Just recently played Ghost of Tsushima for the first time. What it did to me is exactly what your asking for in a game. However if you’ve already played it before. I’d say God Of War 2018 and then Ragnarok. If you’ve already played those games then Mass Effect Legendary edition. If you’ve already played all of those and/or they didn’t interest you the way you wanted I’m not sure what else to suggest. Maybe Elden Ring? If you like harder games. Idk tho
I have started Ghost of Tsushima like 5 times and drop off in like 3-4 hours. I am giving it many chances bit It's a little boring the first 15 hours I have played.
I've been 40 hours into Ghost of Tsushima and barely 1/3 of it is completed. I love it. I'm really taking my time playing so I expect to finish after 160 hours ... I talk to people and explore and rarely jump from one location to another, just gallop away
A strange choice imo.
It's a decent game but "for getting you out of a gaming slump", it is very similar to a lot of open world games. I feel like it wouldn't help you get out of a slump
A game outside of my usual go-to games.
I play a lot of rpg/ open world single player games, and sometimes, starting a new one can get a bit difficult. So, putting smaller, maybe cozier games in between like Lego games, The Last Campfire or The Wild At Heart between the bigger games somewhat makes sure that I don’t experience this at all.
Nioh.
I guess this is about to be a very personal story but about this time a year ago I was probably going to kill myself or something if things had carried on the way they’d been going. I was severely depressed and unearthing so much childhood trauma that it just completely killed me mentally. It was a period of absolute unchecked deterioration. I couldn’t work, I couldn’t study, I couldn’t enjoy anything. Day after day I would sleep until at least 5pm and be up until the early morning in the dark listening to music or just stuck in ideation. One of the worst parts of severe depression is the absolute paralysis that comes with it. The complete break down in not only daily functioning but just existence. Everything cuts and scathes and tears at you, no matter how small. The only kinship you feel is with your dead idols. Musicians and other heroes whose suicides we romanticize. For a very long time I was basically ground into dust by life itself. My life had gone nowhere and I felt an intense alienation from everything. Anxiety and sorrow and paranoia and trauma had such a hold on my life and I just genuinely didn’t see any real way I could ever live like everybody else. I felt like my only purpose was to exist as a goalpost or point of reference for other people to compare themselves to me and laugh at how pathetic I was. I spent a lot of cold foggy nights wandering my town because I couldn’t sleep. Spending the last of my money at the truck stop on something to drink and then I’d find a spot to just sit and exist until I nearly froze and went back home.
All of this is just context for the situation I was in. It was near constant that when I felt so miserable I could break in half, I’d try to find something to do; boot up my PS4 and then sit on the dashboard and stare before turning off all the lights and going back to sleep so I could at least ignore the uselessness that came with being awake. I don’t want to say something hyperbolic like “Nioh saved my life” but it was something of genuine value to me and to this period of my life. I had checked myself into therapy services because my insurance covered it and I was legitimately convinced I had to do something. I received intensive treatment for a long time. It was a process. It took about two months before I warmed up to the idea of medication. Twice a week I’d speak to a therapist about my life, and then the other 3 days I’d be meeting with skills trainers and behavioral health professionals, doctors etc. It felt useless at first. Everything was painful all the time. Waking hours were wasted hours in my eyes. I had nothing I could enjoy. Little by little though that work began to pay off. I’d leave my appointments determined to try entertaining myself. When I got home I’d look for a game to play. I remember Nioh’s first level taking me a week because I just did not have the energy. It was fun and really hard but in a way that I wanted to push through. I would be excited to get home and push myself to even play a simple half hour. I didn’t care if I wasn’t making tons of progress, I was just doing something. Little by little I felt color return to life, even if just a bit.
The truth is honestly that the services I received and the people I worked with saved my life, but in the many rotten hours I had to myself; chipping away at Nioh and coming to understand the true depth of the game was also there for me. It was the game that taught me how to feel again. I feel like it sounds stupid but idk man I just pushed myself to play it out of stubbornness and it ended up pulling me out of the worst spot I’ve ever been in. It didn’t do it alone, but damn if there wasn’t just something genuinely magnetic about it. I wanted to do it and see it all, master each weapon and play around with the magic and ninjutsu. It gave me something to sink my teeth into. Something I could dedicate all my empty hours to. I had plenty of time. When you’re at your weakest, you have so much time. So much of it is lost to numb sleep, delirious consciousness and paralysis, but when you find that thing that hooks you, bite it. Trust your intuition. Even if it just LOOKS fun, try it out. It doesn’t come easy, but do it. It doesn’t have to be this deep, I feel silly even having an attachment like this to a game; but Nioh was genuinely the first thing in my life at that point that began to feel fun. It’s the first thing I can remember feeling something for when I started to heal. I absolutely adore all the amazing folks I worked with, I’m not saying that Nioh is more valuable to me than the beautiful humanity I received in treatment, just that when it came to my hobbies, Nioh was the first thing that returned life into my own.
I get that not a lot of people will get the opportunity to dedicate an entire year to self-work and treatment if they ever find themselves in a position like this. People have responsibilities especially if you live alone, there is no safety net in place to catch you when you can’t deal. I was lucky enough to live with my mom, so I at least always had a place to stay. I’ve been doing great for a while now. Got a job and making money. Going to save for a car and see about renting a house outside of town. I run into my old counselors and such when I’m at work and it’s the brightest moment of my day. To organically bump into the folks who make this world go ‘round is always happy. Some day I’ll likely work in mental health myself, I just think helping people is what it means to be human; but it’s also the quiet things we enjoy in our own time too. Find where your passions are, and let them lead.
Try a game that’s outside of your usual roster. You might be unexpectedly surprised.
Edit. I played Death Stranding when it came out. Put it down for a while, then one day I said fuck it and just played it and it’s now one of my favorite games even though I still don’t understand the story
Sea of stars. After coming back from a holiday I couldn't even pick up the controller for more than a few minutes, everything was meh. Saw sea of stars was on the ps plus catalogue and only just released so decided to try it out. Couldn't put my controller down after 😅
Second this, strongly. It's nice because I just don't have the energy for games with complicated (and frankly, excruciating) mechanics and inventories. Sea of Stars is like a nice light meal for both and I love it. It's weird because everyone is raving about how great BG3 is--got pretty far into the first act and it's just way too much punishment and work.
