Closure

All humans need closure. To be able to move away from tragic or influential events, they need a sign that it's time to move on. You commonly see this in people who have lost a loved one. They will be rather sad for a period, and suddenly they become OK again.

I found my closure tonight for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I started playing it in March, mistakenly thinking that it would be a short game. After all, it is for the Game Boy Advance, so how long could it be? The last time I checked, however, it was 52 hours long. And that is pretty long by any RPG's standards.

The more I played, the more I got hooked. Being the anal-retentive freak that I am, I was insistent on finishing it. Slowly, it began to creep into every aspect of my life. Hours would just disappear while I battle it out in the game. I became demotivated in my studies, frequently turning to it whenever I get a mental road block. I've even stopped listening during lab classes, prefering to level up my characters instead.

There is no better word to describe this but "addiction". I was well aware of it, but I could hardly break free. Even when I vehemently resolved to only play it during lab classes, I still open it up for a quick battle or two during breaks.

But all that came to an end as I battled the final boss tonight. She was tough, but through sheer luck I won the fight on my second attempt. As the final cutscene rolled, I felt a sense of relief. This is it, I thought. This is the closure I was looking for. I have completed a good game, and I can continue my life now. I can begin addicted to my final project! The ordeal is finally over.

That is, until I found out that I can now access secret missions.


Damn.