Started to get back into the story missions witch patch 1.11 - after doing 100+ sidemissions (all pretty much boilerplate copy and paste stuff, no branching, almost always single purpose fetch questy stuff - this is before you get into branching into the three mainquest strings, which also unlock a line of sidequests - that are more flashed out - but the ones you can get in the open world are not - sometimes you get interesting locations - environmental storytelling still holds strong - there is decent writing in the questlogs - but most of the side missions are - clutter - anywho - so I got back into the story missions...) and finished the one where Judy looks for "a friend". Played it stealthily - as per design, then got into the story beats, and holy mackerel, mother of mog - the atmosphere got so dense - you were able to feel it physically - I mean -- it felt like you were there. Best atmospheric suspension of disbelief ever, in a videogame. The game just kept stacking atmospheres, player was given access to everything (free movement, 3x level zoom, leaning into a scene, just the right words, touch, closeness, tone, stakes that stacked emotionally), but couldnt reach certain characters in game, while sitting next to them - because of a thing that happened plotwise (plot device). Push/Pull between total 'Free gameplay', total immersion, incredible sound design, several degrees of freedom, perfect dialog writing, best person on the job to help you and you not being able to overcome certain obstacles in the world logic. And then you leave Judys apartment - and it rains. And the entire world is muted.
And then you go to your own apartment, and look out of the window, and it still rains, no pours - for the first time in game. And the entire world feels muted.
Wow. Just... when the game kicks, it slams.