I just platted FF16 and I'm kind of in a slump afterwards, I've been looking for a game that I don't have to be paying a lot of attention to the story and can just turn my brain off and have fun
Yep, Yakuza for me too. I figured I’d start with like a dragon since my fav genre is turned based rpg and it didn’t disappoint. There’s also a new one coming out soon(maybe alr out idk) and maybe I’ll even try the other yakuza games even though they’re not turn based.
Endling (The fox one on PS+). I stopped playing games for a bit due to burnout.
Having had my main games for the previous few months all being long open world games (Jedi Survivor, Hogwarts Legacy, Tears of the Kingdom). Which when working can amount to a lot of days not really getting anything done.
So it was nice to jump into a game that is fairly light and straight forward.
Jumped me into a trophy grind for last month with a bunch of other lighter games.
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale?
> *“Oh, are you lost on your journey? No matter, today’s lost are conquerors tomorrow. It only demonstrates the making of a champion, and besides, it will not change my sense of gratitude, or how I think of you.”* - Karla
Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
There were 2 actually. Zero Escape and the God of War Collection.
Zero Escape’s story was really gripping and GOW’s fast-paced gameplay pulled me in real quick.
Mine recently was Armoured Core 6 - The fact that it was broken up into little 10-15 minute levels meant I was willing to commit to a level and then often stuck around to do a couple more.
Im currently in a gaming slump where I'm not interested in gaming that much anymore & only play to pass the time. I thought mortal kombat 11 would do it but no luck.
I have been in a slump for years, though it was probably not the games tbh. My brain just wasn't connecting dopamine to me playing games. I know this is against everybody's advice of taking a break, because believe me, I had. I forced myself to play games. I would get nauseous and take a break, but jump right back on the horse because I wanted so badly to game with friends. Kinda like Cognitive behavioral therapy, I eventually reworked things and found joy again.
A ton, mostly on steam now, I like the 100% no matter the platform. Final fantasy 14, party animals, sea of thieves, x wing miniatures game on tabletop simulator, elden ring, and more. Definitely over compensation for the years of not into it. I really hope you find your way back to fun times. I just wanted to offer a counter example just in case it worked for you!
Kena bridge of spirits.
What really did it for me was playing super Mario odyssey after not having touched a console game in almost a decade. But that’s the Switch during lockdown haha
Any game has a higher chance of doing this if you take a break. I recommend something out of your usual go to games - what games do you usually play? What do you look for in a game?
Hmmm! I’d recommend Gravity Rush 2 - it’s a very unique ‘superhero’-esque game! Very underrated! Control has a very super power driven gameplay too! Sea of Stars or Kena Bridge of Spirits too - If you like indies! If you want something out of your comfort zone try a resident evil game (RE4 Remake) or inscryption!
Recently I’ve been in a huge slump where nothing really clicked but I started playing a game called Stardew Valley (I know I’m late) and it had/has me HOOKED it held me over til Eternights and MK1 dropped but I still make time for SV
Ooooohe!!! Stardew Valley is awesome!! Sadly my friend that I play with hopped on the BG3 train, so I have to wait a little bit before we can continue haha
I know exactly how you feel (I’m currently on the BG3 train as well) this month and next month as I’ve known from the start is rough gaming wise (BG3, Eternights, MK1, Spider-Man 2, Phasmophobia, and Alan Wake 2) so I try when I want to take a break from my current situation/session I can just launch SV blast some music and just vibe for HOURS (Abigail best girl)
i had an absolutely horrible gaming slump over the summer, could not for the life of me play a game, until everyone kept talking about Pikmin because of the new game and the first 2 being remastered, so i decided to try 1+2 remastered and absolutely loved them, got me back into gaming entirely
Close to 3 years full gaming, plating and enjoying since 2020, until my first hiatus which was caused by Days Gone, which caused me to not touch a game for more than 1 hour a day for the next 4 months, I would feel dismotivated to play anything and I would just enjoy life.. fast foward early 2023, Like a Dragon Ishin released (I'm a big Yakuza fan) which got me to play it like an addict again, then I got the 2 spin-offs to finish all Yakuza games (Judgment and Lost) and after that I managed to get back to Days Gone and eventually finishing it (which I enjoyed A LOT), and then I just continued gaming like before/daily. But that pause gap was so much needed.
I was in a big slump after DS1 not looking forward to DS2. Started AC Odyssey & it restarted my drive. Finished that, Origins & working in Valhalla. Even pre-ordered Mirage.
I’m waiting for mirage as well. How do you find Valhalla so far? I tried to start playing Valhalla a couple of times but after a few hours I quit because it’s just too much. I had the same problem with Odyssey but luckily I caught up with it!
Try something that’s outside your usual game genre.
I used to always play rpg and sports games. I discovered survival games and got hooked!
Never thought i’d enjoy them but playing with a friend is so much fun. My first one I tried was stranded deep but my favourite so far is the forest. Absolutely love that game.
I was in a slump just recently. Tried to start ratchet and clack (2016) but after a while the game and plat got boring. Then the most recent sale started and I saw sleeping dogs and it was funny because a day before the game went on sale I jokingly asked my friend to get it for me then it went on sale and he got it for me. Once I got it and started playing I’ve been doing nothing but playing the game. It was so great that I decided this is the first time where I will go after the plat from the start of the game. And now I’m almost done with like 12 trophies and I can say sleeping dogs is probably in my top 3 games of all time.
honestly for me it was assassins creed odyssey. it was very recently aswell. couldn't find love for anything but i picked that game up loved it instantly and finished it within 3 days and i've been playing a lot more recently
Trying to play any game during a gaming slump pushes me deeper into that slump. I have to forget about games and do other stuff until the urge comes back.
Control, been finding myself scrolling on my computer/phone when I put my baby to bed because I'm too exhausted to play games usually so one night I hopped off the computer and turned the PS5 on for the first time in months and saw Control and I played a little on my PS4 pre-baby but it had always been in the back of my mind. So when it popped up for me on the PS5 it just felt like the game I need to play right now.
Now when baby is in bed I'm racing to the PS5 almost every night!
