Help me get my gaming fires burning again.

Blutraserei · June 2008

Have any of you ever reached a point where you weren't able to play good games with full immersion anymore? I'm burnt out. I have to say I never thought this to be possible. I always went in some odd cycle with my rather large collection of games. These games range from the Old (Total Annihilation, TA: Kingdoms, Jedi Academy, HL1, Deadlock, Freespace, to name a few) to the New(er) (Doom 3, Oblivion, Hellgate, Kotor, HL2 and friends, Crysis, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Mass Effect.)

Much to my dismay, and even...chagrin. My immersion seems utterly destroyed. I've been playing Oblivion and have a bunch of awesome mods...but I found them very soon after I had completed a run through of the game. Thus, my focus was already in a fade. I have nothing on my shelves that seems to cry "play me again!" any more.

I seek help fellow enthusiasts and gamers. Spew unto me your stories or advice of times you were confronted by....disinterest. I've considered an extended audio visual fasting of sorts. Going "cold turkey" as it were. Perhaps you can spare me the boredom of relearning my hobbies and interests for a time in an effort to...RELEARN how to enjoy my most sacred of pleasures. Suggestions towards games I might have missed would be appreciated as well. This may be less likely to bring about any results. Chances are I've played it...or have thought to myself that I just wouldn't enjoy it.

Thanks in advance, PA.

admanb · June 2008

I've recently experienced the opposite -- a revival following a long slump. With that experience in mind... I have almost no useful advice. My revival was a matter of chance -- during a brief period of boredom in Japan, I bought a DS. Playing the DS reminded me of a time when games didn't need graphics, and I went on a retro tour -- mostly of western RPGs, but I eventually landed on Half-Life. Which led to Half-Life 2, etc etc etc. For the first time in years I am daily excited to be a gamer.

I offer two bits of advice: first, don't just look at the biggest and the best in your quest to escape the slump. They may seem more likely to revive you, but if they fail they'll increase your jaded feelings massively. Instead, think of old games you always wanted to play, or something similar.

Second, if the first fails, just drop it. The best option may be to just take a break for a while.

Hevach · June 2008

Watch the releases, but there's not much coming out right now that interests me, so you may be in the same boat. Look over the last couple years, maybe there's a 360 game you overlooked or something. I noticed Mass Effect up there, maybe Lost Odyssey? If you get into it, it'll burn an ungodly amount of time. By the time you're done, there'll probably be some good new releases.

I hesitate to suggest games (even though I just did), since it's probably better not to force it. If you go out and buy a new game and hate it, it'll only deepen the slump. It happens to me at least once a year, and if I try to fight it, I add frustration or disappointment to disinterest and will go off games even longer.

DarkPrimus · June 2008

Try something totally different than what you usually play.

subedii · June 2008

Blutraserei wrote: »

Have any of you ever reached a point where you weren't able to play good games with full immersion anymore? I'm burnt out. I have to say I never thought this to be possible. I always went in some odd cycle with my rather large collection of games. These games range from the Old (Total Annihilation, TA: Kingdoms, Jedi Academy, HL1, Deadlock, Freespace, to name a few) to the New(er) (Doom 3, Oblivion, Hellgate, Kotor, HL2 and friends, Crysis, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Mass Effect.)

Much to my dismay, and even...chagrin. My immersion seems utterly destroyed. I've been playing Oblivion and have a bunch of awesome mods...but I found them very soon after I had completed a run through of the game. Thus, my focus was already in a fade. I have nothing on my shelves that seems to cry "play me again!" any more.

I seek help fellow enthusiasts and gamers. Spew unto me your stories or advice of times you were confronted by....disinterest. I've considered an extended audio visual fasting of sorts. Going "cold turkey" as it were. Perhaps you can spare me the boredom of relearning my hobbies and interests for a time in an effort to...RELEARN how to enjoy my most sacred of pleasures. Suggestions towards games I might have missed would be appreciated as well. This may be less likely to bring about any results. Chances are I've played it...or have thought to myself that I just wouldn't enjoy it.

Thanks in advance, PA.

