Key Takeaways
- Ending a sport can go away a void, resulting in “post-game blues,” an actual emotional rollercoaster.
- Watching associated TV reveals helped ease the transition from sport worlds again to actuality.
- Participating with complementary media extends emotional and mental engagement, permitting reflection and processing.
There’s an indescribable rush that comes with conquering a online game. The exhilarating feeling because the credit roll, the satisfaction of unraveling sophisticated narratives, and the bittersweet realization that your journey by means of a fastidiously crafted world has come to an finish. However what occurs while you set the controller down and actuality units again in? I’ve discovered myself using this emotional rollercoaster extra instances than I can depend, and I’ve discovered that the “post-game blues” are actual. As a lifelong gamer, I’ve traversed numerous virtual worlds, every leaving its personal distinctive imprint. The evolution of video video games from easy pixelated adventures to advanced, narrative-driven experiences has remodeled the medium into an artwork type able to scary powerful emotions. Ultimately, this deep engagement may end up in a way of loss
1 The Final of Us
Put up-Apocalyptic Survival and Human Connection
After finishing The Final of Us, I felt a void that I could not fairly clarify. The extraordinary bond I might fashioned with Joel and Ellie left me craving for extra of their world, whilst I knew their story had reached its pure conclusion. The sport’s brutal but lovely post-apocalyptic setting had change into a second house, and saying goodbye to it felt like leaving a bit of myself behind.
To ease the transition, I turned to The Walking Dead TV sequence. Whereas it did not replicate the sport’s emotional depth, it supplied an analogous post-apocalyptic setting that helped me regularly detach from Joel and Ellie’s journey whereas nonetheless indulging in themes of survival and human relationships. The present’s deal with group dynamics and the ethics of survival in a hostile world resonated with the themes I might explored in The Final of Us.
As I watched Rick Grimes and his group navigate their harsh new actuality, I discovered myself drawing parallels to Joel and Ellie’s experiences. It wasn’t an ideal match, however it offered a well-known context that allowed me to course of my emotions in regards to the sport. Slowly, I discovered myself invested on this new group of survivors, their struggles serving to to fill the void left by the sport’s conclusion.
2 Mass Impact
Bioware’s Sprawling Area Saga
BioWare
The Mass Impact trilogy left me in an analogous state of emotional limbo. After spending numerous hours shaping the destiny of the galaxy as Commander Shepard, returning to my odd life felt underwhelming. The richly detailed alien cultures, the load of universe-altering choices, and the camaraderie solid with my crew members had change into an integral a part of my every day life. Instantly, all of that was gone.
I discovered solace in The Expanse, an area opera that, whereas completely different in some ways, captured the essence of interstellar politics and dynamic character relationships that I might grown to like in Mass Impact. The present’s intricate plot, various forged of characters, and exploration of humanity’s future in house offered a brand new outlet for my cosmic wanderlust. As I adopted the crew of the Rocinante on their adventures, I discovered echoes of my experiences as Commander Shepard. The political maneuvering between Earth, Mars, and the Belt jogged my memory of navigating the interactions between the galaxy’s species in Mass Impact. The various crew, every with their very own backstories and motivations, crammed the void left by my beloved squadmates.
3 Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Magical Journey in Parallel Worlds
Generally, life’s hardest moments coincide with our gaming experiences, creating a robust and surprising connection. This was the case for me with Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. I picked up this sport not lengthy after my mom had handed away, not realizing how deeply it might resonate with my grief and assist me course of my loss.
Ni No Kuni tells the story of Oliver, a younger boy who loses his mom after which embarks on a magical journey to an alternate world in hopes of saving her. The parallels to my very own state of affairs have been uncanny and, at instances, virtually an excessive amount of to bear. But, as I guided Oliver by means of his adventures, I discovered myself working by means of my very own grief in methods I hadn’t anticipated.
The sport’s themes of loss, hope, and the enduring energy of affection spoke on to my mourning coronary heart. Watching Oliver’s dedication to save lots of his mom, even within the face of unattainable odds, gave me an odd consolation. It was as if his journey was giving voice to my very own determined want to have my mom again whereas additionally gently displaying me the significance of shifting ahead.
What struck me most was how the sport handled the idea of accepting loss whereas holding family members alive in our hearts. As Oliver learns to search out energy in his reminiscences and the teachings his mom taught him, I, too, started to focus extra on cherishing the reminiscences I had with my mother reasonably than drowning within the ache of her absence.
After finishing Ni No Kuni, I discovered myself turning to Studio Ghibli movies, notably My Neighbor Totoro.
The sport’s beautiful Studio Ghibli-style paintings and heartwarming soundtrack offered a soothing backdrop to this emotional journey. The whimsical characters and magical world supplied a much-needed escape whereas nonetheless permitting me to confront my emotions in a protected, managed surroundings.