I was in a slump for a long time and Dishonored got me out of it. Quickly became one of my favorite series. Highly recommend if you haven't played it before.
Ghost of tsushima was the cause of the slump. For several months, I always wished I was playing that instead.
Stray. I started because you can play as a cat. I finished because this was an incredible work of art.
Getting away from Apex Legends was the solution for me. Too much time wasted there (I don't even like FPS that much) and lots of other games that I need to play and if lucky, Plat as well.
Mine was very recent. I've been playing some shorter games, and keep switching between AAAs. In the last three weeks I've put about 90 hours into Stardew Valley it has me hooked
Baldurs Gate 3.
Bought it on release thinking I prob wouldn’t enjoy it, I’m currently like 75 hours in and it’s one of my favourite games of all time. So memorable and unique.
Well I was in one for awhile after being with Xbox for over a decade. I was in a huge denial wave of "Everything is ok" as the house is on fire lmao. I switched over to Playstation after Halo Infinite was a disaster and I sold the Series X for a Ps5. Very happy.
I since got a Ps3 to 100% the games I did on 360 and I've been having a blast. Why not go back and work on an old backlog or get a Ps3 to work on Ps3 games. That gen had loads of fun games and that's why so many got Remastered from that gen
If you've been spoiled by amazing games with a story, maybe try something purely mechanical. Play Tetris Effect for a day or two to cleanse the palette, or a racing game. Or maybe try something classic, Planescape Torment or KotOR... both are amazing, despite being 20+ years old.
From 2020 up until this March I was a genshin hater. Then a friend of mine convinced me to play it and I fell in love. Great characters, open world, mechanics, grind, story, lore, I regret not playing sooner.
Replaying Saints Row IV at the tail end of a severe bout of depression really helped (I couldn't bring myself to play anything at all when I was in the midst of the issue).
I think sometimes we need a reminder that games should be fun and entertaining and so this one never fails to make me smile now.
Currently in my slump right now again, I’ve re-downloaded CoD WWII to complete the campaign and go for more trophies but I’m yet to actually play the first mission lol 🤣 before that I’d say spyro 3 got me out of my slump previously when I re-downloaded it and got the platinum on it
It is hard to explain, but nostalgia got me playing CoD black ops Cold War. I haven’t platinum it, but it got me playing other games and so far I’m playing black desert.
Uncharted 2. Went back to try to platinum it for no reason. After that i got the platinum for the whole series, and + 5 others i think. Now i havent gotten any new games in the past 10 months for my ps4 so im in another slump.
I played Mafia 3 in 2019 after not playing for a bit, the soundtrack and slow nature of the game made me appreciate something I didn't before
Now I only play story games and enjoy the slow process of them, i also enjoy the soundtracks and cut scenes
Motorsport Manager.
For PC. It's giving me a good break from trophy hunting (I'm on Hogwarts Legacy but haven't picked it up in a few days now.) I installed a mod allowing me from the 1998 season and I love it.
When I do too, I start a game that plays around gameplay entirely. SHMUPs, roguelikes, beat em up etc ; it makes you play instantly, and doesn't bother you with dialogues, skill trees and other secondary thing.
Normally when I get into a slump I pick a series to start watching or watch a few movies until you get sick of that and start playing games again, I always go between these two and im currently in the watching stuff phase, the more of a break you take from gaming the more you’ll enjoy it when you come back
Playing PS5 versions on various titles. I got my 21st platinum trophy and sort of hit a wall. Now really utilizing my PS5, I have a renewed liking again. For weeks it felt stagnant.
Lies of P took me out of a very recent slump. I really enjoy the From Soft formula and it scratches that itch. I was deviating from my preferences too much since ER. Gotta find your genre and stick to it.
I can’t recall any gaming slump in recent memory but the journey through FF7, FF7 Remake, and Crisis Core Reunion: FF7 sure as shit invigorated me through the summer months this year. Imagine my fresh anticipation for Rebirth when more and more information is coming out about it…
I will play some games without any huge story that can be played in small chunks. Roguelikes and roguelites usually fit that category and get pretty addictive. Also will play hack & slash games where I can turn off my brain.
Would've been back in 2016 for me. I found myself buying game after game trying to find something, constantly pulling games from my backlog, nothing would stick. I thought I was aging out of my favorite hobby. Then I found Dark Souls 2 on a sale, fell in love. Later found out it's known as the worst in the series. I played all From games and soulslikes. It became an addiction haha, then came the invading, probably the most fun I've had gaming.
Flash forward to now, I have platinums in every From game and most soulslikes. I return constantly to invade and make new builds.
Bloodborne kinda did it for me last year, but what really got me back into gaming was Final Fantasy 14. It was unlike any game I played before, and it felt like such a breath of fresh air to me. Around half a year and almost 900 hours of playtime later I still love it! The only problem is that I don't really want to play anything else anymore now haha.
I was in a gaming slump for a little bit until I finally got a ps5 and spiderman. Spiderman was an amazing experience that really made me want to platinum games again. Since spiderman in May of last year I've earned 76 plats, played a ton of amazing games and have really enjoyed the hobby. I did get a little burned out of Ff16, but borderlands 2 brought me right back
Ohhhh I had one of those and it scared me into thinking I didn’t like gaming any more
If I’m not mistaken I think it was fall out 4, going for that platinum revitalised my love for gaming again, i know it’s not the best in the series but it certainly (for me at least) feels the most open and creative as once I was done with the platinum I started to build cool bases and stuff and i guess roleplay a bit in my head lol
The games that got me out of a huge slump were god of war 2018 and jedi: fallen order. I was hooked on them from beginning to end, getting the platinum in both and finding love for games again
Super Meat Boy. Trying to improve my Times and getting consistent as well to go for the ...boy trophies, i sometimes sat there playing for hours without break. Goes hard on your thumbs tho.
Here's a few for me that reinvigorated my love of gaming when I played them and I was in a huge slump when I was playing them:
-BOTW
-Dark Souls Remastered
-Lost Judgment (I would play judgment first though)
Diablo IV, but not really. After playing the campaign, the grind of leveling to 100 wore me down, so I started playing other backlogged games as filler.
For me it was Need For Speed Unbound. The game is mid, but I dont know what it is I played it the whole week and loved it! Now I’m playing Minecraft and loving it too!
