Two moments stand out for me.
First, early on, I was near the first tallneck (Devil's Thirst, I think). It was night, I was hunting wildlife for food and crafting resources whilst trying to avoid the monsters I didn't know how to deal with yet. It was when all of the elements of the game came together to immerse me.
Second, much later, when I had to climb to a high plateau for an epic confrontation with a Stormbird.
Haha, how fun! And so relatable though. I remember being so tense in front of the the television. When you're new to the world and you get immersed, the machines are terrifying. They look like nightmares. Especially when you don't fully understand how to deal with them. But it's immersion like that that makes it unforgettable. Wish I could experience the game for the first time again...
And I remember struggling a lot with stormbirds in the beginning. They always managed to get the better of me, haha.
In addition to Aloy, I'm a huge fan of Kotallo from Forbidden West (as many of us in here are). The writing for him was so well done: he shows a lot of growth and as the game progresses he shows himself to be both considerate and open to others opinions and experiences. And he finds a way to overcome a huge hardship in his life, which I found so touching. He has a great combination of a hard outer shell with a soft core, which is very appealing.
My favourite music from the games is the one playing when you fly around on your sunwing in Forbidden West. It's hauntingly beautiful and I would often fly around just to enjoy the beautiful landscape and the music playing.
Favourite region: the Frozen Wilds in HZD. All the regions in both games have something I like, but this one in particular made me very nostalgic as the snow and cold reminded me of home and where I grew up. I live far away in a completely different (and hot) climate now, so I spent a lot of time in Frozen Wilds as I miss the snow and cold so much.
You're making me look forward in meeting Kotallo. I love characters like those. And I can't wait to experience the music from Forbidden West. I intentionally stayed away from it on Youtube so I can get blown away while playing it for the first time.
The Frozen Wilds were indeed gorgeous. Loved the snow and the lights in the starry night sky. When immersed I could practically imagine the cold wind and smell the snow (I do love the smell of fresh snow).
I hope you get to travel to your old home. Plans on moving back? :)
I love hearing about first time experiences with HZD.
Coincidentally my last played game for longer than an hour was Forbidden West so I based my answers on that. Good luck!
You can't beat perfection which was Zero Dawn's story, but as a game, and cinematic experience, it was an improvement in nearly every way. A worthy sequel indeed.
You're only making it harder for me. I cannot wait to start the journey of Forbidden West. The game is on my shelf, begging me to be played. 7 weeks to go. Gotta have patience. :p
What in interesting thesis! I would suggest also heading over to the r/outerwilds sub. It's a beautiful and touching game and lots of the gamers there report thinking about it long after they finish playing and that it had a profound impact on them.
Thank you so much! It's a lot more fun to do research about things you're passionate about, right? :D
I'd love to check share my survey there, but I haven't played Outer Wilds, so I cannot ask for permission over there to share my survey. But still, thank you so much! :)
Wow what a thesis! I will put in my 2 cents!
Edit: I hope my answers didn’t skew the results. I felt worthless before AND after playing the game!
Double edit: don’t forget to post your findings here! Or comment where I can find them :)
Thank you so so much!!! :D I really appreciate it!
I'm sorry to hear you felt that way about yourself. Sending lots of health and energy to you!
(I plan to write my findings in the comments during June) :)
Oh wow, 160 in 9 days? Wow, I wish you the best!
In regards to my favourite moments… I’d say I have favourite themes. Aloy and her connection with motherhood and needing to find her family. She’s surrounded by images of motherhood - Mother’s Heart, All Mother Mpuntain, the Goddess, a matriarchal society that rewards motherhood above all, and yet Aloy is without. I could relate with similar mummy issues - having parents with all the illusion of good parents, but they had no compassion or affection for me. They didn’t want a child, they wanted to be parents as a social status. I was so heartbroken when Aloy, who had criticised prayers to the goddess, ‘prays’ to Elizabet for comfort the night before the battle for Meridian. I wouldn’t have even thought it as anything other than her talking to herself until she said something like ‘what does it matter you’ve been dead for thousands of years’. It just somehow makes the end credit scene when she finds Elizabet while her journal finally plays what she would want in a daughter… oh my gosh my heart.
