Stress Relief

I would not consider myself a “gamer.” I know plenty of them. They have special headphones with microphones so they can talk to other people in the game that they are playing. Sam’s brothers are often playing games and we can hear the other players talking to them often. My older sons also play a lot of games, and connect with players on them as well.

When I sit down in front of the Xbox One, I usually grab the golf game that I play. I can play a round of golf in like 20 minutes. I usually play a round after the kids are asleep. Sometimes, I will play two rounds. I have yet to be on a real course this year, and this in a way makes me feel like I am golfing.

I rarely get more than 20-45 minutes before I am ready to head to bed. This week, however, the stress of things mentioned in previous blogs had me to the point where I was not tired enough to go to sleep. The golf game was not going to be something that eased the stress, so I looked through the games the boys have at my house. I found one that would certainly allow me to release some stress.

Forza Horizon 5 is a racing game. My sons have 3, 4 and 5 at my house. In the game, you can challenge other drivers to head to head races, you can participate in racing events, find old cars in barns located throughout the country (FH5 takes place in Mexico), and test your driving skills in various road conditions.

What I love about it is that you can crash up your car in hundreds of ways and it still runs! You can side swipe cars, hit them head on, flip your car, fall of bridges, and more – and the car will always go when you accelerate. Even better, no matter how many accidents you have, your insurance doesn’t go up (rimshot)!

Throughout the game you can win new cars, find old cars and fix them up, people can gift you new cars, and your garage continuously grows. There are plenty of opportunities to win money with the events you race in, and by earning spins on a prize wheel. Since I started fresh, I only have a few cars. My favorite is an old Ford Bronco which is great for driving off road.

The weather can change throughout the game as well. One of the events is driving through this ridiculous huge storm. Lightning can strike trees as you drive by and more. Obviously, the cars handle differently on wet roads, too. Since this game takes place in Mexico, there are also races through sand storms!

As silly as it sounds, this dumb game is a fantastic stress reliever. It is fun to just drive around with the various cars and see how each one handles. Most of the time, I really suck at driving. I swerve and fishtail A LOT! I’ve gotten pretty good at doing 180’s and 360’s, and at times I feel like I’m one of the Duke boys driving the General Lee!

As much as it relieves stress, it also makes me laugh. Recently I watched as I accidently drove off a cliff and the car rolled and flipped downward. That car must have hit every boulder on the side of the cliff on the way down. Yet, when it hit the ground, I just kept on driving. With each flip I found myself chuckling louder and louder. It was so crazy!

Sometimes, there is a rare occasion where your car will get stuck. Ever find yourself saying, “I wish life had a rewind button?” Guess what. This game has one. You can actually rewind the action to avoid an accident or your speed. That is usually how I get out of those “stuck” moments.

There are various “skill” points you can earn throughout the game, too. They have Speed Traps, where the idea is to get to the highest speed you can between two points. My favorite thing is called “Danger Signs.” These are usually where you have a point where you jump off a ramp or a cliff. I think you get points for how high you jump and how long you are in the air. Again, it’s like the Dukes of Hazzard!

Am I a gamer? No. I just use them for stress relief…..

The only thing missing is the “Yeeeeeeeee- hawwww!”