Just sounds like you've burned out to be honest. Judging by your games list you don't seem to have a problem getting hold of any of the games you want when you want them. When you take on a load of games, especially in a short time, you're going to burn out and lose interest.

I once went on a pretty much year-long hiatus from gaming since nothing really interested me anymore. Played the odd little game like Mutant Storm or sometimes an oldie, but largely didn't play much. That changed when I found a leftover cover-disc from one of my mags and decided to try the SWAT 4 demo. Was thoroughly impressed with the game and got right back into things.

I think one of the things that helped was that at the time not only had I not played proper games in a while, I also had to space out my gaming quite a lot. I honestly feel spacing out your gaming makes the games feel so much more epic and awesome. I completed SWAT 4 after a few months, but it was fun all the way.

It's when I have lots to play and play through the games in a short time that I find myself losing interest in them. I don't really give myself the time to appreciate them, so I enjoy them less, and playing them so frequently just leads to burnout.

So yeah, give it a break for a while, do something else. Maybe stick to some simpler, more basic games for a bit (personally, I like arcade shooters like Mutant Storm and Jets 'n' Guns).

Otherwise, try a genre or two that you've never really tried before. I got myself hooked on Silent Hunter IV after trying it, who would've thought I'd be interested in a submarine sim? Maybe you could try some sort of in-depth turn based strategy game, or a sim, or maybe even a driving game.

Trackmania United Forever is good for arcadey fun, and the best thing is that a cut down version called Trackmania Nations Forever is available for free download. Look it up on Steam if you're interested (Oh, and pick up a pair of 3D- glasses somewhere whilst you're at it, the cheapo blue-red ones). Trailer to give you an idea of what type of game it is, it really doesn't take itself seriously at all (click the link for hi-res):

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/34093.html

Blutraserei · June 2008

subedii wrote: »

Blutraserei wrote: »

Have any of you ever reached a point where you weren't able to play good games with full immersion anymore? I'm burnt out. I have to say I never thought this to be possible. I always went in some odd cycle with my rather large collection of games. These games range from the Old (Total Annihilation, TA: Kingdoms, Jedi Academy, HL1, Deadlock, Freespace, to name a few) to the New(er) (Doom 3, Oblivion, Hellgate, Kotor, HL2 and friends, Crysis, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Mass Effect.)

Much to my dismay, and even...chagrin. My immersion seems utterly destroyed. I've been playing Oblivion and have a bunch of awesome mods...but I found them very soon after I had completed a run through of the game. Thus, my focus was already in a fade. I have nothing on my shelves that seems to cry "play me again!" any more.

I seek help fellow enthusiasts and gamers. Spew unto me your stories or advice of times you were confronted by....disinterest. I've considered an extended audio visual fasting of sorts. Going "cold turkey" as it were. Perhaps you can spare me the boredom of relearning my hobbies and interests for a time in an effort to...RELEARN how to enjoy my most sacred of pleasures. Suggestions towards games I might have missed would be appreciated as well. This may be less likely to bring about any results. Chances are I've played it...or have thought to myself that I just wouldn't enjoy it.

Thanks in advance, PA.

Just sounds like you've burned out to be honest. Judging by your games list you don't seem to have a problem getting hold of any of the games you want when you want them. When you take on a load of games, especially in a short time, you're going to burn out and lose interest.

I once went on a pretty much year-long hiatus from gaming since nothing really interested me anymore. Played the odd little game like Mutant Storm or sometimes an oldie, but largely didn't play much. That changed when I found a leftover cover-disc from one of my mags and decided to try the SWAT 4 demo. Was thoroughly impressed with the game and got right back into things.

I think one of the things that helped was that at the time not only had I not played proper games in a while, I also had to space out my gaming quite a lot. I honestly feel spacing out your gaming makes the games feel so much more epic and awesome. I completed SWAT 4 after a few months, but it was fun all the way.

It's when I have lots to play and play through the games in a short time that I find myself losing interest in them. I don't really give myself the time to appreciate them, so I enjoy them less, and playing them so frequently just leads to burnout.

So yeah, give it a break for a while, do something else. Maybe stick to some simpler, more basic games for a bit (personally, I like arcade shooters like Mutant Storm and Jets 'n' Guns).

