@jefklak i'm kind of in the same boat as you, and i wrote a long essay on this exact topic. it's loosely about The Elder Scrolls Oblivion and all about nostalgia. you don't have to read it, but figured i'd post it because it aligns very closely with exactly what you're saying and, i suspect, feeling. https://oncomputer.games/2025/04/11/commentaries-on-the-mysterium-nostalgia/