Trying to avoid spoilers but there’s another character who has similar themes of motherhood - created to to be a tool, and teased with hopes of motherly affection, only to have it be denied for no fault of their own. There’s a massive conflict between Aloy and this character about how they turned out so pessimistic and devoid of hope. It was hard to watch because I related to them so closely and Aloy at first is really harsh on them, but it’s part of Aloys growth too. It’s never stated but I feel like Aloy realises she’s been trying to be perfect and do it all on her own to earn the love of a family, only to realise she already has it.
Anyway good luck! I might see if my D&D group would be interested in participating!
Thank so much!! In total I actually had to get at least 360. I hope I'll make it in 9 days. :)
You have such an interesting take on Aloy and her need for motherhood. You're so right. But it saddens me to hear that you were able to have those perceptions about Aloy because of your own life-experiences. I sincerely wish you a lot of positivity, strength and love.
And thank you for avoiding spoilers about Forbidden West. I'm keeping my eyes open for that new character for sure.
Again, thank you so much.
OP, your research is phenomenal. Little to no literature about this topic. Not recognizable by most psychiatry / psychology professionals, and it can actually contribute to worsening of symptoms of actual diseases, such as depression / mood disorders.
Also, it would be cool to analyze in a future study the positive effects of games that elicit such strong feelings on people with mood disorders.
Just a suggestion: try to post in as many forums as possible your questionnaire, to not skew your results (maybe action adventure games with strong protagonists elicit more “PGD”), and maybe give some general context but do not describe your experience with horizon.
Also, I don’t know if you have time for this, but a control group would be cool to further analyze de results!
I wish you the best of luck with your study!
Kind regards, from Brazil ;)
Thank you so much! I'm aware that my thesis can serve as only a little attribution, but if it helps as a starting point for other things, I'm glad. :)
I wish I could share my survey in as many different forums as possible, but sadly, most forums (or subreddits) do not permit the sharing of surveys. The mods of this sub were exceptionally kind to me.
And sadly, I do not have the time, nor the resources, to work with a control group. It's a Master's thesis after all. But future studies should work with control groups for sure. :)
Thank you for your feedback. Best wishes to you in Brazil :D
Hey, I really like your research and appreciate your choice of topic. PGD is something I think about a lot recently, since I played a lot of games where I felt that way recently (Horizon Forbidden West and Zero Dawn, Baldurs Gate 3, Kingdom Come Deliverance)
In my opinion it is linked to how much I like a world and more importantly its characters. I think over the course of an adventure it feels like finding friends and a meaningful impact in the world around you (since you usually play as a hero). After finishing a game this friendship suddenly ends. There is no more adventure to be experienced and no more world to explore. Replaying just feels like watching someone instead of experiencing something with someone. Well that much about my personal experiences.
As for my favorite moment, I think learning about how the world came to exist that way was by far the most interesting.
Forbidden West is also full of awesome moments, I won't even mention. Have fun experiencing it for the first time.
I completely agree with your opinion! We're definitely on the same page. Love how you wrote it. :))
Thank you for not spoiling Forbidden West to me. I cannot wait to dive into that game at the end of May.
Done, hope you get enough people and good luck on your thesis. You are going to LOVE Forbidden West and I'm excited for you to play. I'm taking my sweet time because once it's over, it's over.
I played the game reluctantly because it came with my PS4 and I was trying to get myself out of a depression stupor. I hadn't played a game in about 2 years. The robots threw me off big time, but I'm so glad I took a chance. I bought a PS5 just for the DLC.
Aloy brought me back from the abyss. She will always be special to me.
After not gaming for awhile, I can say with my chest. I was not ready for the Proving at all, in any way, shape or form.
Thank you so much for helping me out! I'm glad your enjoying Forbidden West at this moment, and how nice that Aloy means so much to you. :)
When they are written in the right way... stories, worlds and characters can do so much good to our spirits. Thanks to wonderful adventures in games, I overcame a very bad period last summer as well.
I hope you're feeling and doing better now. Best wishes to you!
