I'm starting to feel it with Hollow Knight as I approach the end. I will definitely buy and beat it again if it ever comes to PS4. I haven't enjoyed a game in this style this much since the king of the genre SOTN.
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Post-game depression
- Thread starter Hong
- Start date
I had a hard come down going from Wolfenstein 2, EW2 to Witcher 3. Enjoyed the gameplay of those two so much more.
Everytime I finish a big game but have another big one coming out 7-10 Days later it's a bummer because I hold off starting a new game.
For example: finished Yakuza Zero maybe mid Feb 2017, didn't buy Horizon because I knew Zelda was 3/3
Everytime I finish a big game but have another big one coming out 7-10 Days later it's a bummer because I hold off starting a new game.
For example: finished Yakuza Zero maybe mid Feb 2017, didn't buy Horizon because I knew Zelda was 3/3
Are you aware that depression and medically diagnosed depression are two separate things? The former word has existed and used for this very purpose long before it was used to describe the almost perpetual state of depression caused by the disorder.
Also for me, yes, it can some times put me into an actual major episode. Some people get very invested in games. Taking them away is like removing a close friend.
Depression is something many people can experience. You are not special because you have the disorder that makes it chronic and causeless.
The misconception happens because normally depression needs a cause (such as removal from am intimate emotional investment), and will normally clear up given time.
The disorder, which I have, arrives without a legitimate cause and will hang around indefinitely and will continue to do so chronically. It is also sometimes far more intense than every day depression.
But actually feeling depressed is something the every day person can and does experience.
If you want to educate people about MDD then it's probably best to learn about it and why it happens and what the actual disorder is.
It is clear to me that many people in this thread do truly feel depressed after a long emotional investment in a game. Some people just "feel bad." But you do not need to have MDD to be emotionally affected by a video game. Nor to feel a profound sense of depression when one is over.
Spreading misinformation is not how to educate people.
Especially because many people experience depression for a number of reasons. Yes, just the same as someone with the actual disorder. So when you tell someone that the feeling they have isn't significant or legitimate. That they don't experience that emotion. That they can't understand you. Then you shut off necessary components of empathy.
We don't need to delegitimize other people's experiences. Depression happens to everyone. Some people will think they have the disorder and use that as an excuse to wallow in a self pittied negative existence and think that hey since I'm clearly depressed, that means I must have depression. When sometimes all they need is to just get off their ass and straighten their life out.
Some people then have been in that situation. This is literally where the misunderstanding comes from. When you make depression the name of the disorder, then you make every person who was able to get out of their non MDD depression think that it's not a disorder. You make them think "well I was depressed and I got out of it. You should be able to too."
Refusing to make the distinction is exactly the cause of the problem here. It is where the misinformation and misunderstanding comes from.
Quit delegitimizing other people's experiences.
Instead, explain to them that you have a disease that makes depression causeless and chronic. Use that common understanding to go, "Hey, remember that one terrible experience you had? Remember how it wrecked you for a whole month but then you were able to get over it? Well, MDD is a disorder where that depression happens for no reason. You'll just be going along and suddenly you start getting depressed. Maybe want to kill yourself. And this could last for a very long time. For some people it is constant and pretty much unchanging. Some people have manic depression. But regardless, it id a disease that takes that normal emotional state and makes it 10x worse. Imagine the guilt that happens because you know it's not legitimate. You try to motivate yourself and nothing works. You feel more than everyone else like you should be able to just "get over it" but you can't, because it's not the kind of depression you may have experienced. It's a disease that willpower can't overcome. It's a causeless, perpetual agony and helplessness that traps you for no discernable reason. Take what you experienced and imagine it being chronic with very little to relieve it and that being inconsistent at best."
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Life is Strange is absolutely an example of this for me. It took me a few days to get down from my emotional high after finishing the original game. I didn't want to leave that world and those characters behind, although eventually I came around and got back to normal.
I didn't even finished The Witcher 3. I know for a fact I subconsciously didn't want to finish the game and leave it all behind, so I just stopped to save myself lol.
I didn't even finished The Witcher 3. I know for a fact I subconsciously didn't want to finish the game and leave it all behind, so I just stopped to save myself lol.
This is basically me right now, with the exact same game. Everything else looks boring or inferior by comparison.
Persona 4 gave me this feeling too after I finished it for the first time. To me, it seems to happen with particularly long games that genuinely impacted me on an emotional level.
