Each year, when daylight wanes faster than I like and the air turns bitterly cold, I withdraw from all outdoor activities and switch to warm computer use. That’s where I sink into my seat, pop on some sodas and snacks, kicking off my chosen genre to escape the harsh months of Minnesota weather. That’s when I was at home digging into a good MMO.
Every winter is a new opportunity to discover another side of the big world that I have explored many times before. Usually, the MMO I’m into is World of Warcraft, which I’ve played over and over again since 2005. I’ve probably never hit the current level cap for the last character I played, and that’s it. is my jump, or a new expansion is on the way, and I wanted to catch up on the exciting lore and character moments leading up to the new big event. Other times I simply get an itch to play and start fresh with a new class I’ve never given a good chance before (I swear I’ll get max leveled Warlock by one day). someday), or God, look what life is like fighting for the Union for a while.
When you’re playing semi-randomly like me, there’s usually something new for you to immerse yourself in, especially with games with consistent content released throughout the year. I’ll spend nights looking for key moments I’ve heard on podcasts or spend a weekend watching every part of an area I skimmed so quickly on my last power-up . Whether it’s alone or pulling my old dungeon crawler group back into the fray, there’s a near-endless checklist of things to do or help others achieve.
I have some complicated feelings about playing World of Warcraft this year, and the content releases are pretty much scant and understandable. As a result, I switched to my second MMO pick in Final Fantasy XIV. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to catch up on the main story in order to get the new expansion out, Endwalker, in a few short weeks in time. It offers hours of great story, lovable and engaging characters, and events with personal consequences that I don’t normally experience in other MMOs. Those who haven’t tried FFXIV should give it a try. Whether you’re into MMO or not, it’s as good as everyone says, and it gets even better with every major content release.
Sure, I’m speeding through Final Fantasy XIV’s critical path, but I like to focus on this small part of the experience. Technically, winter hasn’t started yet, and there’s a big, new expansion ahead, which means I have a lot of cold nights ahead of me to take on the new quests and classes I’m taking. undiscovered.
What’s your favorite genre or game to come back to when the outdoors is uncomfortable? Are you as immersed in a long RPG or MMO as I am, or do you pull out an old console to revisit some of your childhood favorites? Let me know what your comfort food game is in the comments!
