Time once again to kick off another round of voting for Backlog. We’re just about finished with Mega Man Legends 2 and I’ve put together another list of candidates to be the 22nd game played. The theme this time around is “Screw the pen, gimme the sword” and features a selection of games which feature long, bladed instruments of battle.
Every game in this particular list has been up for voting before, some many times and I’m interested to see how things shake out. Check out the following list of games, make your selection in the comments and get ready for a fresh new game on Backlog.
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. Does it need to be played right now?
Overlord II
Developed by Triumph Studios
Released June 23, 2009
Pikmin for people who love to be bad, the Overlord games are known for their dark sense of humor and morality system which forces players to choose between being evil or being very evil. I had a ball with the first Overlord, so much so that I played it both in its original release on Xbox 360 and the later, expanded Raising Hell for PS3.
While I was enjoying my time with Overlord II, I planned poorly and started amidst a strong spring season. There just wasn’t any contest at that point, but I’m ready to give this the attention it deserves now.
3D Dot Game Heroes
Developed by From Software
Released May 11th, 2010
Apart from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Alundra, both of which I’ve completed multiple times, the genre of adventure games which 3D Dot Game Heroes is a love letter to is one I routinely fail to finish. They either run on too long or, well, they’re the same thing I’ve seen a dozen times before in other Zelda clones.
3D Dot Game Heroes has a lot of charm going for it, which may help to push me along. And then there’s you guys of course. And I suppose with a game like this, there could be some opportunities to play with some rather creative designs on a nightly basis. Food for thought.
Fable III
Developed by Lionhead Software
Released October 26th, 2010
I honestly love the Fable series. It’s like the casual gaming answer to the action/RPG genre, with accessible combat and no consequence for player death, while still offering interesting characters and a world where there are just as many questions remaining as there are answers given. I bought Fable IIIimmediately upon release knowing that my lovely fiancée would enjoy it, but I’ve yet to put the disc in for myself. Mayhaps it’s time to go back to Albion.
Mystery Game
Finally, we have the Mystery Game. Don’t make the mistake of choosing this for curiosity’s sake, as people have clamored before to know what it was and groaned when they learned. The intent here is to select the Mystery Game if none of the other games appeal to you, so voting for it just because you want to know what it is is kind of a dick move.
If the Mystery Game is not chosen, it’ll roll over into the next series where it will continue to be a mystery.
There you have it. Make your selection in the comments below and get ready for a whole new series of Backlog!
