Free at last! Free at last!

So I finished Dragon Age this weekend. This was a momentous event for me, and I am no stranger to finishing hefty games.

The thing about finishing Dragon Age that gave me such elation is that I can walk away from it. I started playing Dragon Age on November 27th 2009, I finished January 23rd 2010. My final save clocked in at 107 hours 58 minutes. Now I know that I played this longer than the vast majority of people who have finished and enjoyed it, but I skew towards completionism in my gaming.

I really enjoyed this game, especially the end sequence (more on that to come). Games like Oblivion and Fallout 3 have helped break me of my completion compulsion to some degree. For some reason though as large as Dragon Age is, it is sliced up in a way that my compulsion took over. These are the thoughts that went through my head hundreds of times.

Why shouldn't I clear this map before loading to the next area?
Who knows what could happen if you talk to this person?
I know you haven't had a good loot drop in days, but killing this guy will be different.

I came away feeling relieved to be finished with Dragon Age because I really started resenting the hold it had on me, and it was starting to sour me to it. My 'pile of shame' (games that I have but haven't touched yet) has grown out of control. I would think about all these other games that I could, and should, be playing and it would bother me. Now in retrospect I think about how many of those games I could have finished in the 108 hours Dragon Age took from me. I seriously wonder if it was worth it, regardless of how much I enjoyed the game.



The real dilemma of all this is that Mass Effect 2 is coming out this Tuesday. Another huge Bioware RPG... I have been really excited about it, despite my issues with the first one. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'll pass for a good long while on it. I feel like a man who has just broken himself out of shackles and chains. I just can't allow myself to be strapped into a new set, even if they are made from stylish moon rocks... Maker give me strength!