I bought this for pc when it came out. I didn't go so far as call in sick, I was only a walking zombie for a long time at work, thinking about and only waiting to get home back to the game.

Final Fantasy VII - https://store.steampowered.com/app/39140/FINAL_FANTASY_VII/

I had my copy of this booked at a little indie game shop on my street. It cost 44.99 and came on 4 glorious disks. When I had it in my hands at 9am on a Thursday morning I knew what my duty was. I hurried home, dialled my boss and called in sick. I played this game for 37 hours straight and I didn’t leave the house for another day at least. I’m not even sure I showered. This game infected me so much. Sure the story was a bit cliché but damn, you had so much stuff to do and the characters became your best friends. FF7 is a work of art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utVE4aUKYuY

A lot of people say 1997 was the best year for gaming