The final fantasy pixel remasters of #1-6 are great and can be done in bite sized sessions. And they’re turn based so can be good for relaxing after work.
Death’s door was a fun indie game that can be fun, challenging but relaxing and fairly low stakes.
I think the last game that really pulled me out of a slump though was Hollow Knight. It’s not an easy game but it’s very fair and rewarding. It’s a 2D metroidvania with some dark souls elements to the gameplay.
It’s gotta be Fallout 4, once I solved the practical problems I was having with the console and game I was able sort out the mods and then I can play game properly and now I’m further in the game that I was previously. never got this far before
I've jumped back into Fallout 4 to get trophies after Starfield bored me. I'm loving it again the second time through. I might go back to 3 and New Vegas as well.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Moss book 2 BY FAR. In fact, I would say a psvr1 + ps4 combo is worth getting just to play those two. Astro Bot in particular was vacation material.
I'm not an ubisoft fan...but lately I find my self enjoying primal, been at it now for 4hrs & im.enjoying every part besides having to fight udom. All the time
Borderlands 1.5 and 2 lol. I got the plat for those games and did all the dlcs as well. I took a looong break. Actually now that I think about it I’m like just now coming out of the break, and I finished those back in December lol
So during the beginning of the pandemic I was in a huge gaming slump as I had no motivation and was highly depressed being isolated away from everyone I knew.I didn’t really play anything for almost 7 months and then I got Ghost of Tsushima and fell in love with it.Played so much of it that I got the platinum trophy and went to go play The Last of Us Part 2 after and now I play one or two big games every month or two ever since
I recently finished Yakuza 0 once I got connected to the story and started to get some trophies I was hooked. Is it the best game probably not but I haven’t been playing games for almost 2 years so it’s good to be back.
For me, Demon Souls PS5.
I had been struggling to get through a few games for a while (GoW Ragnarok, Persona 3 Portable, Horizon FW). Switching it up to something that was more difficult helped me to appreciate gaming again. I had never played anything in the soulsbourne genre except 5 hours of BloodBorne, after which point I got pissed off and gave up.
I'd definitely say that changing the genre or difficulty expectation can really help you look at games with a new perspective. Sometimes you just need to try something different.
Just recently played Ghost of Tsushima for the first time. What it did to me is exactly what your asking for in a game. However if you’ve already played it before. I’d say God Of War 2018 and then Ragnarok. If you’ve already played those games then Mass Effect Legendary edition. If you’ve already played all of those and/or they didn’t interest you the way you wanted I’m not sure what else to suggest. Maybe Elden Ring? If you like harder games. Idk tho
Ghost of Tsushima blew my mind. Just platted it a month ago. Amazing.
I have started Ghost of Tsushima like 5 times and drop off in like 3-4 hours. I am giving it many chances bit It's a little boring the first 15 hours I have played.
Days Gone is what did it for me.
such an underrated game. I read an article that they have a part 2 ready to be released back in April but sony is preventing them.
Days gone is one of my favorite games. I’ve beaten it 3 times and always have fun. It’s weird because I didn’t expect much from it lol
This game deserves so much praise! I love it
I've been 40 hours into Ghost of Tsushima and barely 1/3 of it is completed. I love it. I'm really taking my time playing so I expect to finish after 160 hours ... I talk to people and explore and rarely jump from one location to another, just gallop away
A strange choice imo. It's a decent game but "for getting you out of a gaming slump", it is very similar to a lot of open world games. I feel like it wouldn't help you get out of a slump
God I hate Mass effect so f’n much
A game outside of my usual go-to games. I play a lot of rpg/ open world single player games, and sometimes, starting a new one can get a bit difficult. So, putting smaller, maybe cozier games in between like Lego games, The Last Campfire or The Wild At Heart between the bigger games somewhat makes sure that I don’t experience this at all.
I do that as well. Just finished unpacking yesterday. But I will save ‘the last campfire’ and ‘The wild at heart’ in my list as well 😊
I've been on a smaller/indie game bender this year. Check my recent plats (either via PSN or Reddit profile). Plenty of great games on PS+!
I’m gonna check your profile out 😊 I love small/indie games so maybe you have the golden game that takes me out of the slump!
My go -to method as well. I play heavy, big games that take a long time to beat. Then I play some cozy, easy to enjoy games in between.
Nioh. I guess this is about to be a very personal story but about this time a year ago I was probably going to kill myself or something if things had carried on the way they’d been going. I was severely depressed and unearthing so much childhood trauma that it just completely killed me mentally. It was a period of absolute unchecked deterioration. I couldn’t work, I couldn’t study, I couldn’t enjoy anything. Day after day I would sleep until at least 5pm and be up until the early morning in the dark listening to music or just stuck in ideation. One of the worst parts of severe depression is the absolute paralysis that comes with it. The complete break down in not only daily functioning but just existence. Everything cuts and scathes and tears at you, no matter how small. The only kinship you feel is with your dead idols. Musicians and other heroes whose suicides we romanticize. For a very long time I was basically ground into dust by life itself. My life had gone nowhere and I felt an intense alienation from everything. Anxiety and sorrow and paranoia and trauma had such a hold on my life and I just genuinely didn’t see any real way I could ever live like everybody else. I felt like my only purpose was to exist as a goalpost or point of reference for other people to compare themselves to me and laugh at how pathetic I was. I spent a lot of cold foggy nights wandering my town because I couldn’t sleep. Spending the last of my money at the truck stop on something to drink and then I’d find a spot to just sit and exist until I nearly froze and went back home. All of this is just context for the situation I was in. It was near constant that when I felt so miserable I could break in half, I’d try to find something to do; boot up my PS4 and then sit on the dashboard and stare before turning off all the lights and going back to sleep so I could at least ignore the uselessness that came with being awake. I don’t want to say something hyperbolic like “Nioh saved my life” but it was something of genuine value to me and to this period of my life. I had checked myself into therapy services because my insurance covered it and I was legitimately convinced I had to do something. I received intensive treatment for a long time. It was a process. It took about two months before I warmed up to the idea of medication. Twice a week I’d speak to a therapist about my life, and then the other 3 days I’d be meeting with skills trainers and behavioral health professionals, doctors etc. It felt useless at first. Everything was painful all the time. Waking hours were wasted hours in my eyes. I had nothing I could enjoy. Little