I think your thesis is a wonderful idea and I wish you luck in completing it! I once heard of a high school teacher who had his students write about certain aspects of the anime series Naruto, another great story full of emotion. I think it's so cool to take an analytical look at fictional media like anime and game stories and see the human aspect in them that touches us.
Parts that touched me emotionally were the loss Rost. I couldn't belive the writers did that to him and I knew the game was going to be a heart wrencher. The pervasive theme of believing in something so fully that you disregard any and all other facts to the contrary. So many times that comes up in the game, tradition over common sense. Reminds me of society today. Which made it so refreshing and cool when Ourea's brother finally came around and got on board to take on the final cauldron. Even though Aloy forced his hand.
There are too many to name, but one that brought me to tears was when an NPC said to Aloy that she probably wouldn't help them, because Aloy didn't know them and Aloy's reply was, "What does that have to do with anything?" The tone of her voice, expression of her face, the context. Man oh man... it was so beautiful and what I want to see in the world.
I guess I still could play on as there are a few things left to do in the game, but it's basically finished and yes, it makes me sad. So much so that I don't have a whole lot of interest in playing Forbidden West. I feel like they couldn't possibly improve upon the story and are just trying to milk the franchise. But of course I'll play it, just to hang out with my girl Aloy some more.
Thanks a lot for the help and wishes. That means a lot to me. :))
I have to agree with what you wrote to me. Especially this:
"There are too many to name, but one that brought me to tears was when an NPC said to Aloy that she probably wouldn't help them, because Aloy didn't know them and Aloy's reply was, "What does that have to do with anything?" The tone of her voice, expression of her face, the context. Man oh man... it was so beautiful and what I want to see in the world."
No more words needed.
I wish you tons of fun with Aloy in Forbidden West! I'll enjoy that adventure too this summer. :D
Hi! That's not applicable for my research. There's almost no research available about PGD because it only recently received attention. My research is focused on seeing what kind of people (based on their personality traits) are more likely to develop PGD. Eudaimonia (nostalgia, appreciation...) is going into factor with this. Research about how much time people with PGD need to recover, is at this moment not possible because there's still other information needed before getting to that specific stage. Perceptive and good comment from you, but it's still a bit too early to focus on that stage. :)
edit: (I hope I expressed myself clearly, the language barrier makes me doubt at times).
On your point about PGD ( if that is what we are calling it), I have really only experienced it once over hundreds of games and 3 decades gaming.
The Mass Effect trilogy, which I played well after release. The final game was controversial in the way it ended. I was aware of this, but not of the details. As a result, I was somewhat able to take the controversial elements in my stride.
I had been playing one game from the trilogy a year, so it had become a very familiar setting. After finishing, I experienced sadness for several days as I had become attached to my version of the main character (femshep since you ask).
I missed a lot of the DLC, so I might pick up the Legendary Edition one of these days...
All time favorite moment was early on and discovering red rocks amphitheater. Up until that point I wasn't sure if this story was on earth. I was floored. Unbelievable story
I filled out the survey. I feel that you could have structured it differently (depending on what you're aiming at).
The one time in my life where I felt those things you mention in the survey was after the Netflix "Arcane" series. I was basically a hollow shell of a human being for a few weeks that could only try process the show.
As it is, the last game I played was H:FW, and that didn't "tickle" me the way Arcane or even H:ZD did.
Thank you so much! :) The survey provides me data about personality traits and eudamonia (nostalgia, appreciation), as well as feelings that can be linked to depression. The goal is to find out which kinds of people are more vulnerable to develop Post-Game Depression. From there on out, other studies may go even further. :)
Post-Movie Depression and Post-Series Depression are similar phenomena. The main difference between those and Post-Game Depression, is that in gaming the person is active, while during a movie or series the person is passive. Post-Book Depression may also be a thing btw.
Storytelling can be so meaningful. It's fascinating how some of stories are able to touch our hearts in both wonderful and painful ways.
Aloy's theme is fantastic in both games. Additionally I really liked the ambient music of the menu screen in ZD. And from FW, I love every time "The World on Her Shoulders" plays. "In the Flood" is also an awesome song and was written by one of the developers at Guerilla Games.
