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Post-Game Depression is such a weird thing.

Valcrist

Valcrist

Tic-Tac-Toe Champion
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,718
Let me get this out of the way first: I suffer from depression outside of this! It comes and goes, but one thing I've noticed is that I deal with ongoing depression after I complete a large.. usually immersive game that took multiple days of my time up. It happened with God of War Ragnarok, it happened with The Witcher 3. It happened with Persona 3 Reload and now I'm dealing with it after beating Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

I can't play any games I own. Games I used to be excited for just won't stick when I try to play them despite knowing that I normally would or should like them. I know other people experience this, but I don't know if people really know this is kinda common. It is weird though! Is there a real psychological reason? The best I can assume is that maybe we get attached and get into the routine and then that routine & immersive experience is now gone and there's a void left and maybe nothing that comes after for a while can match the quality of that experience until you find something that can or your body forgets.
 
Moara

Moara

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,905
I've only ever got it from Persona 3 and 4 like a decade ago, but yeah it's a very strange feeling lol
 
Avis

Avis

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
3,231
I can already tell Infinite Wealth is gonna hit me like a truck with this
 
psynergyadept

psynergyadept

Shinra Employee
Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,709
Persona 4 golden had me thinking like I really lost some real ass friends!!! I didn't game for like a week!!!

Other games

Kingdom Hearts 1
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White
The Last of Us
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate
Tales of Xillia 2
 
Greywaren

Greywaren

Member
Jul 16, 2019
9,977
Spain
Yeah, this happened to me recently with Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur's Gate 3.

I'm sure it'll happen with Infinite Wealth too, when I'm done with it.

For me it's just for a day or so, though. I can go back to playing something else relatively quickly.
 
Dark Knight

Dark Knight

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,348
The only time I've ever come close to this sensation is after finishing Endwalker. Mostly because I was in pure hype mode for like 5 months straight in the lead-up to it.. it was the thing I was looking forward to most in the world. So once the credits rolled, I went to sleep, and woke up the next day, I sort of had to think about getting back to life and remind myself what else I had to look forward to.
 
Delriach

Delriach

Combat Designer
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
931
Chicago
The post FFVII Rebirth depression is super real. I beat the game around 3 weeks ago and I just feel empty and don't want to play anything lol. Just wish I was back in Rebirth swimming with my Chocobo for the first time.
 
IDreamOfHime

IDreamOfHime

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,469
I try to start a new game just before finishing an old one so the passover is easier, otherwise i might go weeks before starting a new game due this feeling.
 
Geg

Geg

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,566
It tends to happen to me a lot in games I've spent a lot of time with or otherwise got really invested in the characters.

Love it when finishing a video game makes me feel like

20a.jpg
 
Syne

Syne

It's Pronounced "Aerith"
Member
Feb 5, 2023
5,778
UK
I've just recovered from post Rebirth depression, didn't feel like playing anything since I finished it weeks ago. I usually find I gravitate towards other media in the meantime, books or tv. I always know it'll pass in no time but it's still a super strange feeling!
 
IsaacVarion

IsaacVarion

Member
Apr 4, 2018
239
It happened to me a few times (Endwalker, Xenoblade 3 Future Redeemed among the others) but it lasted for about a week tops.

Except for Persona 4...that one DESTROYED ME for about 2 months when I finished it on PSVITA almost 10 years ago.
 
JustAnotherOne

JustAnotherOne

Member
Jan 2, 2018
2,029
Went into this thread expecting it to be FF Rebirth because that's exactly what I'm experiencing after finishing it as well.
 
Prat

Prat

Member
Jan 9, 2018
157
It happened to me with Elden Ring..
Like, what is gaming from now on? Where am I?

You can only hope you see more similar games in the future <3
 
PallasKitten

PallasKitten

Member
Jul 11, 2022
774
It isn't something that happens to me very often (maybe only once every few years), so weirdly, whenever I do experience it, it's kind of a "special" feeling despite also being depressing, lol. I know a lot of people have experienced it with Persona games and I'm no exception.

I think the most recent case I had of post-game depression was Pikmin 4 last year. I waited a decade for that game and then 100%ed it in less than a week, lol. I ended up replaying Pikmin 1-3 a couple months ago because ever since July 2023 the Pikmin itch has been ever present. I think it saitied it for now, but I hope we don't have to wait quite as long for Pikmin 5 - wating nearly a decade for Pikmin 3 and then again for 4 is not something I want turned into a running gag for Pikmin fans.
 
J75

J75

Member
Sep 29, 2018
6,638
This has never happened to me with games, but it's quite constant whenever I finish a multi-season TV show.
 
pikachief

pikachief

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,540
Yup, I just didnt really play anything for a week or two after I was done with rebirth. Back into destiny 2 now so im out of that rut :)
 
Omegasquash

Omegasquash

Member
Oct 31, 2017
6,222
I felt this hard after beating Xenogears back in the day. Same with Chrono Trigger.

Finishing a series does it too. Mega Man Zero 4 had me on a break from games for a few weeks (but that's because I've always liked Zero's character).

Thinking farthest back, the first one that really got me was Final Fantasy Adventure. The ending is a tear jerker.
 
LegendofLex

LegendofLex

Member
Nov 20, 2017
5,482
For me this has usually happened with really long games. I think the first time I can remember was with Final Fantasy XII, then later with Xenoblade Chronicles.

