It’s somehow the end of January and while I wanted to provide more frequent updates to the backlog, I haven’t been able to. That’s the bad news. The good news is my time is limited because I’ve been focusing on actually working on my backlog.
If you’ve been following along on Twitch (you haven’t), you will have seen me streaming nearly every weeknight to try to focus on my backlog like I promised I would. The effort has worked, as I have completed four titles in my backlog. Titles, yes, and not games, as one of them was DLC. Let’s look into the titles I played in January 2024 as part of The Year of the Backlog.
Starting the Year Off Right
My January started a tad late, with my first game being played on January 9th. That is well over a week of lost time in the race to finish the massive backlog list of games I have. It’s been a busy start to the year but by the 9th I was able to course correct and tackle a few games. Since then, I have been on a roll and certainly the February check in will boast about the non-stop gameplaying I’ve been doing. (Oh god please don’t make me look bad here, me.)
The best way to track and follow the games is on Backloggd, where I am logging under Knetic. My Google Sheets doc is also live here. Sheets allows you to see the full collection of games, their status, and if a game has been added, it will be noted.
Final Fantasy XVI: Echos of the Fallen
A short, two hour expansion, in the first of two planned DLC packs for Final Fantasy XVI. It’s more or less a new endgame dungeon featuring one of the most visually appealing and tough boss fights in the entire game. If you love XVI and are craving more content, this DLC pack gives Clive something new to do, and includes new weapons and items to craft or equip. 8/10.
If you want to check out the VOD, it will be available on YouTube shortly.
Going Under
In an effort to work on the large amount of games in my backlog that are roguelikes/lites, I decided to start Going Under on January 14th. As an owner of an ROG Ally, I am able to play smaller games like this on the couch, at any time, without needing to plop myself down in front of my PC. Which is a huge benefit for smaller titles. Throughout the year, I am sure I will note a few games that won’t be streamed, but will rather be played in other free time on my Ally.
As for the game itself. I am excited to hop into it more and get further in the different dungeons. The corporate humor is excellent and provides a funny break between runs in the dungeons. Let’s find out about corporate synergy and coffee after dying in a run where you collect crypto.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
One of the most surprising titles in the last few years was Asobo’s A Plague Tale: Innocence. The tragic story of Amicia and Hugo trying to survive a world hellbent on killing them felt like it came out of left field. By the end, I wasn’t expecting a sequel to ever happen. I was content on only having that one experience for the duo. Yet, when the sequel was announced, I was pleasantly surprised and excited. It looked promising. But I waited nearly a year to play the game, and maybe I should have waited more.
Unfortunately, my time with Requiem was filled with frustration both within the gameplay and the story. I’m thinking of fully reviewing the game on here, and can flesh out my thoughts there. But for now, let’s just say less is more, and there should have been less Plague Tale.
If you want to watch my full playthrough of A Plague Tale: Requiem, it will be on YouTube shortly. The game was started on January 15th and was completed on January 23rd.
Telling Lies
Sam Barlow has the unique ability to craft games where it makes me do something I never do in any other games: take notes. Having played Her Story many years ago, and just recently playing Immortality before it left Game Pass, Telling Lies was on my mind. I had it on PlayStation Plus, and not wanting to miss my opportunity to play, I decided to sneak this game into my plans. I’m glad I did.
It’s a mix between what was good of Her Story, all while setting the blueprint for Immortality. Having played these out of order, it was easy to see how it was an evolution of their first game and a test for their next. The central idea of watching video clips of a conversation but only the half is really captivating. I spent all of my time playing trying to find the correct key phrase that would lead me to the other half of a call so I could paint the full picture. It’s unique and cool and above all, interesting to piece together the mystery. It also forced me to learn how to play solitaire to get the platinum. Thanks!
With two newly announced project for Half Mermaid recently announced, it is good to finally be caught up in time for what is next.
I played the game from January 23rd until January 26th. If you want to watch the full playthrough of the game, it will be available shortly on YouTube.
Cocoon
Limbo and Inside are two massive titles to bring up when talking about all games, not just puzzle games. Yet, Cocoon was directed by the man who designed both of those. Big shoes to fill.
Cocoon is an incredible achievement. I would argue it won’t ever be held to as high of a regard of those two pillars, but deserves to stand with them. The game uses a single button to interact with everything. It’s incredibly simple, and yet so complex. Not just the controls, but the entire game. I mentioned previously for Requiem that less is more. There is no better example of that than with Cocoon. I will most likely expand on my thoughts with a full review later on here, so please be on the lookout.
For now, simply know, you should play Cocoon. If you want to instead watch, the full playthrough will be up on YouTube shortly. Cocoon was played from January 29th to January 30th.
Honorable Mention: Mortal Kombat 1
While not really tracked within the month of January, I did finally manage to finish Mortal Kombat 1‘s story mode, ticking it off my backlog. There’s still plenty of Kombat left, as my main goal with MK1, and eventually SF6 is to get good enough to hop online to win a match. I also want to also understand fighting games, which has always alluded me. This is another journey of mine, which will continue on Twitch for my Fighting Game Academy series.
February Ahead
To end the month, I started Rollerdrome and that will more or less be the official start to the February backlog. I have nothing planned so far for games, but this month does have the first of 2024’s big releases. In the next update, I’ll evaluate if I will buy Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and how that will affect the backlog. Time will tell.
Until then, stay updated on The Year of the Backlog here on the site, over on Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and anywhere you may find my face.
Kevin is Write 