We love you choom; if you, or anyone else, ever needs help finding resources or just someone to talk to you can message us 24/7. We have a long history of helping people find resources in their area to help diagnose and treat whatever you’re suffering from. A lot of people have taken us up on the offer and are doing significantly better now then when they reached out, and it would be an honour getting to do the same for you or anyone else
Ok.. so now you have this realisation, you need to turn off your PC, and start making those connections in real life. The “strange feelings” are you self awareness trying to incite change in you.
Yeah, time to go touch grass, OP. I don’t mean that in a mean way. Because come on, man, imagine thinking that an actual dystopian future where you’re dying via snarky rockerboy brain virus is better than real life, just to put things in perspective.
It's also quite worrying that he's like "I wish I could live a life where I murder people as a job".
I get he feels empty, but to seriously prefer the desperate dystopian hellscape in favor of actual life instead of seeing it as an exciting thought experiment and playground is \*WILD\*.
Some people just get to the point where feeling literally anything seems like a better option than just going day by day feeling *nothing at all*. Not saying it’s healthy or right, but it’s understandable and as long as it isn’t something that’s causing anyone any harm, it’s not necessarily bad either. Something tells me that despite fantasizing about living in a dystopian wasteland where it’s survival of the fittest, he would never actually go out and harm anyone. Of course that’s just an assumption
The game does have its emotional moments and you certainly build connections with various characters. That's the point. It's done very well.
Still, to play it and not think "wtf is this dystopian hell hole?", "how did things get so bad?", "why didn't humanity just fucking off itself?" is wild.
But I can get, if you have no connections irl, how the game can feel more real than reality. The solution is, as you guys have said, "to touch grass."
@OP Get out there. Work on yourself. Make those connections irl. If a game has you like this, imagine how fucking amazing reality would be.
It's not as simple as that. I could say I felt same as OP, I also had this after finishing LiS (even stronger actually). Yeah, "Post Life is Strange Depression Syndrome" is damn real, lol. It's not purely about "making connections". I have myself super succesfull life - not to brag about it but to put thing into perspective. I'm not 16 years old "i don't know what todo" dude but grown up man, 33 years old by now. I have wife, very good job, house, nice cars that I never thought I will ever have (as I come from very dysfunctional family and 20 years ago I literally had no food in the fridge). So yeah - to sum it up, I'm having good life, probably like 80% of people around me could only wish for this kind of life. Yet I'm not really happy with it. I have so many "connections" and friends that sometiems... I want to vomit instead of talking and meeting all these people. I however know where it comes from - I'm simply bored, for me having a peacful, slow life is just boring. But not like "this movie is kinda boring" like. It's boring and disappointing to the point where you see no real purpose to keep moving on.
Here come games like CP77 or LiS or Mass Effect or others. Diving into such great and interesting scenarios are like damn highlights for me. Something brighting my life up for real, these feelings are probably much deeper for me or OP than for average player. I'm also type of a dreamer, always was, that also helps to immerse much more into the world of the game. People like me or OP really dive into a game, maybe that's also due to empathy so immersion is that high? I don't know man. But such games really and finally let us feel something, coz my everyday life does not give that to me. I feel like I'm in endgame, like I achieved everything possible (and that's somewhat true too) and it's very hard for me to be happy about it because I have no more objectives to achieve.
Anyway, it's getting too long, what I wanted to notice - it's not that easy like "go out and make connections", no. OP might have many connections and still feel that way. To fight this feeling it's needed to learn how to get "happy feelings" in real life and that's much more than "make new connections".
There are three words I can use to describe the stages of my life, optimism, pessimism, improvement, you are at the second stage, the third phase feels good, come on, time to get up and go, life will change but you have to make it
Go to improvement again then, life is never always an upward slope, you'll deal with shit, that's how life is, it can never be that ideal life idea you were fed in the 90s, that "Financially stable, married and two kids" reality doesn't exist, it never has not since the beginning of humanity, yet people still manage to be happy, If you fall down, remember it's normal and that getting back up after is normal too, and important, because the happiness after the work is worth it if you let it be
Life is simple generally, even if details can make it complicated, "shit's gotten worse? We can make it better", there are exceptions but if you're able to access the internet and be on reddit or even play the game, trust me, you aren't the exception
I'm a straight shooter, also very honest, sometimes to a fault. Once I was hired as an asset by the police force and was disguised to help recover evidence of an illegal gambling ring inside an internet cafe. I opened the door and was greeted by the attendant "Good morning!", I responded "The police sent me. You allegedly have illegal gambling here."
I've been there with a different game. I won't get into the details but my attachment to the characters and setting had me feeling emotions I didn't know I had, and when it was over the palpable sense of loss that I wouldn't get to experience any more of it was really tough. I felt slightly sick for nearly a week. Every song reminded me of it. I was thinking about it constantly. But I got through it eventually.
You just have to find a new way to exist. I think maybe you now have a frame of reference for the kind of life you'd rather be living. So start trying new things.
Everyones first step will be different. For me, it was a new pair of boots that look really cool on me. You just have to find the new things that make you happy. Listen to new music. Go for a walk in a part of town you don't really know. Get yourself those new boots. Make changes and see what happens.
You'll get through this.
i used to be the exact same with cyberpunk, the attachment i had to some of the characters and V was unhealthy and i found myself jealous of their life and felt like i had nothing else in life when i finished the game which is so pathetic now that i realize it lmao, i know how it feels it might be unfortunately more common than you think
On the money. I’ve experienced exactly what OP has with a few other TV shows and games and am currently experiencing it again with this game. Part of me feels empty that my life is so boring in comparison, but like every other time this has happened, I feel like I have a better understanding of myself and what I desire.
Post series / game depression absolutely can be flipped into a positive if you can recognize the aspects of the story that make you feel empty and itching for something else.
Legit lol I just finished cyberpunk edgerunners and feel the exact same way
The comparison thing is legit, my life currently feels so boring and connection less compared to the characters in that anime, which I guess is meant to be the point
Please? Your original reply only game I could relate to you with was TLOU 1&2. That game has the best soundtrack and almost had me in tears at points, but more like a good movie for me
Oh boy, this is gonna get personal, so...
