It's the first weeks of school and I am a stressed 2nd year teacher. I'm doing way better than last year, but there is still much to do and too little time. And I love video games. I want to keep playing games when at home and not doing work I could be doing (there is no end to teaching work--there are only chosen breaks). Right now, I should be grading.

Usually, I play games to experience them. Honestly, while I choose games I think will interest me, I want to go on a journey I cannot predict. I want a game to take me somewhere and tell me something and give me an experience I may not have anticipated. I generally make it about the games.

Intellectually, that's exhausting. It means that I play games thoughtfully and dig into them as I play--sometimes I think like a designer, sometimes like a critic, sometimes like my ethical self, but rarely do I lay back and let it just be. I like delving and exploring. It gives me joy.

It also is a lot of hard work. It's stimulating, but not relaxing. Having played through nearly the entire Bioshock story (possible blog to come?) with just the final episode of Burial at Sea left, I feel like I've learned and thought a lot, but I did not chill out while playing it.

Right now, I don't need a game to make me think. Free Metro 2033 is hanging out on my PS3, but that's not a good idea right now. Right now, I need a game to help me relax and escape.

Hi Diablo 3!

Thinky me is very critical of this game--the characters are wooden, the story is silly and has some bad tropes, why the fuck is my demon hunter wearing fuck me pumps regardless of armor set, this is about shiny objects in order to become more powerful to have more shiny objects--all of that.

But man is it perfect right now. On expert for my first run through, it's not boring because named dudes and minions can still fuck me up, but it's not stressful because there's no penalty for death (which seems crazy?) and things explode good. The sounds, the visuals, the legendary pretty crown I found--it's a great way to spend three hours.

And I guess the point of all this is that I'm proud of myself. While I could have chosen a less addictive game, I actively chose entertainment that would fit into my current life and reduce my stress rather than something to add to it. Now I'll grade. Kill Skeleton King tonight.