Topic: Backlog Busting Tips

Hi folks,

I hope you're all doing well and extra thanks to you if you are a key worker in this time.

I'm currently finishing off my university work, which seems to be like a day job at the moment. However, I do have a pile of games stacking up that I would like to play over the summer, a backlog that I'd like to clear over the next few weeks. I'd probably estimate that I've got around 10 - 12 games, most of which are single player exepriences, that I have bought in sales over the past few years, most of which are digital but I have physical copies of Dishonored 2 and Homefront: The Revolution on my shelf too that I'd like to get around to playing. I've got Project Cars recently for £3.99, but there's some games like Okami HD and Agents Of Mayhem that I bought a long while ago. The trouble is that I'm not very quick when it comes to completing games and I don't want to just rush through all of these games to the point where it feels like a cleaning chore instead of being a hobby for fun and leisure. I do spend quite a lot of my free time with my family - just watching films and television mainly - but it does eat up some of my free time that I could spend by playing games, even though I enjoy this. I was wondering if you guys and gals have some good tips that you could give me in how to work through a backlog efficiently, but also at a pace that's enjoyable. When do I consider a game completed as well? Do I need to collect every nook and cranny or would it be better to just stop and move on to another game after completing the story and a few side missions?

Many thanks,
SPGFan34

I play games until they are not fun anymore then I drop them like a ton of bricks. Sometimes I wish I was a little more persistent, as mastering a game can be a good feeling. But theirs no way I am going to pour hours into FF7 Remake to get a platinum, versus playing a new JRPG like Xenoblade when it launches, for example.

The only answer is to do what feels right for you.

@SPGFan34 I think with regards to 100%ing games, you won't know if you want to do it until you've played it. Spider man for example is really easy to 100% in the scheme of things but you wouldn't know that unless you played. Some other games can get really bogged down with collectables and stuff so it can take the fun out of it.

I'd say just go for it, pick what you want to play and just keep going. Before quarantine I barely played games in the backlog of which there are dozens if not over a hundred. But during quarantine I have managed to finish 13 games (gears of war 1-3, star wars fallen jedi by myself and MGS3, portable ops, mgs 4 and all 6 Uncharted games with the other half) and that is with doing stuff like DIY and watching TV shows and films.

I do feel like the lack of stress from work has been conducive to being able to get into games for sure. And I know some of the games you mentioned are 40hour sort of games instead of the 10-20 hour games that I mentioned so your mileage may vary.

I think next for me is going to be halo 5 and I'm hoping to start Valkyria chronicles which I believe is a 40 hour affair (X5 if I get around to playing all the games in the series!) I'll probably play the last 2 gears games as well if I get around to it

@SPGFan34 I have a ridiculous backlog - personally because I like collecting games, especially older retro games, also because I am slow to play. I am weird and I hate not beating games - by that I tend to mean finishing story modes or campaigns. That is one of the reasons I tend not to play games that don't have an end point or campaign.

This can mean though that I stop enjoying a game and then slow down rather than blaze through it. I have gotten better on stopping if not enjoying - I stopped Sekiro because I just wasn't able to master the gameplay and it was taking me whole evenings just to get through an area. Typically though, I beat it before moving on. I also tend to have a few games on different systems. This is because I share the main room with the family, so I tend to have a game in my office on my retro systems and a portable game on the go.

I rarely 100% a game unless it seems achievable or I think it enhances the play. An example is HZD which I did it for whereby it challenged me in fun ways to engage with the content rather than just follow the main quest. Most often though, 100%'s are just grindy as heck and not much fun. I love THe Last of Us but I am not playing the game five different times on difficulty levels and doing all the collecting.

I feel I've been somewhat ruthless in regards to this recently, certainly for me anyway. Getting platinum trophies is very low priority now, so one playthrough and onto the next game. Even when that 'clean up' can be done relatively quickly to earn the big pling.

And I'm giving games less of a chance than I used to, if I'm not loving it and there's a game I feel I'd enjoy more, then I'm more likely to move onto that instead. I got about a third of the way into Blood & Truth and I dropped it. It's a good game but I wasn't really digging it much.

