AT HOMEDuring what has been a crazy year of staying home, self-isolating and national lockdowns, I found myself turning to my trusty PlayStation to bring me a little bit of joy. And here’s exactly how it has…
This post was sponsored by Gamer Dates, but all words, imagery and the severe love of gaming are my own!
I know that it’s highly likely none of you need reminding of this, but hasn’t 2020 been a bit of a crazy year?! Certainly one we’ll all want to forget in a hurry, but likely never will.
And among the self-isolating, staying home and national lockdowns, we’ve all found the little simple things that bring us a little bit of happiness. For me, one of these things was my trusty PlayStation – friendly catch ups, games nights with my housemate, virtual dates… the lot!
So here are just four of the joys it brought me in lockdown…
A way to keep up with friends (and make new ones too!)
Catching up with friends over brunch or down at the pub seems like a distant memory. And sure, while the odd phone call and sporadic Zoom quiz may be fun, there’s nothing quite like having a catch up whilst skydiving into a Warzone, or settling your differences in the Gulag. As if that’s not enough, I even made myself making new friends from around the world whilst gaming online. (Yes, I sound like a loser, I know.)
A little escape from reality
When reality becomes the same four walls pretty much alllllll of the time, it’s nice to discover an enjoyable form of escapism. For me, that escapism comes in the form of a brisk walk in a pretty place, or cosying up on the sofa to get utterly lost in a game. Afternoons spent garnering XP in the world of Eos, evenings lost to taking down endless waves of Nazi Zombies, and countless hours spent with adrenaline-fuelled palpitations as the result of one too many jump scares in the Dark Pictures Anthology.
A spot of virtual gamer dating
Let’s be honest: dating is hard enough even when the world isn’t in the midst of an all-consuming pandemic. But if there’s one thing that really tests your compatibility with a love interest, it’s working together to deliver dishes on Overcooked 2. You know you’re off to a good start when you both have a shared love of video games, and there’s nothing quite like venturing into a co-op game to break the ice – a perfect form of dating for gamers. And if it doesn’t work out, well, at least I might have unlocked some trophies along the way. Silver linings, eh?
An endless amount of fun
There’s a reason you’ll still find a PlayStation sat in households all over the world 16 years after its initial release, and it’s a simple one: they’re bloody fun. So, if ya fancy spending an evening of bashing buttons with me (or, indeed, takin’ me on a virtual gaming date), then hit me up, folks. AshtonJade is the name. See ya there!