u/Gullible-Isopod-8949

I absolutely adore Elden Ring and my favorite thing is finding some hidden away piece of meaningful loot. I spent hundreds of hours in that game tracking down secret bosses and attacking suspicious looking walls. I just really enjoy the process of carefully exploring areas and finding stuff, especially stuff that makes a difference and allows me to indulge in my other favorite thing: constantly adjusting my build to make the most broken concoction possible.
So big plus if you are able to respec for constant fine tuning or if equipment makes a big difference.

I really enjoyed ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights due to all its secrets and what an impact a lot of the upgrades made. Meanwhile Ghost of Tsushima didn't really work as it was pretty, but the world felt kind of empty and with every find being both well-telegraphed and often not feeling especially meaningful to gameplay(only cosmetic or a very minor upgrade).

A weird plus point for the game would be if it was somewhat open world or had a map as I ironically have no sense of direction (therefore the older Souls games doesn't really work for me as I just get turned around and hopelessly lost along the paths). I do however not mind a sparser approach, such as Metro Exodus or Hollow Knight as I just need some way to orientate myself.

(I have also played and enjoyed The Witcher and I tried to get into Dragon's Dogma 2, but gave up as I didn't click with the pawn system. Played the Deus Ex and Dishonoured games, but need to give the Skyrim/Fallout games another try. I liked the exploration in Zelda: BotW but fell off TotK. Also enjoyed the exploration of Dying Light 1, Hyper Light Drifter, and Death's Door with all their hidden areas. I had fun with Kingdoms of Amalur's upgrade system and constant respecing, but stopped playing after hitting the level cap. I have played both Borderlands and Diablo, but prefer finding hidden away equipment rather than grinding for it)