Death Stranding 1 & 2 are the closest games to a real journey I've played

I've toured as a roadie for months on end.

The first time was grueling. Difficult. Tested me in ways I didn't forsee. The glamour wears off pretty quick when you haven't showered in 5 days, have gotten little sleep and still have to drive 8 hours to the next city.

You know how Sam just plops down and passes out when he rests in a private room? That's pretty much how it is when you can afford a motel for a night. I didn't know what to expect. Didn't know what to bring.

Kinda like Death Stranding 1.

The tradeoff is seeing country you've never seen. Food you've never eaten. Landscapes that are just gorgeous. I still remember the shadow of a mountain stretching across the plains one early morning.

The 2nd time I toured for months was way easier. More streamlined. I knew what to bring (flushable wipes!), knew what to expect, knew how to manage myself. I knew how to organize our cargo, how to better deal with the road.

Kinda like Death Stranding 2.

So the closest games I've personally played that mimick that sense of travel, evolution & accomplishment are these games.

And if you ever get the opportunity to travel, take it. There's nothing quite so humbling as being a stranger in a strange land.

It'll also level you up IRL.

*Game: Death Stranding 2*