The degree to which some people feel the need to see, collect, and do absolutely everything in a video game often strikes me as behavior that teeters on the edge of what I'd consider pathological. The degree to which one "completes" a game should be driven both by one's enjoyment of the game as well as by the style of game design itself. Some games are basically designed to be 100%ed in one go. Others are designed with replayability in mind, and it'd be insane to try to tackle everything at once.

Anyway, if I had to give "tips," I'd say:

1) Play what you enjoy, and if you're not enjoying something, drop it and move on. Most people already have to engage in some form of activity that they don't necessarily enjoy to support themselves; why extend that to your leisure activity as well?

2) When you consider a game to be "beaten" by your standards should be driven by your own feelings about it. In general, I always feel like I have a good sense of when I'm properly done with a game and ready to move on, even if I had initially planned on fully completing it.

If I'm enjoying something, as a rule of thumb, I try to at least get to the ending credits of it.

3) If you find you're not playing as much as you want, try to schedule some gaming time within your available pool of "me time" (time where you're not actively tending to work or social obligations). Many people think they don't have enough free time to do the stuff they want, but I think a lot of them just don't realize how much time they're really burning channel or web surfing every day.

4) If gaming is starting to feel like a chore, give yourself permission to stop playing for a while. Do something else, and come back in a few weeks. Anything gets old if you do it every day for years on end, and sometimes what you need is to just give it a pass for a while.

5) You could always think of your unplayed stack less as a "backlog" and more as a part of your overall "library." I've owned some books in my personal library for more than a decade and still have yet to read them, but it doesn't bother me too much. I know I'll get to them eventually. Why should video games be any different? If wasting your money is a concern, just try not to buy new games if you don't think you're going to want to play them right away. These games will always be available down the road, and usually at much cheaper prices if you leave them a while.

6) Ultimately, not having a backlog is simply a matter of self-control. If you're uncomfortable with how many unplayed games you own, then stop buying games for a while until you slowly work your way through what you own. The problem will take care of itself.

7) On that note, try not to be too horribly tempted by sales. Games on sale will almost always go on sale again for the same price, or even less.

Yep to mirror what others have said, I have always been a firm believer of when game stops being fun and a chore to play, just move on. I fail to understand when people get upset over trophies and compare it to something like gambling which I find a bit much. I've seen first hand what gambling can do to people and it can be life destroying. If trophies are becoming like that, well you need to take a long hard look at yourself and maybe take a step back from it all.

@SPGFan34 I'll second all the excellent comments above.

One tip I haven't seen mentioned is a website I rely on whenever considering what game to tackle next. It's called "How Long to Beat" (howlongtobeat.com) and polls players on... well, the clue's in the title, on how long it takes to beat a specific game. It's not an exact science; everybody plays games at their own pace, and rightly so, but it breaks things down quite neatly and gives me a ballpark figure to set my expectations.

Perhaps sorting your backlog into short, medium and long categories might help you manage your time better, allowing you to pick the right game at the right time and therefore giving you a better chance of seeing each one through 'til the end?

Hmm. That sounds like work, though. Maybe just play whatever you wanna play...?

Best of luck with it all, regardless!

@kyleforrester87 Hey dude thanks for the reply. Sorry I've been a bit slow in getting back, I've just been working on my Masters application form and struggle to multi-task a bit 🤣 Thanks for the advice, that sounds good! I played God Of War recently and I did the story and a few side quests. Really enjoyed it but I do feel it's time to move on to something else now, so I've bought The Witcher 3 as a reward of getting my uni work done 🎓 Yeah I'll take on the advice, it feels like I just play different games for the different seasons which is good, but I did like God Of War even though I'm not too fussed about 100% completion, so I'll just do the same and do what I feel with each title and the schedule around me at the time although it seems my schedule will be pretty barren for a few months now 🤣

@ralphdibny Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the slow reply from me 🤣 It's funny that you mentioned Spider Man because I loved that game and plan on 100% completing it down the line, I just have a few pretty crimes and the DLC expansion pack to go. I really like your advice, I'm planning on going for Journey the next time I have a whole evening but I'm really excited about playing Mafia 2: Definitive Edition since I was a sucker for the original release so I'm gonna just focus on enjoying that one next!