Otherwise, try a genre or two that you've never really tried before. I got myself hooked on Silent Hunter IV after trying it, who would've thought I'd be interested in a submarine sim? Maybe you could try some sort of in-depth turn based strategy game, or a sim, or maybe even a driving game.

Trackmania United Forever is good for arcadey fun, and the best thing is that a cut down version called Trackmania Nations Forever is available for free download. Look it up on Steam if you're interested. Oh, and pick up a pair of 3D- glasses whilst you're at it (the blue-red ones). Trailer to give you an idea of what type of game it is, it really doesn't take itself seriously at all (click the link for hi-res):

That's just silly. Silly and awesome. It's like someone took the designs of a bunch of Hotwheels playsets and made a game out of them. I might have to give that one a try.

I've also been considering buying a new handheld system. I'm largely jobless right now and going to school (college) so money is tight. I can afford a DS Lite with what I have in pocket right now and one game depending on how much it is. I've also considered the PSP, but can't quite meet the price. Does the DS play the old cartridges like the Advance?.......Did the Advance even do that? My "newest" handheld is an old neon green transparent GB Pocket to give you an idea...so a new handheld would be kinda awesome, as I haven't really done any handheld gaming in forever. It's all been mostly PC and select consoles.

yalborap · June 2008

The DS will play Nintendo DS titles and Gameboy Advance titles. Old Gameboy and Gameboy Color titles are out, sadly, as are some early GBA titles that aren't build for the SP/DS design form. On the other hand, these can be counted on one hand, and even fewer are GOOD, so you're mostly in the clear.

eelektrik · June 2008

I recently went on an MMO binge over the past month and a half, which ended up at one point having 4 MMOs installed and playable at once(City of Heroes, Age of Conan, Everquest 2, and Vanguard), but after getting a 35 Brute, 28 Blaster, 26 Dominator, 22 Herald of Xotli, 20 Necromancer, and 13 Blood Mage across those games, I've just lost all desire to play them and canceled my accounts and uninstalled all of them except Vanguard, which I'm still not playing much even though its still there. I burned myself out on all of them really quickly playing like I did.

I was sort of hoping it would renew my interest in story heavy single-player games since I still need to play through GTA IV and Mass Effect, but instead all I've been playing is Team Fortress 2, Rock Band, and Spore Creature Creator.

Daxon · June 2008

eelektrik wrote: »

I recently went on an MMO binge over the past month and a half, which ended up at one point having 4 MMOs installed and playable at once(City of Heroes, Age of Conan, Everquest 2, and Vanguard), but after getting a 35 Brute, 28 Blaster, 26 Dominator, 22 Herald of Xotli, 20 Necromancer, and 13 Blood Mage across those games, I've just lost all desire to play them and canceled my accounts and uninstalled all of them except Vanguard, which I'm still not playing much even though its still there. I burned myself out on all of them really quickly playing like I did.

I was sort of hoping it would renew my interest in story heavy single-player games since I still need to play through GTA IV and Mass Effect, but instead all I've been playing is Team Fortress 2, Rock Band, and Spore Creature Creator.

Which are very good choices.

Personally I only play my DS from time to time nowadays; though I'm beginning to play more TF2 again. I can't get any newish games until I get a new computer (I can't even run Vampire Bloodlines without horrible lag) so there are a ton of games I want to play but just can't due to my weaksauce computer.

Mass Effect, Bioshock, Vampire Bloodlines, TF2 without shitty fps. Man I'm looking forward to August so much!

PeregrineFalcon · June 2008

subedii wrote: »

personally, I like arcade shooters like Mutant Storm and Jets 'n' Guns

Someone else who's heard of JnG? Amazing.

Trackmania United Forever is good for arcadey fun, and the best thing is that a cut down version called Trackmania Nations Forever is available for free download. Look it up on Steam if you're interested (Oh, and pick up a pair of 3D- glasses somewhere whilst you're at it, the cheapo blue-red ones). Trailer to give you an idea of what type of game it is, it really doesn't take itself seriously at all (click the link for hi-res):

That looks both ridiculous and ridiculously awesome at the same time. Will have to download on Steam tonight. 3D-glasses you say? That may be enough to give me motion sickness, but damned if I won't have fun getting it.

