Reid Main

This is probably the worst year for my backlog in the sense that the majority of games on it were not just well reviewed but critically acclaimed. The top 3 ended up on nearly every Games of the Year lists out there so I really hope I can carve some time out for them in 2021.

Hades

I've been following Hades through Noclip's utterly phantastic Hades: Developing Hell video series. Even if you have no interest in the game it is an excellent look behind the curtain at video game development. My plan was always to wait until it exited early access and then play the game. Unfortunately when that happened, Hades had become one of those critical darlings where you just couldn't escape people praising the game. It got to the point where it was talked about so much that my interest in it tanked. Now that it has been given multiple Game of the Year awards by publications I actually trust I am going to force myself to play it in January 2021.

Half-Life: Alyx

The only reason I did not play Half-Life: Alyx this year was that after my move back to Canada I simply did not have the space to setup my VR equipment. Sure I probably could have played it sitting down but I feel like that would be doing Half-Life: Alyx an injustice. One day I'll have my wide open VR room and can enjoy the game as it was meant to be played.

Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima is one of the most polarizing games I have seen this year. You either either love it or you hate it. I've been hearing from some people how it is the greatest open world game and from others that it is the shallowest, most boring thing they have played. I've found myself seconds away from purchasing the game multiple times but those negative opinions would always be gnawing at the back of my mind and cause me to stop. My current plans are to wait until it is on sale for $30 in 2021 and then give it a shot to minimize the chance to feel I overpaid. It has already received a PlayStation 5 update so it seems like I'll end up playing the best possible version of the game.

Control: Ultimate Edition

I was going to go on a rant about how I didn't play Control in 2019 because I didn't want to support the Epic Games Store. Then I didn't buy it when it came to Steam in August of this year because I didn't want to support Remedy's strange business practices of not giving PS5 or Xbox Series X updates for free to existing owners. But let's be real here OK. I am a giant wuss. I have heard how great Control is for 18 months now but every time I see a video with some jump scare I just cannot bring myself to play it. My 2080 Ti was literally made for games like this but I just can't convince myself that I would actually be able to play through it in its entirety.

Maybe 2021 is finally the year I will grow a pair.

Resident Evil 3 Remake

The Resident Evil 2 Remake was my 2019 Game of the Year so I had high hopes for the Resident Evil 3 Remake. It dropped just as I was planning my escape from San Francisco so I couldn't find the time to play it. Once I got setup in Canada I heard the game was quite short and couldn't justify playing it with other big releases like Final Fantasy VII Remake and XCOM: Chimera Squad happening.

Oh also let's not forget that I am a giant wuss and would be terrified every second while playing that game.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition

So I'm going to be honest here. I completely forgot this game came out. The only reason Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition is on the backlog is because it was actually one of my most anticipated games of 2020. But somehow the launch completely went over my head and with the plethora of other games I had to play there really was no reason to go back to it.

Godfall

The only reason Godfall is just squeeking onto this list is because someone tried to describe it as Monster Hunter meets The Stormlight Archive. Now obviously that is an incredibly stupid statement and one that cannot possibly be met but it is still stuck in the back of my brain. Similar to Ghost of Tsushima I'm pretty sure I'll end up picking up this game when it is $30 to try to minimize the inevitable disappointment.