@Rudy_Manchego Hey Rudy, thanks for the reply and I love your profile picture. Yeah, it generally can be a bit boring if you're trying to 100% completing games. I played God Of War just now as I mentioned before and I really enjoyed it, although I just think it's time to move on to something else now as I was finding the side missions a bit boring since I've got all the upgrades. It's funny that you struggled with Sekiro since it's so critically acclaimed but I can totally relate with Dishonored 2 in my case. I just wasn't getting into it and didn't really know what I was doing in regards to the gameplay. I like to just buy the games I feel that I'll enjoy and reviews don't worry me too much. I think I'll start with the shorter games since I tend to enjoy them more than larger ones, but I'm contradicting myself now that I've bought and started playing The Witcher 3 🤣

@LieutenantFatman Hey, thanks for the reply. Yeah I hear you, I've never been thr type to play a game 5 times or something to get every last achievement so it's nice to complete the story and most of the side quests but I tend to just move on when my life does or when a new game that I'm very excited about comes out. I keep the save data just in case but it's rare I go back to them really.

@Ralizah Hey thanks so much for the reply. I love the detail you've given me and I'll be sure to take those tips on board. Yeah, it's all a matter of preference and how much you enjoy a game or sometimes I just love on when it's time to (I.e. playing The Witcher 3 since I got it as a reward for my uni work getting finished off). I'll just take it one game at a time and enjoy it thanks but probably stay away from the sales now. I actually can't remember the last time that I 100% completed a game since Batman: Arkham Origins on the Xbox 360, so I defo think you've hit the nail on the head there!

@JohnnyShoulder Thanks for your reply. Sorry mine is a bit slow. Yeah, you've got a very insightful look at it, tbh I know I'm not the kind of guy to complete games 5 times just for the sake of trophies. I usually find it rare that I even start a New Game +. I'll just continue enjoying games one day at a time but I'll keep away from those sales 🤣

@Arugula Hey thanks very much. Yeah I do agree on the mentality comments. To be honest, I've always found trophies to be a bit meaningless to me personally in general but I did 100% complete Mafia 3 and Mad Max this gen. It just depends on the times I'm in and how much I'm finding it to be fun and enjoyable, so I often just move on as soon as I feel it's time to, like when my life changes a touch or a new game comes out that I'm really excited about playing 🤣

@RogerRoger Thanks for your excellent comments. Yeah I'm aware of HLTB actually and it's a fantastic resource. I'm going to go through shorter experiences first but I've gone through my library and I have done an Urgent, High, Medium and Low Priority listing to help my brain filter it out. It's gonna be a fun summer regardless and I won't be wanting a PS5 anytime real soon by the looks of it. No need 🤣

@SPGFan34 Many good comments already that I have learned from as well. My two cents would include that I find value in varying the types of games I play. I have such a large backlog, that I have many different kinds of games and so when I finish or grow tired of one, then I move on to a game from a different genre to keep things fresh.

Also I have a list similar to yours where I loosely prioritize my backlog / library into those that are more pressing to get to and those that are less important (like a lot of the PS Plus titles sitting in there). Yet, it’s interesting that I just follow my mood most of the time when I dip into the backlog and end up pulling out whatever strikes me.

I have personally found that the mood can pass for a game as quickly as it comes. Just like choosing a snack when you have the munchies. You buy stuff that looks good in the store but a day later it may not look as appetizing, so you have to wait for the mood to hit again. So, some of my best gaming experiences have been when I just follow my mood and pull out what seems interesting that day. Then it tends to stick better.

Nevertheless, one of my goals this year is to try to play a new release while it’s topical. Part of the enjoyment of playing a game is experiencing it with others and discussing it. Lately I’ve been playing things later than the masses and I don’t get to enjoy the crowd hype.

I tend to flit from game to game depening on mood, I'm also very much a one and done kind of guy, once i've completed the story regardless of outstanding missions or trophies its time to move on to the next game.

Whats really not helping me clear my backlog is the sales the PSN keeps having, in the past month alone i've bought:

Mafia 2, NBA 2K20, The Town of Light, Amnesia: Collection, The Council - Complete Season,
The Talos Principle, Jurassic World Evolution, Yakuza Zero, MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD, Vampyr, CODE VEIN, Middle-earth: Shadow of War & A Plague Tale: Innocence!

My wallet is crying (although not as much as if the games where full price)!

@stuzster Totally sound advise!

@nitram2k11 Your backlog is the easiest to sort.

Play Yakuza Zero.