I’d like to think that I don’t lose myself to nostalgia. The video games I grew up with definitely informed my tastes, but I try not to be unreasonably in love with specific titles.
Final Fantasy XI is a weak point for me though. The game’s peak came when I had a lot of free time in high school, and XI demanded much of it. It would take hours upon hours to tackle certain tasks within the game. Getting to a dungeon, navigating it, fighting a boss and then figuring out how you’re going to get back to town was always a night-long expedition. Even just leveling up would take entire nights of grinding with five other players.
I essentially lived in Final Fantasy XI for a good five years of my life. When I briefly returned to it this year, it was almost like revisiting an old house I grew up in. Just seeing specific environments and landmarks conjured up memories of old friends, adventures and events.
Final Fantasy XI overshadowed my academic and social life. I can’t say I regret it. Being able to let yourself go in a world like that while having relatively minor real world consequences was a unique experience. I don’t think I could do that morally or comfortably today. That, and Final Fantasy XI has changed a lot and I’ve also changed quite a bit myself.