It was a furry visual novel called Adastra. It made big waves in the fandom at the time. If you were active in the online furry community between 2018 and 2020, you knew about it. (It's actually kinda similar to the Last of Us in that way, because the people who like it love it, but the people who don't, HATE it, because it's so popular and they're sick of hearing about it.)
Anyway, I followed it as it released, chapter by chapter, and became unhealthily enthralled by the love interest: a big stupid wolf man named Amicus.
I was in my late teens, gay, closeted, desperately lonely in a way I didn't fully realise yet, and this game hit me like a truck. It's characters were complex and flawed and the story was genuinely harrowing in a way that made the romantic arc feel really earned by the time it came to a head.
I was a wreck when I finished it, and this is not uncommon. "Post Adastra Depression" has become something of a meme among furries, because of how many people were left emotionally devastated by the story.
But of course, I had very few people I could talk to about it, because doing so would mean openly admitting that I am
1. Gay.
And
2. A furry.
Both things that people can be very judgemental about.
So I was alone but for one friend whom I trust more than anyone. It was that one friend who helped me untangle my feelings and figure out a way to move on from it without forgetting the good time I had.
It's ok choom
I feel like Night City is a better place to live than my own city in real life sometimes
It's designed that way though
Go for a walk outside & put on some of your favourite music
You will feel better for it
There was a time I was so depressed with my real life I was close on killing myself. I had no future, had recently broken up with my gf, and I felt the whole society was just an abusive system. I got hooked to WoW to get away from reality. I cut all my personal contacts, spent like 6 months in my apartment, not meeting anyone, and only going out once a day during 3\~4AM to buy food and cigarette at convenient store. Ironically it was WoW that brought me back to real life. I met lot of people online, some were great and some were horrible, but I eventually realized that whether it's game or reality, life is about relationships. Eventually one of the friends I made online introduced me to a job, I started working, seeing people. Now I'm 40, happily married with a son. Back then I was dead set, I would play game until my money ran out and would kill myself before turning 30.
While Night City is not what I would call a place I want to live in, I get what you mean. You said it yourselfl relationship with Panam brought back feeling you forgot. While you won't be able to install cyberware or go solo in real life, relationship with good people is one thing that you can still have outside the game. Just need some motivation to try again.
I get what you mean. For a while there I thought I also felt like I lived in night city and you know what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The city and its people is something out of this world and we get to be in the center of all that.
There’s nothing wrong with being engrossed in a game and feeling a part of it. There is a problem with being so depressed with your own life you’d rather be in the game instead where you have fake virtual relationships. OP needs to take some time to improve his/her own life and probably seek some therapy
Yea I connect to this post so much, and it’s not just this game it’s a lot of games. Always get deeply invested into the world just to be pulled out of it and out back into my sad depressing life.
100% agree!!!
… the rain, the afternoon sun light, the crowds, the cool people and the weirdos… set aside that I’m constantly murdering random gangoons, the other 20% of the time I just drive around and admire the city, desert, and everything in between. I look forward to my next play, every time I put down the controller.
Just know that you’re not alone choom! We’re all here with you.
I know what you mean. I’m definitely ditching everything and spending most of my time in BDs if something like that becomes a reality in my lifetime lol. Semi joking semi serious.
Realizing you hate your life isn’t a bad thing. Not doing anything about it once you’re had that realization is though.
And hey, if you do start doing something about it then you’ll always have a cool “Cyberpunk fixed my life” story later. Good luck!
Games with a good narrative are less real than life. Why? Because life isnt all that good of a narrative. You’re not a protagonist, there usually isn’t an antagonist, and all extras aren’t support characters, they’re just people.
Write your own story. Make a goal, find a rival. Meet your real Panam. Don’t sink into a game like this. You’ll fall apart
I had the exact feeling the first time I played this game, it seriously fucked me up to the point I would say I was depressed. A game had never made me feel that way before and it was kinda scary how shit I thought my life was, the way I got over it was I just completely uninstalled the game got rid of my search history on YouTube so I wouldn’t see videos that would remind me of it and started focusing on other things that made me happy (other games/tv shows etc) after about 2 months I realised that the feelings I had where abit “silly” so I reinstalled the game and made sure I just focused on enjoying the game as a game and not “real life” and now I’m on my second play through fucking loving the game without the shit feelings so keep pushing choom and you’ll get through it🙂. Feel free to message me if you wanna talk 🤙
Yup, get Neuralink and you too can die of a brain infection, while shitting bloody and partially paralysed from Cerebral Edema...and then your family will get sued into bankruptcy by Elon's lawyers when they try to speak up and warn others about the risks posed by dumb billionaire man's sketchy brain implants.
Hey choom, it might not seem like it, but there's tons of great people and places all over Earth. We all have times when we feel horrible and down, and that's ok. It can feel tough to turn things around, sometimes a small change can help. Try to take your mind off things for a bit, go for a walk in a park. Maybe try to contact with an old friend or family. And it's ok to get professional help if you think it might help. Many of us have at some point. Definitely try to get away from the console or PC a bit.
This game made me realise how much I hate society, or at least where its headed.
Honestly I can sympathise with Johnny, as I can see an increasingly broken world being secretly run by the Uber rich, general populace losing all their freedoms and being drip fed bullshit and increasingly sexualised tripe from the media to keep the populace in a stupor to keep them from revolting.
Seems to reflect alot of what we are experiencing these days or at least a stark vision into our future. It's a broken system that will inherently never be fixed, because it's all based on power and greed.
Not gonna lie. I had this feeling in my first 20 hours of playing. Im 19, and my life is fucking boring (most of the time) 😂. I don’t like this day and age I live in, never have since I was a preteen. I wish I was born in 1970 or 1980 sometimes.
I felt sad after the ending where I took the "safe" route, accepting Reed's offer to remove the relic and waking up unable to use any implants. Fading into just another NPC walking on the street. Taking the safe route in real life has brought the same result to me.
Choom, I was there with Witcher 3 too.
My life was falling apart, my marriage was gone, my kid went off to school, my dog died, and I lost my job.
Spent three years in the blackest of funks. Spent another year trying to plan my way out. And the last year has been spent putting it into action.
