Commit to your backlog thread - 2019-2020

[JujuFish]

2021 starts here: https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/2021-backlog-thread.2589123/




Partially inspired by @DigDog 's thread here about playing through your backlog instead of buying new games, as well as @BFG10K 's thread here about games you played in 2018.

I thought it might be fun for those of us with large backlogs to make a specific plan to play our games for the year. We could report back and see how we're all progressing throughout the year. This thread is not about preventing you from playing new games (I'll probably get Sekiro and The Outer Worlds sometime this year, for example), it's just about setting a goal for your backlog.

Personally, I'm going to pick 12 games (~1 per month), but this is just for fun, so feel free to pick any number you want.

Anyway, here's my initial list (I may change games out if I find out I'm not really enjoying one), in no particular order:

Batman: Arkham Knight
Assassin's Creed: Origins
Horizon: Zero Dawn
God of War
Life is Strange
LIMBO
A Hat in Time
FEZ
Half-Life (I know, I know. I started this a few times over the years but never finished it.)
Snake Pass
Metal Gear Solid V
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

 

[Fanatical Meat]

This is why I can't get into these type of games like I used to. Just...too much clicking through text. I get it and all, and I'd prefer to see more of these games than not, but I just don't play them anymore. So, not sure what I'm arguing here: "Please make more of the games that I used to love instead of this vapid crap that you guys keep pumping out, and I will promise never to purchase or play it, please!"

Anyway, I've decided to commit to nothing and just play through Witcher 3 for the ....3rd time. Probably get back to BL3 and whatever new DLC is out now when I'm done with this. ...haven't picked that up in 2 months, I think.

Agreed, sort of like MMOs. The first one you play is pretty magical, the second one is a disappointment, the third is tiresome.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Currently playing through Bioshock 2. I can see how its the red headed stepchild of the series, being sandwiched between the Original and Infinite, but it has been a blast to play and does just enough stuff differently from Bio 1 to feel fresh.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Beat Book of Demons. Started up Frostpunk and restarted (for the 1000th time) NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer. I've owned the game for years without beating it.

 

[JujuFish]

Finished up Half-Life 2 last night. Surprisingly satisfying, since I'm not huge on FPS.

 

[EXCellR8]

I'd suggest running through Black Mesa if you liked HL2. Crowbar Collective did a great job on recreating the original game and, although I didn't agree with everything they did, overall it was a fantastic experience.

Game even includes Xen now, which had been in development for some time. (Well, the whole thing was in development for awhile; understandably so.)

 

[you2]

Yea I'm waiting for the final release of Black Mesa before starting it. It is suppose to be very soon - later this week i believe.

I'd suggest running through Black Mesa if you liked HL2. Crowbar Collective did a great job on recreating the original game and, although I didn't agree with everything they did, overall it was a fantastic experience.

Game even includes Xen now, which had been in development for some time. (Well, the whole thing was in development for awhile; understandably so.)

 

[Stg-Flame]

I'm not trying to commit to a backlog but I kept wanting to start MGS V Phantom Pain ever since it came out, but for whatever reason, when I get in the mood, I replay Snake Eater and then never play MGS V. Finally loaded it up and it's a very different experience, but I am glad I'm able to play this one properly with a mouse and keyboard - even if the menus are as confusing as the story. I'm still trying to figure out half of the commands and functions of the game since what little the game does explain is given to me via Xbox controller prompts...

 

[Fenixgoon]

Beat Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer after god knows how many years...

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Beat Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer after god knows how many years...

-And??? Is it the best thing since sliced bread like everyone says?

 

[Fenixgoon]

-And??? Is it the best thing since sliced bread like everyone says?

Well I was powering through the game, so I missed out on a good bit of story involvement. I played it more like Diablo than Baldur's Gate - go here, kill this, read through dialogue that. But if you take the time to actually read the dialogue on more than a cursory level, it is definitely a "deep" storyline game. Impressively so for an expansion. Talking to party members is absolutely worthwhile, and something I wish I had done throughout the game. I skipped on this part almost entirely.

I also skipped crafting altogether, which would probably let you make some pretty uber items. There are plenty of good drops throughout the game though.

Lastly, the soul-point system is annoying. I like the idea in concept, but in practice it just adds a layer of micromanagement that takes away from the game overall. There are some rather easy ways to get around it, but I think those methods take away from playing the game as intended.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Not really back log since I’ve played it a ton however first time playing thru the story.
completed Supreme Commander Forged Alliance UEF story.
overall it was fun, AI seemed to play smarter than in skirmishes, story was typical but not bad. Only two complaints were missions should be timed, they become sort of easy if you build tons of artillery and experimental units, the video during play is a nice touch but would have been better if the fighting paused while the video played, I didn’t pay much attention to the videos because too much stuff was happening.
Great RTS and typically very cheap, game has aged real well I can finally play it with huge amounts of units

 

[Modular]

Thanks for getting this started. Here are the games I'm committed to complete in 2020:

A Story About my Uncle
Bioshock 2 (Remastered)
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition

My actual backlog is quite deep and has some longer games in it like Mass Effect 2, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, the Tomb Raider Series, a few of the Far Cry Games, Red Dead Redemption 2, etc... I love that we have this thread and that it reminds me to stop just playing CS:GO and actually get some story gaming done.

Just finished A Story About my Uncle a moment ago. I'm going to count it since I played it specifically because I wanted to complete it this year. Probably going to move on to the Witcher, then Bioshock 2, and finish up with Morrowind.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I'm playing through Torchlight 2 at the moment. Exactly what the doctor ordered for these weird times.

Lite on narrative, soft pleasant WOW'ish graphics, nearly perfect Diablo-like gameplay that in many ways offers much more freedom in making creative builds as the game is *very* forgiving on normal difficulty.

