I find my brain extremely happy when a game provides ample opportunity to make connections, like in Dwarf Fortress, where I watch an event unfold, which can stir my creativity and imagination like nothing else. Writing a story out of it is extremely smooth and easy compared to other sandbox games.
I also find myself in love with immersive sims like Desu Ex and Thief, where level design and exploration take a front seat, every map is like a big playground with verticality and branching paths, where you find secrets and lore hidden around every corner in an atmospheric world.
What is immersion to you?
I’ve been playing Sekiro lately. While it’s not generally on the top of “immersive games” lists, I find it immersive because of how cool the gameplay makes you feel. When you are just completely focused on timing each parry and reading the attacks of your enemy, it makes me feel like I’m actually in the game doing these feats. Combine that with the fact there are few cutscenes and little dialogue, and I’d say it feels pretty immersive.
Sekiro has the most immersive sword combat I’ve experienced, which is weird considering how simplistic the fundamentals of Sekiro are. But the visual representation of the fight is what makes it immersive. You’re not just flaying your sword around and the enemy isn’t just tanking slashes like they’re made of steel. Most enemies use their weapons to block your attacks and in the same vein you use your sword to block their attacks. Combat mostly revolves around breaking posture which creates an opening you use for the killing blow.