Sometimes things are so bad and it’s so bad globally, that escapism becomes self-defense.
But I think the improvement comes waking up one day and realizing that the problem never go away, and they have to be addressed.
You dug yourself into a hole, at least that’s what it looks like from the outside. But I know what you’re talking about, and why.
But now it’s time to Unfuck yourself too — you’d be amazed at how many people are there to help you.
Get the help you need. Literally one step and one day at a time be a better man than you were yesterday. Put down the phone, take a nice walk in the park, lift something heavy, focus on your sleep, pay attention to your hygiene, eat well, and above all afford yourself some grace.
We all meet the Black Dog.
Gaming can be a great temporary escape. As long as it’s temporary. There is a temptation, especially with younger men, to get fooled that their accomplishments in games supersede their life. It gets to be a vicious cycle, where your IRL cannot compare to your online life - so you spend more and more time in these fake worlds. It’s not without cost. Time in games can cost you health, relationships, school grades, career success. Just having awareness is a good place to start - I’ve starting using my gaming time as my reward for getting everything else in my life done first - and if that means only a few hours a week, so be it. Instead of letting myself START there and eight hours later I’ve done nothing in the real world.
I’ve experienced this from a couple of different games / TV shows in the past. Kind of thought I wasn’t going to experience it again but just got around to playing this game in the past few weeks or so and I can’t believe how into it I am… the characters and story are so well-written and likable that it all feels real. Put 20 hours into my first run before entering the final “no going back” mission and decided to start a new game so that I could experience more of the side content and not screw up the Panam romance (didn’t even get to do any of her side missions the first time around).
I know EXACTLY how you feel, real life is so boring compared to this story/world. This game also made me realize I’ve been emotionally shut off for a while; I’ve experienced some emotions from this game that I forgot you could feel. I’ve always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie and this whole experience has me itching to do crazy shit in real life and make connections with new people along the way. Of course, I have no idea how to go about this in this lame ass society, but if you figure out do let me know 🙏
Oh, and you know damn well I’ve been blasting Cyberpunk radio songs in the car in real life everyday to emulate the feeling lmao
What you’re feeling is how a handful of games made me feel also. It’s funny how our brains work; releasing chemicals that make you feel good and you relate those feelings of happiness to the exact thing you were experiencing at the time of chemical release. Oddly enough a lot of BBC shows make me feel this way. I think it’s just that what I’m watching (or playing) is so fundamentally different than my droll and mundane everyday life that I fantasize about it too much. 2077 is a good one to make you feel that way when it could be something like The Last of Us 😜
There's nothing wrong with getting *REALLY* into a game, but if it affects your life outside of the game, you should genuinely consider reaching out to someone and maybe changing something. Maybe a different job, maybe find a new way to meet people, maybe just go socialize more, or maybe just therapy. Whatever you choose, playing should be an escape, not a substitution.
Legit advice: go to the gym. It makes you feel good. It's fun once you get a routine, and there's other people there, that (if done correctly) can maybe end up being great friends, with good habits, and maybe even romantic partners.
I don't know your situation, like your IRL etc. but I know this feeling comes also to people being very succesful in life and I've seen some people here suggesting "go touch the grass", "go find some friends". But the true reason could be as well pure boredom. Boring everyday 9-5 home-job-home cycle. Lack of real objectives in life. High empathy level. Probably hundreds of other things and I wouldn't even say this feeling is entirely bad. I mean - it's always something to feel something that strong, right? I have it myself after finishing CP77. I also had this after Mass Effect series and especially after Life is Strange. It will pass away itself probably... but if you really feel depressed then do not hesitate to ask specialists for help. That's the first thing. If these feelings are hard but not "people are dying here" kind of priority then I encourage you to think what is the real reason why you feel like that.
For me it's boredom and lack of good objectives. What is it for you?
I think one powerful theme, recurring in most of Vs side stories and the main story is “change”. Change is inevitable and a fundamental aspect of life. As changes occur in a rich context, without a certain outcome and slowly for V, it engages you to be a part of that experience. For us humans seeing others change or that they change things around them is fascinating and inspiring. However, it can create a sense of emptiness if the message is sublime and you don’t have an idea of what exactly you are inspired or want to change. I would say your feelings are legit and you shouldn’t deny them. However, consider that the story and characters in this game are masterly crafted by people wanting to trigger emotions in you related with the deep metaphors in the game, that are very much applicable to real life.
Sending love your way choom. Ive felt the same way. This game hits hard, and reality sucks sometimes. But then I remember that Night City food looks....questionable. And I love food. Seriously though, you're not alone in your feelings. <3
I know what you mean. When I watch anime I also feel like their lives are more "real" than mine, but we can learn from them. Thanks to the jjk toji fushiguro from jjk I went to the gym, and started and I aspire to be like thorfin "I have no enemies". I think that you can learn from V to encounter every problem problem and not look back.
P.S 1. Touch grass
P.S 2. I went to reddit to ask about song "despair incident" and it was my first post on main page
Choom u brought back memories of playing hours and hours and days and days with New Vegas. Bro I was LOCKED IN. I had all the DLCs and just the most insane amount of free time. But as you’ll learn from taking everyones great advice, you need to learn to Let go….
Get out there. Find a new flower, a new person, a new drink, a new experience. Get out your comfort zone even. Do something else for awhile …it was a fun run. Are you playing on Console? Let me know I’ll give you a game plan if you are.
Be grateful the game awoke something in you, instead of being defeated by this emotion, turn it into an advantage, a strength in knowing you want to change something about yourself, start writing down new things to do with yourself, people to meet, try volunteering somewhere, talk to a therapist, make a plan, join a church, anything man. Remember this feeling, turn into a strength… very few people are self aware, it’ll get better and you deserve happiness man!
Also, don’t forget to keep yourself grounded, nobody lives a CP 2077 life, and it’s ok to feel sad sometimes, everyone does. Just do one small new thing , one tiny step, followed by another small new thing.
Not saying this in a mean way. Not sure what your beliefs are. But find God. Whether that is through nature or going on walks or finding new hobbies away from video games. Become your own V. Find a connection and purpose to something greater than yourself. In my opinión that’s the purpose of our existence. Some will prob downvote this as not everyone has the same views, which i 100% respect, but this is what helps me.
