Playing to Explore
I never really wrote about my time in Skyrim. I played for about 60 hours, got bored, and moved on. The most fun I had while playing came from the exploration. The quests, battles, loot, character advancement, graphics, and everything else came together in an interesting package... but the exploration is what kept me coming back. Sometimes I find that to be the most interesting part of single player RPGs and MMOs.
When a game can capture my sense of curiosity and make me wonder what I'll find around the next corner I'll come back and keep playing. Now, I know that every game has limited content and that eventually, as a player, I'll be able to see everything. But it's the sense of entering the unknown that truly matters. That feeling in my gut that says, "Better be careful, who knows what's next?"
Usually games that capture my explorer side are few and far between, but I'm always on the look out. Any suggestions?
There's the obvious recommendation of Minecraft, which is still my current favorite Exploration game. Beyond that, Evochron Mercenary is sitting in my "to play" list, looking tempting. It looks like the sort of Elite/Privateer/Freelancer/X3 game that I'd like, with the ability to fly down and explore planetary surfaces in addition to the space stuff. I'm sure my hopes outstrip the reality, but I'm willing to explore it for a while and see.
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