Bargain Bucket Chuckles

I reached the end of Mass Effect 2 the other day. I felt a sense of loss – even though I brought my entire team through unscathed – we’d been through so much together, we’d wandered the void and seen unspeakable things and triumphed where others had failed and now… now I wondered what would fill the Shepherd-shaped void in my life.

Then of course I got a grip and had a cup of tea, but the underlying problem remained. I’d invested a lot of time and energy into ME2 and there was now a void in my gaming schedule which no amount of tea could fill, I needed a fix… so I went through the shelves to see what was there and came up with a couple of games I’d bought because they were ‘a bargain’. I’d never played them but when wandering around the shop they’d sort-of jumped into my hand with a “Please buy me, I’m good value!” look to them so I did and then stashed them away for a rainy day.

It’s amazing what joy these bargains can bring though! Now, had I payed full price for them I’d probably not be waxing lyrical but I didn’t so it’s almost like fun for free. Of course there’s a whole separate discussion around the morality / legality / general goodness of trade-in and resales – we know that some retailers are sometimes less than lily-white in this area! But here I’m talking about the simple act of picking up an old(er) out of favour title and giving it a new home.

The source of my post-ME2 fun? It’s Lumines on the PSP (I know!) and Guitar Hero 3:Legends of Rock for the Xbox 360. Simple, straightforward enjoyment and nothing more: no galaxies to save; no characters to build, define and love; not a perfectly executed head-shot in sight. And the experience is a little liberating I have to tell you! I’m enjoying twanging away on the ol’ geetar to Rock’s classics (and not so classics too!) and it’s easy for me to say, “after this track I’m going to eat” with no fear that I’ll forget I was going to start to finish one of my overlapping missions and that I still need to find more Eezo for the research lab!

Of course this isn’t going to last forever, I know that. Sooner rather than later a new fixation will enter my life – I think she may be called Bayonetta – and I’ll once again be sat, jiggling of leg, knowing that there’s a slim chance I should have taken a break a little earlier but still unable to hit ‘Pause’ because I’m gripped. For now now the ‘cheapies’ have my attention and I’ll probably be browsing the bargain bit when I pop out next – just in case there’s a little gem in need of rescue.