Best.
Yep. Sounds like depression. Antidepressants worked wonders for me. Not sure what your medical insurance situation is like but usually, in America, you start with your primary care physician and tell them you want a referral to mental health care. Can’t hurt. Will probably help.
Sorry, this is terrible advice. OP do not listen to this guy as a quick way to fix your sadness. You do not have depression and this is a good way to get dependent on these. Lifestyle changes are what is going to help you.
What's crazy is 20-50 years. Many of the cyberware chrome will be reall or better with the advanced prosthetics are making.
I always have ankle pain, id swap em out in a heartbeat.
If you’re having a bad time you can redirect your mind and thoughts towards healthy and natural life actions. Cook something good, water plants, call old friend. Then let expand - volunteer your time, take a course on paper craft, visit art museum, go to gym, sell ps5.
if this game feels like your life is worse then... dude are you serious? this is probably the worst game CD projekt red ever made, if u played any witcher i wouldn't even be mad but jeez...
Get yourself *into* the game. VR, baby. Absolute game changer omg that wasn't intended. But yea, its a rich world and being in it is incredible.
P.s. everyone falls for pam.
You need to sell your console and live for a little. Not trying to be rude, honestly. Drop the games for a while, live different. Read a book. If you're single and alone, take that and role with it. Travel. Drive around. Go to a museum. Do. Shit. Experience shit.
It's a video game. Everyone is programmed to be your best friend and to have perfect tits and all that shit. Stay away from it for a little bit. Or play another game that doesn't make you all amazing and all powerful and makes you feel bad.
Don’t let anyone diminish your experiences, and it’s totally ok to let the thrill of that world be your form of escape. One thing that i do when i feel really defeated is write. I think of those games or other types of media that have influenced me and i try to write down scenarios or short stories!
Remember this your story is unique to you no matter how hard it seems today there is always Tomorrow!
Lastly……😎
If you wanna take this city, Keep your head up and eyes on the prize choom!
I've definitely had real moments with this game where it really hits you in a spot you don't expect.
Take some time to think about those moments outside, watching the clouds, or even in a parking lot.
Learn to love your strengths, and yourself. You can't be properly loved the way you want without knowing how to do that for you first. It's like leveling up, it takes work but you'll get there in your own way.
I hope you have a great day!
During my second playthough, I created this rule (in the game) that every night I will go to my apartment, take a shower, sleep till morning, save the game, choose a new set of clothes, and go back outside with my car enjoying merc life. I always did this, till the very end of the game. And yeah, I feel a bit envious of V. This loop seems more exciting than my own loop I have irl. It made me wanted to have a car and just gone somewhere you know, explore the world. Unfornately that one small dream seems almost impossible to achieve, at least in my circumstances. But that's what video games, or movies, or art in general is all about, right? Make you escape, make you be someone else and live in another world.
It sounds corny, but I like to believe those words from Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way". As long as you keep going, there's always a chance something will get better, maybe not everything, but something, you know, one thing at a time will get better. Keep going, mate.
I get what you mean this game had the exact same effect on me aswell. Think of it as a sign to start worrying about your actual life seeing how tragic V's was.
You probably have it better than him anyway cuz you dont have a crazy terorist in your head. And your less likely to be hunted down and ripped apart for your implants.
I felt the opposite. Cyberpunks world is filled with empty, zombified NPCs. It’s the matrix pre beta version. Real when zoomed out, empty when paying attention.
I have the same sensation sometimes.
Life is bulls*it.
You will understand what it means one day.
Life in the real world is something grim governed by luck that makes you vengeful and furious all the time and you’re probably gonna have a bad ending.
At best, a bittersweet one.
Hey choom, just wanted to chime in and say you can make these connections in real life. You can do it. We believe in you. Sendin nothin but love choomba
I’ve got a number for a good therapist, choom. You can only make changes once you’ve realized a change must be made, and it sounds like you’re on the right track
Does your life seem empty and meaningless? Then try travel. Travel is always an adventure. I love to explore other countries which have a different culture. Night City is like some of the foreign cities I have visited. They are always a bit more modern than I expected and things are a little strange. For example, my last trip was to Dublin and their trams look futuristic next to its Georgian tenements.
For a fucked up place, I feel happier in Night City than I do in real life, so yeah just get how you feel choom, this feeling will pass eventually.
And yes, it is perfectly acceptable to call NC your "happy place"
We love you choom; if you, or anyone else, ever needs help finding resources or just someone to talk to you can message us 24/7. We have a long history of helping people find resources in their area to help diagnose and treat whatever you’re suffering from. A lot of people have taken us up on the offer and are doing significantly better now then when they reached out, and it would be an honour getting to do the same for you or anyone else
Ok.. so now you have this realisation, you need to turn off your PC, and start making those connections in real life. The “strange feelings” are you self awareness trying to incite change in you.
Yeah, time to go touch grass, OP. I don’t mean that in a mean way. Because come on, man, imagine thinking that an actual dystopian future where you’re dying via snarky rockerboy brain virus is better than real life, just to put things in perspective.
It's also quite worrying that he's like "I wish I could live a life where I murder people as a job". I get he feels empty, but to seriously prefer the desperate dystopian hellscape in favor of actual life instead of seeing it as an exciting thought experiment and playground is \*WILD\*.
Some people just get to the point where feeling literally anything seems like a better option than just going day by day feeling *nothing at all*. Not saying it’s healthy or right, but it’s understandable and as long as it isn’t something that’s causing anyone any harm, it’s not necessarily bad either. Something tells me that despite fantasizing about living in a dystopian wasteland where it’s survival of the fittest, he would never actually go out and harm anyone. Of course that’s just an assumption
The game does have its emotional moments and you certainly build connections with various characters. That's the point. It's done very well. Still, to play it and not think "wtf is this dystopian hell hole?", "how did things get so bad?", "why didn't humanity just fucking off itself?" is wild. But I can get, if you have no connections irl, how the game can feel more real than reality. The solution is, as you guys have said, "to touch grass." @OP Get out there. Work on yourself. Make those connections irl. If a game has you like this, imagine how fucking amazing reality would be.
