In the face of overwhelming odds, not least of which the limited lucidity of Suda51’s narrative style or sabotage from within our own ranks, I have almost finished my playthrough of Killer 7. Yes, the second series of Backlog is drawing to a close, so it’s time to start giving thought to what our next endeavor will be.
Once again, I have put together a list of five games from my collection which have yet to be satisfactorily completed. Folks who voted last month may notice that it’s a completely new set of games. If you were hoping to have another crack at getting your game of choice into the rotation, hang tight. Those games previously unworthy will be finding their way back soon enough.
So, pick one of these five games and make a comment below expressing your wanton desires. While you’re at it, let me know which of the games it is you have selected. Over the weekend, I’ll tally up the votes and get this party started all over again.
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 last year. There just wasn’t any contest at that point, but I’m ready to give this the attention it deserves now.
Bully
Developed by Rockstar Vancouver
Released October 17, 2006
I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to Rockstar’s games. I love the games themselves, but the character writing and sense of humor tends to be so ridiculous as to destroy any sense of plausibility in them despite the developer’s seeming need for realism.
Bully, from what I’ve experienced, seems different in this regard. There are still extreme personalities in amongst the kids, but it somehow doesn’t appear so strange for a neglected kid to have aims on scholastic domination and devise a ludicrous scheme to accomplish such a goal. I’d very much like to see how this one shakes out in the end.
Trapt
Developed by Tecmo
Released November 1, 2005
This is the final (as of now) entry in one of Tecmo’s stranger series, Deception. I have a long history with this series going back to discovering its first incarnation in my very first shopping trip for PSOne games and being continually shocked every time another title not only would be produced but see release in the US.
This intriguing game of cat and mouse which sees you defending yourself from invaders through setting vicious traps and luring them to their doom results in both brilliantly tense and utterly hilarious moments. I will warn that this title suffers from some poor pacing and exceedingly bad translation, but it will startle you with its clever mechanics.
Mark of Kri
Developed by SCE San Diego Studio
Released July 29, 2002
Lauded at release for its visual style and storyline, The Mark of Kri got a big push from Sony as the first title released by their San Diego Studio. The game featured an interesting combat gimmick in which enemies are mapped to buttons instead of attacks, and pressing the button designated for a specific enemy sends your character off attacking them. This brutal action-adventure game draws inspiration from Polynesian art, a culture often overlooked by entertainment for anything more than beaches.
Sadly, my copy of The Mark of Kri has never been removed from the plastic wrap.
Viewtiful Joe 2
Developed by Clover Studio
Released November 18, 2004
Viewtiful Joe is one of my favorite beat-em-ups. The combination of time control mechanics with bare-knuckle brawling and devious puzzle design was divine and the silly plot was good for generating more than a few smiles. I don’t remember why I never finished this sequel, though I seem to recall it not quite standing up to the original. Still, I’d like to know what happens to Joe, Silvia and Blue in Movieland and certainly wouldn’t mind another taste of that sweet gameplay.
There you have it. Go do the voting thing in the comments below and make sure to tune in to Backlog every weeknight at 10pm Pacific on Destructoid’s Justin.tv channel!