SageinaRage · June 2008

While gaming is a good hobby, it shouldn't be your only hobby. If you're getting burnt out on it, then don't feel bad about moving on to something else for a while.

Zetx · June 2008

Maybe try some multiplayer, team-based games? Add some social to your gaming, perhaps? (I'd suggest TF2, it's fun and PA'ers play. I don't think I'd play much at all without the PA community.)

Oh, and play on the PC, not the PS3/360/console-thing :P ... though that's my opinion on online gaming (and more so on TF2) though I guess Live has its ... er games, and Uno, I hear. >.>

Velmeran · June 2008

go out, play non-digital games. When I get burned out on games, I play Warmachine, card games of all sorts (collectable and non-collectable), and even just busting out some classic games like Monopoly, Roborally, and scrabble with some friends.

mynameisguido · June 2008

Every time this happened to me, I spent a lot more time for a few months watching movies and listening to music than playing games (though I still read about them a good deal).

Simply taking a break got me more interested in playing again than any individual game could do.

MundaneSoul · June 2008

mynameisguido wrote: »

Every time this happened to me, I spent a lot more time for a few months watching movies and listening to music than playing games (though I still read about them a good deal).

Simply taking a break got me more interested in playing again than any individual game could do.

This was usually my solution, along with a few good books. It was always kind of a relief to me to dive into a great work of fiction and realize partway through - this plot is incredible...and I don't have to do ANYTHING to help it develop.

Still, these periods are usually pretty brief for me, because I quickly start realizing what I'm missing in the gaming world. When I'm really feeling burnt out, I'll go through a bit of a "purge," getting rid of a lot of old games I'm sick of looking at and getting a lot of new, interesting games. Seems to do the trick.

Tim James · June 2008

You could try taking a break from Internet forums. Maybe the constant chatter about them has made you burned out and jaded or something. Especially if you've read hyper-analyzation about the games before even experiencing them for yourselves.

I am taking a break for the summer from Company of Heroes multiplayer, but still watching a few video replays and keeping tabs on the game news. I may be ready to play again in a few months.

jothki · June 2008

Based on the games that you've listed, it looks to me like you've mostly been playing serious games. Try out some lighter stuff.

wyrlss · June 2008

Blutraserei wrote: »

I've also been considering buying a new handheld system. I'm largely jobless right now and going to school (college) so money is tight. I can afford a DS Lite with what I have in pocket right now and one game depending on how much it is. I've also considered the PSP, but can't quite meet the price. Does the DS play the old cartridges like the Advance?.......Did the Advance even do that? My "newest" handheld is an old neon green transparent GB Pocket to give you an idea...so a new handheld would be kinda awesome, as I haven't really done any handheld gaming in forever. It's all been mostly PC and select consoles.

I bought a DS when the only worthwhile game out was Super Mario 64. I don't really like the Lite because of the shoulder buttons. That said, there's some awesome and cheap games out for the system too. I don't know if the originals are cheaper or what, but see if you can find a decently priced used DS and go crazy on some cheap games.

It's nice to be able to do a level or two of New Super Mario Bros. before class, by the way. Or catch a pokemon or something. Just keep the sound off or plug in headphones. But yeah, there's a decent variety for the DS, and it's got a great battery life, and I can't think of a single thing wrong with it as a system.

Chance · June 2008

jothki wrote: »

Based on the games that you've listed, it looks to me like you've mostly been playing serious games. Try out some lighter stuff.

I agree. Most (if not all) the games you listed are considered very high-quality, but they're also considered huge grand epics that tend to take a larger-than-normal investment from the player. Lighter or simpler fare may be the ticket. ...I'm trying to think of a good example... and I want to say Ratchet & Clank, Prince of Persia: SoT or Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Ah! I've an idea. A very unusual game with themes not-at-all common in today's rpg or adventure titles: Okami! I've heard things about control on the Wii version, so try for PS2. It's also high-quality, but abundantly light-hearted and generally just a feel good time. It is grand and epic, however, so be prepared for 30 hours of gameplay.

