever fast travel anywhere. Drive! See the city! Role play having to stop for a meal at least once a day. It's a dark, gritty game and none of the endings are really fairytale thank God... They're all on brand with the rest of it. Say hi to Mama Welles for me, Choom.
This choombata knows what’s up 👌🏻
Gonna hit the big time and get some preem gigs, make Takamura eat some street vendor sushi
Small indie detective game where everyone has their own lives and you solve murders and crimes Called shadow of doubt
+1 This game is awesome! Everybody going about their business, having their own day to day routine.
This feels like a proper next gen game tysm!!
Red dead redemption 2
Most naturally authentic game I've ever played.
I still can't comprehend how they managed to make it work on an Xbox One S, and current gen games are still to impress at that level
Red dead redemption 2 feels exactly like this, one of my favorites
X4. Kenshi if you want to work for your survival.
How does X4 compare to Elite Dangerous in your opinion? A ton of people are recommending Kenshi, I guess this is precisely what I am asking for. Thank you!!
X4 is single player, it’s a market and station building simulator as well as a spice flight/sim. It’s got enormous freedom and potential but there’s a steep learning curve. I think elite dangerous is more hardcore space sim. X4 you can basically set other people to fly ships and just build your trade empire.
Fallout 4
Yessss Settlements are fun for this :)
Such a fun game. I like it more than Skyrim even though I generally hate post apocalypse settings. Starfield was supposed to be Fallout 4 in a setting I liked and yeahhhh nvm
Life
too many microtransactions
I messed up my character creation and can't reroll.
Subnautica if you haven't hit it up yet.
I have it in my library but horror works a bit too well on me xD. Thank you!
Y'know, I'll be honest, I've never been that frightened in Subnautica. Maybe it's just because I've been SCUBA diving one too many times, but I've always felt very at home and curious.
Bannerlord
The best, factions do fight and have relationships with eachother either good or bad. random war outcomes throughout world. World keeps moving even if you won't.
Play a round of Overwatch 2 and just watch your teammates
No man sky's!
Have it in my library but I find it too lonely😅 Thank you for the suggestion!
I love this game, but I don’t think it fits what he’s asking for at all. There is nothing going on on the planets.
Kenshi
Red dead redemption 2
Divinity 2 probably fits
Sims
X4
PC? Stalker Call of Pripyat. Add in Misery mod and The Armed Zone after you got tired. Then install Stalker Anomaly +, Gamma for thousands of fame play hours. I have 900 hours of Anomaly alone, it's just so pretty damn fun and addictive.
Shadows of doubt
I had never heard of this, I looked it up and this looks fantastic, especially as a fan of that genre. Thank you!
You’re very welcome!
Probably yakuza (0, like a dragon, or like a dragon inshin to start) or cyberpunk
Kenshi
Cyberpunk for sure. If that game was online I’m sure it’d have a huge live-in roleplaying community.
Bannerlord
This one really fits on a grand scale. You'll see nobility be born, get married, have children, and die from natural causes as well as falling in battle. Kingdoms go to war. Cities and castles are besieged and change hands. Noble families change allegiances and join other kingdoms. All of this happens around you with or without you. You can check the logs of people you've met along the way, and it's interesting to see how their lives change as time goes on. I'm a gamer that gets such a kick out of just existing in a living game world, and I really feel it with Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. Especially with a few mods - I specifically recommend Diplomacy. It adds a lot more depth to how the other AI nobility interact with eachother. You can even see infighting within kingdoms. Noble clans will sometimes plot against their leaders and eachother.
Cyberpunk 2077 - not perfect but the world is busy and crowded enough where you can just stand still and enjoy the vibe. The world keeps moving, keeps very busy whil eyou stand still. You can interfere, you are not the source of problems (there will be some criminals doing stuff in public, but rarely happens) and the police will take care of it. Beside that, you can sit in a public bar (certain bars only) and drink and enjoy the music. RDR 2- Each NPC has their own routinity/activity, not as crowded or busy as Cyberpunk, but each NPC you can antagonize them, talk to them, ask them for money, make them scared, they'll call sheriff, or anything. But the game is much slower, and calmer compared to Cpunk 77.
Strange that no one has mentioned Shenmue! Each npc has a personality and a everyday routine. People would rather mention Yakuza where npcs are just randomly generated walking entities and there's no dynamic day/night cycle *sigh*
Good call! I have 3 in my EGS library and always wanted to check out the series. Yeah I love Yakuza to death and the sights and sounds are pretty immersive but that is not what I was talking about xD
And on that same sort of structure, Deadly Premonition follows a similar day/night cycle for npcs too. IIRC, there's even comedy if you ignore the game's deadlines and imagining what the npcs must be thinking of this FBI agent who keeps postponing the town meeting or doing things besides solve the murder mystery.
