Okay, I’m in. I don’t preorder games anymore, but I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on day 1 reviews to make sure the game isn’t broken so I can buy it right when it comes out!
I also don't preorder, and I DO buy basically all FromSoft games on release because I know they'll be bangers. But I've been burned before with Dark Souls 3 suddenly increasing in price by 50% in my region right before launch. I'm torn. I guess I'll wait and see, again.
I remember playing the demo of the first one (and then the game) when I was a kid and absolutely loving it, so I can’t wait to get back into it after all these years.
I also had no idea From Software created the Armored Core series (or, I guess, didn’t remember) so it came as a shock to me after watching 6’s first trailer and seeing their logo there.
Whenever I hear of a game I might like, or buy one on a whim I add it to a list. I do something similar with books and movies. The purpose of the lists aren't to put pressure on myself, but to remind myself of all the things I'm interested in and to avoid the feeling of "I have nothing to play/read/watch". If I'm not enjoying something, I just won't finish it and I check it off the list so I know I tried. For me, deciding what to do with my limited time can give me analysis paralysis. I don't see the list and backlog as a chore, but more of an easy menu of options that I've already considered.
I basically have a spreadsheet to tackle my backlog, I add 10 - 20 games to my list of games that I’ve bought (mostly on discount, some from bundles, and some from PS+, some emulated games, etc), then I’d just stream them.
If I don’t feel like the game is resonating with me, I’d just stop, assign Not Resonating tag and move on.
I do admit that when I see a big backlog, I tend to exhibit these behaviors:
Guilt in buying new games, which is not bad, now I only buy full priced game once or twice a year, and mostly buying discounted stuff
The need to power thru games that I don’t like, until I started using Not Resonating tag, which I give games that don’t click with me two tries, before giving up
I have hard time aiming the stomp, handling the motion control, and by the time I reached the underwater level, I’m exhausted.
It’s a good game, but sadly it’s not for me, at least not for long term session of playing. Maybe one day I will play the game in short bursts, but platformer is sadly not my genre.
I don’t really get the obsession with backlogs. Are you actually enjoying the games at that point? Are you playing this game because you want to play it, or because it’s on your backlog and you want to be able to check it off the list and move on to the next thing - presumably, since your backlog is so big it warrants a guide - as quickly as possible? Just pick out a game you want to play and play it. Why spoil your own fun?
My backlog consists of games I’ve bought because I want to play them. But because there’s always something on offer I end up buying more than I can get through. So this will be a way to stop myself spending money when I already have enough games to get me through to the end of this year. If I find I’m not enjoying one of them, I’ll mark it “dnf” and hide it from my library. So I’ve absolutely no plan to play a game if it turns out to not be any fun.
I think this is what the commenter above is getting at. You say you want to play the game, but “dnf” means “did not finish” which alludes closer to just checking it off a list.
My list is basically my library. I only buy games if I want to play them (I don’t bother redeeming free games if I don’t intend to play it). That said, just because I want to play a game doesn’t guarantee I end up enjoying it. The great perhaps is one such game. Thought it was for me, didn’t enjoy it, so won’t bother finishing it.
Some people just do it this way. This doesn‘t mean they don‘t have fun. I noticed this happens with books too; people buy books and then track how many they‘ve read, set goals etc. Some people think it‘s stupid, but for some it‘s fun.
Nor I. Honestly, I'd rather have a wealth of options I can play and never do rather than having a giant fuckin' chore list for something that is not supposed to be a chore.
I don't have to "get through my backlog" because it's not a backlog. It's an option set.
Obvious “this is what works for me and why I do it” disclaimer, but:
I have a growing collection of games which spans multiple consoles and physical/digital media alike, so I need a way to track what games I have and where, so as to not buy them multiple times (I don’t believe this to be a typical use case, but I could be wrong?).
Aside from that practical element, I have a few lists on HLTB where I track what I (might) want to play next, but realistically it’s pretty much always a case of checking out what I have and picking one based on my mood / gut feeling / whatever.
Lastly, it’s about actually finishing games - getting started with some form of tracking helped me tremendously get past the “pick up and drop after a few hours” mentality (?). I wouldn’t have gotten to experience some of the best games I’ve played in recent memories, were it not for my backlog, because I probably would have forgotten I had them / wouldn’t have stuck with them.
It’s really hard for me to estimate right now, as I haven’t fully fleshed everything out and I have no idea how solvable the puzzles are to people who don’t know the solution. I’m hoping it’ll be entertaining for a while - but with the 5$ cost im definitely not passing more than 10 hours 😅
“Thanks for helping me, now I’m going to commit genocide.” 😂 ‘You’re evil for helping me, this shit is morally complex. By the way did you download the official Reddit app?’
Jacob Geller is one of the best video-essayists on YouTube. The thoughtfulness with which he approaches games as pieces of art is rare, the sleek, striking way he presents his theses is rarer still. There are youtubers that I find more entertaining (HBomberguy, Folding Ideas) but no one that I find more engaging.
“Who’s Afraid of Modern Art: Vandalism, Video Games, and Fascism” in particular had a profound impact on me (also loved the one about Golems). Being able to watch the better version of his videos (without the butchering to avoid YouTube’s copyright strikes) is like 80% of the reason why I got a Nebula subscription.
youtu.be
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