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The Top 10 Most Immersive Games Ever Made

By on March 1, 2012

The videogame industry is a myriad of techniques, gameplays, art-styles, nationalities, lore, and philosophies. Many reviewers use various criteria to judge this massively complex medium of entertainment, from tech specs, to gameplay, to how immersive it is. I for one highly value how immersive a story-centered videogame experience. I know that games like Call of Duty and the recent Halo entries are all about action and massive set-pieces, and this is all perfectly fine in it’s own right, but I’ve an affinity toward games that pull you away from your actual world, and swamp you with an actual psychological experience full of emotional turmoil and conflict. It’s really quite impressive how well developers have crafted these experiences that supersede mere entertainment, and step into the realm of something reminiscent of a great, classic work of literature. Thus, I have assembled a list of my top 10 most immersive games of all time. Enjoy.

1. Bioshock

BioShock 21 The Top 10 Most Immersive Games Ever MadeAbsurdly excellent art style, dazzlingly beautiful graphics, eerie noises, confounding music, deep, solid gameplay, and a storyline that is arguably one of the best in all of videogame history: of course Bioshock is my most immersive game of all time. I genuinely felt what Rapture and its denizens were doing to me; each bullet, each word, and each animation was absorbed in such rich splendor. Additionally, the philosophical themes, dystopia vs. utopia, existentialism, Ayn Rand’s ‘Objectivist’ faults, and exploring the true follies of man all added up to become a game that, if explored enough, entire weeks of conversation could be fueled by the massive amount of deeper content lying in this superb game. Oh, and don’t even get me started on that midgame twist that made me pause the game, walk away from my 360, and go off into a cold night to ponder my own existence. Never has a game impacted me so deeply and heavily, leaving me with so many questions floating in my head, left only to subjectively decipher.

2. Amnesia: The Dark Descent

amnesia2 The Top 10 Most Immersive Games Ever MadeThis game is a marvel of modern video games. Released independently before being sold for retail by THQ, this game is, perhaps, the epitome of an interactive first-person experience. There are virtually no on-off switches amongst the countless objects you can manipulate (you can manipulate almost every object you see, somehow), but certain actions with your mouse, as you would do in reality, such as pulling down on a lever; you actually have to pull down on the mouse. This is simply a small part of the game’s brilliance, for aside from this, you are unarmed the entire time. There are the ferocious, relentless monsters that stalk the dark corridors of the game’s setting, a castle, and you must avoid them, run from them, hide from them, and even lure them in order to solve harrowing puzzles. The game never relents, and never allows you to calm yourself. Sure, there are calmer moments, but you are almost always on edge, and this pulls you into the game to a superb degree almost unmatched in the video game industry.

3. Limbo

Limbo2 The Top 10 Most Immersive Games Ever Made An unparalleled and truly unique art style, along with a vague plot that keeps your mind on everything that this game is literally pulls your consciousness away from your body, and entrances you in an unforgettable journey through places and enemies with no names, nor color, but more emotional and psychological pull than just about any other characters in all of the video game industry.


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  • http://www.smartalix.com smartalix

    What about Half-Life?

  • sean

    howabout making some sort of vote instead of pulling games out of your ass.

  • me

    how about you shut the fuck up its not your post…

  • Bouzane

    No offense but this list is terrible. You list Halo but not Half-Life? Do you even know what immersive means?

  • Fading

    What about the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series, or even Half Life?

  • Blaz

    I have only played a few of these titles, I will have to check the others out. You should also try playing the Soul Reaver series.. the story and dark graphics and sound really pull you in.

    • Reaper

      Good game. SR2 had a really weird ending though

  • zzyzx

    How did I know these would only be games from the last two generations. Seriously? Older games exist you know. And a lot of them were WAY more immersive. Try Super Metroid or early Castlevania games. Or most Zelda games

    • Blak Out

      Metroid was in his youth so possibly never played any of those, and Zelda has had the spotlight several times, they go without saying. Or you could make your own list since you hate this one so much.

  • Xav

    Immersive… I do not think that word means what you think it means. Mass Effect is about the only thing on this list that I would actually describe as being immersive and Halo shouldn’t be anywhere near it (books and extended media don’t count). Immersion usually relates to a games ability to draw you in with elements OTHER than it’s characters and story. Ingame universes that have tangible relationships and back stories (like elder scrolls, mass effect even GTA) because the developers go to great lengths to make it seem like these games have their own worlds with it’s media and its own concepts of how these worlds work.

  • TrollingDragon3669

    im·mers·ive
    adjective
    noting or pertaining to digital technology or images that deeply involve one’s senses and may create an altered mental state: immersive media; immersive 3-D environments.
    just fyi that is what it means…. just figured id throw this out for all the rage posts i just saw. SO FUN i love you all k,night ;p