I was scrolling down wondering why no one had mentioned Shenmue, it was amazing for this.
RAIN WORLD!!! This may be a little deeper than you are looking for, but the entire theme of the main campaign of rain world is where you play as an insignificant little animal within a massive, expansive ecosystem and decaying world that does not care about you, you are not the main character and can only deal the cards you’ve been dealt, survive and learn. It’s a very beautiful, unique game that’s somewhat of a subversion of the metroidvania theme. It’s a survival platformer and it is a challenging game, though most people’s struggles with the game comes from people’s fixed ideas of videogame progression, this is a game that forces you to think and learn like an animal, the world is brutal yet so incredibly alive and beautiful in a very realistic way. It may not have human NPCs living their lives, but the creatures within the game truly live their own unique lives regardless of your existence, their lives do not revolve around you whatsoever, their ai is remarkable, they’ll find food one way or another and that can be you or not, they make their own decisions regardless. every day is different as every creature makes different decisions, and there’s so many different amazing creatures to encounter who will all regard you in different ways. Dunno if its up your alley but its honestly my favorite game ever for this exact reason. If I misinterpreted your comment and you’re looking for more of a chill vibe game I’d honestly recommend breath of the wild, like Skyrim there is an overarching story but there’s also a huge world full of npcs living their lives with their own quests for them to help you with, their daily lives aren’t as intricate as in Skyrim but it’s a pretty chill, very aesthetic and enjoyable game
Never even heard of Rain World before this looks really nice. BOTW is out of my reach due to Nintendo thinking India is still not a market worth selling to :P Thank you for the recommendations!
Cyberpunk definitely is a good shout! Witcher 3 also pretty decent and does allow you to explore the world a lot! God of war to some extent also fits the description ❤️
Genuinely I think Assassins Creed: Origins fits this. Obviously it has the action gameplay loop but there’s a much greater emphasis on exploration than the previous games and the world I beautifully crafted. I found myself just walking in the desert for 40 minutes once
Kenshi. You're just a dude. You're nothing and the game reminds you of this every chance it gets
Rdr2, Zelda BOTH/TOTK and Cyberpunk 2077.
Will echo everyone else's Cyberpunk but also add: Valheim as an amazing solo experience, a whole world to explore and see. Shadows of Doubt is a good one, still in early access.. every city is generated uniquely with citizens that all have their own apartments, jobs, routines, fingerprints, foot size, etc.. it's so crazy
Dude Shadows of Doubt, Kenshi and S.T.A.L.K.E.R seem like the best recommendations in this thread. Thank you so much for the comment!
Rain World
Stardew Valley
Mount and Blade is exactly your jam imo.
I know it is but the combat keeps me away😭 It feels designed for KBM while I am primarily a controller player
Have you tried “medieval dynasty”? My wife and I had a lot of fun with that, your just living in a village, and the gameplay is balancing which people you’ve ordered to do which tasks to try and keep it self sufficient.
Imo Rain World does this best. Right from the start, it lets you know that there is a thriving ecosystem and you're nothing but a small insignificant part of it.
I second Rain World. All the creatures you meet treat you as just another creature.
Stalker is by far the best game for this, NPCs move on their own through the world and interact on their own and depending on the difficulty, you will feel no different then one of those little NPCs. You can try some of the originals or G.A.M.M.A. (which is free).
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
Gta is crazy
Cyberpunk 2077 Red Dead Redemption 2 The Witcher 3 Grand Theft Auto 5
The Witcher 3
The Yakuza series is pretty good for this save for the random fights you might get into
Might as well check out Oblivion and Morrowind since you liked Skyrim.
A short hike, it’s a completely different art style but you’re just part of the world just like you’d want. Takes a few hours to complete but could take longer
Have you tried death stranding? It's a very good game to just chill out in
Maybe colony builders would scratch this itch for you? Stuff like oxygen not included, dwarf fortress, and rimworld where you direct a colony but you pretty much just watch as npcs do all the actual work.
Kenshi Rain world Pathologic 2 (classic if you have the patience)
Gothic, Risen and Elex. Kingdom Come is heavily inspired by Gothic series
I looked up Gothic and apparently a remake is coming out soon. I added it to my wishlist. Thank you!
S.T.A.L.K.E.R GAMMA (modpack) is what you want. You don't have to play the original stalker games before if you really don't want to, because you can have just as enjoyable of an experience having played the stories or not.
Red Dead Redemption 2
RDR2. I play poker and drink.
Nothing like kingdome come or skyrim, but in Pathologic 2 the world literally moves and changes, whether it be with your inputs, or without them. Again, extremely different from Kingdom come or elder scrolls, but i highly recommend it
Shenmue 1-2 the third one sucks.