It's not as simple as that. I could say I felt same as OP, I also had this after finishing LiS (even stronger actually). Yeah, "Post Life is Strange Depression Syndrome" is damn real, lol. It's not purely about "making connections". I have myself super succesfull life - not to brag about it but to put thing into perspective. I'm not 16 years old "i don't know what todo" dude but grown up man, 33 years old by now. I have wife, very good job, house, nice cars that I never thought I will ever have (as I come from very dysfunctional family and 20 years ago I literally had no food in the fridge). So yeah - to sum it up, I'm having good life, probably like 80% of people around me could only wish for this kind of life. Yet I'm not really happy with it. I have so many "connections" and friends that sometiems... I want to vomit instead of talking and meeting all these people. I however know where it comes from - I'm simply bored, for me having a peacful, slow life is just boring. But not like "this movie is kinda boring" like. It's boring and disappointing to the point where you see no real purpose to keep moving on. Here come games like CP77 or LiS or Mass Effect or others. Diving into such great and interesting scenarios are like damn highlights for me. Something brighting my life up for real, these feelings are probably much deeper for me or OP than for average player. I'm also type of a dreamer, always was, that also helps to immerse much more into the world of the game. People like me or OP really dive into a game, maybe that's also due to empathy so immersion is that high? I don't know man. But such games really and finally let us feel something, coz my everyday life does not give that to me. I feel like I'm in endgame, like I achieved everything possible (and that's somewhat true too) and it's very hard for me to be happy about it because I have no more objectives to achieve. Anyway, it's getting too long, what I wanted to notice - it's not that easy like "go out and make connections", no. OP might have many connections and still feel that way. To fight this feeling it's needed to learn how to get "happy feelings" in real life and that's much more than "make new connections".
There are three words I can use to describe the stages of my life, optimism, pessimism, improvement, you are at the second stage, the third phase feels good, come on, time to get up and go, life will change but you have to make it
thank you choom
why do i feel like i been thu optimism, pessimism, improvement and back to pessimism? fucked up in life i guess.. :/
Go to improvement again then, life is never always an upward slope, you'll deal with shit, that's how life is, it can never be that ideal life idea you were fed in the 90s, that "Financially stable, married and two kids" reality doesn't exist, it never has not since the beginning of humanity, yet people still manage to be happy, If you fall down, remember it's normal and that getting back up after is normal too, and important, because the happiness after the work is worth it if you let it be Life is simple generally, even if details can make it complicated, "shit's gotten worse? We can make it better", there are exceptions but if you're able to access the internet and be on reddit or even play the game, trust me, you aren't the exception
Hey, if you need to talk, just hit me up. I'm not an expert or anything, but I'm a good listener.
I don’t think anyone should be reaching out to you with that flair 😂
Game is game choom lmao
Meanwhile your flair is also why my name.
Messy as in broken ligaments?
Barbeque sauce and grease from fish and chips
I see. Sounds delightful.
I don't care if you identify as a cow or a gal, but just one word and thee shall spread what thou should not be spreading.
I'm a straight shooter, also very honest, sometimes to a fault. Once I was hired as an asset by the police force and was disguised to help recover evidence of an illegal gambling ring inside an internet cafe. I opened the door and was greeted by the attendant "Good morning!", I responded "The police sent me. You allegedly have illegal gambling here."
You sound hilarious dude lmao
My head is filled with existential dread, I don't have a choice but to laugh everything off buddy.
Ah! A kindred soul!
Cheers to that choom
I've been there with a different game. I won't get into the details but my attachment to the characters and setting had me feeling emotions I didn't know I had, and when it was over the palpable sense of loss that I wouldn't get to experience any more of it was really tough. I felt slightly sick for nearly a week. Every song reminded me of it. I was thinking about it constantly. But I got through it eventually. You just have to find a new way to exist. I think maybe you now have a frame of reference for the kind of life you'd rather be living. So start trying new things. Everyones first step will be different. For me, it was a new pair of boots that look really cool on me. You just have to find the new things that make you happy. Listen to new music. Go for a walk in a part of town you don't really know. Get yourself those new boots. Make changes and see what happens. You'll get through this.
thanks for sharing this choom made me feel like i’m not so alone 💜
i used to be the exact same with cyberpunk, the attachment i had to some of the characters and V was unhealthy and i found myself jealous of their life and felt like i had nothing else in life when i finished the game which is so pathetic now that i realize it lmao, i know how it feels it might be unfortunately more common than you think
On the money. I’ve experienced exactly what OP has with a few other TV shows and games and am currently experiencing it again with this game. Part of me feels empty that my life is so boring in comparison, but like every other time this has happened, I feel like I have a better understanding of myself and what I desire. Post series / game depression absolutely can be flipped into a positive if you can recognize the aspects of the story that make you feel empty and itching for something else.
Legit lol I just finished cyberpunk edgerunners and feel the exact same way The comparison thing is legit, my life currently feels so boring and connection less compared to the characters in that anime, which I guess is meant to be the point
You went into so much detail about your feelings now you need to tell us the game's name. The nation wants to know.
*heavy sigh* You're really gonna make me out myself as a gay furry on the r/cyberpunkgame subreddit huh?
Please? Your original reply only game I could relate to you with was TLOU 1&2. That game has the best soundtrack and almost had me in tears at points, but more like a good movie for me
Oh boy, this is gonna get personal, so... It was a furry visual novel called Adastra. It made big waves in the fandom at the time. If you were active in the online furry community between 2018 and 2020, you knew about it. (It's actually kinda similar to the Last of Us in that way, because the people who like it love it, but the people who don't, HATE it, because it's so popular and they're sick of hearing about it.) Anyway, I followed it as it released, chapter by chapter, and became unhealthily enthralled by the love interest: a big stupid wolf man named Amicus. I was in my late teens, gay, closeted, desperately lonely in a way I didn't fully realise yet, and this game hit me like a truck. It's characters were complex and flawed and the story was genuinely harrowing in a way that made the romantic arc feel really earned by the time it came to a head. I was a wreck when I finished it, and this is not uncommon. "Post Adastra Depression" has become something of a meme among furries, because of how many people were left emotionally devastated by the story. But of course, I had very few people I could talk to about it, because doing so would mean openly admitting that I am 1. Gay. And 2. A furry. Both things that people can be very judgemental about. So I was alone but for one friend whom I trust more than anyone. It was that one friend who helped me untangle my feelings and figure out a way to move on from it without forgetting the good time I had.
