Game Diary - January 12, 2009: 60 Hours I Don't Have

I rolled a rock up the hill of "Fallout 3" this weekend, and it rolled back down.

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I don't know how I'm going to finish "Fallout 3." I'm sure I will, but I know it's going to take a toll on... something. My spare time? My social life? My chance to play "Far Cry 2"? My ability to declare what the best game of 2008 is/was before the end of February?

My life just doesn't seem to be big enough for "Fallout 3."

I like this game. I've grown to bear its design deficiencies and I now relish its wonderfully dense world of strange characters and stranger quests. But the prospect of a game taking 40 or 60 hours of my life is haunting. I think about it, worry about it, when I'm not playing the game. I don't know how I'm going to finish this thing without sacrificing something.

I've played many long games before. When I was in college I somehow logged 35 hours in, of all things, "Banjo Kazooie." I spent about 50 hours going through "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." A few summers ago I finished "Suikoden V" in 64 hours, 51 minutes, and 29 seconds. My wife-to-be was away in Africa that summer.

But "Fallout 3"? This January? With "Far Cry 2" and "Valkyria Chronicles" waiting in the wings and the promise to my wife that the busy season of gaming was finally ending on my mind?

Such is life. The older you get, the more disposable income you have and the less disposable time. And yet movies don't do this to you. You may not have to consider restructuring your sleep schedule just because you love to watch great films. You may love books but probably won't be left doing simple but painful division of 40 hours or 60 hours by -- what? -- 2 hour chunks? So that means I just need  30 straight sessions... Can I get away with that? Just a month of concentrated "Fallout"? Maybe I can sneak some four-hour sessions in there? Or maybe I can skip some quests? Or... ?

I don't know.

Life isn't big enough for "Fallout 3." But I will consume it anyway.

Bethesda may have sent this game to me. I may not have paid for it. But it has a price. It costs. All the long games do.

Next: Guess.