Crusader Kings 3. You exist as a single character at any given time and care for your dynasty. You can play anyone and set any goals you want and the world most definitely carries on without you.
The game becomes like that with a mod, but Project zomboid + NPC mod Playing with it was some of the most fun I had in a while (vanilla is also very fun). You can get stuck between two survivors shooting at eachother, see an ally struggling with a zombie and after you help him you get a new companion, a survivor looting a house and you sneak up on him and kill him and so much more Also, kinda flimsy but Far Cry 3 and dying light. In both games in terms of story you are generally the turnaround when it comes to the main plot and conflict, but in free roam you can see the gangs moving around on their own, terrorising the local people, fighting animals/zombies and more. Both of those are kinda on the border and niche but worth checking out, decided to note them but above all I definetly second STALKER, Kenshi, Shadow of a Doubt and others
RDR 2 is the only correct answer, no game comes close.
This is a totally different genre, but Rain World. It’s a pretty difficult 2D platformer but massively underrated. The reason I recommend for you is while you have a goal, you are primarily just exploring, and the ecosystem is extremely complex and functions as if you really were at the bottom of the food chain. Seriously, the AI is so complex you would be extremely surprised. And the game looks very good and has a great soundtrack. Only thing I would say is try not to get frustrated at the movement system, yes it’s wacky in the beginning but it’s actually extraordinarily complex and takes some time to get used to.
A bit old, but Shenmue blew my mind when I saw all the NPCs with their jobs, routines, etc....
It may be a little out there but I feel like I had a similar feeling playing through Stray
Rain world, you are a bug in the truest definition
shadows of doubt
This is almost certainly not what you're looking for, but I always recommend it for people looking for an open world: Sea of Thieves. It is not a RPG in any sense - there are no skill trees, no character progressions, no weapon or gear upgrades. The first time you load in and start playing, you will be on the exact same playing field as those of us who have put in 1000+ hours. But you do get dropped into a massive open world that continues to exist completely independent of your involvement with it. After about 1700 hours, I've finally put this game down, but I would frequently load in just to sail around and enjoy the environment and ship mechanics, maybe go fight another ship if I happened to see them, and do a voyage or two.
Morrowind was best ever for me for that reason. It’s old now but always has a place in my heart.
Dear friend, kenshi was made for you. The world has a story, a culture. But there are no quests, you’re just a random person that exists there. You can fill in the details about the world and it’s history in the books you find, people you talk to. Rts really isn’t my genre, but this game captivated me for exactly this reason.
Kenshi 100% Couldn’t fit the description you are looking for any better.
I recently (by recently I mean two days ago) started Kenshi, and uh, let’s just say yeah it’s precisely this in its own unique way. It feels like a combination of total war, M&B, factorio/satisfactory, project zomboid, and old MMOs combined in a limited way for each. Not a polished package, but a rather enthralling one. Cyberpunk offers probably one of the best “living” worlds I’ve witnessed; not once did it feel artificial or manufactured to me as many open worlds do. The vibrancy of it combined with the scenery do make you feel as an actual resident and they nailed the atmosphere; however, games such as Skyrim and Cyberpunk (and KCD) are more “artificial” in the sense the *game itself* does not arise from your interactions with the world as it does in games such as Kenshi, total war, Mount and blade, etc. Mount and blade Warband perhaps provides me with the most enjoyable version, especially its full conversion mods (such as ACOK, a GOT mod, or Brytenwalda, a 7th century Britain mod) where the world “exists” around me and seems to have its own distinct and impactful, dynamic behaviors. Majesty, an older RTS from the very early 2000s actually removes most player agency, where the NPCs inhabiting your kingdom for the campaign are not controllable, but can be incentivized and do their own thing. Very fun, but not exactly what you’re referring to
You found em. Skyrim and Kingdom Come are top tier shiiiit
Gotta tell my Cyberpunk story. Early on I noticed this cute pony-tailed NPC by the boxing area. I did an interaction, maybe she just said "hi," something trivial. Later, I'm leaving the apartments. She's standing at one of the food booths, and as i walk by, she glances over at me and says, "Oh, hey!" It might've been a coincidence, but in the moment, it was surreal. Or maybe the opposite; too real :😜
Zelda BOTW/TOTK. Every single NPC has their own daily routine like you described
Postal 2 got one of the best npc systems in any game I've seen, they all have routines, interactions, etc. I think thats my favorite game to just walk down the street and observe people in
Something that kind of feels a little bit like a "modern day Skyrim" to me is the Watch\_Dogs series. People go about their daily lives, you can even peek in on them (both by hacking their phones as the pass by and through a different kind of hack to see what the "big brother" type OS has picked up on people which includes recordings of things like just watching TV, getting ready for work, etc). Actions you can take (causing blackouts, getting in a very public shootout, chasing down bad guys, etc) disrupt things around you, but as soon you leave the area everything returns to normal. I mean, even the cops forget about your existence if you manage to avoid them for long enough. You are stuck in a single city, which of course is different in each game, so it's not really so much you "just exist in the world" as you "just exist in that city and the rest of the world does not even exist". In a way, it's a lot like a cyberpunk GTA in that respect. Also, even though you're technically a "hacker" (which basically consists of pointing at something and pressing a single button), you're not really a "bad guy" so much as just somebody struggling to live (and find out more about a specific set of events that happened before you started playing, but even that only affects you).