If none of that sounds right, take a break and read some books. I suggest Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.

Chance · June 2008

(2 posts cause my PS3 has a small text field)

Also, if you feel so inclined, check out a used game store or even a pawn shop. Sniff around - you may find something awesome you've been looking for. I went into a used game store yesterday and came out with Siren, Summoner, and PoP: Sands of Time and Warrior Within to complete the trilogy on my PS2 (I aways kicked myself for giving those PoP games away). Suddenly I'm not as interested in my PS3 games, and spent all day yesterday replaying Sands of Time - it was sublime. So poke your head into a used game store if you're so inclined - you may end up finding a gem like Odin Sphere or Hitman: Blood Money.

I wouldn't reccomend going the DS route. It does seem to have a better library than the PSP, but even with that boon all the DSes I know about collect a surprising amount of dust.

jeddy lee · June 2008

Play Resident Evil 4. Preferably on the wii. It will remind you that video games are awesome.

Basil · June 2008

Have you identified your genre cycle, or are you playing all sorts of things at any given time? I tend to regulate my interest by playing games of one type at a time. One month I'm digging the rpgs, the next I'm getting my frag on.

Similar to these fellows I'd suggest just playing around with things you haven't thought of recently and enjoying the hell out of them before you get tired of those and find the old stuff novel and interesting again.

Hell, maybe you're ready to crack open a couple novels a day for three weeks running, I've done that rather than game, now and again. Really, there's nothing like taking a long break from gaming in general to rekindle the entertainment value. Fragging dudes stops being fun after a while, it's true. That's when you need to step back, run over some pedestrians in a blind rage, and come back a month or two later.

-Just saw that Chance suggested books too, yay reading!

kingmetal · June 2008

I feel like I wrote this post. I've just decided to take a break, myself. Get a part-time job and save some money up - go outside and explore your city (or town or whatever you're doing). Connect with old friends or learn to do something you've been meaning to do. Eventually you will burn out on all that and suddenly you'll relish in the sweet release of a weekend video game session. I can already feel that happening to me, and as winter kicks in and things start to get cold an bleak and I'm going to really enjoy burning through the back-catalog of games I've been avoiding.

At least, that's my theory.

My most recent game-itch revival did come with my purchasing of a PSP, but to tell you the truth I only played PS1 games on it. Chrono Cross FTW!! After a pretty intense couple of week of playing, however, I started to lose interest and now I'm back to not playing anything.

subedii · June 2008

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

subedii wrote: »

personally, I like arcade shooters like Mutant Storm and Jets 'n' Guns

Someone else who's heard of JnG? Amazing.

Bought it right after playing the demo. Really fun shooter with lots and lots of upgradeable weapons to mess around with, and knows enough not to take itself seriously. I was constantly chopping and changing of parts in-between missions to get the right setup. The fact that you don't lose money on selling off your old stuff really encourages you to experiment with different setups to see what works for you with your current budget.

Good for anyone that liked Tyrian. Although it can be pretty tough compared to Tyrian.

jothki · June 2008

Do you have a PS2? If you do, and if you haven't already done so, play Katamari Damacy and its sequel, they're pretty much the exact opposite of serious. If you can't enjoy them, then yeah, take a break.

minigunwielder · June 2008

The doctor prescribes a heavy handed dose of X-COM, Shin Megami Tensei and Disgaea, along with a hearty handful of Team Fortress 2.

Also, all of the games you've been playing recently aren't as good as people make them out to be, real fucking chores to slog through if your enthusiasm dampens the slightest bit.

Also, Dwarf Fortress and Nethack may help.

Xagarath · June 2008

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

subedii wrote: »

personally, I like arcade shooters like Mutant Storm and Jets 'n' Guns

Someone else who's heard of JnG? Amazing.

It really does deserve more attention than it's had.

Anyway, to the OP: Try a change of genre. Generally works for me.

Basil · June 2008

minigunwielder wrote: »

The doctor prescribes a heavy handed dose of X-COM, Shin Megami Tensei and Disgaea, along with a hearty handful of Team Fortress 2.

