<p>Nowadays it seems as though every <a class="zem_slink" title="Steam (software)" href="http://store.steampowered.com/" target="_blank" rel="homepage noopener noreferrer">Steam</a> sale, blockbuster release, and darling <a class="zem_slink" title="Indie game" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_game" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia noopener noreferrer">indie game</a> is out to suck our wallets dry and take our free time by storm. In what feels like a massive influx of quality titles and more ways then ever to get them on the cheap, you&#8217;d be forgiven for accumulating a massive store of games that remain untouched for months or even years. The thought of committing enough time to complete such an enormous backlog is enough to make one&#8217;s head spin. But by taking the right approach, tackling a large backlog can teach you a good deal about your tastes in video games.</p>
<p>Take my personal backlog for example. Humble Bundles, Steam sales, holiday gifts, and individual purchases have snowballed into a backlog of intimidating size, and I wasn&#8217;t sure at first how to handle it. I attempted the usual approach of completing the main portion of each game, whether that be a story mode, campaign, or other form of main game before moving on, but that only worked in the early days. Every time I acquired a new game I was eager to try, I couldn&#8217;t resist giving it a test run. Before long, my orderly list of completed games fresh from the backlog became a sloppy, fractured mess.</p>
<p>The amount of completion per backlog game fell just about everywhere on the spectrum. Some games such as <a class="zem_slink" title="Mark of the Ninja" href="http://www.markoftheninja.com/" target="_blank" rel="homepage noopener noreferrer">Mark of the Ninja</a>, God of War, and <a class="zem_slink" title="XCOM: Enemy Unknown" href="http://www.xcom.com/enemyunknown/" target="_blank" rel="homepage noopener noreferrer">XCOM: Enemy Unknown</a> failed to hold my interest past the first few hours. Others, like Antichamber, lost me at about the halfway mark. I even abandoned <a class="zem_slink" title="Mirror's Edge" href="http://www.mirrorsedge.com" target="_blank" rel="homepage noopener noreferrer">Mirror&#8217;s Edge</a> when the story&#8217;s conclusion was in sight. At that point, it was difficult for me to decide what I wanted to play. I felt committed to most of those titles, but not enough to any particular one to jump back in without second thoughts.</p>
<p><a href="https://cdn.bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/05124558/Fallout-3.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-58383 aligncenter" src="https://cdn.bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/05124558/Fallout-3.jpg" alt="Fallout 3" /></a></p>
<p>Enter <a class="zem_slink" title="Fallout 3" href="http://fallout.bethsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="homepage noopener noreferrer">Fallout 3</a>. Just as I was juggling Assassin&#8217;s Creed IV, <a class="zem_slink" title="Resident Evil 4" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil_4" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia noopener noreferrer">Resident Evil 4</a>, and Super Mario 3D World, I picked up a used copy of Fallout 3. Per the usual, I had heard too many great things about Fallout 3 to refuse popping it in my PS3 to give it a shot. I used the excuse that I had to test it because it was a used copy. It started out at a painfully slow crawl, but I was intrigued enough to power through. As soon as I broke past the entry barrier, Fallout 3 had its hooks in me. Despite <a class="zem_slink" title="Black Flag" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Black%2BFlag" target="_blank" rel="lastfm noopener noreferrer">Black Flag</a> and Resident Evil 4 on my to-do list, Fallout 3 was all I ever wanted to play.</p>
<p>Because it emerged as a clear victor from the all-out brawl that was my backlog, I appreciated Fallout 3 that much more. I can say with certainty I enjoyed it more than Resident Evil 4 or Black Flag, which is rare for me. It typically takes me much longer to digest an experience, to consider its pros and cons before I can rank it among others. This isn&#8217;t to say that I didn&#8217;t like Black Flag and Resident Evil 4, though. I enjoyed both games greatly. But arbitrarily forcing myself to continue them when there was another game I would rather play drained much of the fun from both experiences.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/05124544/Arkham-City.jpg"><img class="wp-image-58384 aligncenter" src="https://cdn.bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/05124544/Arkham-City.jpg" alt="Arkham City" width="800" height="450" /></a></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve since completed Fallout 3 and moved on to other games. After failing to be drawn in by Guacamelee, I&#8217;ve finally latched onto another game. Like Fallout 3 before it, <a class="zem_slink" title="Batman: Arkham City" href="http://www.batmanarkhamcity.com/" target="_blank" rel="homepage noopener noreferrer">Batman: Arkham City</a> is in charge of my one-track gaming mind. I played Arkham Asylum a few years ago, and it was fun, but I was never totally enamored with it like everyone else seemed to be. Now that Arkham City has strong-armed its way to the top of my gaming priorities, I&#8217;ve found a new appreciation for the series. The impeccable controls, fluid combat, and perfect visual cues that are never intrusive are all clear indicators of why I&#8217;m having more fun with Arkham City than most of the other backlog games I&#8217;ve dabbled in thus far.</p>
<p>What I&#8217;ve learned is that a backlog should never be treated as a tedious list of chores that must be neatly checked off one-by-one. Instead, a backlog should mean total gaming freedom for its owner. From now on I will take advantage of my backlog and experiment with new games until I naturally gravitate toward the ones I enjoy most. Attempting to compare two complete experiences in isolation is far more challenging, because no matter how I rationalize which is a better game, I can&#8217;t get the same instinctive gauge on which was simply more fun to play. I welcome the next Steam sale with open arms and eagerly anticipate the next <a class="zem_slink" title="Humble Indie Bundle" href="http://www.wolfire.com/humble" target="_blank" rel="homepage noopener noreferrer">Humble Bundle</a>, because I can&#8217;t wait to find the next game that commands my attention.</p>
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Can a Backlog be a Good Thing?
- Categories: Opinion
- Tags: Assassin's CreedBatmanFalloutHumble BundlePCResident EvilXCOM
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