Commit to your backlog thread - 2019-2020

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JujuFish

Lifer
Feb 3, 2005
10,999
733
136
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
 
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Stg-Flame

Diamond Member
Mar 10, 2007
3,494
470
126
Whoops, I meant TPS. Stupid auto-correct.

If you're looking for a good turn-based strategy game, I assume you've already looked into HOMM 3 since it's widely regarded as the best of the entire series. Also, the Steamworld Dig games are outstanding and even comes with a turn-based strategy game as a third game in the series.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
31,491
9,816
136
^chaos rising is a lot of fun. all the DoW2 campaigns are really good, in fact. I've played them multiple times.

I just beat NWN2: Storms of Zehir. I had to research how to win the final fight because I was getting my ass kicked. Overall not bad, but I must say with having epic feats from MOTB, that I'd prefer a faster 1-30 progression or the 15-30 progression of MOTB instead of another 1-20ish campaign.

What should i play next?
Frostpunk (resume playing)
Lords of the Fallen
Mutant Year Zero
Outward
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Warhammer 40k: Adeptus Mechanicus (resume playing)
 
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shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
After five years I finally jumped back on the Talos Principle.
Needed youtube walkthrus but I'm getting a lot done.

If you know exactly what to do the game can be completed in a single sitting. Most of the 120 puzzles take between 1 and 2 minutes.
 
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JujuFish

Lifer
Feb 3, 2005
10,999
733
136
The Talos Principle is right up there with Portal 2 for my all time favorite puzzle game. Zachtronics makes some great puzzle games as well, especially if you like hard games. Same thing with the game Baba is You.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
Finished.

Finale was open-ended, and rumor on the internet is they started working on Talos Principle 2 as soon as the first one was published.
Decent game overall, puzzles can be tedious so I doubt I will ever replay it.

Did NOT complete the hidden floor 6 section. it requires collecting stars and doing bonus areas and both are quite annoying. Also, when I finished the main ending the game wiped out my progress.
 

you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,677
916
126
Mutant year zero was fun and not too long. Pathfinder is ok - not loving it. Almost finished with Fell Seal another game that is so so - don't really recommend.

^chaos rising is a lot of fun. all the DoW2 campaigns are really good, in fact. I've played them multiple times.

I just beat NWN2: Storms of Zehir. I had to research how to win the final fight because I was getting my ass kicked. Overall not bad, but I must say with having epic feats from MOTB, that I'd prefer a faster 1-30 progression or the 15-30 progression of MOTB instead of another 1-20ish campaign.

What should i play next?
Frostpunk (resume playing)
Lords of the Fallen
Mutant Year Zero
Outward
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Warhammer 40k: Adeptus Mechanicus (resume playing)
 

GodisanAtheist

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2006
6,715
7,004
136
^chaos rising is a lot of fun. all the DoW2 campaigns are really good, in fact. I've played them multiple times.

I just beat NWN2: Storms of Zehir. I had to research how to win the final fight because I was getting my ass kicked. Overall not bad, but I must say with having epic feats from MOTB, that I'd prefer a faster 1-30 progression or the 15-30 progression of MOTB instead of another 1-20ish campaign.

What should i play next?
Frostpunk (resume playing)
Lords of the Fallen
Mutant Year Zero
Outward
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Warhammer 40k: Adeptus Mechanicus (resume playing)

-I'm going to give Chaos Rising a shot... been jonsing for some good 40k and RTS.
 

EXCellR8

Diamond Member
Sep 1, 2010
3,979
839
136
Tried picking up Sekiro yesterday but needless to say that that one will probably be on my backlog indefinitely. Cool game, but progress will likely be slow.
 

GodisanAtheist

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2006
6,715
7,004
136
Fired up Chaos Rising. Takes a bit to get used to the flow of the game, much slower and more "tactical" than other spam-a-lot style RTS games, but the campaign is boatloads of fun so far.

