Falling behind and enjoying it

Let's face it, gaming isn't exactly the cheapest hobby in the world and if you want to stay hip to the newest hotness, you're likely spending hundreds of dollars a month on new releases. In today's economical state some people, myself included, cannot rationalize spending that kind of money on a regular basis. I mean, that Netflix subscription isn't going to pay itself. And I just don't think I want to be in a place where Netflix isn't. So, back to the question; how can we all get our game on and not break the ol' bank account?

A while back, I found myself picking up the latest and greatest interactive entertainment had to offer, just to see the same game marked down $10-$20. Even more infuriating, was buying a new game and being insulted by trade-in offers that any right-minded consumer would scoff at. As I had posted previously, my game collection was pushing seventy and more than half of them were either unplanned or unfinished. Equipped with this knowledge and a rapidly decreasing bank account, I embarked on an adventure rivaling that of the legendary Mr. Baggins. Well, maybe not that epic. Geez, cut me a break.


My quest: Play every game in my catalogue to completion or frustration and decide if it was a keeper or a sleeper.

My journey took me to some of the rarest and at times unsettling locales video game-Dom has to offer. I conquered the hard streets of Liberty City, fought off the mighty Blight as a Grey Warden and recreated the universe with the often emotional King of All Cosmos. Going back through my collection brought the true gems into the spotlight and the duds sunk into the background (which is exactly where my eBay box resides).

What was the final result of this expedition? Playing some older games made me really appreciate how game mechanics and techniques have changed over the years. The changes between this generations release titles and today's offerings were staggering. Aiming mechanics have been tweaked and sharpened to supreme accuracy. Fluid movement animations (ex. Uncharted) make the characters' story believable and relatable. This is not to say that all of these games were lacking. Games like Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter held up wonderfully over the years and is still a good play-through.

So, my suggestion to you is to go back to those games you may have held on to over the years but never got around to playing. You may end up having more fun than you thought and the worst that can happen is that you find a weed to pull from your beautiful garden of gaming. Happy gaming!

Have some older games that you want to tell the world about? Want to give out a PSA about a real pooper of a game? Leave it in the comments to spread yo' knowledge, thick and creamy! Thick. And. Creamy.