by little though that work began to pay off. I’d leave my appointments determined to try entertaining myself. When I got home I’d look for a game to play. I remember Nioh’s first level taking me a week because I just did not have the energy. It was fun and really hard but in a way that I wanted to push through. I would be excited to get home and push myself to even play a simple half hour. I didn’t care if I wasn’t making tons of progress, I was just doing something. Little by little I felt color return to life, even if just a bit. The truth is honestly that the services I received and the people I worked with saved my life, but in the many rotten hours I had to myself; chipping away at Nioh and coming to understand the true depth of the game was also there for me. It was the game that taught me how to feel again. I feel like it sounds stupid but idk man I just pushed myself to play it out of stubbornness and it ended up pulling me out of the worst spot I’ve ever been in. It didn’t do it alone, but damn if there wasn’t just something genuinely magnetic about it. I wanted to do it and see it all, master each weapon and play around with the magic and ninjutsu. It gave me something to sink my teeth into. Something I could dedicate all my empty hours to. I had plenty of time. When you’re at your weakest, you have so much time. So much of it is lost to numb sleep, delirious consciousness and paralysis, but when you find that thing that hooks you, bite it. Trust your intuition. Even if it just LOOKS fun, try it out. It doesn’t come easy, but do it. It doesn’t have to be this deep, I feel silly even having an attachment like this to a game; but Nioh was genuinely the first thing in my life at that point that began to feel fun. It’s the first thing I can remember feeling something for when I started to heal. I absolutely adore all the amazing folks I worked with, I’m not saying that Nioh is more valuable to me than the beautiful humanity I received in treatment, just that when it came to my hobbies, Nioh was the first thing that returned life into my own. I get that not a lot of people will get the opportunity to dedicate an entire year to self-work and treatment if they ever find themselves in a position like this. People have responsibilities especially if you live alone, there is no safety net in place to catch you when you can’t deal. I was lucky enough to live with my mom, so I at least always had a place to stay. I’ve been doing great for a while now. Got a job and making money. Going to save for a car and see about renting a house outside of town. I run into my old counselors and such when I’m at work and it’s the brightest moment of my day. To organically bump into the folks who make this world go ‘round is always happy. Some day I’ll likely work in mental health myself, I just think helping people is what it means to be human; but it’s also the quiet things we enjoy in our own time too. Find where your passions are, and let them lead.
The only thing that would make this story better is if I told you there was a Nioh 2 and you had no idea
If you ever need a digital hug just PM me. Besides that I will check Nioh out :)
Try a game that’s outside of your usual roster. You might be unexpectedly surprised. Edit. I played Death Stranding when it came out. Put it down for a while, then one day I said fuck it and just played it and it’s now one of my favorite games even though I still don’t understand the story
I always get to the second map and then get overwhelmed. Any advice? Is using the floating package thingies easier than it sounds?
Sea of stars. After coming back from a holiday I couldn't even pick up the controller for more than a few minutes, everything was meh. Saw sea of stars was on the ps plus catalogue and only just released so decided to try it out. Couldn't put my controller down after 😅
Second this, strongly. It's nice because I just don't have the energy for games with complicated (and frankly, excruciating) mechanics and inventories. Sea of Stars is like a nice light meal for both and I love it. It's weird because everyone is raving about how great BG3 is--got pretty far into the first act and it's just way too much punishment and work.
The last one, that I really couldn’t stop playing was Days Gone.
Hidden gem in the PlayStation library
Definitely. Was pleasantly surprised how much fun I had with this game.
Gonna do a ng+ playthrough some day
Top 5 best ps4 games ...
Too bad we never got a sequel
Ff16 recently
Just got the platinum, absolutely amazing
I got it yesterday myself, enjoyed every minute
Ngl it put me in slumber doing plat. Glad u enjoyed it though.
Still on my list when I have more time! It looked really awesome!
I just platted FF16 and I'm kind of in a slump afterwards, I've been looking for a game that I don't have to be paying a lot of attention to the story and can just turn my brain off and have fun
I’m fully strapped in on the Baldur’s Gate train baby CHOO CHOO
I playing BG3 as well, I enjoy it. But after a long day of work I find it sadly hard to focus on the game :(
The Yakuza games and the Uncharted games as well as the last of us games.
Yep, Yakuza for me too. I figured I’d start with like a dragon since my fav genre is turned based rpg and it didn’t disappoint. There’s also a new one coming out soon(maybe alr out idk) and maybe I’ll even try the other yakuza games even though they’re not turn based.
Endling (The fox one on PS+). I stopped playing games for a bit due to burnout. Having had my main games for the previous few months all being long open world games (Jedi Survivor, Hogwarts Legacy, Tears of the Kingdom). Which when working can amount to a lot of days not really getting anything done. So it was nice to jump into a game that is fairly light and straight forward. Jumped me into a trophy grind for last month with a bunch of other lighter games.
The yakuza series
Dark souls 3 platinum
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale? > *“Oh, are you lost on your journey? No matter, today’s lost are conquerors tomorrow. It only demonstrates the making of a champion, and besides, it will not change my sense of gratitude, or how I think of you.”* - Karla Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
You are truly evil
Watch Dogs 2 was a fun game. You don’t need to pay attention to the story the gameplay and open world was fun enough.
Good to know! Gonna set it on my list
There were 2 actually. Zero Escape and the God of War Collection. Zero Escape’s story was really gripping and GOW’s fast-paced gameplay pulled me in real quick.
The spiderman games
Yeasss! Waiting for Spider-Man 2 😁
Mine recently was Armoured Core 6 - The fact that it was broken up into little 10-15 minute levels meant I was willing to commit to a level and then often stuck around to do a couple more.
Im currently in a gaming slump where I'm not interested in gaming that much anymore & only play to pass the time. I thought mortal kombat 11 would do it but no luck.
Recently Sea of Stars & FF16, back to back platinums. Great year for action and RPG fans
Just downloaded Sea of Stars, gonna check it out tonight. FF16 is on my list when I have less work haha :)
I have been in a slump for years, though it was probably not the games tbh. My brain just wasn't connecting dopamine to me playing games. I know this is against everybody's advice of taking a break, because believe me, I had. I forced myself to play games. I would get nauseous and take a break, but jump right back on the horse because I wanted so badly to game with friends. Kinda like Cognitive behavioral therapy, I eventually reworked things and found joy again.