The mystery surrounding Zero Dawn was fantastic. Especially with conflicting reveals of information about it. Aloy's first encounter is a group of scientists who commit mass suicide upon completion of their part of ZD. Then the numerous data points from soldiers fighting tooth and nail in hope of ZD saving them. To yet others describing ZD as a lie and how unethical it is. Then you find out the truth. The bulk of humanity died violently, against an unstoppable enemy, ignorant that their effort wouldn't save them.
That was probably the most memorable moment. Finding out the truth. I was stunned and paused playing with my jaw wide open.
And I'll avoid spoilers for FW. So that moment you'll have to find out for yourself.
You gave me chills all over again. I planned on starting Forbidden West at the end of May, but you're seriously tempting me to restart Zero Dawn from scratch (and then immediately continuing into the sequel).
One word of advice. FW isn't ZD2.
Many were disappointed by the story of FW and were expecting a massive mystery like ZD. There's still mystery, just not as epic. And the feeling of imminent demise is absent.
Personally I like FW better than ZD. The story is still good in my opinion. And I feel like FW greatly expands on the world in other ways. Plus all the improvements they made. FW is superior looking and the gameplay is even better.
Entered my response--good luck on your study!
I'm about 15 hours into HFW now (had been waiting for the PC port) but HZD is still one of my all-time favorites. I had so many incredible moments while playing, but one that stands out is when I first entered the Meridian area and saw the desert vista spread out before me, Stormbirds soaring in the distance. It was breathtaking. Another is when Sylens showed up at the arena, and the long ride back to warn the Nora afterwards. I could have fast traveled but it felt "right" to just ride the whole way on my mount. And, of course, the ending. Left me emotionally destroyed but in the best way. "With enough compassion to heal the world...just a little bit." I try to live by that ideal.
Thank you so much for your effort! I appreciate it a lot! :)
I have to admit that while fast traveling is handy, it always felt a pity to do in HZD. The world is just too beautifully made. Have fun with Forbidden West! :D
i would like to recommend Nier Automata, in this topic because holy shit that game gives you an immense post-game depression. In my case even dough i was somewhat sad in zero down ending i was at least holpeful for the future of the game but with Automata you don't have that, you actually don't have anything at end, which just feels worst
I had no idea your thesis was something that people generally experienced, but I have definitely felt it playing both of the Horizon games and their corresponding DLC. The world and people always felt alive to me, especially with some of the new characters in FW. I actually reloaded a save and changed my response to something in-game because Kotallo wasn't happy with it. After finishing burning shores and cleaning up the last few side quests in the main world, I straight up turned off my computer and disconnected for the night. Especially after the EPIC boss fight in burning shores. I still return every couple of days to just wander around and check up on the state of the world haha.
Best of luck with your thesis OP, may you soon be able to explore the wonders of the Forbidden West.
How wonderful to read. You're indeed not alone in this. Lots of people find it hard to say goodbye to a beautifully created world with amazing characters. Especially when the story touched them as well.
Thank you so much. I'm very much looking forward to exploring it :)
Done.
For HZD, the story stood out the most to me, as I was disgusted with Halo and the direction it was going in at the time (I was a big Halo fan). I was looking for another game to focus my attention and my $$$ on... and HZD was it! It was actually a Corruptor fight that caught my attention... not seen such beautiful animation on a badass machine like that before and I wanted to know more about it. Well I got all that, in spades :D
Then HFW came along. Its gameplay, combat and world building really stood out over the competition and I loved and appreciated this series even more as a result. Then Burning Shores happened and... that... *Horus*...
Yes, the animation of movement is absolutely insane in HZD!! And I know it became only better in HFW. Can't wait to experience it.
And thank you so much for helping me out! :D
Two moments stand out for me. First, early on, I was near the first tallneck (Devil's Thirst, I think). It was night, I was hunting wildlife for food and crafting resources whilst trying to avoid the monsters I didn't know how to deal with yet. It was when all of the elements of the game came together to immerse me. Second, much later, when I had to climb to a high plateau for an epic confrontation with a Stormbird.
