Five immersive games I couldn’t stop playing

I love all kinds of games, but there are some that grip me more than others. You know those games that you start playing and just can’t put down?

I’m writing about this now because my husband has been absolutely hooked on Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. I haven’t seen him this into a game in a while. It got me thinking about the games that have pulled me in like that. Five of them stand out in my mind:

Heavy rain

As I’ve said before, I bought a copy of Heavy Rain before I even had a console to play it on. I watched my husband play it for a few hours and I was hooked. During my first playthrough, I didn’t take a break for six hours. I still love that game and recently platinumed it (again) on PS4. Even with its shoddy voice acting, Heavy Rain has an awesome story, and it’s fun to replay it again and again to discover all the different endings. My first playthrough of Heavy Rain is something I’ll never forget.

Grand Theft Auto V

When GTA V was about to come out, all my friends were so pumped to play it. I had little interest because I had never played a game in the series before, other than 10 minutes of GTA IV (which I didn’t care for). I had no intention of buying it until I started to watch my husband and friends play it. I finally caved and bought it, and it quickly became one of my favorite games ever. I fell in love with Los Santos and all of its quirky inhabitants. This game is perfect for someone like me who loves a big, hearty single-player campaign. Even though I beat the main story years ago, I have continued to explore (and sometimes wreak havoc on) Los Santos and surrounding areas. I wasn’t expecting this game to grab me like it did, but I’m so glad I decided to pick up the controller and get lost in it. I’ll definitely be purchasing the next GTA on day one.

BioShock

BioShock is not only one of my favorite games of all time, but one of the most immersive games I’ve ever played. I’ll always remember the first time I visited Rapture. That game’s world is gorgeous, albeit extremely eerie. Everything felt so real; those Splicers made me so uncomfortable. I am extremely excited to replay the game when BioShock: The Collection comes out on Sept. 13.

Firewatch

Firewatch was a gift from my husband for Valentine’s Day this year. It meant a lot to me that he picked out a game that he knew I would love, even though I had never heard of it. I got completely lost in it and lost track of time. From beginning to end, I felt such a deep connection to the main character, Henry. The environments were gorgeous, as was the music in the game. I am anxiously awaiting developer Campo Santo’s next project.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

I know, I know: I write about Uncharted way too much. I had to include Uncharted 3 on this list because I distinctly remember the first time I played that game. I had been looking forward to it for months after completing Drake’s Fortune and Among Thieves, and the first time I got my hands on Uncharted 3 was magical. I went into my bedroom, turned off all the lights, put on my headset, and fired up the game. Five hours later, I realized I hadn’t stopped to eat dinner. It just really pulled me in, especially once I reached the desert portion of the game. I’ll never forget my first playthrough. All the other Uncharted games are wonderful, but Uncharted 3 is still my favorite.

What are the games that you couldn’t put down? Let’s talk: Twitter.com/gottosaurus.