Games that got you out of your slump

There are a couple games that come to mind when I think of games that got me out of my gaming slump.

One was Metal Gear Solid 4. The PS3 generation started off bad; Sony gave us a boomerang of a controller and $600 console. Xbox took advantage of the situation and came out swinging, and it was letting us Sony fans down knowing that a rival system was taking the gen! Luckily, Sony started coming out with bangers. First was Uncharted 2 which was the beginning of blockbuster single player campaigns as we know it. And then MGS 4, which showed us the power of the cell and let us do things like the camo suit and playing as Rex!

The other game I can think of is Bloodborne. The PS4 generation didn’t start off with bangers. Sony gave us lousy Killzone Shadow Fall and some multiplats. But it was still better than the 720p machine that was the Xbox. Then Bloodborne came out. The Victorian setting, the amazing art direction, and must of all, the combat centered gameplay which forced you to play offensively rather than defensively. And then was of course the story, which was mysterious (had no clue what happened), but by the end, the final battle was awesome.

How about you, SW? Have you ever had a gaming slump? And what game got you out of it?

Never had any gaming slumps. I only see it happening if gaming is your only hobby which is far from being my case.

Don't think I have anything like that tbh. Definitely been times I drifted away from gaming. Sometimes for months or even years at a time. But it's never specifically the games that put me out or bring me back in. Usually just get into other stuff for a while.

If a specific machine isn't bringing what I want, just play what's on another. Like yeah, PS3 was pretty dusty early on. Played some Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Warhawk, they were cool enough. Uncharted 1 was meh. But I had the 360 and Wii as well, so just played those.

When PS4 was slacking early on, swapped my workstation gpu for a gaming gpu, went PC and didn't look back lol.

Don’t think I’ve ever been in a gaming slump. Been periods of my life where I didn’t game as much but that was never because of a slump or anything. Just due to other life activities taking up my time.

None for me as I don't think I've even been in a gaming slump as I kinda been cool with most console launches but, I would say a game that really jump start PS4 when it came to 1st party games and that game for me was Infamous: Second Son but truth be told, going full PC during 8th gen has been the best.

It really helps to have a gaming PC so you won't be in a gaming slump and not relying on consoles is never a good idea IMO.

I'd stopped gaming for a little while over the last few months, so I picked up FF6 pixel remaster and that kinda got me going again. Now it's TotK and i'm enjoying the hell out of it.

No they didn't. I wish they did, that controller looked awesome! Hated the flimsy ass pad they ended up giving us.

To answer your question though, whenever I feel bored/exhausted of new shitty games full of battle passes/FOMO/skins/always online/etc etc etc, I go back to the magical SNES days. I still discover new (to me) gems to this day, that always keeps my gaming love going.

@locopatho: 😜 threw in an Easter egg there

Feel like an old man, gibbering about "what could have been...' 15 years ago 😂

haha, that’s a good point..

I wouldn't call it a slump as a slump means you're still doing it just to a lower level than usual.

Have I lost my gaming mojo, sure plenty of times, but mostly related to real world issues. But there is the odd ocassion I can go a week or 2 without playing anything. I currently haven't played anything since last Wednesday, so 6 days ago. Will try and start something new tonight.

But no it isn't a specific game as such, I just overload of games sometimes and need a little break.

I wouldn't call it a slump as a slump means you're still doing it just to a lower level than usual.

Have I lost my gaming mojo, sure plenty of times, but mostly related to real world issues. But there is the odd ocassion I can go a week or 2 without playing anything. I currently haven't played anything since last Wednesday, so 6 days ago. Will try and start something new tonight.

But no it isn't a specific game as such, I just overload on games sometimes and need a little break.

Donno if call it a slump, but the cinematic elements of games, the business practices, the straight up broken releases just wholly put me off modern games.

Went into a strange little cocoon after getting fucked right up the butt with RE8 and started only playing 90s games lol

Started with Blood, then Shadow Warrior, then Duke3D (including expansions) then moved into Ultimate: Doom, Doom 64 and between then played Duke Nukem: Time To Kill on emu.