I played so much Dark Souls that I finished it 8 times and felt empty when I was done. Was soiled for a whole year, not touching any other game in that genre.
I had this big time with Witcher 3. I literally stopped playing games for like weeks after that.
Then I started the game again.
Then I started the game again.
Just recently God of War made me feel this way. It had an interesting story that didn't involve TEH END OF THE WORLDZ, likable characters and a strong emotional core. I was stunned when I realized I was playing the ending because of how fast it came along.
It's weird, I loved the previous games to death when they came out, but this one just puts them to utter shame.
It's weird, I loved the previous games to death when they came out, but this one just puts them to utter shame.
OP
OP
I just want to say thank you for your involvement in this thread. It's very insightful seeing someone with MDD talk about this in detail. I learned a lot. Also awesome that you started a more positive thread.
What I wanted to make clear with the Life is Strange example, is that sometimes it's more than feeling sad or empty. I'm not depressed, but right now I'm kind of at a low point. Thinking about my own life and the meaning of it all, reflecting that to LiS. I realize that life... kind of sucks. I'm getting older now, getting a job etc. When I play LiS I get teleported into my younger self. I wish I could still be at that age. Young and free. Real life just doesn't compare to fiction. The adventures they go through and the relationships they have. When thinking about that, I can only describe it as a depressing feeling.
With Witcher 3 I meant that game was so intense and amazing, I just can't think of anything else but that game (which is what most examples in this thread are about). With Life is Strange I'm not only thinking about the game, but also real life.
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I've had it with good books. You put the book back into the shelf and feel like you've somewhat lost a great friendship and companion with some protagonists for good, but then you keep thinking about them. Good narrative games achieve similair things, especially those in first perspective like Metro or Bioshock Infinite.
I would advise the OT to use the word depression more seriously though. Being sad about something is very far from depression in the medical sense. We use the word 'depression' all too lighlty these days.
I would advise the OT to use the word depression more seriously though. Being sad about something is very far from depression in the medical sense. We use the word 'depression' all too lighlty these days.
Happened to me after Tales of Symphonia, Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii), The Witcher 3, The Last Guardian, Uncharted 4 and most recently God of War.
It was especially severe after The Witcher 3, because on top of the regular post game depression and the end of the series I also got the worst game ending, even though I thought I did well. I know from many others that the ending that I am talking about was a heavy gut punch and that they felt hundreds of hours of dedication were ultimately ruined by it. A couple months later I played through the entire game again, making sure I got the right ending that time. I felt a lot better after that and about the game in its entirety.
To not spoiler anything but to spare new players a big disappointment: You'll be alright if you act as Ciri's best friend, not her overprotective father!
It was especially severe after The Witcher 3, because on top of the regular post game depression and the end of the series I also got the worst game ending, even though I thought I did well. I know from many others that the ending that I am talking about was a heavy gut punch and that they felt hundreds of hours of dedication were ultimately ruined by it. A couple months later I played through the entire game again, making sure I got the right ending that time. I felt a lot better after that and about the game in its entirety.
To not spoiler anything but to spare new players a big disappointment: You'll be alright if you act as Ciri's best friend, not her overprotective father!
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Times that I really felt that:
- Panzer Dragoon Saga
- Shadows of Memories
- Metal Gear Solid 2
- Persona 3
- Persona 4
- God of War 2018
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Times when I was so overwhelmed with thoughts on the game I was dead inside:
- Silent Hill 2
These are the most remarkable I can remember. But everytime I finish up a game I always feel a mix of joy and sadness. It is a bittersweet feeling
Note: nothing to do with depression lol
- Panzer Dragoon Saga
- Shadows of Memories
- Metal Gear Solid 2
- Persona 3
- Persona 4
- God of War 2018
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Times when I was so overwhelmed with thoughts on the game I was dead inside:
- Silent Hill 2
These are the most remarkable I can remember. But everytime I finish up a game I always feel a mix of joy and sadness. It is a bittersweet feeling
Note: nothing to do with depression lol
Only few games have ever done it for me. The main was a few years ago when I played the entire Mass Effect trilogy back to back. I played no other games in the time it took to complete all three games with DLC.
After I finished I didn't even play another game for almost a month. Didn't think anything else would compare to that complete package.
After I finished I didn't even play another game for almost a month. Didn't think anything else would compare to that complete package.
Yes, there are few games which did that to me.
