It has come to my attention that a number of you have finished Mass Effect 2.
Now, let me bring to your attention that the game has been out for NINE FUCKING DAYS.
Last night, I had just enough time to do maybe an hour's worth of side missions (one of which I had me out-glitching a game-breaking glitch; big ups to the forums @ social.bioware.com), which I'm wrapping up before I plunge through the Mu Relay.
That's how I have to do a lot of my gaming now. An hour here, an hour there, and some days, none at all. Last weekend, for example, the Lady and I took a weekend 'off,' dropped the boy with my parents, and rented a hotel room downtown. I didn't play a single game, and I was glad not to, since I was so wrapped up in just being with my lovely wife.
That being said, I was more than ready to jump back into both Mass Effect 2 and Return to Ostagar once I got back.
I was actually recounting for my wife those months before we decided to get married, when I was living here, in St. Louis, by myself, and doing nothing but working 50 hours a week while living five minutes from my job. I would work 10 hours a day, hang out and drink w/ friends, and play the fuck out of my games. I remember my XBox seizing up just as I was almost done with the original KotOR, and having to a) break the disc out of the machine, and b) start my game over on a new XBox that I procured about an hour later.
Getting married and having a child changed all of that.
First off, I did not want to be that loser guy who ignored his child's development in favor of leveling a character, and I also didn't want to be that guy who sat in front of a television with a retarded grin while some other far more manly man fucked his wife.
So, over the years, my game-playing reduced and reduced, and I feel like it's now leveled off. I can play 1-2 hours a day, and I'm cool with that.
What sucks about that, though, is you motherfuckers who do nothing BUT play games kinda set the pace for the world-wide discussion about 'new game X.' What happens then is two things, equally retarded. One, you artificially shorten the 'shelf-life' of a game and encourage the ADD mentality among the gaming press in terms of how long a game should be discussed, and b) the only people talking about a playthrough of a game are those that rushed through it as fast as possible, instead of taking their time and looking for everything. Thus, the discussion of the final product is being led by a bunch of schizophrenic, sugar-buzzed 'tard monkeys who have been 'doing the Dew' for too long to be recognized as human anymore, and they're screeching about helmets not being removable while masturbating to EDI's voice.
Even if I could play more than I do now, I'd still be taking my sweet time with the game, since I like to leave no stone unturned, and I want to really max out the experience.
I also think that having a full life outside of gaming is critical when maintaining your perspective while roleplaying. When I play an RPG, I roleplay the shit out of it, and the fact that I have a life full of experiences definitely informs my character.
So, yeah, if you've already finished Mass Effect 2, it's time to re-examine your life, or it's time to actually play a full game.
If your playthrough is less than 50 hours, you missed a lot of shit. Just sayin'.
Quick Hits
- I finished 'Return to Ostagar.' Had I played this in the thick of my initial Dragon Age: Origins playthrough, it would've been a lot more impactful. For $5, I'd say it's well worth it. I got a few hours out of it, it led to some interesting discussions in my party, it tied up some loose ends nicely, and it delivered quite a shock to my system in one scene. Looking forward to integrating it into future playthroughs.
- I played through a little of BioShock 2. It's gonna take me a while to get used to this franchise again, but the little I played seemed alright. This game is shelved until Mass Effect 2 is done, though. Like your mom said, 'one at a time, boys, one at a time.'
- I'm really looking forward to both AvP and the new Ace Attorney next week. Each will satisfy opposite sides of the brain. This is where the new backlog really starts to build, though.
So, what do you have to say for yourself?
-Blaine
Posts
Dragon Age Day 2023
4 months ago
Hear hear. It's hard being an adult, let alone a responsible adult. You're lucky you get 1-2 hours a day though. I get around 2 or 3 hours per WEEK on weeknights, with hopefully a couple of hours on the weekend.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I struggle with balancing my want (or need, depending how you look at it ) to game with keeping my wife satisfied and living my 'real' life. Being in a band makes it that much tougher. Every time I show up to rehearsal and bomb on a song, I get the "whatcha been doin', gamin' instead of practicin'" shpeel. And then I end up feeling guilty while gaming instead of practicing guitar.
My wife tends to go to bed early (say 8-ish) and watches a little tube while drifting off. It pains me to stay out in the living room thinking that she MAY be in there feeling neglected and horny while gunfire and expletives pour out of the living room. She, in fact, tells me she has no problem with it, as long as I'm not out there every night for 3 or 4 hours. So I limit myself to playing when she's out with friends, shopping, on the phone, or an occasional game or two before joining her in bed.
Does it bother me? Not really. I feel like it helps keep me balanced. Like you, I was a gaming fiend when I was single. Now, instead of playing MAG for 6 hours, crashing from 2a to 5am, and coming to work in a daze, I read some WH40K fiction and drift off. I still get my escapism, but right by her side.
Would I rather be beating all of my games, easily putting 50-80 hours a week in? Not really.
But the helmets SHOULD be removable! Ha ha.
ReplyDeleteToo many games come at us way too fast. I hate how quickly games get shoved aside to accommodate the new s--t. Now, I am guilty of powering through ME2 because this was one of those rare occasions I didn't want anything spoiled. (Most of my time was played in the middle of the night which I do not recommend). However, I usually like to play one game over a long span of time (if it's good) and be able to talk about it months from when it is finished. Those days are gone. Blah.
What with the anxiety and all, I have way too much time for gaming, ha ha. Though believe me, if I could spend that time doing more physical recreational activities with humans of the female variety, I would.
ReplyDeleteI did, however, soak in Mass Effect 2 like it properly should be soaked in. I ended up clocking in at 46 hours, so I basically spent as much time with it as you did. I was just allowed more hours in the day to get it done, ha ha. One-hundred-percented it, too, and finished a second playthrough on Insanity that took another 42 hours. I can't get enough.
Though, yes, I agree that we tend to burn through games way too quickly. We never savor them, and are already asking for the sequel before the game's been out for a month. That's definitely a problem.
I'd be excited for the new Phoenix Wright as well, as Edgeworth is awesome. However, I still have three Phoenix Wright games to get through beforehand. I can't tell you how many DS games sit on my shelf, lonely, unplayed. Speaking of, you getting the new Pokemans? We can trade and braid each others hair!