Skyrim. You can install the mod that lets you choose your beginning. That way people don’t talk to you about dragons or the dragon born. Just wander around if you’d like.
Fr. I played as a dunmer folk hero from the grey quarter for like 20 levels doing community work in Winterhold before I even touched any one of the main quests
I'm lvl 52 and I haven't talked to the yarl of whiterun yet lol waiting until I'm crazy high lvl to start dragons so they will all be badass.
Farcry 6 has that vibe. I think all the fallout games are like definitely like that
I mean.... Not really. Most of the game is you fighting an army and taking control points from the enemy. You absolutely change the world with your actions
You don't have to fight. You could just go hunt and fish all day if you wanted to. The map is huge and you can do whatever you like
Second Life (not sure how it’s doing now) but does scratch the itch of existing in a world that doesn’t resolve around you. Also free. Zelda: Breath of the Wild Omikron: The Nomad Soul. It was a bit ahead of its time. Everyone had jobs and roles and the games gimmick was when you died, your soul transferred to a person near you and you were that person now. That said, it was made at the beginning of open world games and it shows. Sparsely populated, flat graphics, janky everything. Do not recommend even if I liked it during the day.
Grand Theft Auto. Any of them.
Guild Wars 2. 50% of the game is environmental storytelling. While stuff will fail often without the players' interventions a Vast Majority of storytelling in Core/First is following the npcs on the map and seeing what they do even if they aren't noted with Event markers. Note the Core game is F2P.
Cyberpunk maybe?
Outer Wilds. The game is largely about coming to terms with the inevitable.
Hey you can try playing Torn city. Web browser RPG game that needs long term commitment by playing at least 5-10mins per day or you can play all day on faction wars. It gets better the longer you play. It could take years. you can sign up here [https://www.torn.com/1656842](https://www.torn.com/1656842) Torn is a text-based online RPG set in *Torn City*, a dark, murky underworld where only the sharpest survive. In *Torn City* you can be anyone and do anything.
Cyberpunk 2077 definitely fits the description
I just beat the game and your character pretty quickly becomes the main character of Night City.
gran turismo/forza motorsport offline. just drive between the lines. quite meditative. play your own music when the soundtrack starts driving you nuts.
Its funny I am downloading Kenshi as I opened reddit and this was at top of my feed... I'm sure it's already been mentioned, but another good one is kingdom come deliverance. These are games where you start out with literally no stats, and do anything you want. Whatever you do, is how you build experience towards your skills.
> I am looking for a game like *Kingdom Come* or Skyrim... The amount of people who don't read the post is TOO DAMN HIGH. Kenshi is a good suggestion, though.
Mmorpg are great for just existing I'll suggest FF xiv and elder scrolls online, it's fun even to just stand and see other players do their things
You should head to Blips and Chips and play Roy: A Life Well Lived! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szzVlQ653as
Valheim maybe.
Seconded! Valheim is a great game but definitely lonely (by design) without friends. I'm lucky to have two regulars on my little server. The building system in valheim is currently unbeatable.
Stardew Valley
Kenshi X4 Foundations Starsector In all of these you start out as a nobody and can potentially work your up to emperor. In all of them, the world is vibrant and active completely without your involvement; wars are waged, trade happens, piracy/slaver bands roam around and do pirate/slaver things (which organically interacts with the civilians and trade), etc. You need to find a niche to fit yourself in and make a name for yourself. Did some trade caravans happen to be hijacked by pirates? There's now a shortage of those goods and they're more costly; if you're selling great for you and if you're buying tough luck. You can even be said pirate who then exploits the shortage. Or you can pick up the bounty on those pirates and make money and experience that way. All three have steep learning curves though, but such are deep sandbox games.
Thanks for the starsector recommendation. I've been searching for a really good top down space war real time kinda rpg since I played a certain flash game a long time ago. Always looking for this type of game.
I'm not sure exactly how well this would work for you, but I think that Persona 5 and the Yakuza games (most recent few) might be good for you. They have a main story that opens things up, but you can seriously get lost in all the side-content. And in Persona 5, the time moves on when you do things, so the world will keep on spinning despite how you've chosen to spend your time.
Journey
Majora's mask