>>725411728
>Why do games have such a hard time conveying a sense of scale
Probably limitations of their game engine or the games foundation. Could be a lot more to this, but I think it's more so having the right talented/clever developers in the mix somewhere.

>what games do it well?
Xenoblades games do it well, specifically XBCX with the mechs. Always suspected they make their zones/worlds sort of like these maps in picrel, and unironically shrink the player down afterwards. It's an easy design trick/method to give off that sense of scale.