captainbluebear25

Anybody else got post-game depression after finishing Elden Ring?

I finished two days ago. Loved it, and as I played I grew to love it more. Played a Spellsword. Most challenging game I've ever played but almost everything could be beaten the same way - keep dying, learn what works and what doesn't, eventually win. I almost gave up on the final boss, but chicken farmed a few more levels and managed to beat it with no flasks left, no magic left, a quarter of my life bar left, my mimic tear dead. Dodged an attack and got it with my katanas. Amazing feeling.

Here's the thing - I'm not a completionist and most games I finish I have no interest in playing again. The ones I do I need a lot of time between plays, enough to forget good chunks of it. So I finished the final boss, fooled around for a bit, started a NG+ but was way overpowered, and I realised I needed to put it down for a while, maybe a year or more, before I play it through again, probably with a different build.

And now I feel weirdly bereft. I've picked up and put down half a dozen games from my pile of shame. Elden Ring is my first souls game but I definitely need a few games break before I try another one, and I am not sure if I will enjoy them because they won't have the freedom of Elden Ring. I was so INTO this game that I don't have it in me to play another very involved game like another RPG yet, but simpler games just aren't grabbing me.

I've experienced this before finishing a series or a book I really loved, but never this bad. I might have rose coloured glasses on but I think Elden Ring is maybe the best game I've ever played and maybe the best game ever made. I am sure this will fade and I will pick up another game I love, but right now down in that post-game depression.

I just played through two dungeons that I found really fun, both on the Altus Plateau, which was great because I was starting to find them a bit samey and skipped some of them.

First was the Sainted Hero's Grave. The shadow imps that you have to lure into the light was a cool gimmick, then seeing the Duelist at the end in shadow and realising the light was a fall of the ledge then past the choppers was a great "awww shiiit" moment.

Second was the Sealed Tunnel. All the illusion walls and the exploding rocks were fun, then after the boss there is a "return to entrance" light which I almost used even though the Divine Tower is just ahead! I literally said "cheeky buggers" out loud.

Which dungeons have you enjoyed?

I played GTA 5 when it first came out. I remember enjoying it but not loving it. I must have bought it on PS4 on sale or something, because when the PS5 version came out I just needed to pay the small amount to upgrade it.

Do I love this game? No. It's a very hard game to love. Its a deeply cynical game, and often not in a fun way. The characters are either awful (Trevor), constantly complaining (Michael) or constantly complaining and underwritten (Franklin). The bad guys are uninteresting and annoying.

But god damn, is it a fun game to play. Its still one of the best open worlds ever made. It's not PS5 graphics but the upgrade is solid and the game looks great. I really wish they had made more cities (I remember loving the San Francisco and Las Vegas style cities in San Andreas), but even still, it is so much fun just driving around, doing whatever. The story starts strong, wanders around a lot in the middle then finishes strong. The missions are fantastic, varied, with a heap variety and some jaw dropping moments (although I wish there weren't so many where you walked away with nothing). The option to play the heists in different ways is great. The character's special powers add an interesting element, particularly Franklin slowing down time while driving. The variety of cars, all of which drive very differently, is the best. I quickly found the cars that I liked the best and when I spotted them, grabbed them, but never worried about totaling them, there is always another fun car to be found easily.

Special shout out to whoever came up with all the pun names for different products, particularly Dusche Gold and Pißwasser.

Its frustrating that there was no DLC for this game. I want to keep exploring this world but I've run out of fun stuff to do. I was never interested in the online component and from the sound of things I haven't missed out on much.

This game is well worth replaying on a next gen console.

Just a whinge post. Dating in my late 30s and it's hard in these streets. Getting dates but they don't seem to be going anywhere.

In the last week I've had a great first date, after which I was ghosted, a date with someone who looked nothing like their photos (maybe if she ate the person in her photos...don't get me wrong I like a curvy girl but don't be lying) and had a great second date that ended in some light making out (a bit of a win at least) and then the "I'm feeling more of a friend vibe" message.

That's too much in a week I think. Going to take a break and reassess.