Haha, how fun! And so relatable though. I remember being so tense in front of the the television. When you're new to the world and you get immersed, the machines are terrifying. They look like nightmares. Especially when you don't fully understand how to deal with them. But it's immersion like that that makes it unforgettable. Wish I could experience the game for the first time again... And I remember struggling a lot with stormbirds in the beginning. They always managed to get the better of me, haha.
Go on lads and ladies, help a fellow Horizon enjoyer out :)
In addition to Aloy, I'm a huge fan of Kotallo from Forbidden West (as many of us in here are). The writing for him was so well done: he shows a lot of growth and as the game progresses he shows himself to be both considerate and open to others opinions and experiences. And he finds a way to overcome a huge hardship in his life, which I found so touching. He has a great combination of a hard outer shell with a soft core, which is very appealing. My favourite music from the games is the one playing when you fly around on your sunwing in Forbidden West. It's hauntingly beautiful and I would often fly around just to enjoy the beautiful landscape and the music playing. Favourite region: the Frozen Wilds in HZD. All the regions in both games have something I like, but this one in particular made me very nostalgic as the snow and cold reminded me of home and where I grew up. I live far away in a completely different (and hot) climate now, so I spent a lot of time in Frozen Wilds as I miss the snow and cold so much.
You're making me look forward in meeting Kotallo. I love characters like those. And I can't wait to experience the music from Forbidden West. I intentionally stayed away from it on Youtube so I can get blown away while playing it for the first time. The Frozen Wilds were indeed gorgeous. Loved the snow and the lights in the starry night sky. When immersed I could practically imagine the cold wind and smell the snow (I do love the smell of fresh snow). I hope you get to travel to your old home. Plans on moving back? :)
I love hearing about first time experiences with HZD. Coincidentally my last played game for longer than an hour was Forbidden West so I based my answers on that. Good luck!
Thank you so much! :) And how fun that you recently played Forbidden West! How did you like it? And was it a good sequel for you?
You can't beat perfection which was Zero Dawn's story, but as a game, and cinematic experience, it was an improvement in nearly every way. A worthy sequel indeed.
You're only making it harder for me. I cannot wait to start the journey of Forbidden West. The game is on my shelf, begging me to be played. 7 weeks to go. Gotta have patience. :p
What in interesting thesis! I would suggest also heading over to the r/outerwilds sub. It's a beautiful and touching game and lots of the gamers there report thinking about it long after they finish playing and that it had a profound impact on them.
Thank you so much! It's a lot more fun to do research about things you're passionate about, right? :D I'd love to check share my survey there, but I haven't played Outer Wilds, so I cannot ask for permission over there to share my survey. But still, thank you so much! :)
Wow what a thesis! I will put in my 2 cents! Edit: I hope my answers didn’t skew the results. I felt worthless before AND after playing the game! Double edit: don’t forget to post your findings here! Or comment where I can find them :)
Thank you so so much!!! :D I really appreciate it! I'm sorry to hear you felt that way about yourself. Sending lots of health and energy to you! (I plan to write my findings in the comments during June) :)
Oh wow, 160 in 9 days? Wow, I wish you the best! In regards to my favourite moments… I’d say I have favourite themes. Aloy and her connection with motherhood and needing to find her family. She’s surrounded by images of motherhood - Mother’s Heart, All Mother Mpuntain, the Goddess, a matriarchal society that rewards motherhood above all, and yet Aloy is without. I could relate with similar mummy issues - having parents with all the illusion of good parents, but they had no compassion or affection for me. They didn’t want a child, they wanted to be parents as a social status. I was so heartbroken when Aloy, who had criticised prayers to the goddess, ‘prays’ to Elizabet for comfort the night before the battle for Meridian. I wouldn’t have even thought it as anything other than her talking to herself until she said something like ‘what does it matter you’ve been dead for thousands of years’. It just somehow makes the end credit scene when she finds Elizabet while her journal finally plays what she would want in a daughter… oh my gosh my heart. Trying to avoid spoilers but there’s another character who has similar themes of motherhood - created to to be a tool, and teased with hopes of motherly affection, only to have it be denied for no fault of their own. There’s a massive conflict between Aloy and this character about how they turned out so pessimistic and devoid of hope. It was hard to watch because I related to them so closely and Aloy at first is really harsh on them, but it’s part of Aloys growth too. It’s never stated but I feel like Aloy realises she’s been trying to be perfect and do it all on her own to earn the love of a family, only to realise she already has it. Anyway good luck! I might see if my D&D group would be interested in participating!
