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Who Needs Resolutions When You Have Gaming Goals.

Other than our impending doom (thank you Mayans), the passing into the New Year means it’s time to once again become self-conscious individuals. That’s right I’m talking about the dreaded New Year’s resolution. Typically I am not a fan of resolutions; I feel that if you want to alter something in your life it’s absurd to wait for the changing of a calendar to take action. However, this year I decided to abandon my better judgment in favor of a few gaming goals.

Last year I explored PC gaming, investing in my first high-end desktop. PC gaming was fiscal leap of faith on my part; but after experiencing the recent untapped avenues of F2P MMO’s, subtle indie gems, and  non-stop instant gratification that is steam’s digital download store, it’s safe to say that I hunger for more.

I guess I would have to compare myself to a newly converted cannibal. In 2011 I had my first taste of real gaming diversity, and now I feverishly crave a diverse pallet of titles-as an anthropophagus desperately covets the delicious taste of human flesh. 2011 opened the flood gates, and while I’m excited to sink my teeth into the upcoming and impressive repertoire that 2012 offers, I’m weary of ever-growing backlog that 2011 has left in its wake.

Respect the Roots

No I’m not talking about the classic hip hop band – though I do admire Questlove’s swagger – I actually want to focus on gaming history. With so many worthwhile experiences out there it is inevitable that a few will be missed, and if we’re being honest I’ve missed my fair share. The combination of financial/time restraints mixed in with what at times appears to be a social life (I know it surprises me too) have all contributed to the staggering list of excluded titles. This year I’d like to try to remedy this by returning to a number of forgotten classics.

Here’s a quick glimpse of a few titles I hope to conquest this year:

Physchonauts – At the steep price of $2.50 (thanks to steam’s holiday sale) Phsychonauts was a tough risk to take. However, considering that the game was critically acclaimed, made by the hilarious geniuses over at Double Fine, not to mention an all-time personal favorite of my boss Nick DiMola, I thought I could scrounge up the loose change in my car and give this one a try.

Persona 4 – I have not played Personas 1,2, and 3 and I probably never will. What truly excites me about Persona 4 is the narrative. I love to see games push the envelope, and in storytelling Persona 4 stands among the most provocative, being the first game to truly tackle the topic of sexual identity.

The ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection – It already shames me to say that I have failed to play both of these titles and now that they are packaged into one affordable set, I’ve seem to run out of excuses.

These are but a few of the games I hope to return to. In actuality it will take a lifetime to catch up on all that has eluded me; but I figured starting out with these titles will set me well on my way to recapturing the gaming magic of the past.

Spread That Console Love

I’d like to try to mitigate my time more evenly across the stellar consoles that this generation has to offer. Seeing how the Wii’s lifespan is fading fast with the Wii U on the horizon, I decided to start there. Recently I received The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and it will be my first victim of my revamped Wii binge. I’d like to try to link this title together with a barrel throwing donkey (Donkey Kong Country Returns) and a space traveling plumber (Super Mario Galaxy 2) before the year is out – I hope at least one person got that pun.

Finish Your Dinner Before You Eat Desert

Typically I’m pretty good about finishing the games that I start, but there are a few that I’ve left out to dry. One game that I can’t understand why I never finished was Final Fantasy XIII. I enjoyed FF XIII; I mean it wasn’t my favorite game in the series, but it certainly wasn’t the bane of all things FF that others accused it of being. I’m hoping to find a way to re-immerse myself into the complicated world of Cocoon to see this journey to an end.

These goals obviously are not that lofty (looks like I won’t be curing cancer this year), but still I feel that they are: 1 achievable and 2 should provide me with a well-rounded gaming experience. I hope this year to directly share these gaming experiences with my readers. I’m looking to give you my “gaming journal” if you will, expressing my pure unfiltered unadulterated thoughts … don’t say I didn’t warn you.

That being said I’m excited for 2012. Let’s just hope that all of this year’s good titles can be played before the Mayan’s predictions become true.