A year in gaming - An effort to clear the 'backlog' of impulse buys

[Track]

I suppose that it would be a good idea to start chipping away at my backlog, though there are a few games that i'll be buying in the near future, namely:

- Max Payne 2
- Max Payne 3 (when the price drops)
- Guild Wars 2
- Bioshock Infinite

That being said, some of those won't come out for a while, so I have a fair bit of time. Before beginning, though, I have a question. During one of those massive Steam sales a while back, I picked up the entire Assassins Creed series for a fairly cheap price, mostly because I love historical fiction. The first game, though, is really getting on my nerves, mostly due to the absurdly horrible save system and UI, and the kind of finicky controls. That being said, I know that the second game, apparently, improves greatly on the first, so my question is: should I try just skipping to AC2 and ignoring the first one, or will I probably just dislike this series in general?

[SMiD]

Just wrapped up Assassin's Creed 1 and Icewind Dale Complete. I started AC2 but discovered I had the same feeling going into this sequel that I did when I went from ME1 to 2; I strongly preferred the original. ME2 grew on me in a few ways once I got over the fact that it was a departure from ME. I'm hoping the same thing happens for AC Deuce.

As for Icewind Dale: it's pure, distilled AD&D 2e combat. The storyline is pretty much inconsequential as the combat is certainly the focus of the game. It's not particularly horrible. It's just tedious. I'm holding off of IWD2 until I've sorted through PS:T as I'd rather not jump between AD&D editions.

So it's AC2 on the MSBox Full-Rotation and it's a combo of PS:T and Fallout on the PC. (I've sorely neglected my Fallout save.) Still haven't spent a penny on games this year. #Keepingthefaith

[Wizardry]

It's not particularly horrible. It's just tedious.

The combat? Or the story?

[Heliocentric]

AC1 is the beautifully crafted and novel game with the issues. AC2 is focus testing, more emotive and aspirational protagonist is far easier to like, the plot paints the Templars more clearly as villainous (something the ventures into parody in brotherhood) but AC2 and again in brotherhood the combat, buildings (and thus climbing), pacing and repetitive issues are violently better, but key is the stealth. Gone is the unchanging "head down" introduced is the crowd stealth which is satisfying and seeped deeply into my psyche (I can no longer standing a crowd in real life without bring aware of it). Horsebound enemies is also an awesome change (introduced in brotherhood?) even though it's impact was easily mitigated by the player.

I need to say many of my fondest mass effect memories come from choices in the first game, many desired choices I felt that the later games had mixed results in expressing. I nearly always got to say what I wanted in ME but not so much 2 or 3. I also loved exploring in the mako, the time in the hovercraft thing in ME2 was such a tease.

[SMiD]

The combat? Or the story?

I meant the combat (although the story is pretty generic, too); I find it boils down to simply surviving wave after wave of simple foes. Which by itself is not awful, but with the option to rest until healed at most times, the individual waves lose their challenge and turn into speedbumps. As long as I cast haste, I mow down enemies with ease. I can only think of a few fights where I was forced to pause often and figure out my next move. Hell, even the final (expansion) battle against dragon-what's-her-face was over in < 5 minutes as I straight out bum-rushed her. Honestly, the game could've used a few more spell-casters (ala BG2) to keep things interesting.

Edit: Maybe I need to play through it on HoF mode. I hear that ups the challenge.

[Jiiiiim]

32: Recettear

Not wholly unenjoyable but some absolutely awful design in there, still I'm glad to have it out of the way. If nothing else this Backlog is giving me plenty of practice at writing. Next: Deus Ex HR.

[allanschnorr]

I finished Dirt 3 (skipping all of the Gymkhana events I could) and I felt disappointed. I loved the racing in Dirt 2, specially the rally, and I was expecting Dirt 3 to be more of that, but with less of the annoying presentation. That was not what I got at all. Rally races are short, 1-2 minutes short, and there's not many variety, which is a problem with the other race types suffer too. There are less locations than in Dirt 2 and less tracks also. And some of the tracks are even a simple combination of others. Racing in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia in varied environments was one of the attractions of Dirt 2, it's a shame that's not available anymore. At least I paid only $15 for it...

32: Recettear

Not wholly unenjoyable but some absolutely awful design in there, still I'm glad to have it out of the way. If nothing else this Backlog is giving me plenty of practice at writing. Next: Deus Ex HR.

It's good to know I'm not the only one who did not enjoy Recettear. I didn't like the dungeons for the same reasons you mentioned and what kept me playing was the store part, although after about 5 hours that became tiresome and not fun. After that, I moved Recettear to my "one day I might play it again" list.