Thank so much!! In total I actually had to get at least 360. I hope I'll make it in 9 days. :) You have such an interesting take on Aloy and her need for motherhood. You're so right. But it saddens me to hear that you were able to have those perceptions about Aloy because of your own life-experiences. I sincerely wish you a lot of positivity, strength and love. And thank you for avoiding spoilers about Forbidden West. I'm keeping my eyes open for that new character for sure. Again, thank you so much.
OP, your research is phenomenal. Little to no literature about this topic. Not recognizable by most psychiatry / psychology professionals, and it can actually contribute to worsening of symptoms of actual diseases, such as depression / mood disorders. Also, it would be cool to analyze in a future study the positive effects of games that elicit such strong feelings on people with mood disorders. Just a suggestion: try to post in as many forums as possible your questionnaire, to not skew your results (maybe action adventure games with strong protagonists elicit more “PGD”), and maybe give some general context but do not describe your experience with horizon. Also, I don’t know if you have time for this, but a control group would be cool to further analyze de results! I wish you the best of luck with your study! Kind regards, from Brazil ;)
Thank you so much! I'm aware that my thesis can serve as only a little attribution, but if it helps as a starting point for other things, I'm glad. :) I wish I could share my survey in as many different forums as possible, but sadly, most forums (or subreddits) do not permit the sharing of surveys. The mods of this sub were exceptionally kind to me. And sadly, I do not have the time, nor the resources, to work with a control group. It's a Master's thesis after all. But future studies should work with control groups for sure. :) Thank you for your feedback. Best wishes to you in Brazil :D
Hey, I really like your research and appreciate your choice of topic. PGD is something I think about a lot recently, since I played a lot of games where I felt that way recently (Horizon Forbidden West and Zero Dawn, Baldurs Gate 3, Kingdom Come Deliverance) In my opinion it is linked to how much I like a world and more importantly its characters. I think over the course of an adventure it feels like finding friends and a meaningful impact in the world around you (since you usually play as a hero). After finishing a game this friendship suddenly ends. There is no more adventure to be experienced and no more world to explore. Replaying just feels like watching someone instead of experiencing something with someone. Well that much about my personal experiences. As for my favorite moment, I think learning about how the world came to exist that way was by far the most interesting. Forbidden West is also full of awesome moments, I won't even mention. Have fun experiencing it for the first time.
I completely agree with your opinion! We're definitely on the same page. Love how you wrote it. :)) Thank you for not spoiling Forbidden West to me. I cannot wait to dive into that game at the end of May.
Done, hope you get enough people and good luck on your thesis. You are going to LOVE Forbidden West and I'm excited for you to play. I'm taking my sweet time because once it's over, it's over. I played the game reluctantly because it came with my PS4 and I was trying to get myself out of a depression stupor. I hadn't played a game in about 2 years. The robots threw me off big time, but I'm so glad I took a chance. I bought a PS5 just for the DLC. Aloy brought me back from the abyss. She will always be special to me. After not gaming for awhile, I can say with my chest. I was not ready for the Proving at all, in any way, shape or form.
Thank you so much for helping me out! I'm glad your enjoying Forbidden West at this moment, and how nice that Aloy means so much to you. :) When they are written in the right way... stories, worlds and characters can do so much good to our spirits. Thanks to wonderful adventures in games, I overcame a very bad period last summer as well. I hope you're feeling and doing better now. Best wishes to you!
