My tenure as an Undead Warlock for the Horde in the world of Azeroth was enjoyable, but I knew it was time to bid it adieu. My adventures and quests were fun, don’t get me wrong. I loved each time I reached a new level, searching through the chests and corpses for treasures, completing dungeons with online strangers, and the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a quest. What I didn’t love was the fact that at times it seemed like an annoying chore to complete certain tasks, the frustration of spawning at the grave yard every time I died, and the constant “need” to find rare/strong equipment/weapons. The final push for me to quit the game was the combination of the monthly fee and the amount of time I was putting into it.

I can understand some people’s reluctance to pay for a game monthly when they’ve already paid to purchase it. Some people don’t mind, others do. I don’t, when it’s something that I can afford. I had to tighten the belt in preparation for the move to Chicago, so I cut the cord. Saves me about $10 a month. That’s money that could be used for food/transport/tips when I’m in the Windy City. Or for a single drink when I go out again in NYC. I’m just glad I wasn’t as committed as this guy. But then again… if I was makin’ mad money…

The game also seemed to suck the life out of me. Actually, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. I did spend large time periods on it though that could have been put to better use (i.e. putting in job applications, working on my portfolio, reading some books, spending time with real people.) It didn’t really help when I finish a five hour romp in the game I felt tired and depleted. A game is supposed to be fun as well as relaxing and let you unwind. I had some fun, but I did not like the fact that I felt drained after focusing almost two days of play on reaching the next level. I knew it would happen; I would just get so engrossed and lost in the game that I would lose focus of what what I was actually doing. I think I caught it just in time before I lost my mind.

I quit cold turkey. I actually have no regrets having played. I might come back again. I think I would have had more fun if more people I knew joined. At first it was only my cousin (and her now-ex) that I knew (and they actually got me to play it in the first place), but I think I would enjoy it more if I had a group of my close friends join. It has the potential to be an awesome socializing game, and it is for others, but the lack of participation from my IRL buddies is causing us to miss out. It’d be so great to have a band of us take on the Alliance, battling beasts and monsters, and overall enjoy each other’s company as we play a game together.

I may return someday, WoW. Someday.

The horrors we faced were insurmountable: hordes of the undead that rush from every direction, bloated monsters that belched putrid vomit, savages that crawl and leap and tear at your flesh, freaks that ensare you with their tongues to drag you to your doom, mutant women whose eerie crying remind the haunted of her unforgiving leathal strikes, and devilish brutes that can crush you with their monstrous strength. We were alone against this army of hundreds… thousands! Trapped in a city infested, we quickly learned to trust each other without hesitation. Our lives depended on it.

Armed to the teeth with firearms to punish the wicked savages, we blasted our way through to each safe room to catch our breath. We couldn’t stay for long; the extraction helicopter at the hospital couldn’t wait forever. We made it through abandoned apartments, the demolished subway, the cramped sewers… all the way to Mercy Hospital. There were plenty of close calls. We almost thought we would be overrun several times, but we kept our heads and kept putting bullets in every undead body.

We had finally made it to the roof. The trek up each floor was daunting, but we managed. The rescue was almost close. However, before they could arrive, we had to make a final stand against waves of the infected. More than ever before, they were climbing up the walls and structures to get at us. Our teamwork now had to be in total sync. Alone we could never endure this nightmare, but together we had the slimmest of chances.

Each minute passed by… each minute closer to salvation. We threw everything we had at them. We blew them up. We lit them on fire. We riddled them with bullet holes. Every one that fell, five more were coming from the horizon. At then at long last… one of us was overwhelmed. He couldn’t shove enough of them away to reload his gun. They swarmed all around him. The rest of us were helpless, busy fighting off our own aggressors, as he was ripped to pieces. We had to fight on. We needed to live. There was no time to mourn.

The battle became more intense as it went. Soon the giant monster came, tearing apart the roof. Our bullets seemed to bounce off its bulging skin. Our molotovs lit him on fire, but the burning flames didn’t slow him down. We had to scatter to avoid his crushing fists. It’s never a good idea to separate. And we paid for it. The monster closed in on one of us and landed a devastating blow. He flew across the roof and hit a concrete wall. He tried to limp away, but it was soon too late. The monster lunged at him and continued its barrage of pounding our ally’s flesh. We unloaded everything we had to try and lure him away. Then after what seemed like an eternity, the brute finally fell.

And then we heard it on the radio. The helicopter had arrived! We were going to make it! At long last, deliverance. The hosts of attackers had dwindled. We made our way to the helipad unhindered.

I relished the sound of the blades whipping in the air. It sounded like my wings were flapping, lifting me to freedom. I walked onto the platform, and in what seemed like slow motion, turned around to look at my teammate. He was also my savior. He and I made it through hell and back. We fought bravely and without remorse. I could see it in his eyes and then…

I pointed my shotgun.

I pulled the trigger.

I heard the loud bang.

I saw him blasted back onto the ground.

I turned around and jumped into the chopper and flew off.

I never looked back.

She was Left 4 Dead.

Guess who.

I’m having a small dilemma. Where am I going to get the time to do all the things I want to do? There are a ton of tv shows I need to catch up on. I have a couple books in the pipeline I want to read. There are some comics that I need to get back to. And then the video games… well there wasn’t a lot out before other than GTA4. MGS4 actually is coming out and I’m dying to play that, but I really want to get into Crisis Core. I had this game sitting by my desk for the month now, still in its plastic wrap. I had been saving it, not playing it until I got a job. It actually was quite an incentive to get me motivated. And now that I have a job, why not?

I think I’ll get back to my roots. I’m gonna go on a Final Fantasy VII binge. All things FF7 for the next few weeks. This includes: Crisis Core, watching Last Order, playing FF7 over again, and finally finishing up with Advent Children. Not sure if I want to get into Dirge of Cerberus though; maybe, if I’m up for it.

Okay. Time to fire up the PSP.

Aeris ♥ Cloud.