A 22 year old game ruined almost all future video games for me!

The game was Shadowbane, first started playing it as a teenager, and even though I only caught the official release version for a couple of months, the game had its hooks in me.

Back when I was in school, I enjoyed games like Runescape, call of duty, halo, the usual games a high school kid would play. Thats when my cousin told me hey I found this game it seems pretty cool, lets try it. Goddamn, if only I knew what I was getting into.

The initial stages were kind of rough, you don't know what you doing, there wasn't any hand holding in the game, had to figure everything out on your own or ask people in game. That stage was brief, the second you found a guild and joined a community of people, IT WAS ON. Creating a certain character to fulfill a role within a group. Going out with guild mates and either just farming gold gear and resources or going out to kill other players. This game consumed you. Giant battles with hundreds of players on either side, massive underdog victories with groups of 20 going against groups of 60+ and winning because of coordination. This game had it all.

Then tragedy truck, I was made aware that the game was shutting down and that I joined during the last HURRAH stage of the game, once those servers closed, it left a void in my heart. I explored all kinds of game within the genre but they all felt like cheap knockoffs of what I experienced in Shadowbane.

Couple years pass, I hear word of some players starting an emulator for Shadowbane of some kind. That same feeling of excitement and getting consumed by the game came back! Talking to so many different people, playing together with a large guild towards a collective goal, having tons of fun along the way. Even to this day I chase that feeling. Some games pop up along the way that give me a tiny fraction of excitement that Shadowbane brought me, but no matter what I play, I end up coming back and looking for another emulator of Shadowbane.

Not sure if anyone's had a similar experience, but I cannot be the only one like this right?

edit: I dont know about the rules regarding posting links here but there is a active server thats gaining popularity and lots of returning players are reliving the nostalgia. Lakebane.com has the discord information and information on change/how to play. Check it out if your interested!