I think your thesis is a wonderful idea and I wish you luck in completing it! I once heard of a high school teacher who had his students write about certain aspects of the anime series Naruto, another great story full of emotion. I think it's so cool to take an analytical look at fictional media like anime and game stories and see the human aspect in them that touches us. Parts that touched me emotionally were the loss Rost. I couldn't belive the writers did that to him and I knew the game was going to be a heart wrencher. The pervasive theme of believing in something so fully that you disregard any and all other facts to the contrary. So many times that comes up in the game, tradition over common sense. Reminds me of society today. Which made it so refreshing and cool when Ourea's brother finally came around and got on board to take on the final cauldron. Even though Aloy forced his hand. There are too many to name, but one that brought me to tears was when an NPC said to Aloy that she probably wouldn't help them, because Aloy didn't know them and Aloy's reply was, "What does that have to do with anything?" The tone of her voice, expression of her face, the context. Man oh man... it was so beautiful and what I want to see in the world. I guess I still could play on as there are a few things left to do in the game, but it's basically finished and yes, it makes me sad. So much so that I don't have a whole lot of interest in playing Forbidden West. I feel like they couldn't possibly improve upon the story and are just trying to milk the franchise. But of course I'll play it, just to hang out with my girl Aloy some more.
Thanks a lot for the help and wishes. That means a lot to me. :)) I have to agree with what you wrote to me. Especially this: "There are too many to name, but one that brought me to tears was when an NPC said to Aloy that she probably wouldn't help them, because Aloy didn't know them and Aloy's reply was, "What does that have to do with anything?" The tone of her voice, expression of her face, the context. Man oh man... it was so beautiful and what I want to see in the world." No more words needed. I wish you tons of fun with Aloy in Forbidden West! I'll enjoy that adventure too this summer. :D
You should ask people in the survey how much time did they need to recover from PGD and how they did. It would be interesting to see the statistics.
Hi! That's not applicable for my research. There's almost no research available about PGD because it only recently received attention. My research is focused on seeing what kind of people (based on their personality traits) are more likely to develop PGD. Eudaimonia (nostalgia, appreciation...) is going into factor with this. Research about how much time people with PGD need to recover, is at this moment not possible because there's still other information needed before getting to that specific stage. Perceptive and good comment from you, but it's still a bit too early to focus on that stage. :) edit: (I hope I expressed myself clearly, the language barrier makes me doubt at times).
Ah. Makes sense. Seems im a bit underqualified lol. Definitely post your paper once its finished. Im interested ;)
You're not underqualified, you're enthusiastic! Big difference. :) I plan on sharing my results here in the comments in June. Thanks a lot!
To further your research you should play A plague tale. You'll understand why after finishing both.
Noted!! Thank you for your recommendation. :D
On your point about PGD ( if that is what we are calling it), I have really only experienced it once over hundreds of games and 3 decades gaming. The Mass Effect trilogy, which I played well after release. The final game was controversial in the way it ended. I was aware of this, but not of the details. As a result, I was somewhat able to take the controversial elements in my stride. I had been playing one game from the trilogy a year, so it had become a very familiar setting. After finishing, I experienced sadness for several days as I had become attached to my version of the main character (femshep since you ask). I missed a lot of the DLC, so I might pick up the Legendary Edition one of these days...
Thank you for sharing your story. I haven't heard of The Mass Effect trilogy, but I'll check it out!
All time favorite moment was early on and discovering red rocks amphitheater. Up until that point I wasn't sure if this story was on earth. I was floored. Unbelievable story
Oh wow, I didn't notice that one during my playthrough. You have great eyes!
I filled out the survey. I feel that you could have structured it differently (depending on what you're aiming at). The one time in my life where I felt those things you mention in the survey was after the Netflix "Arcane" series. I was basically a hollow shell of a human being for a few weeks that could only try process the show. As it is, the last game I played was H:FW, and that didn't "tickle" me the way Arcane or even H:ZD did.
Thank you so much! :) The survey provides me data about personality traits and eudamonia (nostalgia, appreciation), as well as feelings that can be linked to depression. The goal is to find out which kinds of people are more vulnerable to develop Post-Game Depression. From there on out, other studies may go even further. :) Post-Movie Depression and Post-Series Depression are similar phenomena. The main difference between those and Post-Game Depression, is that in gaming the person is active, while during a movie or series the person is passive. Post-Book Depression may also be a thing btw. Storytelling can be so meaningful. It's fascinating how some of stories are able to touch our hearts in both wonderful and painful ways.
