Are you looking for some heart-pounding action? You should experience the thrill of playing these top 10 FPS Gems if you want the most immersive gaming experience. 

Escape from Tarkov 

https://youtu.be/B0AE63Qpkvg?t=4 

You immediately feel the intensity when you enter a map in this game. Every blade of grass, and different surfaces on the ground make noises. You use the sound to keep yourself alive and extract safely.

our heart is pounding the whole match since you’re constantly making sounds everywhere.The worst thing is If someone hears the sound they can pinpoint exactly where you are.  

The goal of the game is to get out alive,  sometimes you’ll find yourself prone for 10 minutes behind some bushes. Or you might tip-toe your way to the extract to avoid the PMCs camping the bodies around a hotspot.

What makes the game immersive is the combination of the sound and environment, you feel as if you’re an actual soldier fighting to stay alive.. You have to be careful, and make the right decision to stay alive. Or send everyone back to the lobby ASAP by rushing them down.

this map ain't big enough for the both of us

Ready Or Not 

https://youtu.be/-uBsiLd-09k?t=34 

Ready or Not is a game that’s all about putting you in real life hostage situations. You feel the intensity during every match because you have enemies firing at you while civilians are screaming for help.. The map looks like actual places someone would take hostages to. Many are reminiscent of real life tragedies, which makes you extra scared since you are reliving actual horror scenes. 

The goal of the game is to be a hero and save people from terrorists and other psychopathic whackos... Your teammates can build up stress to the tense firefights you put them in. They can develop PTSD, and you must actively manage them like real people. If you fail, you get sent back to the police station, and have to start over.The in-game consequences make you feel invested in your team. You want them to stay alive, but much needed rest is important for their best performance. Not many FPS games force you to consider the mental aspect of your teammates. This game does a good job of making you feel like the leader of your team. 

saving lives one breach at a time

Squad 

https://youtu.be/g1sNdb3VxuE 

Squad is a military simulator, the whole game is built upon making you feel as if you’re an actual soldier. The maps all look real like an t actual war. The hail of gunfire you hear feels real. You want to actually take cover, and keep yourself safe.. When you throw a nade at a sitting tank you can see the slow buildup of cloudy smoke rising into the sky. Each nade progressively makes the cloud bigger until it finally explodes into flying debris.  

The goal of the game is to dwindle enemy forces down to zero. The reliance on your teammates makes you feel part of a larger squad of mates.. You’re not going to win the fight without the right strategy. The game forces you to cooperate, and give each other the proper callouts and comms necessary for a win.  

take cover..or not

Planetside 2 

https://youtu.be/jYSYa40LSAE?t=314 

Planetside is one of my favorite FPSMMOs. When you choose a faction, you actually feel like you’re part of something larger than yourself. Your gun shoots differently and distinguishes you from one another. If you play the new conglomerate, the boys in blue and yellow - you get to use a shotgun. And if you decide to play the Terran Republic, it feels like you’re part of a communist regime, as you’re using more primitive weaponry . The Vanu, feel superior, As if you’re an alien race sent to teach the earthlings what modern combat is all about.

The maps make you feel the desolate atmosphere of space. The large-scale battles enhance this feeling. Sniping cloaked sneakily cloaked infiltrators is satisfying from a distance. Bulldozing tanks remind you that you’re just an insignificant grunt in this large scale battlefield.

The game is about the struggle between each faction to control the galaxy. When you lock out a planet and take control you feel you’re actually winning. When the tide of battle swings in your favor it also feels satisfying. A sea of bases with your color prompts you to want to fight harder. To become the victor in this intergalactic war for supremacy.   

galactic battle for supremacy

Cyberpunk 2077 

https://youtu.be/HuXAOclvw6w?t=278

Cyberpunk 2077 immerses you in a futuristic fictional universe where technology has spiraled out of control, leaving its mark on every corner of Night City. The city's lighting plays a crucial role in creating a dystopian atmosphere. As you walk past pedestrians, they often appear backlit, the shadows add to the uncertainty and mystery of the characters. 

But it's not just the lighting that sets the tone; the over-the-top advertisements  

serve as a constant reminder of a world consumed by its own capitalist excesses. Towering holographic billboards plastered with slick corporate logos and larger-than-life slogans loom over the streets, casting a neon glow that clashes with the grit and grime of the city below. 

But it’s not just the lighting that sets the tone, when I encounter the over-the-top advertisements it reminds me of a world consumed by capitalism. The towering billboards plastered with corporate logos make me feel like I am roaming a hopeless city.  

