So many games to play, so little time to play them. New games, old games, replays, oh my! It's time to make a real plan, with real goals, and with real action to tackle the gaming backlog of 2023!
With the new year comes the annual new years resolutions. This is usually a time of big ideas, grand plans, and the best intentions but, as many have experienced--including myself--it can often be a time of idealism and unrealistic expectations. This year is an attempt to change all of that. I have a few new years goals: return to eating smaller portions to continue losing weight, stay consistent recording and editing videos for my YouTube channel, not getting lost in the next day or next event and attempting to live in the moment as much as possible. For the purposes of this post and this entire website, however, only one new years resolution matters: Play more games more often.
Much like many out there, gaming is a passion I've held ever since I was a child. That passion only continued to grow as I became an adult, learned more about the artform, and experienced different styles of games. As my experience grew and my tastes in games widened, so too did my desire to play more and more of them. Growing so much to the point that my backlog feels like an unclimbable mountain taunting me at all times. Honestly, a lot of it is my own fault. What tends to happen is I will begin a game, enjoy it for a day or two with the full intention of returning to complete it only to say, "I'll play it more tomorrow or later in the week." Eventually it has been so long that I don't even remember where I was, or I become so overwhelmed by my lack of playtime that I just sit there paralyzed by a feeling of unfulfillment. I then say, "well I'll just play something else and swap back and forth!" But then I'm faced with the dreaded task of picking the next game to play out of the hundreds in my backlog! I've even done this with entire franchises. Metal Gear Solid is a franchise I have come to very much enjoy after playing a few of the titles over the years but that is just the thing. It has taken me years! I want to play more, I want to catch up on the franchise, but for some reason I just wade in the waters of indecisions and end up doing nothing. Well, no more!
This blog and this website is going to be my solution. The purpose is to create an actionable, and realistic plan for games I want to complete in 2023. Below will be a list of high priority games that I wish to have finished by the end of the year but, I will attempt to be as realistic as possible. I'm not going to list 150+ games. Instead I'm going to list about 25 from my backlog that I am determined to complete. These will be drawn mainly from franchises I've started but need to complete, games I've begun in 2022 but never finished, and other games that I've always meant to play but never got around to. I will then select 5 games from that backlog list which I will prioritize playing first. The goal is to have completed those 5 before moving on to the next set of 5 and so on. This list is not binding though, more like a strong foundational guideline to rely on throughout the year. A game or two is bound to pique my interest that I am not considering in the present time so I allow some substitutions as the year goes on. Plus, new games don't just stop releasing just because I decided to get smart about my backlog, so new releases I know are hype and day-one pick ups may also supersede the backlog for a time. A list will be written in the coming days which will detail my most anticipated new releases for this year so stay tuned! I also want to use this as an opportunity to write more, so each game I play--no matter if I complete it or drop it--will be documented by review on this site. I will also be tracking all of these games on my Backloggd profile which you can find linked at the bottom of this post. Hopefully, with this plan in place, I will have given myself the best chance of achieving the ultimate goal; enjoying my hobbies more!
25 Backlog Games:
25 games, 25 backlog experiences to play in 2023! First 5 are ranked as my high priority--first to play games, the rest are not ordered in any particular way. I have also given a brief reason it made my list.
5 High Priority Games
Pokemon Violet (2022)
Been a fan of Pokemon all my life ever since Red/Blue released back on the Gameboy. I've fallen off since then and haven't truly become enlivened by a Pokemon game since the fourth generation, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum as well as Heart Gold/Soul Silver. I greatly enjoyed Legends: Arceus but did miss more frequent trainer battles. I booted up and played Violet at the tail end of 2022 and dumped 10 hours into it in about a week. I'm excited to play more and want to see it to its conclusion in 2023!
Inscryption (2020)
Picked this game up at the tail end of 2022 and booted it during the closing days. I love card games, I had a brief fascination with Magic: The Gathering, I was a Pokemon collector, and over 2022 I reignited a passion for Yu-Gi-Oh! Rogue-like card games aren't a stranger to me either with the main game coming to mind being Slay the Spire. During the first couple of hours Inscryption I was hooked with its weird mystery, horror vibes, and escape room elements. I definitely want to see where this journey takes me in 2023!
Tales of Arise (2021)
I’m not afraid to admit I like an odd anime game here and there. This game caught my eye due to its original trailers and the insane particle effects and action-based gameplay. Picked it up briefly last year in December and began it but I do plan on returning to finish it this year.
Stray (2022)
Fun cat game for a person who owns a cat. It also helps that it got multiple nods at the Game Awards so I’m definitely going to spend a weekend on this one sometime this year.
Nier: Automata (2017)
I played the remake of the original Nier game, Nier Replicant, last year and thought it was alright. A bit convoluted to get the full story and a little repetitive. But, Automata is an entirely different beast that has had praise heaped upon it by so many online, by my friends, and has crossed over into different media so much that I just have to see what the hype is about!
The Other 20 Games
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (2019)
Another highly beloved game by the entire gaming world. I love RPGs, I love story in games, and I am thrilled to experience what has become one of the highest rated RPGs of all time.
A Plague Tale Requiem (2022)
A game always on my radar due to its atmosphere, interesting premise, and seemingly high production values as well as high praise among many. I also hear it has some twist or wild second half to the story that I am excited to experience.
Monster Hunter: World (2018)
I’m pretty deep into this one but almost exclusively play with my best bud TJ. We’ve spent all of 2022 pretty much bouncing around different games, only playing this one when there is a void. I’d love to return and wrap it up this year--perhaps end on an Iceborne DLC trip.