In many ways I feel like the Torchlight games are better Diablo games than the Diablo games are (not to mention the 1st and 2nd game mirror D1 and D2 almost exactly, with some much appreciated QOL improvements).

 

[shortylickens]

I finally started Pillars of Eternity 2.
we'll see how long I go before I lose my mind and start drinking.

 

[mopardude87]

I finally started Pillars of Eternity 2.
we'll see how long I go before I lose my mind and start drinking.

That bad? Oh i will trade you that game for Duke Nukem Forever, i cry often when i think how that $40 was better for wiping my ass then for buying that game. Coming from DN64 on the N64, i had some high hopes and went for it without checking reviews cause idk i loved the last one i played and well i was beyond hyped. NEVER again.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I finally started Pillars of Eternity 2.
we'll see how long I go before I lose my mind and start drinking.

PoE2 does start out slow but I really enjoyed the story and questing. The expansion bosses are HARD. Like, party wiping, you need to be on your game and know all the spells/counters hard.

I'm playing through Torchlight 2 at the moment. Exactly what the doctor ordered for these weird times.

Lite on narrative, soft pleasant WOW'ish graphics, nearly perfect Diablo-like gameplay that in many ways offers much more freedom in making creative builds as the game is *very* forgiving on normal difficulty.

In many ways I feel like the Torchlight games are better Diablo games than the Diablo games are (not to mention the 1st and 2nd game mirror D1 and D2 almost exactly, with some much appreciated QOL improvements).

I beat TL1 but TL2 has such a massive difficulty spike in act 2 or 3 that I couldn't get past it. I'd be spamming shields and heals just to stay alive. I don't want god mode, but I don't want to be face rolling the keyboard constantly either.


I decided to play the 2nd expansion to NWN2 - Storms of Zehir. It plays a little closer to a JRPG (overworld, encounters) which is a nice change of pace. I just hate the early levels where all characters suck 😅

Also playing Borderlands 3 with friends.

Frostpunk is still in the queue - I need to go back a few saves now that I understand the game mechanics a little better (the bar at the bottom will tell you why your citizens are unhappy)

 

[rivethead]

I finished Tyranny. Boy it started SLOW and with a TON of reading, but once I got past Act I, I really started to enjoy it. Overall I found it to be an excellent game. Really I only have a few complaints: a bit too much reading, too much loot, useless game mechanics (the whole upgrading the spires to do stuff was pretty much useless to me) and..…...achievements you can only get if you buy DLC (a pet peeve of mine).

 

[rivethead]

Next up.....I'm going to give Dead Space 2 a go.....

 

[EXCellR8]

Dead Space 2 was good... it's the third entry that turned most people off to the series, including myself. I also lost like half of my save file because of some Origin update bs.

I was playing AC Odyssey but I think I might go back and finish Black Flag instead. I much prefer the old combat controls.

 

[shortylickens]

I just noticed Left 4 Dead 2 is now eleven years old. And I bought it in 2015.
And I played it for 4 hours, last time was 2017.
Is that an official backlog game or does it just suck and not need playing?

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I beat TL1 but TL2 has such a massive difficulty spike in act 2 or 3 that I couldn't get past it. I'd be spamming shields and heals just to stay alive. I don't want god mode, but I don't want to be face rolling the keyboard constantly either.

-Interesting, I've been playing as a 2H Bot Spamming "Glass Cannon" engineer that is all about high crits and high damage with low survivability and I'm in the early stages of Act 3 while only having died a handful of times.

There have been plenty of hairy situations, but I've managed to drop a bunch of spider mines and scram.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I just noticed Left 4 Dead 2 is now eleven years old. And I bought it in 2015.
And I played it for 4 hours, last time was 2017.
Is that an official backlog game or does it just suck and not need playing?

That depends on if it's your style of game. They are fun to run through once or twice by yourself, but the L4D2 games are best suited for multiplayer. I'd say a solid 40% of my friend's list on Steam is from thousands of hours playing L4D2 and only a portion of that time was actually spent playing competitively. Sadly, Jockey dancing on stage in the carnival finale just isn't the same. I played it recently and it's full of aim-bots and teams who just want to steamroll pubs (which on that note, if you get into this situation and have a good PC, you can steal their win by team switching on the third map).

 

[shortylickens]

Speaking of Left 4 Dead 2, Vermintide 2 is marked down 75%.
If you dont mind the fact its basically Vermintide 1 then its probably worth having.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I actually had a lot of fun with Vermintide but without a dedicated group to play with, you're left at the mercy of whoever is in your group and it reminded me a lot of why I hated playing with randoms in L4D2. You either get the people who want to explore everything or never stop running. Either they listen and communicate through voice, or they just ignore everything completely and do their own thing. I think I played Vermintide 2 about 60 hours and in that time I can only think of two instances where I had a competent team.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Just beat Torchlight 2.

So I've played through a TPS, FPS, and Iso-RPG so far this year.

Feel like its time for an TBS or RTS game...

RTS (lot of Relic games here):
C&C3: Wraith of Kane
Company of Heroes 2 (Never beat the campaign of the first game though and Steam seems to have forgotten that I registered my old CD key)
Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising (been a while since I've played a solid 40K game)
The Homeworld Remastered Collection (Never beat HW2's campaign)
Battlefleet Gothic

TBS:
Bannerlord
Into The Breach
Heroes of M&M 5
King's Bountry: Armored Princess & Expansions.

Any suggestions? TBS definitely lends itself to 2nd monitor play but RTS was my favorite genre for a long time and I had a blast playing through C&C3 Tiberium Wars recently.