Contact: Final Play - Completed

Finishing a game is always a mixed experience for me. My gaming hunger feels momentarily satiated, and I feel a certain calm come over me as I bask in the accomplishment. However I also feel a strange postpartum-like loss, knowing that no further discoveries lay ahead in the world that was my virtual-playground. Contact leaves me a bit perplexed, as I feel different this time.

Shortly after jumping back into the game, I entered the final dungeon, grabbed the final cell, and finished the game. It really seemed to happen that quickly. Refusing to spoil the ending, all I can say is that it was unexpected, poignant, and I cried a little (on the inside). I felt that it had ended too soon; I mean what happened to my Shadow Thief costume? What about the king of all fish that I never caught? How are my romantic interests going to go on without my sweet gifts of grasshoppers and flowers?

Once again Contact exceeds expectations. I should have known something was up when I was able to finish the game with my stats at less than half of their maximum levels. The game doesn’t force you to grind your way to the end, and it doesn’t force you to stop playing once you get there either. For me, these are both strong points that stand out. Most games are over once they’re over, unless you want to play again from the beginning. And most console role-playing games are grinders in one way or another in between snippets of plot.

To be completely honest, I am glad to have the option of continuing to play with the professor and the boy, but I don’t feel enough interest to do so. This is due to my aversion to tedious activities of all sorts, grinding included. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from Contact when I first started with it, but now that I’ve finished it, I know it delivered in many ways I didn’t anticipate. I also know that I’m going to miss Mochi the cute space dog.