So yea, going back kinda reminded me why I liked gaming in the first place.

I'd say it was the Dreamcast. The first three games I got for it were Sonic Adventure, Soul Calibur, and Soul Reaver, all of which really pulled me in. Before that, I spent most of my free time practicing guitar and writing songs for my band. The DC saved me from being a cool, big-dick rock star, and made me the pathetic, anti-social loser that God intended.

Yeah, whenever that slump of "all these modern games suck ass" comes, I just go back to playing older games. Still like some modern stuff, but they're few and far between.

Super Mario Galaxy - I didn't enjoy much of anything after 2004, aside from Twilight Princess in 2006, but when I got a Wii in 2009, this game got me back into the hobby.

Gravity Rush 2( +Yakuza 0/Nioh/Persona 5/Sonic Mania) - I went into another slump after 2012. It wasn't as bad as the prior one, since the Witcher 3 existed and was fantastic, plus there were other games like Doom and Azure Striker Gunvolt here and there. 2017 was bat-shit crazy full of titles, beginning with Gravity Rush 2, and every year through 2020 was pretty similar. It was arguably the most fun stretch I've had playing video games since high school.

I think I'm in another one right now, because Sonic Frontiers has been the only new game I've enjoyed in the last three years. Maybe FFXVI will be the game to get me back in the mood.

Plus you're liking Zelda and RE4r so a good bunch of modern AAA games are still good ;)

But yeah I like a good balance between replaying the older stuff (that was clearly better) and newer games.

@R4gn4r0k: Enjoyed RE4R, but TotK is pretty nuts. I recommend everyone who's tired of AAA devs not able to produce enjoyable shit to check this game out. Right after you get control of your character, the game is fun. Then the game constantly keeps itself fresh and interesting. One of those games you keep thinking about when not playing. Fucking love Nintendo sometimes.

Usually it's more like the other way around, after playing something like BotW or Elden Ring I feel "gaming depression" because everything feels kind of bland. I've learned to use cool smaller games as a palate cleanser and avoid at all costs stuff like Spiderman or Ghost of Sushi because that just makes everything worse. Like playing HZD right after BotW, the equipment of eating a turd right after a succulent lobster.

Why was it letting you down? Do you play games or d*ck ride corporations?

And then MGS 4, which showed us the power of the cell

So much powah that they didn't ship textures with the game with subHD and FPS in the teens.

So good to hear you are enjoying it. Switch is that lovely little device that loves to be loved.

Before I dive into the world of ToTK I do have to play BOTW first, and before I do that I made it my goal to finish Skyward Sword, I got that nice 60fps edition on Switch eventhough I wasn't the biggest fan of the game on Wii.

Dark Souls

I have no "slump" with Game Pass and often elation when Phil bring a new barge of games and new top AAAA quarterly game but one game give my mood boost - Hi Fi Rush!! The look the sound the feel it is a very happy feeling game and excitement.

@uninspiredcup: "Donno if call it a slump, but the cinematic elements of games, the business practices, the straight up broken releases just wholly put me off modern games."

NES-PS2 era= Golden Years?

Wouldn't disagree.

I barely played anything during college... 96-02 I was doing my undergrad and masters degree.... When I graduated I moved and got a job and figured id jump back into gaming. I purchased an Xbox after trading in my barely used GameCube. It wasn't until I played KOTOR that I was completely hooked again. That game singlehandedly put me back into gaming. Matter of fact I joined Gamespot when seeking out communities talking about KOTOR 2. I'd hang o ly in the KOTOR 2 threads on the game page. Once I discovered system wars I was like heeeere we go!

What is a "gaming slump"?

Watching TV/Movies? Hanging out with your friends? Touching grass?

We should all look to have more gaming slumps in our lives, not less.

Only ever had one slump in the 1990s. Super Mario Allstars was the game that me buy a SNES again after having sold it.