So, while you're probably thinking Hope County is going to be my answer for a really absorbing game world, I'm actually going to say something entirely different.
This game.
This game is not a normal shooter. What I loved about it was just how immersive the game is. If you put it in Russian with subtitles, it feels like a foreign film. But at the same time, you feel like you're actually trudging through the subway tunnels, checking your gas mask, and timing your life. It's beautiful in this weird sort of way. I love everything about it, from the clunky controls to the slow, methodical pacing of the game. It's a true beauty, you know?
you must be looking forward to the new one yeah?
Cautiously optimistic, but yes. I liked the cinematic, but a pretty movie doesn't necessarily equate to a solid game. Metro 2033 was amazing because it wasn't mainstream, it was done by a tiny team from Ukraine. I don't think it'll be a failure, but I worry about the amount of money coming into the franchise.
Personally I played Metro: Last Light and the least that I can say is that was SHOOKED at how deep I got into the universe, checking the Gas mask, checking the Radiation and the likes. When I first started the game I was like wtf russian aliens? Wtf is going on? And then I started learning about what had happened in the first game and how that had affected the story in this entry and the stress of getting new masks and health... It was a pretty great experience and one I wasn't expecting (I dropped the game the first time because I was too scared to play it but eventually started it over again and finished it) But I can say one thing. Games that grab you by the neck and immerse you into the world like that, are a rare find. When you do find a game like that, then you know they're unique.
And how! It's amazing how that works out, isn't it?
It's truly amazing. Not a ton of games can create such immersion and worlds as expansive as others!