To The Ones That I Should’ve Played

I’m on the outside, looking in.

Finding the time to play games is tough, though some have a much easier time. Some seem to epitomize the incorrect stereotype of all gamers, like the waffle-obsessed character from the movie Gamer (which was a piece of trash movie that missed every opportunity to be good), though thankfully those people are very rare. Others just have simple tastes that makes it easy to sit down and get their fill.

The other obstacle, finances, is similarly avoidable. I do miss the free games I received as a store manager for GameStop, and sometimes regret not starting my blog sooner. However, I soon remember the cost of working there, making me immediately grateful (see the last paragraph for an example). Gaming on a budget really sucks sometimes.

With that in mind, this is a small list of games that I should’ve played, but didn’t get a chance to this year.

FYI: They’re in alphabetical order, not ranked. Oh, and my wife was kind enough to chime in on some of these by the way…

Abzu

This is kinda a strange one for me. Initially, I wasn’t interested in the idea of playing Abzu, but as time went on, I became more and more interested. The thought of calm exploration seems to fill a desire in me to have something to relax to. Scuba diving is actually something that terrifies me, as I’m irrationally fearful of deep water (though I’m totally fine with going on cruises, because they’re awesome!).

Abzu just looks so… Calming. It didn’t really hit me that I’d be interested in it until my wife Jennifer saw it on the Xbox One store page and asked about it. For some reason, her interest clicked in my mind and bled over to me.

Battlefield 1

I played the beta for Battlefield 1 and fell in love. I received a 1-month code for EA Access and got a chance to dive into the campaign as well, and had a blast.

But despite Jennifer asking me if I wanted it for my birthday, or Christmas, I said no. Why though? I worry that I wouldn’t put enough time into it to justify buying it, despite the fact that I would love to play it. She’s already let me get plenty of other games, and even bought me Deus Ex: Mankind Divided for Christmas, as well as an Xbox One Elite Controller and Watch_Dogs 2. I know I’m spoiled, so I didn’t want to push my luck.

Jennifer: He isn’t telling you that if he asked, I would get him whatever game he wants.

That said, the time I spent with Battlefield 1 was perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had with a AAA multiplayer shooter. It was the most fun I’ve had with a blockbuster shooter since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Dead Rising 4

I have a interesting history with Dead Rising. Dead Rising, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion were the first games that I owned on the Xbox 360 and (not to sound cocky) I dominated Dead Rising by finishing the game with the canon ending, missing only one survivor. I skipped Dead Rising 2 completely, but ended up getting Dead Rising 3, and rediscovering my love for the wackiness of the series once again.

With the fourth entry looking to continue in the footsteps of the previous games, I can’t help but have an interest in it. More zombie mayhem, with ridiculous weapon combinations, and a return to Willamette in the Christmas season just sounds like a match made in heaven.

Gears of War 4

While I’ve never been much of a die-hard fan of the Gears of War series, I have actually enjoyed the gameplay of each of them. It’s little wonder that the newest sequel of the series has drawn my attention, considering that it looks pretty incredible in addition to promising some of the smoothest gameplay that is available on consoles and PC.

The meaty heaviness of the Gears characters is something that hasn’t been repeated in many games, and the over-the-top grittiness almost creates a genre of its own. It’s little wonder that Gears of War 4 made it onto my wishlist for 2016, and even got me into playing through the series in full via the Xbox One’s backwards compatibility feature. Perhaps I can get my hands on it in 2017

Jennifer: Only if you get me chocolate 😀.

Firewatch

Oh the things I’ve heard about Firewatch. Previous to playing through Gone Home, I didn’t have much of an interest in Firewatch at all, but since I’ve been introduced to the genre of games that it belongs to, I’ve become more interested in it. The narrative focus, interesting atmosphere, and simple gameplay makes it sound like something that I’d like to dive into for the same reasons that Abzu made this list.

I love narrative in games, and the story that Firewatch presents appears to be right up my alley. The initial PS4 console exclusivity was a bit of a turnoff (Jennifer: Good thing you have a PS4), but I might have to pick it up sometime in the near future when I have some extra money to spend.

Forza Horizon 3: Blizzard Mountain

This really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to be perfectly honest. More Forza Horizon 3 is just more awesomeness for me to enjoy. The wintry setting, complete with driving in the snow and ice looks like a ton of fun, and well worth the price of admission.

Tearing around in a muscle car in a pristine, snowy field? What’s not to love? Especially considering how much I loved the main game.

Jennifer: Seriously, it is only $20. Just buy it already.

Inside

First of all, Playdead’s Limbo was delightfully creepy, and to hear that they were releasing a sequel with a similar aesthetic and atmosphere piqued my interest.

I’ve heard nothing but great things about Inside, which both excites me and bums me out. It’s exciting because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s a great game. It bums me out because I know that I missed out on one of the best games this year.

That and I missed the reviewing window. Now I’d just be jumping on the praise bandwagon

Jennifer: Chocolate answers all of your wishes.

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is one of those games that I wouldn’t have been interested in until I cut my teeth on games like Titanfall and Dying Light. The platforming and parkour elements were off-putting to me when the original game released, but once I got used to the idea after playing the aforementioned games, I quickly changed course.

I managed to get a chance to try out the game’s beta earlier this year, and it felt pretty competent. The traversal mechanics were solid and quick, not to mention that the stakes actually felt high when bolting across rooftops and leaping over gaps between buildings.

Recore

This one was a bit of surprise to me. Before release, I was enamored with the design and idea behind the game, but after release the reviews seemed to indicate that it was pretty bland.

So I was even more surprised that once I got my hands on a trial of the game, I actually really liked it. It hearkens back to the days of the GameCube and Metroid Prime, which is a game that I absolutely adore. The only reason that I didn’t end up getting this was because the reviews didn’t seem to indicate that it was worth the money, but now I’m beginning to regret waiting.

Jennifer: You should be happy that Christmas is less than a week away then 😀 you better share though.

Stardew Valley

This type of game is exactly the kind that turns into an enormous time-sink for me. I love spending hours building settlements and watching my work come to fruition

Jennifer: Quite literally, since it involves farming.

This game seems like it’d be able to get me just as addicted as I was to Animal Crossing: New Leaf, perhaps more so.

And no, I don’t want to know too much about this game. I don’t need another game to spend money on yet!

Titanfall 2

I loved the original Titanfall despite it being a strictly multiplayer experience. With Titanfall 2 having an actual campaign, I’d love to bring a Titan online and wreck some faces. Considering the high praises that people have been singing about it, I feel like I’ve been missing out.

I mean, c’mon. Giant mechs with big ass guns? What’s not to love?

Jennifer: Yet another multiplayer game.

Tyranny

Tyranny seems like an odd game for me to want to play. I’ve never been terribly interested in the isometric perspective RPGs, but Obsidian’s new game has such an intriguing premise that I can’t help but want to become Kyros’ minion.

Tyranny puts you into the shoes of the type of person that can really make waves, of blood. The sheer amount of influence the player can have on the campaign is exactly what I love about Obsidian’s games (ahem… Fallout: New Vegas).

But it didn’t make it into my collection…

The Witness

I love puzzle games. There, I said it. The Witness looks cool because I really love puzzle games and everything about it seems to point to it being one of the best puzzle games this year.

I really don’t know what else to add honestly, except that I’d love to add it to my library of games.

Jennifer: Again, chocolate…

What About You?

What are the games that you wanted to play, but didn’t get a chance to for one reason or another? Is there anything that you’re waiting on? Divulge your gaming shame!

 

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