sort of immersive

i am not really sure what’s going on here. perhaps i’ve gotten older and less immersible. i doubt that highly. but myst IV, so far, has only gotten me in up to my chest. actually, last night i was pretty excited, and stayed up until 4 solving puzzles and wandering through the ages. i was perhaps, overcome by nostalgia for the original myst and its storyline, of sirrus and atrus and achenar and catherine. myst and riven were unlike ANYTHING i had ever played in my life, and i am not sure i have had that feeling of losing myself so totally in a game since. (maybe the final fantasy games, and the original deus ex came close). the linking books to parallel worlds, the concept of writing as a process that creates these worlds, and the integration of the storyline in the brilliant visual design rearranged my thinking. they were like that first hit of crack, only for videogames. literary, romantic, and sinister all at once. and the puzzles were challenging (and the fact that i was smoking strong weed made them that much more so).

but this one hasn’t completely seized my attention. oh sure, it’s pretty cool. but i went to my investment club meeting tonight rather than making some lame excuse, and thoroughly enjoyed it. i stop occasionally and read my email. i play the guitar. nothing resembling putting my entire life on hold. i paused the game and went for a jog today. this is troubling. either this game isn’t all that good, or i am half the gamer i used to be. sorry, this has probably been a boring post if you’ve never stayed up past dawn, realized that trying to sleep when there are still puzzles left to solve is futile, and made a pot of coffee to keep you going through day two. but that’s the kind of person i…was? i’m going to bed.