I really really enjoyed the gameplay loop in Half Life 2 where you have a vehicle and traverse the map in a linear way. You travel, stop, solve puzzles, fight and again travel (and get upgrades along the way).

You kind of form a relationship with your vehicle. It was such a great feeling. It feels like a journey and was oddly satisfying and scratched this specific itch.

Any game suggestions that can trigger a similar feeling? Bonus if there’s some survival stuff thrown in like hunger, fuel, vehicle maintenance etc. :)

EDIT: Just to add, I get a similar feeling when I play FTL. You have a ship that you continue improving, and you are going from point A to B with adventures along the way.