PC RPGs are also known by the acronym CRPG, which confuses most contemporary users. However, the "computer" reference comes from a time when all role-playing video games were confined to what was known as "IBM," a branded term that meant "any computer with Windows." Today, the term CRPG can mean any kind of stand-alone RPG video game.
There's a massive fanbase out there for roleplaying games, of both the table-top and video game variety. Part of that love is for the immersion factor for these games. They have a special quality for taking players away from their dull reality and helping them to forget the daily grind of real life with big, expansive worlds and compelling stories. The fierce competition has resulted in a library of some games that make immersion their priority.
6 Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Of course, the Wizards of the Sword Coast would be the driving force behind the game that would set the bar for all PC RPGs in the coming decades. The third and most recent installment in this series is a strong contender, but Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn has the historic clout and remains a popular fan favorite.
Like other games based on table-top RPGs, there's rich lore that designers and developers were able to draw upon while putting this game together. The Forgotten Realms are vast and virtually limitless, and even include other planes of reality, which is one of the reasons the setting is so creative, inclusive, and immersive.
5 Skyrim
This game is ten years old and the gaming community is still nowhere close to getting over it. Released in 2011, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still filling the gap left by the absence of an Elder Scrolls 6 and actually doing a great job of it. Recent new editions, hundreds of mods, and a whole catalog of DLCs bringing new adventures and areas to explore keep Skyrim in circulation.
It helps this game is part of a series that includes the legends and history of a whole continent. The various people, ruins, and locations make the player feel like they're in a whole other world. Players can also experience the remastered versions of the first four games in the series, with Morrowind being one of the most famous examples.
4 Assassin's Creed Odyssey
There are a lot of fan favorites in the Assassin's Creed franchise, which started in 2007 and now includes 12 titles in the main series alone, not including spinoff games. The one that seems to get the most attention when it comes to the immersion factor, however, is Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Like other immersive games, this one also has a long history going for it. The other dimension, of course, is that it's based on real human history. The internet is filled with stories about teenage gamers finding obscure places in ancient European cities thanks to playing these games for hours on end, and Odyssey has all that plus the addition of Greek mythology.
3 Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
The acronym CRPG is often used to describe isometric games that include several party members that the player controls in addition to the protagonist. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is designed like this, following in the footsteps of previous success stories like Baldur's Gate.
This game has only been in circulation for a few months, and it's the result of what could be history's most successful Kickstarter campaign. Players have heralded the game for a variety of reasons, and one of them is the immersion factor. The storyline leads the character through the expansive land of Golarion, which has a long history of demon infestations, undead outbreaks, and dragon attacks.
2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
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The Witcher games were always popular, but the latest installment was when the immersion factor went up to eleven. The open-world concept was always a factor in the games to some degree, but this map would take players hours to explore. Another feature that makes even more immersive is the advanced AI that makes the environment more dynamic, like giving certain monsters more or less power depending on the time of day.
Like the Assassin's Creed series, the roots of The Witcher also have their roots in real-life mythology, which gives it a historic touch. With not only the previous games but also the popular Netflix series to back it up when it comes to lore, it's easy for players can lose themselves in the gritty world of Geralt of Rivia.
1 Diablo II: Resurrected
The first Diablo game could have been an entry on this list. It was one of the first RPG horror games, and the second installment in this franchise added a more sophisticated story and history. It also improved other distinct RPG features like more open areas to explore character customization, and more choices for items to equip. Diablo II: Resurrected was released in September 2021, and it includes everything the original had along with the Lord of Destruction expansion from 2001.
In the end, it was really the horror factor that made this game as immersive as it is. That's not just the environment or the setting, but also the ominous music and foreboding environments that drew players into the dark world of Diablo.