Also, all of the games you've been playing recently aren't as good as people make them out to be, real fucking chores to slog through if your enthusiasm dampens the slightest bit.

Also, Dwarf Fortress and Nethack may help.

Eerily close to my current prescription, this. Eerily close. Only I'm taking a side of Total War with my X-Com and some Rondo of Swords instead of Disgaea, which has yet to arrive for the ds.

Blutraserei · June 2008

Chance wrote: »

jothki wrote: »

Based on the games that you've listed, it looks to me like you've mostly been playing serious games. Try out some lighter stuff.

I agree. Most (if not all) the games you listed are considered very high-quality, but they're also considered huge grand epics that tend to take a larger-than-normal investment from the player. Lighter or simpler fare may be the ticket. ...I'm trying to think of a good example... and I want to say Ratchet & Clank, Prince of Persia: SoT or Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Ah! I've an idea. A very unusual game with themes not-at-all common in today's rpg or adventure titles: Okami! I've heard things about control on the Wii version, so try for PS2. It's also high-quality, but abundantly light-hearted and generally just a feel good time. It is grand and epic, however, so be prepared for 30 hours of gameplay.

If none of that sounds right, take a break and read some books. I suggest Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.

I...I've played Okami

. Although it was only once, and it was all the way through. I forgot to mention I have a rather large PS2 collection. Books are starting to sound better and better. They go hand-in-hand with that audio/visual fast I talked about in the OP. Thinking about it now though a PS2 stint might help. If what you guys say about "Serious games" is true then I'm amazed that I've lasted this long...I usually don't have anything but the best on my shelves or the odd title and series (Armored Core...of which I have all the games from PS1 and 2, save for Phantasma). I'll have to experiment with these ideas and see which one grabs me the most...a retro binge or a lot of reading combined with doing a different genre or even medium sounds nice. I wish I was more local to my band of friends so I could play some old Magic and some board games. This new WoW board game is pretty awesome. I've had to move into a social bat country to me because of....well that's a long story. Nevermind that. Thanks for all the help so far guys. If anybody else has more ideas, keep'em coming. The more to work with, the better.

minigunwielder wrote: »

Also, all of the games you've been playing recently aren't as good as people make them out to be, real fucking chores to slog through if your enthusiasm dampens the slightest bit.

Even the GOOD ones feel like chores. I recently tacked on Shivering Isles for Oblivion remembering that I had it, and it just feels like I'm working rather than enjoying.

mastrius · June 2008

This has happened to me recently, and I blame it on one thing, when you have so many damn games you dont know what to do anymore.

You may have completed them all sure but you most likely felt like you didnt want to during a lot of the play time and it was just too much, I ended up getting lots of games recently (around 2-3 months ago) and I also have Gamefly, what happened was somewhere around 5 games I wanted to play at the same time, so Id get bored of one, try the other, wanna play another, get bored of that, it was too much.

Same thing happened around the time halo 3 came out, SO many games came out right at the end of the year I never got to finish any of them but Halo 3, it was ridiculous, I tried getting back into them but couldnt, so I never finished Mass Effect, Bioshock, or even Eternal Sonata and Im a super RPG whore, I mean I LOVE Rpgs, that isnt normal for me, I remember going back through FF7 around a year ago and beating Emerald Weapon disc 2, RPGs are my LIFE.

So just take a break and maybe read some books, slowly get back into the games, maybe play a game you havent for a while, but in short bursts, dont do too much gaming or youll hate it, times like this suck but this is what I like to call a Game Overload, beware them, they are the downfall of fun.

MrMonroe · June 2008

Ahem. Go outside. You'll be back.

subedii · June 2008

MrMonroe wrote: »

Ahem. Go outside. You'll be back.

You don't know that! He could catch the cooties!

mastrius · June 2008

If he goes outside he may very well never return! How dare you try and expel your evil wishes upon him like that, tisk tisk dude, thats rough shit. I recommend playing a game that simulates the experience of being outside as going outside is actually just WAY too dangerous

Blutraserei · June 2008

Hahahaha.