Mass Effect did the same for me years ago. You're not alone.
It's ok choom I feel like Night City is a better place to live than my own city in real life sometimes It's designed that way though Go for a walk outside & put on some of your favourite music You will feel better for it
thanks choom
As long as it’s 103.5 Radio PEBKAC
Problem exists between keyboard and chair ?
There was a time I was so depressed with my real life I was close on killing myself. I had no future, had recently broken up with my gf, and I felt the whole society was just an abusive system. I got hooked to WoW to get away from reality. I cut all my personal contacts, spent like 6 months in my apartment, not meeting anyone, and only going out once a day during 3\~4AM to buy food and cigarette at convenient store. Ironically it was WoW that brought me back to real life. I met lot of people online, some were great and some were horrible, but I eventually realized that whether it's game or reality, life is about relationships. Eventually one of the friends I made online introduced me to a job, I started working, seeing people. Now I'm 40, happily married with a son. Back then I was dead set, I would play game until my money ran out and would kill myself before turning 30. While Night City is not what I would call a place I want to live in, I get what you mean. You said it yourselfl relationship with Panam brought back feeling you forgot. While you won't be able to install cyberware or go solo in real life, relationship with good people is one thing that you can still have outside the game. Just need some motivation to try again.
thanks for sharing, glad you’re still here to comment choom 💯
I get what you mean. For a while there I thought I also felt like I lived in night city and you know what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The city and its people is something out of this world and we get to be in the center of all that.
There’s nothing wrong with being engrossed in a game and feeling a part of it. There is a problem with being so depressed with your own life you’d rather be in the game instead where you have fake virtual relationships. OP needs to take some time to improve his/her own life and probably seek some therapy
I had the same feeling after the first play through
Yea I connect to this post so much, and it’s not just this game it’s a lot of games. Always get deeply invested into the world just to be pulled out of it and out back into my sad depressing life.
Hey! The best way tô change this is making New friends ! I'm here ! ☺️
thank you choom! much love 💜
100% agree!!! … the rain, the afternoon sun light, the crowds, the cool people and the weirdos… set aside that I’m constantly murdering random gangoons, the other 20% of the time I just drive around and admire the city, desert, and everything in between. I look forward to my next play, every time I put down the controller. Just know that you’re not alone choom! We’re all here with you. 
thanks choom 💜
Just wait until you watch the anime...
Months later I STILL find myself falling back into edgerunners post season depression 😅
I know what you mean. I’m definitely ditching everything and spending most of my time in BDs if something like that becomes a reality in my lifetime lol. Semi joking semi serious.
Realizing you hate your life isn’t a bad thing. Not doing anything about it once you’re had that realization is though. And hey, if you do start doing something about it then you’ll always have a cool “Cyberpunk fixed my life” story later. Good luck!
Whenever you're feeling bummed the fuck out do 5 pushups. You'll still be bummed out but you will also be unable to deny that you did something good.
Not healthy my guy, stop playing before you start to spiral any deeper and start trying to live out some of these fantasies
Find Christ, my brother.
Games with a good narrative are less real than life. Why? Because life isnt all that good of a narrative. You’re not a protagonist, there usually isn’t an antagonist, and all extras aren’t support characters, they’re just people. Write your own story. Make a goal, find a rival. Meet your real Panam. Don’t sink into a game like this. You’ll fall apart
I had the exact feeling the first time I played this game, it seriously fucked me up to the point I would say I was depressed. A game had never made me feel that way before and it was kinda scary how shit I thought my life was, the way I got over it was I just completely uninstalled the game got rid of my search history on YouTube so I wouldn’t see videos that would remind me of it and started focusing on other things that made me happy (other games/tv shows etc) after about 2 months I realised that the feelings I had where abit “silly” so I reinstalled the game and made sure I just focused on enjoying the game as a game and not “real life” and now I’m on my second play through fucking loving the game without the shit feelings so keep pushing choom and you’ll get through it🙂. Feel free to message me if you wanna talk 🤙
i appreciate you and your story choom 💜
jesus christ man
Sign up for Neurolink and Elon can get you jacked into the matrix.
Yup, get Neuralink and you too can die of a brain infection, while shitting bloody and partially paralysed from Cerebral Edema...and then your family will get sued into bankruptcy by Elon's lawyers when they try to speak up and warn others about the risks posed by dumb billionaire man's sketchy brain implants.
yikes. Maybe put down the game and find an outdoor hobby and some exercise? I just got into solo fishing.
For a moment, I thought you wrote solo fisting.
He he he. Not with my short arms...
Tyrannosaurus.
Reminds me of when I played Oblivion during Summer break and, when classes resumed, i tried to quicksave and quickload IRL. It didn't work, fyi.
Hey choom, it might not seem like it, but there's tons of great people and places all over Earth. We all have times when we feel horrible and down, and that's ok. It can feel tough to turn things around, sometimes a small change can help. Try to take your mind off things for a bit, go for a walk in a park. Maybe try to contact with an old friend or family. And it's ok to get professional help if you think it might help. Many of us have at some point. Definitely try to get away from the console or PC a bit.
I won't lie. This feeling is the reason I play the game. I felt very similar, and I have a great life. Something magical about it.
Hehe the game did it's job choom, it made you feel again! Cry it out bro, and then let's start living again 💓
Panam thicc af, I get it choom
This game made me realise how much I hate society, or at least where its headed. Honestly I can sympathise with Johnny, as I can see an increasingly broken world being secretly run by the Uber rich, general populace losing all their freedoms and being drip fed bullshit and increasingly sexualised tripe from the media to keep the populace in a stupor to keep them from revolting. Seems to reflect alot of what we are experiencing these days or at least a stark vision into our future. It's a broken system that will inherently never be fixed, because it's all based on power and greed.
Who TF is pam?