Introduces a fun "purity" mechanic over the vanilla DOW2 campaign to the missions where failing to complete some objectives causes your squads to be corrupted by Chaos (sort of a paragon/renegade system but in an RTS).

Remaining pure in your faith to the emperor bestows some rewards, while falling to the taint of chaos yields others.

It's a great campaign so far and does so much more than the standard "campaign is a tutorial for MP" thing that other RTS games do all too frequently.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
I put off Dragon Quest 11 for a while, because it sucks ass, but felt the urge to finish it off.
Made a lot of progress today. According to IGN I'm on chapter 10 of 12. But theres a LOT left to do.
 
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you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,677
916
126
I'm working on wolfenstein ii; it isn't bad but it has a lot of cut scenes. Hopefully i'll finish it before i fall asleep.
 

Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
15,332
7,792
136
I'm working on wolfenstein ii; it isn't bad but it has a lot of cut scenes. Hopefully i'll finish it before i fall asleep.
LOLZ!

I need to finish Borderlands 3. The Outer Worlds was pretty good (though, I'm going to rerun the Phineas path again on a harder setting).
 

rivethead

Platinum Member
Jan 16, 2005
2,635
106
106
I put off Dragon Quest 11 for a while, because it sucks ass, but felt the urge to finish it off.
Made a lot of progress today. According to IGN I'm on chapter 10 of 12. But theres a LOT left to do.

And here I thought I was the only person obsessive compulsive enough to finish suck ass games.....just because I need to finish them.
 

GodisanAtheist

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2006
6,715
7,004
136
And here I thought I was the only person obsessive compulsive enough to finish suck ass games.....just because I need to finish them.

-I'm in the same boat. Its sort of a sunk cost thing, where I'll either quit a game that I obviously don't like within the first couple hours or if I've plowed 50%-75% into the game and its not panning out and I'm not having fun, I'll just try to beeline it to the end so I can say I completed it and call it a day.

Luckily I tend to be very discerning with my purchases, so when either of these things happen its got less to do with the game than it does with my general mood and what I'm into at any given time.
 

rivethead

Platinum Member
Jan 16, 2005
2,635
106
106
-I'm in the same boat. Its sort of a sunk cost thing, where I'll either quit a game that I obviously don't like within the first couple hours or if I've plowed 50%-75% into the game and its not panning out and I'm not having fun, I'll just try to beeline it to the end so I can say I completed it and call it a day.

Luckily I tend to be very discerning with my purchases, so when either of these things happen its got less to do with the game than it does with my general mood and what I'm into at any given time.

Yeah, it's definitely the sunk cost thing. I wish I had more willpower to quit a game earlier. I end up plowing through it always thinking...."hey this has to get better/I must be missing something".
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
Holy sweet merciful crap.
Dragon Quest 11 takes over fifty hours to beat, and that assumes you dont chase down every little optional quest and knick-knack.
After the boss theres a fair amount of bonus content but I just cant bring myself to do it. Mostly lots more recipes and crafting and hunting for rare materials. None of it leads anywhere since you don't fight more powerful monsters. I think some loot can carry over to New Game+ but damned if I ever do this friggen thing ever again.
Also the end game sequence and credit scenes are kinda boring, not really worth all the effort I put into them.
Think maybe I'll track down the SNES Dragon Warrior 3&4 ROM and beat that.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
Oh, according to the end credits it was made with Unreal Engine 4, which explains why it looks pretty damn good and runs very smoothly.

CRAP!
I just remembered, I never did finish FFX-2, which also has lots of tedious nonsense and unskippable cutscenes. But theres an in game cheat to make everything move faster, so thats nice. Also the visuals are slightly less cartoon like.
 
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you2

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2002
5,677
916
126
Hum. What to play now that wolfenstein is done with - it was sort of fun but not fun enough to play beyond the end. Maybe devil may cry 5 ? Resident Evil 2 ? Either of those any good ?