Persona 4 Golden-Steam (2020)
Started this game during the late days of summer before beginning my first teaching job. Also a dog was suddenly saved from the side of the street and became a family member… A family member that required lots of training and effort. Yeah… I really enjoyed this one but it is so long and was played at such a bad time that I owe it to myself to try to return and complete it. Perhaps this summer?
Red Dead Redemption (2010)
Never played this one. I like Rockstar games a lot and I am intensely anticipating the story and world of this one. On top of its critical praise, the intrigue I have for its sequel, Red Dead Redemption II, is another big motivator here. The thing stopping me? Open-world, long hours. Going to need to find a time this year when I have a good amount of time to dedicate to this one.
Red Dead Redemption II (2018)
My girlfriend adores this game, it has insanely high critical reviews, apparently has one of the best written video game characters of all time, Arthur Morgan, gracing it… What is more to say? I’m committing to beating both this and the original Red Dead Redemption this year at some point.
Dishonored 2 (2016)
I adored the first Dishonored game by Arkane studios who have quickly become a household, reliable game studio name. Never ended up getting around to its sequel but given the brevity of these titles I owe it to myself to go back and give it a shot.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017)
Wolfenstein: The New Order from 2014 is one of my top 10, maybe even top 5 favorite first-person shooters of all time. It has such a fun moment-to-moment gameplay experience, had the perfect amount of options each level and paths to explore while still keeping you on the same path toward the linear goal, and had quite the interesting story to boot. I must check out its sequel soon especially as Machine Games seems to be gearing up for something new.
DOOM Eternal (2020)
Much like Wolfenstein: The New Order, DOOM (2016) reinvigorated a franchise long since believed relegated to the annals of video game history. DOOM was a blast, an action-packed, adrenaline filled, sound-designing marvel of a demon-slaying first-person shooter. I cannot wait for a few nights this year just putting my headphones on full blast as I rock out slayin’ some demons.
Remnant: From the Ashes (2019)
The sequel to this souls-like with guns just got announced at the Game Awards. Then, immediately follow this, my two buds decided to boot it up on a whim. Well, I think I gotta give it a shot now! I always had a mind to try this one out as it looked quite interesting if a bit clumsy, but I am excited to give it a whirl, most likely with a friend!
Marvel’s Midnight Suns (2022)
I adore Firaxis Games to death. Civilization and XCOM are some of my favorite gaming franchises on the market right now. So when I heard that those brilliant minds for strategy were partnering with Marvel to make a strategy Marvel superhero game? I’m obligated to check it out!
Risk of Rain 2 (2019)
I’ve played a good chunk of this game, unlocked a good few characters, and almost feel ready to close the book on it. However, I have never successfully completed a run in this game to the end. I will defeat this demon at some point this year!
Armored Core (1997)
I’m not going to commit to the entire franchise here. However, FromSoftware has its claws sunk so deep into every fiber of my being right now to the point where it is almost as if they can do no wrong. The announcement of Armored Core VI: The Fires of Rubicon is the perfect opportunity to do some retrospective gaming and check out this classic franchise from my favorite developer currently in gaming.
Fallout 4 (2015)
With Starfield just around the corner, I think it might be high time I return and finally complete the last major open-world Bethesda staple on my backlog. Though I have come to love and adore the Fallout series I always have the same track record when it comes to completing them: I play them at least a dozen times, put several dozens of hours into them, and drop them several dozens of times until one attempt--years later--finally ends the vicious cycle. It has been 8 years since Fallout 4's release and I believe it high time I wrapped up my Bethesda Game Studios backlog this year!
Final Fantasy XIV (2013-Present)
A continuing, ever-changing and evolving MMORPG in MY backlog list!? What sorcery is this!? But alas, Final Fantasy XIV, unlike all other MMORPG's of my past, is different. I tend to shy away from these kinds of games. They take too long to catch up to, they are always ongoing and thus never really end, and require some of the biggest time-sinks in gaming. But, this game is truly special and remains the only MMORPG I can definitively say I adore. The goal for this one will be to get caught up by completing the most current patch quests post-Endwalker.
Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker (2010), Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008), Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014), Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015), and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013)
Dumped the entire Metal Gear franchise that I have left to complete here. I thoroughly have enjoyed the games in the franchise thus far and am eager to see where the mind of Kojima himself takes me. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater in particular has become an instant-classic in my eyes so I owe it to myself to finish this franchise this year!
Conclusion
There's the list. It looks so... small... manageable compared to how my backlog feels. I also can't shake the feeling that I am leaving off so many incredible games which I've also, equally, been meaning to get around to. I must remind myself, I can only tackle on game at a time. I need to give each of these games in my growing backlog the time and attention it deserves as an artistic experience rather than just a number to add to a data sheet. I love video games because I love the medium as an expression of art. An artistic medium which immerses the audience like no other medium can. A medium which is the most interactive and puts the audience member in the driver seat, gets them involved in the action, gets them invested in the world. This passion, this respect for video games as an artistic form is going to be the main core behind this list and this year. Don't rush, don't be discourage or feel you are wasting precious time. Time spent enjoying this hobby of mine, time spent engaging in this beautiful artform, is not wasted. It is enriching.
I hope I can look back upon 2023 at the end of the year and not only be proud of accomplishing my backlog goals, but also be pleased with the experiences and journeys these games will take me on. I gave my own journey to take in 2023. This year is a year of experimentation, of finding who I am, finding my path forward. This website, this backlog list, and the coming reviews and writings are just one part in what might turn out to be a formative year in my life. I can't wait to get it started! All that's left now is to play some games!