The goal of the game is to explore Night City, and what immerses you in the environment are the characters. The unchecked ambition, corporate greed, and violence make you feel you’re navigating a cynical world. One where high-tech gadgets exist alongside shelters which further presents the narrative of class division and excess. 

the choices we make

Battlefield 1 

https://youtu.be/WxTRpuKkF-w?t=4094

Battlefield is a great experience if you want to feel like you’re an actual soldier in WW1. The environment and sound further enhance the feeling of war. When the ground erupts from a mortar shell it feels incredibly real.  

Each map offers intriguing backdrops that evoke the actual locations of historical battles. The game's objective is to eliminate the enemy team and defend key points on the map. 

The game immerses you through amazing visuals, sound effects, and realistic reload animations. If you play the game in widescreen mode without the HUD it doesn’t get more realistic than that. Appreciating the landscapes, intense firefights and forcing you to use situational awareness instead of a minimap makes it realistic. Piloting a plane or commanding a tank this way adds an extra layer of excitement and intensity to fights. 

all quiet on the battlefield front

The Finals 

https://youtu.be/v3KhWc9f6bU?t=332 

The finals resemble an electrifying, chaotic gunfight arena game, where explosions are the norm. 

You are dropped into various destructible maps where you can traverse environments in a variety of unique ways. it has almost a sandbox feel to it - The maps are pretty bland, but it’s more about their destructible nature that makes them shine.

The game revolves around the simple goal of collecting money and storing it in your bank. It's akin to real life, where you’re clocking into your 9-to-5, except this time you’re taking down opponents with a rifle from a rooftop for cash. 

 The immersive aspect of the game lies in its unique classes, which allow you to achieve the goal in a variety of ways, from grappling across buildings to punching your way to the vault. 

in it to win it

Deep Rock Galactic 

https://youtu.be/YC6PtvqVKik?t=483 

If you want to take on the role of an enslaved dwarf forced to work for a greedy mining corporation that treats you as a disposable asset, then this is your game.  

You explore various planets inhabited by hostile aliens hell-bent on stopping your efforts to collect gold and ore. You’ll encounter many challenges and dangers down there. From barren, desolate landscapes, to lush vibrant ecosystems brimming with life. Each planet has its own unique sets of obstacles to overcome. 

The objective of the game is to safely descend into the mines and extract as many valuable resources as you can while fighting off the relentless horde of aliens. The unique classes allow you to strategize and adapt to the approach to maximize your efficiency. 

The game's cartoony art design adds layers of immersion while reminding you of corporate greed and environmental exploitation. Mission controls voice lines are a comical reminder of the harsh realities of the world. It makes you a little less jaded if you play as a dwarf though. 

alien scum in my way

Dayz 

https://youtu.be/bkAnmfz51p0?t=318 

When you spawn into DayZ naked, you feel vulnerable yet filled with anticipation for what lies ahead. Your first player interaction involves being greeted into the world with a pitch black death screen. You are constantly reminded that you’ve spawned into an unforgiving universe where everyone is your enemy.DayZ leverages your biological needs as a form of enslavement to the environment. Your goal is to explore the depths of Chernarus. But it comes as a cost, as the need to eat and drink forces you to interact with strangers. But your interaction with others could mean your death. The game is  a player-driven experience that immerses you completely. What makes you feel trapped in this post-Soviet era country are the interactions with other players.  

Engaging in role play enhances the experience as players communicate in a manner similar to real-life encounters. You might get held up by a psychopath wielding a shovel or ambushed and looted by a military base camper, the constant sense of danger keeps you on edge, forcing you to interact with others to stay alive. 

the residents of Chernarus

Unrecord 

https://youtu.be/D04S2vHpXws?t=125 

Now, this game isn’t playable yet, but it’s hard to not include it on a list of immersive games. Most people who have seen the trailer initially thought it was fake because of how realistic it looks. The environment is eerily similar to real life, giving the impression of a compilation of real cop videos. 

The game seems to revolve around playing as a detective. You get to play from his perspective through the lens of his bodycam. From that camera we can see all the tactical movement as he skillfully dodges enemies. 

 The immersive experience is heightened by the body cam view. It looks like you’re watching recorded footage from an actual police officer's actual arrest and building breach. It captures the same intensity and  heavy atmosphere found in gripping cop videos online. The movement is remarkably realistic, as you watch him struggle to reload and slowly peeking around corners as enemies lie in wait. 

in the line of duty