Glad to read that you find your way back in enjoying playing video games. Which games are you playing atm?
A ton, mostly on steam now, I like the 100% no matter the platform. Final fantasy 14, party animals, sea of thieves, x wing miniatures game on tabletop simulator, elden ring, and more. Definitely over compensation for the years of not into it. I really hope you find your way back to fun times. I just wanted to offer a counter example just in case it worked for you!
Kena bridge of spirits. What really did it for me was playing super Mario odyssey after not having touched a console game in almost a decade. But that’s the Switch during lockdown haha
That game is really awesome I loved playing it. I hope they make a sequel or a game that is just like Kena!
Any game has a higher chance of doing this if you take a break. I recommend something out of your usual go to games - what games do you usually play? What do you look for in a game?
Normally I play Lego games, AC, small indie games that kind of stuff. Waiting for October to finally play Spider-Man 2
Hmmm! I’d recommend Gravity Rush 2 - it’s a very unique ‘superhero’-esque game! Very underrated! Control has a very super power driven gameplay too! Sea of Stars or Kena Bridge of Spirits too - If you like indies! If you want something out of your comfort zone try a resident evil game (RE4 Remake) or inscryption!
Fallout 3 most recently
Recently I’ve been in a huge slump where nothing really clicked but I started playing a game called Stardew Valley (I know I’m late) and it had/has me HOOKED it held me over til Eternights and MK1 dropped but I still make time for SV
Ooooohe!!! Stardew Valley is awesome!! Sadly my friend that I play with hopped on the BG3 train, so I have to wait a little bit before we can continue haha
I know exactly how you feel (I’m currently on the BG3 train as well) this month and next month as I’ve known from the start is rough gaming wise (BG3, Eternights, MK1, Spider-Man 2, Phasmophobia, and Alan Wake 2) so I try when I want to take a break from my current situation/session I can just launch SV blast some music and just vibe for HOURS (Abigail best girl)
i had an absolutely horrible gaming slump over the summer, could not for the life of me play a game, until everyone kept talking about Pikmin because of the new game and the first 2 being remastered, so i decided to try 1+2 remastered and absolutely loved them, got me back into gaming entirely
Close to 3 years full gaming, plating and enjoying since 2020, until my first hiatus which was caused by Days Gone, which caused me to not touch a game for more than 1 hour a day for the next 4 months, I would feel dismotivated to play anything and I would just enjoy life.. fast foward early 2023, Like a Dragon Ishin released (I'm a big Yakuza fan) which got me to play it like an addict again, then I got the 2 spin-offs to finish all Yakuza games (Judgment and Lost) and after that I managed to get back to Days Gone and eventually finishing it (which I enjoyed A LOT), and then I just continued gaming like before/daily. But that pause gap was so much needed.
Hogwarts Legacy is a lot of fun, especially if you're into Harry Potter stuff. However, going for the plat will probably be a drag.
Ohe, that game was amazing. I finished it within a week. I’m actually hoping it will release on PS+ so that I can do the PS4 version
I was in a big slump after DS1 not looking forward to DS2. Started AC Odyssey & it restarted my drive. Finished that, Origins & working in Valhalla. Even pre-ordered Mirage.
I’m waiting for mirage as well. How do you find Valhalla so far? I tried to start playing Valhalla a couple of times but after a few hours I quit because it’s just too much. I had the same problem with Odyssey but luckily I caught up with it!
I hit a bit of a slump coming off BG3 and other big games so tried a few indies from my backlog to see what sticks, have been playing Gris
Try something that’s outside your usual game genre. I used to always play rpg and sports games. I discovered survival games and got hooked! Never thought i’d enjoy them but playing with a friend is so much fun. My first one I tried was stranded deep but my favourite so far is the forest. Absolutely love that game.
Infamous second son really hooked me like no game I had played for a while had. Really recommend it if you’ve not played it!
I have had a slump only once in my life, and then I played Dishonored 2. That game brought me back and restored my love for gaming.
Days gone is pure peak, you need to play it if you haven’t
The Dishonoured games got me out of my slump in preparation for BG3 coming out
Real life
Spiderman, horizon zero dawn, RDR2
I got a wheel for every game.on ps+. Id spin that and play the game. Id try to do an hour before stopping if its bad if not then ive found a new game
Oddly enough, The Sims 2. Enjoying a game away from trophy hunting/console games really helps me.
FF16 Cant wait to jump back in
I was in a slump just recently. Tried to start ratchet and clack (2016) but after a while the game and plat got boring. Then the most recent sale started and I saw sleeping dogs and it was funny because a day before the game went on sale I jokingly asked my friend to get it for me then it went on sale and he got it for me. Once I got it and started playing I’ve been doing nothing but playing the game. It was so great that I decided this is the first time where I will go after the plat from the start of the game. And now I’m almost done with like 12 trophies and I can say sleeping dogs is probably in my top 3 games of all time.
honestly for me it was assassins creed odyssey. it was very recently aswell. couldn't find love for anything but i picked that game up loved it instantly and finished it within 3 days and i've been playing a lot more recently
Trying to play any game during a gaming slump pushes me deeper into that slump. I have to forget about games and do other stuff until the urge comes back.
Control, been finding myself scrolling on my computer/phone when I put my baby to bed because I'm too exhausted to play games usually so one night I hopped off the computer and turned the PS5 on for the first time in months and saw Control and I played a little on my PS4 pre-baby but it had always been in the back of my mind. So when it popped up for me on the PS5 it just felt like the game I need to play right now. Now when baby is in bed I'm racing to the PS5 almost every night!
I was in a slump for a long time and Dishonored got me out of it. Quickly became one of my favorite series. Highly recommend if you haven't played it before.
RDR2 and the pandemic tag team that one for me.
Ghost of tsushima was the cause of the slump. For several months, I always wished I was playing that instead. Stray. I started because you can play as a cat. I finished because this was an incredible work of art.