Portal 2 is one such example. I just felt so empty after that game. It's a short game, but the story and everything about it was so intense, that I just couldn't let it go. I wanted to stay with Chell and see what will happen next. I wanted to discover more secrets about Apperture Science, to learn more about the characters that may have survived the "incident", to get to know what happened to the crazy scientist. I had so many questions, and I knew that they won't be answered.
Luckily I discovered that there is a Portal 2 fanfiction called Blue Sky, that continues exactly where Portal 2 ends.
Also Witcher 3 is another good example. It was not easy to let it go. I couldn't touch another RPG til today, and even if I did, they were all benchmarked by Witcher 3.
Half-Life games also always had that effect on me.
Also Max Payne 1 and 2 (Max Payne 3 is not a Max Payne game for me, it more like Big Bald Dude(TM))
Portal 2 is one such example. I just felt so empty after that game. It's a short game, but the story and everything about it was so intense, that I just couldn't let it go. I wanted to stay with Chell and see what will happen next. I wanted to discover more secrets about Apperture Science, to learn more about the characters that may have survived the "incident", to get to know what happened to the crazy scientist. I had so many questions, and I knew that they won't be answered.
Luckily I discovered that there is a Portal 2 fanfiction called Blue Sky, that continues exactly where Portal 2 ends.
Also Witcher 3 is another good example. It was not easy to let it go. I couldn't touch another RPG til today, and even if I did, they were all benchmarked by Witcher 3.
Half-Life games also always had that effect on me.
Also Max Payne 1 and 2 (Max Payne 3 is not a Max Payne game for me, it more like Big Bald Dude(TM))
Haven't had this feeling for YEARS.
Mass Effect 2, Halo 3 and Reach, Assassins Creed Brotherhood. Can't recall others.
Mass Effect 2, Halo 3 and Reach, Assassins Creed Brotherhood. Can't recall others.
You sound exactly like me! With games I really like I always sort of get this feeling whenever I notice I'm near the end of the game I usually don't feel like finishing it because then it's finite, it's over, I can never experience something new in this story again. Sometimes it happens that a while later I get over this feeling and then finish it, sometimes I take too long and forget the story so I have to restart too and at other times when a sequel is announced or close to release I get all excited and finish the game in anticipation of the sequel. I have this with anime too :P
Last time I got this was after The Last of Us
It was mainly to do with the feel of the game. TloU is so grounded and feels so real, no other game I could play would match that. No other game would scratch that itch. Everything else would feel dumb and gamey
It was mainly to do with the feel of the game. TloU is so grounded and feels so real, no other game I could play would match that. No other game would scratch that itch. Everything else would feel dumb and gamey
It's funny this thread should pop up.
I didn't like Fallout 4, at least the story, the characters, the quests. It's all so bland, poorly thought out and lacking and motivation. The game should have never had a voiced protagonist then proceed to force the character to not be able to find his son but instead help establish a crappy settlement. Just awful. And Bethesda doesn't realize how long 200 years actually is.
But these past two weeks when I was getting through all the DLC I found myself enjoying the gameplay again. The gameplay is rather satisfying and the combat is not bad. The loop of explode, kill and loot is very good. When I was all done with the terrible Nuka World DLC and I deleted the game, I just sat there.
I didn't have that gameplay loop again. So for a couple days I struggled to enjoy any game.
I didn't like Fallout 4, at least the story, the characters, the quests. It's all so bland, poorly thought out and lacking and motivation. The game should have never had a voiced protagonist then proceed to force the character to not be able to find his son but instead help establish a crappy settlement. Just awful. And Bethesda doesn't realize how long 200 years actually is.
But these past two weeks when I was getting through all the DLC I found myself enjoying the gameplay again. The gameplay is rather satisfying and the combat is not bad. The loop of explode, kill and loot is very good. When I was all done with the terrible Nuka World DLC and I deleted the game, I just sat there.
I didn't have that gameplay loop again. So for a couple days I struggled to enjoy any game.
Lots of games. But only remember some of them for now:
MGS3&4
BioShock Infinite
Mass Effect 3:
MGS3&4
BioShock Infinite
Mass Effect 3:
Finished two of those games (TLoU and TWD) and completely agree with you.
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I recall having post-game depression with Dark Souls because it was such a bittersweet ending. It took 100+ hours to finish it with my friend. Another game would be Catherine.....I love that game for my own personal reasons because it was deep and compelling to say the least. Also, MGS2.
Bioshock Infinite and the ending of Mass Effect 3 both had a very powerful impact on me. I loved them both.
