Back in 2022, I thought I had come up with a foolproof plan to actually tackle the gaming backlog. This plan fulfilled two goals I had – get the gaming backlog down, while also freeing up space for any interruptions from that certain Game Service… But the problem that soon arose was the new games came out that I wanted to play. Which I promptly did. Alas, that plan did not get far. Which is why we are here today with a new gaming backlog plan! Because we learn from our mistakes.
This year is the year of no new game purchases! That’s a bold strategy, Cotton, let’s see how it plays out. Now I would love to find a service that could get every single game I own, with their current unfinished / hours played status, and on which platform they’re on, then spit out a nice list for me. But alas, such a service does not exist. And I always dreamt that one day I’d actually have the time to make a full gaming backlog list and plan but these days I am very time poor. And I am about to be even more time poor…
So, my dream about making one spreadsheet to rule them all is currently on life support. But! Should I ever get the time, I imagine it would look something like this.
Let’s break it down 🕺
Game, Platform and Genre all pretty self explanatory. The Status is how far I have gotten through the game, and how many achievements I have left on the rare occasion that I have already finished the story. The interesting part comes with How Long To Beat (a fantastic website and now built into the Xbox PC App! See the screenshot below.) and MetaCritic (for all its flaws) vs OpenCritic.
With the How Long to Beat and the MetaCritic/OpenCritic scores, you could come up with a “enjoyment per an hour” scale that could be helpful. I know it will reward short, great games and punish long great games, but no system is perfect. If I cared enough, I could even add in another colum with how much the game cost, and then get a enjoyment per a dollar rating! But that’s one step too far… But maybe?
I even envisioned having multiple lists too! Oh, my sweet summer child…
- Must Plays
These are games that are universally praised, considered by most people to be head and shoulders above the rest and a true addition to the art form that is video games. IE: Half Life 2 - Great Games
You must experience these games. Whether it’s for the story, the art style, the mechanics – these games offer something different and unique. IE: Hades - Should Play
Spoken about in polite settings and used as a way of small talk. IE: Halo - Could Play
You’ve been meaning to check these ones out, normally from an off handed recommendation, or you see something different here. - Done With
I have played it, I have tried it, I either finished it and it was enough, or gave up halfway through because life is just too short. See Breathedge… - Completed
Credits have rolled and there is no need to go back. - Go Back To
The holy grail of gaming – games so good, you play them once a year. The Lord of The Rings of video games. Completed, but far from done with.
That is the dream, and one day, maybe I’ll get there. But anyways! The plan has now evolved to something that better suits my current situation and lifestyle. A plan that I may actually be able to stick to. A plan that is as realistic as it is ambiguous. Below, I present to you, dear reader, the updated and revised edition of Backlog Attack ’24!
It’s pretty simple as far as plans go – choose a few big games that I have started and know that I already like, so I am in no danger of playing something that leaves me disappointed. Whether its going to be play till the credits roll, or do some achievement hunting, will be left up to once the credits actually roll. This way I am under no pressure to 100% a game, but the option is there if I enjoyed it.
Now, these are the games that made the cut this year:
- Final Fantasy XV
How Long To Beat – about 50ish hours…
I really enjoyed this game and got to chapter 10 in 80 something hours, when the photo bug hit me (apologies for linking to Reddit 🤢). This sapped my will to play right out as all my digital “memories” of this game became blank black squares. Now I have all the DLC and the game has seen its final update, I imagine its now in a state where it can be started and finished sans game breaking bugs. And that’s what I intend to do. This game is going to be mainlined mostly, and then right into the DLC to wrap that up.
- Persona 5 Royal
How Long to Beat – about 120ish hours…
I really, really love this game. The art style, the insane story, the deep JRPG mechanics. And while I did play it for a bit, I decided if I was going to play it, I was going to follow the advice the game gives you – Take Your Time. And that is what this play-through is going to be all about – taking my time to really enjoy everything this game has to offer. Plus, I have to finish it before I can start Persona Tactics! And speaking of tactics games…
- Gears! Tactics
How Long to Beat – about 50ish hours…
This game is something really special. It has made, not just one, but two Games of the Year’s lists, and yet I have committed the cardinal sin of not completing it… Now I will see it to it to its conclusion, may even try 100% it, thanks to its fantastic replayability, and then cry about its lack of sequel.
- The Division 2
How Long to Beat – abut 50ish hours (maybe)…
With new Seasons and new content being released this year, it’s calling me back to DC. I have gotten to World Tier 3 or 4, so its not much longer before I can start the DLC. Yet another example of just getting it together and finishing it.
Hopefully Simone will be able to join me for some of the shooty shooty fun as a certain Mr settles into his routine.
- Cyberpunk 2077 (with maybe the expansion too..?)
How Long to Beat – about 100ish hours…
I love this game. The setting, the characters, the tech behind it. Now that we have version 2.5 or whatever they call it, it’s time to restart it and collect all the hats! And this time wear the hats to the game’s final boss fight and the story conclusion. The expansion also looks amazing, so I may need to add that to the backlog. You’ll notice that technically it’s not a game… So, I think I could get away with purchasing that on special.
- Bonus Game: Divinity Original Sin 2
How Long to Beat – about 150 hours…
Technically, this will be my PC game for the year, but since it’s also on Xbox… That means it totally counts when I talk about it on the podcast. I think i have started this game about 3 or 4 times, and each time I get FOMO – either with my character or who I chose for my party, and so need to start again. I know, I know – make a choice and stick with it, Kyle!
Now I am not crazy, and because there needs to be some space for deviation, I have chosen a few smaller games to also focus on. The ones that made the cut this year are Cocoon, Chicken Police: Paint it Red! and Far: Changing Tides. All three, very different games. Which helps to break the “big game needs big hours” mentality that’s so easy to fall into, and results in not actually playing any games. You know that level of procrastination, the one that comes with staring down the barrel of a 100-hour game. Add to the fact that all three are supposed to be fantastic little stories that are one and done. It all goes to helping the completion ratio and the finished-something-feel-good feelings.
As this is just a small slice of my entire backlog, I will need to come up with a plan to start working on the other 900 odd games I have managed to collect in my past 30 odd years of disposable income earning. Luckily, I have GOG Galaxy to help! It connects to all my accounts, shows me all my games and can even organise them for me. I just wish I could export this list to jump start my spreadsheet dreams! Here is how I have grouped my backlog… It helps me see at a glance what I should play next vs what I have not started.
This year I am hoping to make a decent dent in my backlog with at least the games listed. Of course, other games will come out, or I’ll get distracted by some multiplayer. I mean No Man’s Sky is always there… But I aim to actually stick to this plan. Play a small subset of games. Get them off the backlog. Then come back and chip away again next year. Slowly, slowly, catch a monkey, after all.
Slowly, slowly, catch a monkey
In the grand scheme of things, this is not that important. But one of my goals this year is to finish things, and games that I have bought and paid for should be an easy thing to actually get done. Easier than 75 Hard, that’s for sure!
