That was fast, eh? A scant week ago, I was putting together the post for voting in Series 3 of Backlog, my live straming effort to clean my collection of unfinished games (weeknights at 9pm Pacific on Destructoid’s Justin.tv channel). But considering that, even when you play as poorly as I have, Viewtiful Joe 2 only has about 6-8 hours of content in it, it wasn’t going to take long. Now that I’m streaming the show for twice the length every night, we’re liable to blow through some of these pretty quickly.
So, for those who haven’t participated in a Backlog vote yet, I have listed five games to choose from below. Select one of the games and make a comment in support of it and I will begin playing the game with the most votes when Series 4 of Backlog starts on Tuesday, February 8th.
Don’t forget to tune in tonight to see the thrilling conclusion of Viewtiful Joe 2! Now, here — in no particular order — are your Series 4 candidates.
Afro Samurai
Developed by Namco Bandai
Released on January 27, 2009
Afro Samurai had me pretty excited when I first saw it at PAX in 2008 and I wasted little time in picking it up once I purchased a PS3. It is, in fact, the second game I purchased for the console (the first being BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger).
Once I started playing I kept getting the sense that there were crucial plot elements in the animated series, which I had yet to see. It put me in a bit of a quandry and I finally decided that the best course of action would be to put the game down, watch the series, and then pick it up once I’d finished. The show remains unwatched but the game must be played. But does it need to be played right now?
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Developed by Ubisoft
Released on May 18th, 2010
It’s been a rocky perios for the Prince of Persia franchise. After what seems to have been an unsuccessful reboot of the series (much to my chagrin; I adored 2008’s Prince of Persia), Ubisoft went back to the previously abandoned plot line with The Forgotten Sands. To their credit, Ubisoft seems to have acknowledged which of their games remains most deserving of a sequel and placed this 2010 title directly following The Sands of Time in its respective chronology.
I have played every game in the Prince of Persia series, even if I rarely make the effort to finish them. With your help, perhaps I’ll knock this one off my list.
The Saboteur
Developed by Pandemic Studios
Released on December 8, 2009
Pandemic’s sandbox game set in Nazi-occupied France should have been a grand slam. It’s filled with things that are practically fixations in my life. Like breasts and Nazis. And breasts. Yet I wound up being far more interested in its contemporary at time of release, Assassin’s Creed II and quickly abandoned playing The Saboteur to fight another Axis power half a millennium early.
I think that if I can stay focused on accomplishing the actual missions of the game instead of being distracted by shiny blips on my radar, there’s no reason why I can’t finish this one in a timely and entertaining manner. I’ll probably really love it once I get into the meat of things but keeping my eye on the prize will be the real challenge here.
Dead Space: Extraction
Developed by Visceral Games, Eurocom
Released on September 29th, 2009
I’m currently playing Dead Space 2 in what little free time I have and I’m loving the game. While I was initially disinterested in the on-rails entry in the franchise, Extraction, I found it to be a rather enjoyable experience once I started playing.
I do recall that the game is exceedingly dark, though, with enemies often almost impossible to see. That’s a real sticking point for me as someone who finds more frustration than dramatic tension out of being unable to see one’s environs.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner
Developed by Konami
Released on March 10th, 2003
The sequel to a game likely best remembered for its demo of Metal Gear Solid 2, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner has a fair bit of a following. I played the original game and found it to be interesting, far more so than just about any game I’d played featuring giant robots. I think at one point I had played a bit of this follow-up as well, though that copy of the game left my possession long ago.
That’s because the one I have on my shelf right now is still in its plastic wrap. Is it time to crack this relic open?
There are your five choices. Now go forth and vote how your heart compels you. Backlog will be taking a three-day weekend, following the conclusion of Series 3 tonight, and we’ll be returning with the game which receives the highest votes on Tuesday, February 8th. Now get voting!
