Can't Stand the Ending(s)

My whole life I’ve always been excited to pick up the controller and enter a new world, start a new game. The positive feelings that come with the simple action, like joy and excitement, are just a couple of the pay offs. However, finishing a game has always been a completely different story for me, usually a sad one.

Now, don’t think I’m going to go off on a tangent about horrible games, or great games with horrible endings, it’s not like that. The statement I’m trying to make only truly applies, well at least for me, to great game through and through. Take for instance my current adventure, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Ocarina has been one of my loves, and one of the greatest games ever created, to me. Sadly it is because of that exact statement I find myself still not completing the game despite buying it on release date and finishing the majority of it in the first few days. The more I like a game and the closer I get to the end, the slower I tend to move. As it turns out, the hardcore love which I feel for some games usually stops me from ever completing them. In my head all I can think about is the experiences lasting forever, so I drag things like Ocarina out as much as I can.

Moving into the future, let’s take a look at next year’s mighty release that we’re all waiting for, Mass Effect 3. The Mass Effect Universe is something I have deeply cared for and cherished the day I decided to pick it up. Knowing there would only be three Mass Effect games carrying the story of Shepard has felt rather displeasing. Playing one and two have been great knowing that there would still be one afterwards. Mass Effect 3 is the end of that chain, and the end of the safety from total completion. It is likely I will drag Mass Effect 3 out longer then I need to. A bad habit indeed.

All good stories must come to an end, so I know it is for the better that there are only three Mass Effects containing Shepard. Or one Zelda containing the Hero of Time. If things did not end we would never be able to move on to greater pastures, which has been my beef with some less innovative and drawn out franchises. Despite knowing this I still have a hard time coming to terms with ends. These games and characters become a part of my life and a part of my meaning. The memories will never fade, I’m just afraid of the amazing feelings that they give will.

All of this in my mind and heart, I am trying to push myself. Push myself to move on and push myself to finally finish Ocarina of Time. The only way to bring in new experiences is to finish the ones you currently have. How as humans would we grow without this? It’s time to take what I’ve learned with me into new realms and new possibilities.