84: Alone in the Dark

[The Escapist Staff]

"Coming down from a love affair can be like breaking an addiction. If you're with someone whose very presence fills your body with sexy endorphins, their removal from your life leaves you crushed. The hardest bit of coming down is finding a way to fill the hours you previously devoted to the object of your affections. Planescape was full of things to do - it wasn't challenging, but there was always something to think about. Which artifact to buy? Where to explore next? What's that angel creature really up to? Roleplaying games are an obsessive's dream."
Kieron Gillen looks at games as consolation prize for a failed romance in "Alone in the Dark."

Alone in the Dark

 

[Dr. Wiley]

Just like comfort foods, there are definitely games that provide essential distractions/interactions in those stressful times that follow a breakup. I find that there's a lot of stressful situations though, not just those that are love related, in which I'll return to specific games. While I definitely see the pull of the RPG, I usually find myself returning to strategy games. Red Alert 2 used to serve that purpose, but lately it's been Advance Wars on the DS. Madden has also filled those voids for me, with the structure and regimented flow providing a needed regularity in stressful times.

 

[mkt [deprecated]]

It's the Lucasarts adventures for me. Every problem has a neat solution. There's a joke every thirty seconds or so. None of the characters are very good at relationships, either.

 

[Goofonian]

Depsite how much people disliked it because of unnecessary angst, prince of persia 2: warrior within tends to be perfect for me when I need to let it all out. Ive tried to mimick this with the better game that is the two thrones, but it doesnt quite work the same when you try to decapitate someone and the head doesnt actually come off.

As far as complete, thought killing immersion, advance wars DS and guitar hero are pretty hard to beat.