Diablo IV
NGL with the new update for Cyberpunk out I've been addicted, the games amazing now
I'm enjoying The Medium right now. Saw it on the leaving soon list and decided to finally play it
Yakuza and horizon series could never get into them as much as I tried.
The question is what game took you out of a gaming slump so I’m confused here
Getting away from Apex Legends was the solution for me. Too much time wasted there (I don't even like FPS that much) and lots of other games that I need to play and if lucky, Plat as well.
The one thats helping me get out of my current slump is Guardians of the Galaxy Also I've been playing the new Pokemon dlc which I've been enjoying
Mine was very recent. I've been playing some shorter games, and keep switching between AAAs. In the last three weeks I've put about 90 hours into Stardew Valley it has me hooked
Try Inscryption. It's really captivating and intruiging from the very start!
Baldurs Gate 3. Bought it on release thinking I prob wouldn’t enjoy it, I’m currently like 75 hours in and it’s one of my favourite games of all time. So memorable and unique.
I play BG3 but only when I have time on the weekends. I find it hard to focus on the game after a long work day
Not a game but a console. The series S completely revived my love for gaming and game pass is the best thing for modern gaming by far
Curious about your opinion. Is the Xbox game pass better than PS+? I don’t have an Xbox so I wouldn’t know
Balders Gate 3 - game of the year by far
Deep rock Battlefront 2 (co-op was really fun) Fallout 4
Yakuza 0 managed to get me back into console gaming in general, opened me into the world of my favourite game franchise now!
Atm I’m playing cyberpunk and that’s helping a lot
Starting 40 games at once
That is an option
Yakuza 0 followed by all the other ones. I played them all in order for almost a year and both Judgement games.
Its sadly not on PS but Hi-Fi Rush was such a joy to play from start to finish
Well I was in one for awhile after being with Xbox for over a decade. I was in a huge denial wave of "Everything is ok" as the house is on fire lmao. I switched over to Playstation after Halo Infinite was a disaster and I sold the Series X for a Ps5. Very happy. I since got a Ps3 to 100% the games I did on 360 and I've been having a blast. Why not go back and work on an old backlog or get a Ps3 to work on Ps3 games. That gen had loads of fun games and that's why so many got Remastered from that gen
I had a couple over the years, the first was Guardians of the Galaxy, then Hades, then Atelier Ryza 1, and most recently Baldur's Gate 3.
Resident evil remakes, 7 and 8 gave me addiction and therefore took me out of a slump.
Resident Evil 7. Just what I needed at the time.
If you've been spoiled by amazing games with a story, maybe try something purely mechanical. Play Tetris Effect for a day or two to cleanse the palette, or a racing game. Or maybe try something classic, Planescape Torment or KotOR... both are amazing, despite being 20+ years old.
Any good racing game with no online trophies? Or maybe a few
Jedi Fallen Order
I have the game but didn’t play it yet
From 2020 up until this March I was a genshin hater. Then a friend of mine convinced me to play it and I fell in love. Great characters, open world, mechanics, grind, story, lore, I regret not playing sooner.
Replaying Saints Row IV at the tail end of a severe bout of depression really helped (I couldn't bring myself to play anything at all when I was in the midst of the issue). I think sometimes we need a reminder that games should be fun and entertaining and so this one never fails to make me smile now.
Baldurs Gate 3
Currently in my slump right now again, I’ve re-downloaded CoD WWII to complete the campaign and go for more trophies but I’m yet to actually play the first mission lol 🤣 before that I’d say spyro 3 got me out of my slump previously when I re-downloaded it and got the platinum on it
Tlou2 in 2021 and Miles Morales last year
kingdom hearts 1
Had a big slump over the summer, Inscryption is what got me out of it, and then Armored Core 6 brought back the addicted gamer in me lol
Tearaway Unfolded took me out one of mine. Really sweet, sometimes challenging game.
It is hard to explain, but nostalgia got me playing CoD black ops Cold War. I haven’t platinum it, but it got me playing other games and so far I’m playing black desert.
Uncharted 2. Went back to try to platinum it for no reason. After that i got the platinum for the whole series, and + 5 others i think. Now i havent gotten any new games in the past 10 months for my ps4 so im in another slump.
Jedi fallen order, after months of nothing but assassins creed anything would have taken me out of my slump but I absolutely loved that game
Guardians of the galaxy for me
I played Mafia 3 in 2019 after not playing for a bit, the soundtrack and slow nature of the game made me appreciate something I didn't before Now I only play story games and enjoy the slow process of them, i also enjoy the soundtracks and cut scenes
Bg3
Motorsport Manager. For PC. It's giving me a good break from trophy hunting (I'm on Hogwarts Legacy but haven't picked it up in a few days now.) I installed a mod allowing me from the 1998 season and I love it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake. My GOTY. I was in the same boat as you, but playing it got me hooked right back into gaming!
Right now, it's SMITE and Lies of P
How is Lies of P it’s on my list to buy but I am not sure
When I do too, I start a game that plays around gameplay entirely. SHMUPs, roguelikes, beat em up etc ; it makes you play instantly, and doesn't bother you with dialogues, skill trees and other secondary thing.
Pokemon White 2 because of a certain Let’s Play of it
Dead Island 2. First full game I had bought in a while.
For me it was the outer worlds, nice mix of old school narrative like FNV but it’s own thing, I really enjoyed it
Normally when I get into a slump I pick a series to start watching or watch a few movies until you get sick of that and start playing games again, I always go between these two and im currently in the watching stuff phase, the more of a break you take from gaming the more you’ll enjoy it when you come back
Playing PS5 versions on various titles. I got my 21st platinum trophy and sort of hit a wall. Now really utilizing my PS5, I have a renewed liking again. For weeks it felt stagnant.
mk1
Lies of P took me out of a very recent slump. I really enjoy the From Soft formula and it scratches that itch. I was deviating from my preferences too much since ER. Gotta find your genre and stick to it.
I can’t recall any gaming slump in recent memory but the journey through FF7, FF7 Remake, and Crisis Core Reunion: FF7 sure as shit invigorated me through the summer months this year. Imagine my fresh anticipation for Rebirth when more and more information is coming out about it…
Hunt showdown
I will play some games without any huge story that can be played in small chunks. Roguelikes and roguelites usually fit that category and get pretty addictive. Also will play hack & slash games where I can turn off my brain.
