The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the expansive setting was a character in itself, and its inhabitants felt nuanced and real. From the swamps of Crookback Bog, to the grimy alleys of Novigrad, to the frozen islands of Skellige, our journey through the Northern Kingdoms set the stage for one of video games' most engrossing epics. We explored political turmoil, civil war, supernatural elements, and a vibrant wilderness with creatures both beautiful and grotesque. This was a world that seemed to breathe on its own, and carry on without us, indifferent to our motivations as the witcher Geralt. We may have been powerful, but we were still only one person.

But in midst of this, CD Projekt Red also created vibrant characters that responded to our actions that helped to add emotional weight to every choice we made. This rang true in The Witcher 3's myriad side quests as well. Many RPGs encourage quest completion with new gear or experience gains. The Witcher 3’s quests, on the other hand, were compelling through the sheer force of their writing alone. The content in the game's periphery told some of the most immersive stories not just in 2015, but in any RPG to date. Because in The Witcher 3, every detail in its landscape builds toward an immersive, convincing world full of exciting quests, where your actions can have real consequences. Ultimately, it was The Witcher 3's world that truly felt alive.