[DevinSmoth]

I keep wanting to get to Recettear, but I haven't found the time yet... one of these days I'll get to it, I swear!

[ShowMeTheMonkey]

I swapped Recettear for The Witcher 1.

LOVED Witcher 1. And I hear you can import your saves into 2. Awesome.

[FunnyB]

I've put Mass Effect 3 on hold for a little bit. I really like it so far, but I feel I haven't had enough free time to really get into it as of yet. I played through The Godfather II from beginning to end during last week. I give it a rating of..... "OK" at most. :D

Currently, I'm looking through my backlog and playing a few games that I've already started but not finished. A couple of mission in Just Cause 2. Getting close to the final story mission in that one.
Besides that, I played a little S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat, just to see exactly where I left it off. And I've also played a bit of Tropico 3.

So, I've played a little bit of everything... :D

[Jiiiiim]

33: Steel Storm

I'm the only person on my friends list to have actually played this, I think. I might be the only person full stop to have finished it >_>

[mtrc]

33: Steel Storm

I'm the only person on my friends list to have actually played this, I think. I might be the only person full stop to have finished it >_>

I didn't realise I had it until I read your review. ¬_¬

[mmosurvey]

Id go with Arkham city, I loved the experience and in my opinion it was far better than arkham assylum

[FunnyB]

33: Steel Storm

I'm the only person on my friends list to have actually played this, I think. I might be the only person full stop to have finished it >_>

I got it as well in one of the Humble Indie Bundles. Played it for maybe half an hour, then uninstalled it. Talk about a huge piece of garbage. It was boring as hell and I was not impressed by anything in it. Therefor, I removed it from my backlog, since I knew I never wanted to play it through to the end.

Kudos for sticking with it though.

----------------------------------
I've continued with playing all kinds of games lately, and completed a few. This weekend, I completed VVVVVV (just the main story, not the optional challenges) and played through the second Saints Row The Third dlc, Gangstas in Space. That one was short but truly hilarious!

Last night, I picked up Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity on steam, since I've been having my eye on it for quite some time now. Seems really interesting.

[Jiiiiim]

Exciting news this week as the developer of Steel Storm finds my blog and is unimpressed >_>

34: Telltale Texas Hold 'em
35: Deus Ex: Human Revolution

I AM PAST THE HALFWAY MARK

[FunnyB]

My efforts continue...

I've finished Bionic Commando Rearmed. Freakishly hard at certain places, but such a great game! That last level was a real doozy though.
I also finished the last Saints Row The Third dlc, The Trouble With Clones. It was.... alright. Not as funny as Gangstas in Space but better than Genkibowl VII. The ending sequence was hilarious though.

My journey continues through a lot of different games, but I started playing Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive last night, and I think I'll stick with it for awhile at least.

[Drayk]

I am also in that quest to clear my Backlog, at least a bit.

I recently finished Skyrim, Bastion, Mass effect 3, and Human revolution DLC.

Attacking Magicka, Hard Reset and Batman Arkham City.

I promised myself not to buy any new games for a while but I failed and bought Diablo 3 and Warhammer 40k spacemarine.

I hope not to buy anything else for a while now.

[DevinSmoth]

I promised myself not to buy any new games for a while but I failed and bought Diablo 3

This alone is likely to screw you over as far as backlogs go... ;P

[Ravelle]

I promised myself not to buy any new games for a while but I failed and bought Diablo 3 and Warhammer 40k spacemarine.

I hope not to buy anything else for a while now.[/COLOR][/LEFT]

That promise I make every day, but then there's a steam sale or one game I really want and I break it, I'm an awful person. ;p

But hey at least you're completing them, I get sidetracked by other games a lot.

[allanschnorr]

I am also in that quest to clear my Backlog, at least a bit.

I recently finished Skyrim, Bastion, Mass effect 3, and Human revolution DLC.

Attacking Magicka, Hard Reset and Batman Arkham City.

I promised myself not to buy any new games for a while but I failed and bought Diablo 3 and Warhammer 40k spacemarine.

I hope not to buy anything else for a while now.

I promised myself the same thing and bought Lone Survivor, Botanicula, Toy Soldiers, EA Indie Bundle, Arkham City and Alan Wake. I realized I can't keep this promise, instead I promised myself to not buy any games I don't intend to play right away. This, in turn, is working. I already finished Gatling Gears, Botanicula and Lone Survivor and I'm playing Arkham City, Toy Soldiers and Shank 2 at the moment.