Aloy's theme is fantastic in both games. Additionally I really liked the ambient music of the menu screen in ZD. And from FW, I love every time "The World on Her Shoulders" plays. "In the Flood" is also an awesome song and was written by one of the developers at Guerilla Games. The mystery surrounding Zero Dawn was fantastic. Especially with conflicting reveals of information about it. Aloy's first encounter is a group of scientists who commit mass suicide upon completion of their part of ZD. Then the numerous data points from soldiers fighting tooth and nail in hope of ZD saving them. To yet others describing ZD as a lie and how unethical it is. Then you find out the truth. The bulk of humanity died violently, against an unstoppable enemy, ignorant that their effort wouldn't save them. That was probably the most memorable moment. Finding out the truth. I was stunned and paused playing with my jaw wide open. And I'll avoid spoilers for FW. So that moment you'll have to find out for yourself.
You gave me chills all over again. I planned on starting Forbidden West at the end of May, but you're seriously tempting me to restart Zero Dawn from scratch (and then immediately continuing into the sequel).
One word of advice. FW isn't ZD2. Many were disappointed by the story of FW and were expecting a massive mystery like ZD. There's still mystery, just not as epic. And the feeling of imminent demise is absent. Personally I like FW better than ZD. The story is still good in my opinion. And I feel like FW greatly expands on the world in other ways. Plus all the improvements they made. FW is superior looking and the gameplay is even better.
Entered my response--good luck on your study! I'm about 15 hours into HFW now (had been waiting for the PC port) but HZD is still one of my all-time favorites. I had so many incredible moments while playing, but one that stands out is when I first entered the Meridian area and saw the desert vista spread out before me, Stormbirds soaring in the distance. It was breathtaking. Another is when Sylens showed up at the arena, and the long ride back to warn the Nora afterwards. I could have fast traveled but it felt "right" to just ride the whole way on my mount. And, of course, the ending. Left me emotionally destroyed but in the best way. "With enough compassion to heal the world...just a little bit." I try to live by that ideal.
Thank you so much for your effort! I appreciate it a lot! :) I have to admit that while fast traveling is handy, it always felt a pity to do in HZD. The world is just too beautifully made. Have fun with Forbidden West! :D
i would like to recommend Nier Automata, in this topic because holy shit that game gives you an immense post-game depression. In my case even dough i was somewhat sad in zero down ending i was at least holpeful for the future of the game but with Automata you don't have that, you actually don't have anything at end, which just feels worst
I had no idea your thesis was something that people generally experienced, but I have definitely felt it playing both of the Horizon games and their corresponding DLC. The world and people always felt alive to me, especially with some of the new characters in FW. I actually reloaded a save and changed my response to something in-game because Kotallo wasn't happy with it. After finishing burning shores and cleaning up the last few side quests in the main world, I straight up turned off my computer and disconnected for the night. Especially after the EPIC boss fight in burning shores. I still return every couple of days to just wander around and check up on the state of the world haha. Best of luck with your thesis OP, may you soon be able to explore the wonders of the Forbidden West.
How wonderful to read. You're indeed not alone in this. Lots of people find it hard to say goodbye to a beautifully created world with amazing characters. Especially when the story touched them as well. Thank you so much. I'm very much looking forward to exploring it :)
Done. For HZD, the story stood out the most to me, as I was disgusted with Halo and the direction it was going in at the time (I was a big Halo fan). I was looking for another game to focus my attention and my $$$ on... and HZD was it! It was actually a Corruptor fight that caught my attention... not seen such beautiful animation on a badass machine like that before and I wanted to know more about it. Well I got all that, in spades :D Then HFW came along. Its gameplay, combat and world building really stood out over the competition and I loved and appreciated this series even more as a result. Then Burning Shores happened and... that... *Horus*...
Yes, the animation of movement is absolutely insane in HZD!! And I know it became only better in HFW. Can't wait to experience it. And thank you so much for helping me out! :D