Let me tell you about a game called Kenshi... In Kenshi everyone lives, grows, explores, subsists and dies--even
you. It's so interesting because the world is so inhospitable, being a truly post-apocalyptic world where division reigns, resources are scarce, and danger is everywhere. I've never played a more immersive survival RPG, where exploring feels so dangerous.
Kenshi has an open world with discrete zones containing all kinds of unique hazards, ranging from impossibly-strong monsters to fatal weather effects. You can only explore so long as you're prepared, and even then something unexpected can dramatically alter your plans. A simple jaunt through a jungle can leave you half-dead fighting for your life against Blood Spiders; or a nightly stroll through a desert can leave you running for cover as daytime reveals heat rays so powerful they'll kill you in a couple hits. There's all sorts of dangers and you can never know ahead of time what you'll face.
Part of what makes it so effective is how growth and health is handled. It's sort of Skyrim like, where every action increases a skill, but it's also got hardcore survival elements like food meters, limb health, and things like that. Survival is much more nuanced than just "keep your hunger meter and health bar full". It leads to a lot of interesting--and desperate--situations as plans go sideways.
Kenshi is just so good.