After finishing Ni No Kuni, I discovered myself turning to Studio Ghibli movies, notably My Neighbor Totoro. Like Ni No Kuni, this movie offers with themes of childhood, magic, and household in a means that’s each fantastical and deeply emotional. The story of two younger ladies dealing with their mom’s sickness resonated with my expertise, and the movie’s mild tempo and delightful animation offered an analogous consolation to what I might discovered within the sport.
Reflecting on this expertise, I noticed that Ni No Kuni had change into greater than only a sport for me. It had been a companion in my grief, a protected house to discover troublesome feelings, and, in the end, a step on my path to therapeutic. It demonstrated to me the distinctive energy of video video games to not simply entertain, however to assist us course of real-life experiences and feelings.
This expertise with Ni No Kuni taught me that typically, the video games we play can have a far deeper influence on our lives than we initially anticipated. They’ll change into intertwined with our private narratives, providing solace, understanding, and even a type of remedy throughout our most difficult instances.
4 Nier: Automata
Yoko Taro’s Thoughts-Bending Robotic Saga
Probably the most memorable post-game experiences I had was after ending Nier: Automata. Its existential themes and a number of endings left me questioning the character of consciousness and existence itself. The sport’s daring narrative selections and philosophical depth had pushed the boundaries of what I assumed was attainable in interactive storytelling.
I discovered myself turning to Devs, a TV present that, whereas circuitously associated, delved into related philosophical territory. It helped me course of the sport’s sophisticated concepts and regularly return to actuality with out fully abandoning the mental stimulation Nier: Automata had offered. The present’s exploration of determinism, free will, and the character of actuality offered a brand new framework for considering the questions raised by the sport.
As I adopted the characters in Devs on their journey of discovery, I discovered myself revisiting the existential quandaries posed by Nier: Automata. The present’s visible fashion, with its emphasis on symmetry and pure patterns, even echoed among the aesthetic selections within the sport. This surprising connection helped me to proceed participating with the sport’s themes lengthy after I might stopped taking part in.
5 Journey
Wordless Pilgrimage By means of Desert Vistas
Journey left me in a meditative state that I wasn’t fairly prepared to depart. Its wordless storytelling and emotional influence had been extraordinarily shifting, and I discovered myself craving extra of that serene but highly effective expertise. The sport’s skill to convey a wealthy narrative and evoke sturdy feelings with out dialogue had opened my eyes to new potentialities in storytelling.
Surprisingly, I discovered what I used to be in search of in Planet Earth. The character documentary’s breathtaking visuals and talent to convey narrative with out dialogue resonated with what I had liked about Journey, serving to me transition whereas sustaining that sense of marvel. The sweeping vistas and intimate animal encounters in Planet Earth echoed the emotional beats of my journey by means of the sport’s mystical desert.
As I watched the silent dramas of nature unfold, I discovered myself experiencing the identical sense of awe and connection that Journey had impressed. The documentary’s skill to inform compelling tales by means of pure visible storytelling helped me to understand the artistry of Journey in a brand new mild and to search out related moments of magnificence and that means within the pure world round me.
6 The Witcher 3
Grizzled Witcher’s Morally Grey Quest
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was one other sport that left a long-lasting impression. Its huge, morally ambiguous world and sophisticated characters had consumed my ideas for weeks. The sport’s mix of fantasy components with gritty realism had created a novel environment that I used to be reluctant to depart behind.
To ease the transition, I turned to Game of Thrones. Whereas set in a distinct sort of fantasy world, the present’s political intrigue, morally grey characters, and occasional supernatural components offered a well-known but contemporary expertise. The tangled internet of alliances and betrayals within the present echoed the intricate quests and penalties I might navigated in The Witcher 3.
As I watched the machinations of the noble homes of Westeros, I discovered myself making use of the identical important considering and ethical reasoning that had served me nicely within the Northern Kingdoms. The present’s exploration of energy, loyalty, and the price of honor resonated with the themes I might encountered in Geralt’s adventures, serving to me to course of and lengthen my gaming expertise.
The “post-game blues” are a testomony to the ability of interactive storytelling.
These experiences taught me that the top of a sport does not should imply the top of the journey. By discovering complementary TV reveals, I’ve discovered to increase the emotional and mental engagement these video games present, easing the transition again to actuality. It is a reminder that the tales we love in video games can discover echoes in different media, serving to us course of our experiences and regularly transfer on to our subsequent journey.
The “post-game blues” are a testomony to the ability of interactive storytelling. They seem to be a signal that we have engaged with one thing significant, one thing that has touched us on a deep stage. By discovering methods to course of these emotions and lengthen our engagement with the themes and concepts introduced in video games, we will flip the top of a sport into the start of a brand new section of exploration and reflection.
So, the following time you end a sport and end up observing a clean display after the credit roll, do not forget that the journey does not have to finish there. There’s a complete world of tales ready that will help you course of, mirror, and finally transfer on to your subsequent nice gaming expertise. Whether or not it is by means of associated TV reveals, books, and even discussions with fellow followers, discover methods to honor the influence these video games have had on you. In doing so, you will not solely ease the transition but in addition deepen your appreciation for the artistry and storytelling energy of video games.
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