Red Dead Redemption 2
Perhaps no other game on this rundown gives you the feeling of simply existing in a game world as sweetly as Red Dead Redemption 2. A pinnacle of emergent gameplay, Arthur Morgan’s treks through the old west are frequently interrupted by random combat encounters: rival gang ambushes, random fights, train holdups, hostage situations; animal attacks, poisoned men, and a trapper who set foot on their own trap. It’s the chance of routine that’s so rewarding here too. Take a ride through the wilds on horseback, perhaps go fishing or hunt for dinner, camp under twilight, drink coffee in the morning. As immersive as it gets.