Post-game depression is now being studied as a measurable phenomenon, with researchers identifying how finishing a video game can leave players feeling empty, reflective, and emotionally drained.
In fairness, a lot of the games I’ve played that did this did have interesting side plots that I would have been pissed if I had to start a new playthrough to see.
I straight up stopped playing Silksong when I got to the endgame bosses. I’m not ready to say goodbye. I’m lucky to have unfinished business with older games in my collection, but I’ve also literally bought and beaten other games since then as well. It’s an emotional reluctance for sure.
I get that. For me the first playthrough carries with it an emotional finality because my time is more limited, and I know I’m too drawn to new games to linger once I have a sense of completion. A game has only to cleverly deny me that feeling, and I’ll spend hundreds of hours on it. Slay the Spire did that well, but I know Silksong won’t - because the story hits harder.
Remaining sideplots still being playable has never sped me up. I get stuck in “side quest pergatory” as I’m worried I’m finishing the campaign too fast, from both a story perspective and from fearing I’m not leveled up enough.
Used to get that a lot, but now days you can keep playing most games even after final credits so there is absence of the finality in the games.
Tough books hit hard still.
In fairness, a lot of the games I’ve played that did this did have interesting side plots that I would have been pissed if I had to start a new playthrough to see.
I straight up stopped playing Silksong when I got to the endgame bosses. I’m not ready to say goodbye. I’m lucky to have unfinished business with older games in my collection, but I’ve also literally bought and beaten other games since then as well. It’s an emotional reluctance for sure.
Just throwing out that I’m on my third silksong playthrough and still having a blast. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye either.
I get that. For me the first playthrough carries with it an emotional finality because my time is more limited, and I know I’m too drawn to new games to linger once I have a sense of completion. A game has only to cleverly deny me that feeling, and I’ll spend hundreds of hours on it. Slay the Spire did that well, but I know Silksong won’t - because the story hits harder.
Remaining sideplots still being playable has never sped me up. I get stuck in “side quest pergatory” as I’m worried I’m finishing the campaign too fast, from both a story perspective and from fearing I’m not leveled up enough.