One of the nice things about getting older is that I've usually started to lose my patience with really long games by the time I'm about to finish them. It makes the separation process easier.
 
I Don't Like

I Don't Like

Member
Dec 11, 2017
14,937
I think this happened to me first time I beat FF7 back in the day though it was just longing for it, not depression. Not sure I've felt that way since.

Although I still think about all the hours I put into Battlefield 2 and miss it. Best multiplayer experience ever for me. I wish they'd remake that shit and throw some servers up.
 
OP
OP
Valcrist

Valcrist

Tic-Tac-Toe Champion
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,718
Syne said:
I've just recovered from post Rebirth depression, didn't feel like playing anything since I finished it weeks ago. I usually find I gravitate towards other media in the meantime, books or tv. I always know it'll pass in no time but it's still a super strange feeling!
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Yeah, currently for me it is because of Rebirth and I also watch shows or streams to pass the time instead of gaming. I have been able to play stuff like Balatro or Overwatch 2 because they don't really take up much space in my mind. Whenever I try to play Eiyuden which I got over a week ago I just can't. I have 6 1/2 hours on it and that's it.
 
Twohearts

Twohearts

Member
Feb 8, 2024
443
Straya
Yeah we have depression too, and for us the problem is that we both lose a regular activity to pass the time until we work out our next game, and we also lose the routine of having a game to play in the afternoon or before bed ro whatever. Currently going through it right now while I work out mu next bed game
 
antitrop

antitrop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,639
I really enjoy the routine of a game I'm extremely familiar with and learning new things takes some effort I have to talk myself into. It's not necessarily a depression for me, but a reluctance to try new things.
 
IIFloodyII

IIFloodyII

Member
Oct 26, 2017
24,075
Weirdly for me I guess is this doesn't apply to service games (usually Destiny). After a long immersive single player gane I can sometimes go months without a want to play another due to still feeling that post game slum, lots of stuff I will just immediately bounce off that I will definitely enjoy if I played at another time, but can spend hours doing pointless shit in a game I've player for way too many hours as is.
 
cvbas

cvbas

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,174
Brazil
Mukrab said:
The Portuguese are so obsessed with having this "unique" word which really just means "to miss" but as a noun. It's so annyoing. I can say this because i'm portuguese.
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As a Brazilian, I kinda agree.

And the idea of "saudade" doesn't even relate that much to the situation described in the OP.
 
ClearMetal

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,343
the Netherlands
Experienced this in the past with games like Persona 3/4/5, Mass Effect and other games strongly focusing on story and camaraderie.

I have been in a general gaming slump for a while now and I miss that feeling of being impacted so profoundly by a game.
 
Mukrab

Mukrab

Member
Apr 19, 2020
7,554
Brazil said:
"Saudade" rules. We Brazilians own the language now, your thoughts on this are as irrelevant as Portugal in general.

:P
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It's nothing special. It just means to miss but as a noun. Meanwhile we dont have a word for weather.. or time, depending on how you see it. It's the same word.
 

t26

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
4,579
Start another long game immediately. I am almost done with Rebirth and will be jumping into another long game, likely Star Ocean 2 or Eiyuden Chronicle.
 
Reedirect

Reedirect

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,055
I'm just about to approach this point in FF7 Rebirth too, and I'm honestly shocked I expect it to happen because I haven't experienced anything similar to this feeling in like 5 years. Big games tend to tire me out and I let go of them pretty easily, but something about that world makes it harder to move on. Thankfully, there's a shitload of recent FF content I haven't played, so I might switch over to XVI or Crisis Core Reunion.
 
Pai Pai Master

Pai Pai Master

Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,409
Atlanta GA
This happens basically any time I finish a Final Fantasy game, even ones I didn't love that much. It always feels like an actual end of a journey and I'm left with a sense of longing for something I won't get to experience again.

It's really fuckin dramatic lol but it happens 🤷
 
Brazil

Brazil

Actual Brazilian
Member
Oct 24, 2017
18,447
São Paulo, Brazil
Mukrab said:
It's nothing special. It just means to miss but as a noun. Meanwhile we dont have a word for weather.. or time, depending on how you see it. It's the same word.
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But Portuguese is such a lyrical language. It's built around poetry, and it show through words like that. I genuinely think it's a beautiful thing.

Maybe it's the fact that I have a degree in Communication that makes me care about this, but merely having that word as a noun while other languages don't says a lot about Portuguese and its speakers.

("Clima" is a word for weather, at least here in Brazil, though :o)
 
Mukrab

Mukrab

Member
Apr 19, 2020
7,554
Brazil said:
But Portuguese is such a lyrical language. It's built around poetry, and it show through words like that. I genuinely think it's a beautiful thing.

Maybe it's the fact that I have a degree in Communication that makes me care about this, but merely having that word as a noun while other languages don't says a lot about Portuguese and its speakers.

("Clima" is a word for weather, at least here in Brazil, though :o)
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Clima is climate. Might be a synonym but its not the same word. If the same but different counts, then saudade also loses it's uniqueness because to miss is also the same but different.
 
THANKS

THANKS

Prophet of Regret
Member
Oct 22, 2018
1,375
I also get this. Sometimes I have to take a few days off gaming and watch TV or movies to get over it.

It's not a sadness. But an emptiness.
 
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