"What should i do with my life" kind of games

We all know this feeling. You finish what is probably one of the greatest games youve ever played, and then youre all like "What should i do my life now?".

I wanna know what games made you feel like that. For me it was PS:T and To The Moon.

Amberstar, PS:T, Ultima 7, Wizardry 7, Bards Tale 2, Daggerfall, World of Xeen.

I invested a lot of time and energy in these games and after finishing them I had this "Hochgefühl" (is it "elation" in English?) and actually wanted to continue but couldn't.
Emptyness ...

I'd call it an empty feeling and I've had it often. Too often to really mention all the games, but it's become very rare for me these days.

The last game to give me this sensation was my replay of Bioshock Infinite and the 2 story DLCs.

The credits music was particularly effective in getting that strange feeling to stick - and it took me a few days to shake it.

Such a profound experience for me, that game. Not really sure why. It just hit a nerve in a big way.

I haven't' experienced that with games as such. There are a few book series where I get what you are saying.

Although its totally not what you were meaning, I have experienced the "What AM I doing with my life." when I have walked out of theaters because the movie was so brainless or retarded.
Napolean Dynamite, Anger Management, Clash of the Titans.

"What should i do with my life" kind of games

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There is only one such game series that allows you do do things with your life - Sims.

Oh sorry, you're talking about something else?
No game left me wanting to commit a suicide after finishing it, sorry. Or a book or something. Masterpieces are everywhere, you just need to find them. Just keep in mind some old phrase that one man's garbage is another man's treasure. And vice versa.

While not going suicidal, some "masterpiece" games did made me wishing to kill their devs and everyone who ever suggested me to play them.

...I haven't felt this way about a game in a long, long time - probably only Torment. I think it's less game-specific and more dependent on age and external circumstances.

But, regardless, this is the beauty of MMO's: they're [almost] always there for you. Like a slowly festering corpuscle of a relationship, you descend from infatuation into stark madness. You're given plenty of time to distance yourself from the game!

The LAST game to do that for me was probably BG2: Throne of Bhaal & Fallout 1 & 2. The commonality between them was having the cutscene at the end talking about what happened when the game is beaten. I remember being a little saddened hearing how my PC's life ended up after completing the game with the Viconia romance. My poor, sweet, misunderstood Viconia.

Oh, yes, Fallout 1 DEFINITELY !

Wizardry 1, baulders gate 2, DAO, Dark Souls.

Despite gaming being one of my greatest passions, I've never had that kind of thought after finishing a game. To be honest, the concept seems silly to me.

Wisdom said:

Although its totally not what you were meaning, I have experienced the "What AM I doing with my life." when I have walked out of theaters because the movie was so brainless or retarded.
Napolean Dynamite, Anger Management, Clash of the Titans.

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I actually like Napolean Dynamite.

Some people just have more passion than others

Ultima VII. Man, I drew out the time I could spend on this almost indefinitely. I played it several hours a day, every day, for several months. I started over several times. I ran through forests and deserts just because I thought it was awesome (and I didn't mind the lag - it made everything last longer!). I purposely avoided finishing that game. I think after about half a year I felt I had done everything, but still didn't want to finish it.

Ah, the procrastination of youth. No, scratch that - I'm still like that.

This is a very badly worded title, lol.

The ol' debate about 'doing something with your life' versus doing xyz pass-time is an endlessly amusing one. You'll most likely find that people who get addicted to xyz activity are people who have already come to the conclusion that they're not going to be either Donald Trump or Poll Pot anyway and are merely people who then, and only then, 'resign' themselves to another (pointless?) activity.

Someone who lives, eats and sleeps a sport (but doesn't get paid for it) is no different to someone who lives, eats and sleeps a sporting computer game(s) - the only difference being that one is (potentially) more socially active and therefore automatically attains easier social acceptability instead of auto-no-lifer comments.

The vast majority of people in life (like 99%) do fuck all in their spare time, but it seems 99% of people have such a rigid and definite idea on what's a 'correct' type of fuck all! Which then changes depending on whosever's money's going to whichever's politician's debating sheet.


On the topic of the thread, yes, I've had that sensation with games before. It's like the feeling you get coming back from a great holiday or an utterly unforgettable 3 day party. It's like, my god, how could that end? Why does that have to end? What is this sudden brick wall of a return to routine that seems suddenly empty? Like coming down from a drug I suppose, the stark difference between a game which took you to the moon at the exact right point in the game and suddenly looking at a desktop game of Solitaire…

I tend to get that upon completing every game I genuinely enjoy. The extent to which it lasts depends on how many games I have ready to play next combined with the amount of free-time that exists upon completing said near-masterpiece. Can be a few minutes, can be a few hours.

Name a game? The last time it happened noticeably was probably when I completed Broken Sword 2 a week or two back. The last time it happened as the result of an epic game that was totally new to me? Probably King's Bounty: The Legend or Dragon Age: Awakenings (I was quite ready for NWN2 to end by the time it ended, lol).

Like several others here: Planescape:Torment. And maybe, just maaayyybeee U7. Can't think of anything else.

pibbur who got the same feeling after he finished reading Lord of the Rings.

joxer said:

No game left me wanting to commit a suicide after finishing it, sorry. Or a book or something.

While not going suicidal, some "masterpiece" games did made me wishing to kill their devs and everyone who ever suggested me to play them.

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From the topic to suicide is one hell of a jump.

I've definitely felt this before, but I can't remember which games made me feel that way. I think Final Fantasy 7, for sure, and maybe Final Fantasy X.

Actually, The Last of Us just gave me that kind of feeling

Wisdom said:

I haven't' experienced that with games as such. There are a few book series where I get what you are saying.

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Same here. Don't have that as much with games, but books… Man, if it's good, it leaves me sad and empty when the series ends.

Yes, Lord of the Rings did that to me the first time I read it.

I only got to playing Ultima IV after studying philosophy at university, which I think deepened that experience and made completing the game genuinely more fulfilling and compelling due to the constant "inner monologue" that the game helped create.
Consequently, I remember saying to friends that the game wasn't so much about being and acting good, but rather it explored what it meant to be good.

I don't think I've had the lack of certainty as to what I should be doing too often as it were after playing a game, but a sense of existential angst and the weight of worldly concerns? Sure, I've felt that on occasion.

Well, It was a very long time ago I got such a feeling… ussually it'd be some japanese visual novell games that'd give it to me, as their stories is a lot deeper and more complex than any normal game. It's hard to find games which such a great story, depth and immersion though.

I also get it in a more negative sense each time I try playing skyrim ( I still kind of think that magically it'd start getting good since I heard so much praise about it ), I get the feeling I am wasting my precious time and feel that I should do something else with my very limited precious free time except gaming. It is quickly mended by statring up another game though so it is not so bad!