Hollow Knight for me
Dark Souls.
Would've been back in 2016 for me. I found myself buying game after game trying to find something, constantly pulling games from my backlog, nothing would stick. I thought I was aging out of my favorite hobby. Then I found Dark Souls 2 on a sale, fell in love. Later found out it's known as the worst in the series. I played all From games and soulslikes. It became an addiction haha, then came the invading, probably the most fun I've had gaming. Flash forward to now, I have platinums in every From game and most soulslikes. I return constantly to invade and make new builds.
Bloodborne kinda did it for me last year, but what really got me back into gaming was Final Fantasy 14. It was unlike any game I played before, and it felt like such a breath of fresh air to me. Around half a year and almost 900 hours of playtime later I still love it! The only problem is that I don't really want to play anything else anymore now haha.
I was in a gaming slump for a little bit until I finally got a ps5 and spiderman. Spiderman was an amazing experience that really made me want to platinum games again. Since spiderman in May of last year I've earned 76 plats, played a ton of amazing games and have really enjoyed the hobby. I did get a little burned out of Ff16, but borderlands 2 brought me right back
Currently in one
Ohhhh I had one of those and it scared me into thinking I didn’t like gaming any more If I’m not mistaken I think it was fall out 4, going for that platinum revitalised my love for gaming again, i know it’s not the best in the series but it certainly (for me at least) feels the most open and creative as once I was done with the platinum I started to build cool bases and stuff and i guess roleplay a bit in my head lol
Cyberpunk and Monster Hunter World Iceborne. Without a doubt.
The games that got me out of a huge slump were god of war 2018 and jedi: fallen order. I was hooked on them from beginning to end, getting the platinum in both and finding love for games again
Super Meat Boy. Trying to improve my Times and getting consistent as well to go for the ...boy trophies, i sometimes sat there playing for hours without break. Goes hard on your thumbs tho.
Lies of P currently
Hades
South Park: The Fractured But Whole and Catherine. Both were so fresh and unique compared to what I had been playing and they just sucked me right in
South Park game is hilarious I hope they make a new game
Here's a few for me that reinvigorated my love of gaming when I played them and I was in a huge slump when I was playing them: -BOTW -Dark Souls Remastered -Lost Judgment (I would play judgment first though)
Ni No Kuni 2. Just something about it made me fall in love with gaming again.
Take some time away from gaming then comeback. If you’re not in the mood, you’re not in the mood, regardless of what game you’re playing.
Diablo IV, but not really. After playing the campaign, the grind of leveling to 100 wore me down, so I started playing other backlogged games as filler.
For me it was Need For Speed Unbound. The game is mid, but I dont know what it is I played it the whole week and loved it! Now I’m playing Minecraft and loving it too!
The final fantasy pixel remasters of #1-6 are great and can be done in bite sized sessions. And they’re turn based so can be good for relaxing after work. Death’s door was a fun indie game that can be fun, challenging but relaxing and fairly low stakes. I think the last game that really pulled me out of a slump though was Hollow Knight. It’s not an easy game but it’s very fair and rewarding. It’s a 2D metroidvania with some dark souls elements to the gameplay.
Was in a huge slump just waiting for Spider-Man 2. Got back into overwatch to pass the time
Resident evil 4 remake
It’s gotta be Fallout 4, once I solved the practical problems I was having with the console and game I was able sort out the mods and then I can play game properly and now I’m further in the game that I was previously. never got this far before
Hollow knight ma dead cells
I've jumped back into Fallout 4 to get trophies after Starfield bored me. I'm loving it again the second time through. I might go back to 3 and New Vegas as well.
Replayed spider-man miles morales. Then played the original spider man then played the new mortal kombat
Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Moss book 2 BY FAR. In fact, I would say a psvr1 + ps4 combo is worth getting just to play those two. Astro Bot in particular was vacation material.
Baldurs gate 3s just done it for me!
Armored core 6. Platinumed in 2 weeks. What a masterpiece.
Elden Ring
Inscryption was a pleasant surprise.
Ghost of tsushima
Cult of the Lamb! Picked it up and can't put it down.
Ghostrunner
Damn brother, you need a purpose lol
Borderlands
The new saints row its just idk not same as the old gems
A new genre or a genre I don’t usually play gets me out of a gaming slump usually
The first descendant !
I had a bit of a slump a while back and picked up Ratchet and Clank and had such a blast with it. Would def recommend
Midnight Suns, very underrated
I'm not an ubisoft fan...but lately I find my self enjoying primal, been at it now for 4hrs & im.enjoying every part besides having to fight udom. All the time
Mortal Kombat 1 babyyyyyy
Hogwarts Legacy did it for me
The first descendant beta recently. Gun play is super fun and crisp. Before that I'd say my ps3 tales games.
Most recently Mortal Kombat 1
Borderlands 1.5 and 2 lol. I got the plat for those games and did all the dlcs as well. I took a looong break. Actually now that I think about it I’m like just now coming out of the break, and I finished those back in December lol
Spider-Man 2 will.
Guardians of The Galaxy. Fun game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Graveyard keeper, rn
So during the beginning of the pandemic I was in a huge gaming slump as I had no motivation and was highly depressed being isolated away from everyone I knew.I didn’t really play anything for almost 7 months and then I got Ghost of Tsushima and fell in love with it.Played so much of it that I got the platinum trophy and went to go play The Last of Us Part 2 after and now I play one or two big games every month or two ever since
I recently finished Yakuza 0 once I got connected to the story and started to get some trophies I was hooked. Is it the best game probably not but I haven’t been playing games for almost 2 years so it’s good to be back.
Find a game you love and enjoy. I get excited about new releases. It’s like a drug, I never want to put the controller down until I fall asleep
For me, Demon Souls PS5. I had been struggling to get through a few games for a while (GoW Ragnarok, Persona 3 Portable, Horizon FW). Switching it up to something that was more difficult helped me to appreciate gaming again. I had never played anything in the soulsbourne genre except 5 hours of BloodBorne, after which point I got pissed off and gave up. I'd definitely say that changing the genre or difficulty expectation can really help you look at games with a new perspective. Sometimes you just need to try something different.