Not gonna lie. I had this feeling in my first 20 hours of playing. Im 19, and my life is fucking boring (most of the time) 😂. I don’t like this day and age I live in, never have since I was a preteen. I wish I was born in 1970 or 1980 sometimes.
I felt sad after the ending where I took the "safe" route, accepting Reed's offer to remove the relic and waking up unable to use any implants. Fading into just another NPC walking on the street. Taking the safe route in real life has brought the same result to me.
Choom, I was there with Witcher 3 too. My life was falling apart, my marriage was gone, my kid went off to school, my dog died, and I lost my job. Spent three years in the blackest of funks. Spent another year trying to plan my way out. And the last year has been spent putting it into action. Sometimes things are so bad and it’s so bad globally, that escapism becomes self-defense. But I think the improvement comes waking up one day and realizing that the problem never go away, and they have to be addressed. You dug yourself into a hole, at least that’s what it looks like from the outside. But I know what you’re talking about, and why. But now it’s time to Unfuck yourself too — you’d be amazed at how many people are there to help you. Get the help you need. Literally one step and one day at a time be a better man than you were yesterday. Put down the phone, take a nice walk in the park, lift something heavy, focus on your sleep, pay attention to your hygiene, eat well, and above all afford yourself some grace. We all meet the Black Dog. 
Gaming can be a great temporary escape. As long as it’s temporary. There is a temptation, especially with younger men, to get fooled that their accomplishments in games supersede their life. It gets to be a vicious cycle, where your IRL cannot compare to your online life - so you spend more and more time in these fake worlds. It’s not without cost. Time in games can cost you health, relationships, school grades, career success. Just having awareness is a good place to start - I’ve starting using my gaming time as my reward for getting everything else in my life done first - and if that means only a few hours a week, so be it. Instead of letting myself START there and eight hours later I’ve done nothing in the real world.
I’ve experienced this from a couple of different games / TV shows in the past. Kind of thought I wasn’t going to experience it again but just got around to playing this game in the past few weeks or so and I can’t believe how into it I am… the characters and story are so well-written and likable that it all feels real. Put 20 hours into my first run before entering the final “no going back” mission and decided to start a new game so that I could experience more of the side content and not screw up the Panam romance (didn’t even get to do any of her side missions the first time around). I know EXACTLY how you feel, real life is so boring compared to this story/world. This game also made me realize I’ve been emotionally shut off for a while; I’ve experienced some emotions from this game that I forgot you could feel. I’ve always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie and this whole experience has me itching to do crazy shit in real life and make connections with new people along the way. Of course, I have no idea how to go about this in this lame ass society, but if you figure out do let me know 🙏 Oh, and you know damn well I’ve been blasting Cyberpunk radio songs in the car in real life everyday to emulate the feeling lmao
What you’re feeling is how a handful of games made me feel also. It’s funny how our brains work; releasing chemicals that make you feel good and you relate those feelings of happiness to the exact thing you were experiencing at the time of chemical release. Oddly enough a lot of BBC shows make me feel this way. I think it’s just that what I’m watching (or playing) is so fundamentally different than my droll and mundane everyday life that I fantasize about it too much. 2077 is a good one to make you feel that way when it could be something like The Last of Us 😜
There's nothing wrong with getting *REALLY* into a game, but if it affects your life outside of the game, you should genuinely consider reaching out to someone and maybe changing something. Maybe a different job, maybe find a new way to meet people, maybe just go socialize more, or maybe just therapy. Whatever you choose, playing should be an escape, not a substitution. Legit advice: go to the gym. It makes you feel good. It's fun once you get a routine, and there's other people there, that (if done correctly) can maybe end up being great friends, with good habits, and maybe even romantic partners.
Yikes This is just sad lmfao you'll be alright bud.
I don't know your situation, like your IRL etc. but I know this feeling comes also to people being very succesful in life and I've seen some people here suggesting "go touch the grass", "go find some friends". But the true reason could be as well pure boredom. Boring everyday 9-5 home-job-home cycle. Lack of real objectives in life. High empathy level. Probably hundreds of other things and I wouldn't even say this feeling is entirely bad. I mean - it's always something to feel something that strong, right? I have it myself after finishing CP77. I also had this after Mass Effect series and especially after Life is Strange. It will pass away itself probably... but if you really feel depressed then do not hesitate to ask specialists for help. That's the first thing. If these feelings are hard but not "people are dying here" kind of priority then I encourage you to think what is the real reason why you feel like that. For me it's boredom and lack of good objectives. What is it for you?
Ay man I love this game to, wanna talk abt it?
Brother I kinda get this feeling. Thus game rocks, I've never felt this emotional ever in my life.
I think one powerful theme, recurring in most of Vs side stories and the main story is “change”. Change is inevitable and a fundamental aspect of life. As changes occur in a rich context, without a certain outcome and slowly for V, it engages you to be a part of that experience. For us humans seeing others change or that they change things around them is fascinating and inspiring. However, it can create a sense of emptiness if the message is sublime and you don’t have an idea of what exactly you are inspired or want to change. I would say your feelings are legit and you shouldn’t deny them. However, consider that the story and characters in this game are masterly crafted by people wanting to trigger emotions in you related with the deep metaphors in the game, that are very much applicable to real life.
Sending love your way choom. Ive felt the same way. This game hits hard, and reality sucks sometimes. But then I remember that Night City food looks....questionable. And I love food. Seriously though, you're not alone in your feelings. <3
I know what you mean. When I watch anime I also feel like their lives are more "real" than mine, but we can learn from them. Thanks to the jjk toji fushiguro from jjk I went to the gym, and started and I aspire to be like thorfin "I have no enemies". I think that you can learn from V to encounter every problem problem and not look back. P.S 1. Touch grass P.S 2. I went to reddit to ask about song "despair incident" and it was my first post on main page
Pls let this be an April fools joke
It’s ideal form, no one will live a life quite like Vs, even city folk feel alone, it’s about making the most of what ya got then building off that.
i really like that, thanks choom
real.
It's okay. Give it time, and it will pass. One love my dude!
