A lot of amazing games already mentioned ITT, I have to emphasize Outer Wilds as one of the really great games to release in recent times. But my vote goes for

A lot of amazing games already mentioned ITT, I have to emphasize Outer Wilds as one of the really great games to release in recent times. But my vote goes for Morrowind. These two games actually have a lot in common. Great storylines and gameplay. But what they excel at above all other games is the exploration. I won't spoil Outer Wilds, but the following are some of my favorite moments in MW early game that got me hooked. [spoilers] In the first few hours of the game you're stumbling upon a man falling out of the sky with amazing boots, a naked Nord who was tricked by a witch, a maiden that has become infatuated with the bandit that robbed her, and a spy of the empire that hides hard drugs under his bed. The guild missions are really well written. The feud between the fighters guild and thieves guild forces you to choose a side - unless you're very clever. The early mages guild mission where they send you, the intern, to go gather .. flowers. For alchemy. They don't mark your map. They just give you vague directions and areas to check. The world is alien and foreign. Exciting but unforgiving. It's full of interesting places, characters, stories, and history to discover. Even now I think of how many stones I've left unturned in that game that makes me want to go back and play it again. However, be warned. If you plan on playing, it is rough around the edges. I highly recommend using OpenMW, as it address a huge number of exploits and balance issues. Further, the tes3mp multiplayer mod is not half bad if you can convince a friend to join your play-through.