Oh I go outside. To swim. Thats about it. I live in Florida. This time of year it's too damn hot out...and I only go for swims when it's raining out anymore. Or after its rained at that. I'd be out more often if my friends weren't all back "home" 3 hours away.

Xagarath · June 2008

Blutraserei wrote: »

minigunwielder wrote: »

Also, all of the games you've been playing recently aren't as good as people make them out to be, real fucking chores to slog through if your enthusiasm dampens the slightest bit.

Even the GOOD ones feel like chores. I recently tacked on Shivering Isles for Oblivion remembering that I had it, and it just feels like I'm working rather than enjoying.

I have to say Oblivion always felt like work to me, so that might not be you at all.

METAzraeL · June 2008

I've been going through this for a while. Even when I get new games that I enjoy, they usually just get put aside after a few hours and forgotten. The only game I've played in a while that thoroughly dragged me into it was Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer for the DS. It took me back to the snes days and is a fantastic roguelike to boot. You'll just need to find something, maybe a game reminiscent of your definitive gaming years as a kid, that sparks the old fascination.

However, if you're really not feeling it, you probably should take a break. Games will come in handy when you find yourself wanting to get lost with some alone time, but don't force it in the meantime.

Blutraserei · June 2008

METAzraeL wrote: »

I've been going through this for a while. Even when I get new games that I enjoy, they usually just get put aside after a few hours and forgotten. The only game I've played in a while that thoroughly dragged me into it was Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer for the DS. It took me back to the snes days and is a fantastic roguelike to boot. You'll just need to find something, maybe a game reminiscent of your definitive gaming years as a kid, that sparks the old fascination.

However, if you're really not feeling it, you probably should take a break. Games will come in handy when you find yourself wanting to get lost with some alone time, but don't force it in the meantime.

You might be on to something with this. I seem to remember enjoying and getting my head lost in the game easier when I was stressed by other things or had something going on in life. Right now I'm in the midst of an all around slump in life. Not a bad one. It's just like I'm idling. It's kind of annoying really. I'll have to get that fixed soon =P.

Also, I have to ask, what is the term "rougelike"? I've always seen that word thrown around in here, but have never been privy to its meaning.

METAzraeL · June 2008

I say, the next time you're sitting around all idle and want for something to do, come up with something else than picking up a game. Try something artistic, do some work around the home/whatever, call up a friend or head somewhere, etc etc. Make the games feel lonely, make them come to you :P

Roguelikes are essentially an old, arcadish take on rpg's. They're called that after the game Rogue, an rpg that came out in 1980, which the gameplay is usually modeled after. They usually involve randomized dungeons and items, steep difficulty, and death that causes you to lose all held items and experience. On paper, roguelikes sound brutal - I mean, who wants to lose all their stuff? In actuality, they're damn brutal

but the thing is, the challenge is invigorating, and the fact that the games are based around you losing everything actually serves to give a sense of freedom. Yeah, you just died on the 27th level (out of 30) with the most cracking gear around and now it's all gone...see what happens next time!

Morninglord · June 2008

I have a pretty lazy memory, so I am rarely burnt out by gaming overall. I'm more burnt out by specific gametypes. Give it a week and I can play again.
I love to read too so when I really don't have a game to play I'll go check out the local second hand book shop. Lots of my favourite authors have released lots of new yummy books while I've been busy gaming.

cliffski · June 2008

i recomend company of heroes or COD 4, or Galciv 2, just because those are the three games I'm stuck into right now.

Blutraserei · June 2008

Sorry for the 5 page bump.

I recently discovered I have a fresh copy. Bought-with-the-wrap-on copy of Tactics. Yes. I have a game in its purest form that I have never finished. Hell I never got past the first fight or two because for some reason I suck so bad at this game...or perhaps it just has a learning curve I'm not used to.

Someone help me out here. I know out of the lot of you there's probably plenty of folks who've beaten FFT like drunk husband. Tell me why I suck at nailing those archers in that one town battle or why the hell a random encounter hands me my ass.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am ashamed of myself for not being able to figure this one out, and yet play anywhere from satisfactory to quite well in every other thing I pick up.

Penny Arcade

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