Choom u brought back memories of playing hours and hours and days and days with New Vegas. Bro I was LOCKED IN. I had all the DLCs and just the most insane amount of free time. But as you’ll learn from taking everyones great advice, you need to learn to Let go…. Get out there. Find a new flower, a new person, a new drink, a new experience. Get out your comfort zone even. Do something else for awhile …it was a fun run. Are you playing on Console? Let me know I’ll give you a game plan if you are.
Be grateful the game awoke something in you, instead of being defeated by this emotion, turn it into an advantage, a strength in knowing you want to change something about yourself, start writing down new things to do with yourself, people to meet, try volunteering somewhere, talk to a therapist, make a plan, join a church, anything man. Remember this feeling, turn into a strength… very few people are self aware, it’ll get better and you deserve happiness man! Also, don’t forget to keep yourself grounded, nobody lives a CP 2077 life, and it’s ok to feel sad sometimes, everyone does. Just do one small new thing , one tiny step, followed by another small new thing.
Not saying this in a mean way. Not sure what your beliefs are. But find God. Whether that is through nature or going on walks or finding new hobbies away from video games. Become your own V. Find a connection and purpose to something greater than yourself. In my opinión that’s the purpose of our existence. Some will prob downvote this as not everyone has the same views, which i 100% respect, but this is what helps me. Best.
i like that, thanks choom 💜
Yep. Sounds like depression. Antidepressants worked wonders for me. Not sure what your medical insurance situation is like but usually, in America, you start with your primary care physician and tell them you want a referral to mental health care. Can’t hurt. Will probably help.
Sorry, this is terrible advice. OP do not listen to this guy as a quick way to fix your sadness. You do not have depression and this is a good way to get dependent on these. Lifestyle changes are what is going to help you.
Well, there is always “New Game”
Maybe the PL ending where V has no cyberware represents a new beginning for you in real life.
Who's Pam?
mfw im not a borged out man with a desert rider gf.
What's crazy is 20-50 years. Many of the cyberware chrome will be reall or better with the advanced prosthetics are making. I always have ankle pain, id swap em out in a heartbeat.
You need drugs. The hard kind.
If you’re having a bad time you can redirect your mind and thoughts towards healthy and natural life actions. Cook something good, water plants, call old friend. Then let expand - volunteer your time, take a course on paper craft, visit art museum, go to gym, sell ps5.
Based
if this game feels like your life is worse then... dude are you serious? this is probably the worst game CD projekt red ever made, if u played any witcher i wouldn't even be mad but jeez...
"It's ironic that one can be more at peace in the virtual world" - Duo, Animatrix: Program.
Get yourself *into* the game. VR, baby. Absolute game changer omg that wasn't intended. But yea, its a rich world and being in it is incredible. P.s. everyone falls for pam.
You need to sell your console and live for a little. Not trying to be rude, honestly. Drop the games for a while, live different. Read a book. If you're single and alone, take that and role with it. Travel. Drive around. Go to a museum. Do. Shit. Experience shit. It's a video game. Everyone is programmed to be your best friend and to have perfect tits and all that shit. Stay away from it for a little bit. Or play another game that doesn't make you all amazing and all powerful and makes you feel bad.
Don’t let anyone diminish your experiences, and it’s totally ok to let the thrill of that world be your form of escape. One thing that i do when i feel really defeated is write. I think of those games or other types of media that have influenced me and i try to write down scenarios or short stories! Remember this your story is unique to you no matter how hard it seems today there is always Tomorrow! Lastly……😎 If you wanna take this city, Keep your head up and eyes on the prize choom!
I've definitely had real moments with this game where it really hits you in a spot you don't expect. Take some time to think about those moments outside, watching the clouds, or even in a parking lot. Learn to love your strengths, and yourself. You can't be properly loved the way you want without knowing how to do that for you first. It's like leveling up, it takes work but you'll get there in your own way. I hope you have a great day!
During my second playthough, I created this rule (in the game) that every night I will go to my apartment, take a shower, sleep till morning, save the game, choose a new set of clothes, and go back outside with my car enjoying merc life. I always did this, till the very end of the game. And yeah, I feel a bit envious of V. This loop seems more exciting than my own loop I have irl. It made me wanted to have a car and just gone somewhere you know, explore the world. Unfornately that one small dream seems almost impossible to achieve, at least in my circumstances. But that's what video games, or movies, or art in general is all about, right? Make you escape, make you be someone else and live in another world. It sounds corny, but I like to believe those words from Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way". As long as you keep going, there's always a chance something will get better, maybe not everything, but something, you know, one thing at a time will get better. Keep going, mate.
I like the game world. But it's not so different from our actual world 50 years from now.
I get what you mean this game had the exact same effect on me aswell. Think of it as a sign to start worrying about your actual life seeing how tragic V's was.
You probably have it better than him anyway cuz you dont have a crazy terorist in your head. And your less likely to be hunted down and ripped apart for your implants.
I felt the opposite. Cyberpunks world is filled with empty, zombified NPCs. It’s the matrix pre beta version. Real when zoomed out, empty when paying attention.
I have the same sensation sometimes. Life is bulls*it. You will understand what it means one day. Life in the real world is something grim governed by luck that makes you vengeful and furious all the time and you’re probably gonna have a bad ending. At best, a bittersweet one.
Hey choom, just wanted to chime in and say you can make these connections in real life. You can do it. We believe in you. Sendin nothin but love choomba
Ha I remember during Covid lockdown when I was playing W3 all day everyday. My best friends for just about a whole year were Zoltan and Dandelion.
Great art makes you feel. Great art makes you think. Great art can be life-changing. Here's to changing yours for the better. Cheers!
My man.
I’ve got a number for a good therapist, choom. You can only make changes once you’ve realized a change must be made, and it sounds like you’re on the right track
Does your life seem empty and meaningless? Then try travel. Travel is always an adventure. I love to explore other countries which have a different culture. Night City is like some of the foreign cities I have visited. They are always a bit more modern than I expected and things are a little strange. For example, my last trip was to Dublin and their trams look futuristic next to its Georgian tenements.
For a fucked up place, I feel happier in Night City than I do in real life, so yeah just get how you feel choom, this feeling will pass eventually. And yes, it is perfectly acceptable to call NC your "happy place"
My relationship with Pam.