Happened to me quite a lot recently. The Phantom Pain. Witcher 3. Breath of the Wild. Persona 5. Games that are so good, they make you wonder what to do with your life once you've finished them ;__;
Agree 100%
Hollow Knight is one of the best metroidvania games I've ever played.
Happened to me quite a few times.
Recently hapened with Persona 5, GoW, Witcher 3 and Bioshock Infinite but I feel like the post depression isnt as bad as it used to be (v. when i was a teenager). Now whenever I am having them feels its prolly only last a few mins before i got occupied with my wife or my son
Recently hapened with Persona 5, GoW, Witcher 3 and Bioshock Infinite but I feel like the post depression isnt as bad as it used to be (v. when i was a teenager). Now whenever I am having them feels its prolly only last a few mins before i got occupied with my wife or my son
I'm experiencing this right now after finishing The House in Fata Morgana. That seriously was one of the best stories I ever experienced, with some amazing art and soundtrack to complement it.
I was super engrossed in the world of Death Stranding. Played over 100 hours of it and got the Platinum trophy. Couldn't really start a game properly for about a week after finishing the game.
Recently felt similar with Ghost of Tsushima after finishing it and getting the Plat.
Recently felt similar with Ghost of Tsushima after finishing it and getting the Plat.
OP
OP
Huh, it's funny to see this post again. Gotta say that I haven't felt like what I described in the OP since I made this topic. I'm at a different point in life now and I don't get as emotionally invested anymore.
A break definitely helps. I recommend it, or else you might hate the games you play or fly through them without giving it serious attention.
A break definitely helps. I recommend it, or else you might hate the games you play or fly through them without giving it serious attention.
Dark Souls with me. Played it like mad until NG+7 and after that, I didn't play a game for the next two months because nothing could even remotely match the emotions that Dark Souls caused.
Such a great gaming experience, truly special at the time.
Such a great gaming experience, truly special at the time.
The first TLOU did this to me and now the sequel has lol...thanks a lot Druckmann :P
And I finished the thing just a few days after launch and I still think about it daily in some capacity. There's been no story in a game that has hit that hard or resonated that strongly with me, and does so in a way even very few films have managed for me. I was talking about the plot and dissecting characters and story beats days after I initially completed it, in a way I rarely do with anything else. It also helped that the audio visual presentation felt like a leap ahead. It's been a long time since a game had that effect on me just from a visual standpoint as well, I recognize great graphics but rarely do I feel that appreciable leap feeling like I felt with this. Just an insanely immersive and ridiculously detailed world that's downright intoxicating to explore and inhabit. I was on my fourth playthrough the last time I picked it up, I almost never do that with linear narrative driven games. Of course it helps how immensely satisfying the sandbox combat areas are.
I've managed to enjoy some other games since like Paper Beast but otherwise a lot of other new releases just haven't grabbed me, and I do think that's due just how stellar TLOUII is.
And I finished the thing just a few days after launch and I still think about it daily in some capacity. There's been no story in a game that has hit that hard or resonated that strongly with me, and does so in a way even very few films have managed for me. I was talking about the plot and dissecting characters and story beats days after I initially completed it, in a way I rarely do with anything else. It also helped that the audio visual presentation felt like a leap ahead. It's been a long time since a game had that effect on me just from a visual standpoint as well, I recognize great graphics but rarely do I feel that appreciable leap feeling like I felt with this. Just an insanely immersive and ridiculously detailed world that's downright intoxicating to explore and inhabit. I was on my fourth playthrough the last time I picked it up, I almost never do that with linear narrative driven games. Of course it helps how immensely satisfying the sandbox combat areas are.
I've managed to enjoy some other games since like Paper Beast but otherwise a lot of other new releases just haven't grabbed me, and I do think that's due just how stellar TLOUII is.
I've never had this with games, only anime.
I just know I have a bajillion gigatons of awesome games still waiting for me to boot them up even once before I die. With anime, I often had to look up sites to see what I could even watch next. There was this constant dread that I had already watched everything good (lol). Obviously bs, but since I don't really keep lists of stuff I must watch, I'm not prepared for the void that a good show will leave me with after the final episode.
I just know I have a bajillion gigatons of awesome games still waiting for me to boot them up even once before I die. With anime, I often had to look up sites to see what I could even watch next. There was this constant dread that I had already watched everything good (lol). Obviously bs, but since I don't really keep lists of stuff I must watch, I'm not prepared for the void that a good show will leave me with after the final episode.
