• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Backlog Insanity: pick three and tell me why

V

vicoakland

Member
I picked up a PS3 and a Vita some time ago, and with PS+, digital sales, etc. gathered some 271 games I could play between the two systems.

I have finished, and thoroughly enjoyed games like:

Valkyria Chronicles
Last of Us w/ Left Behind
Catherine
Mass Effect 1-3 w/ the good DLC
Demon's Souls
XCOM EU
Resident Evil HD
and Bioshock Infinite

I'd like to think I learned enough to play all these games on hard, even if that meant I had to backtrack and slog to get there. (Basically cuz' I'm old.) Played Left Behind on Survivor for example, finished XCOM on Classic Ironman. I don't have a lot of time, but I do like to give myself thoroughly to a game and finish it.

Here's some games I'd like to try to do that with. I appreciate any suggestions of three to try and some explanation why you'd think I'd like playing and completing them based on your experience. All games either Vita or PS3.

Dark Souls
Nier
Resonance of Fate
Tactics Ogre Let Us Cling Together
Dishonored GOTY
Ratchet + Clank Tools of Destruction
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon
Freedom Wars Vita
RE 6 Ultimate Edition
Danganronpa 1 + 2
Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen
Tomb Raider PS3
Binary Domain
Remember Me
DmC
Metro Last Night
Dragon's Crown
Hotline Miami
Deadly Premonition Director's Cut
Dragon Age Origins
Velocity 2X
Soul Sacrifice Delta
Growlanser Wayfarer of Time Vita
Yakuza Dead Souls
Tales from the Borderlands
Alice Madness Returns Ultimate
Just Cause 2
Diablo 3 Ultimate PS3
One of (Tales of Xilia, Graces F or Symphonia Chronicles)
Okami HD

Sadly, it's easier to buy games than it is to complete them. (I am resigned to that since my PS1/PS2 backlog is basically worse.) Also, I can access any game that has been on PS+ since Nov 2013 if you have a hidden gem that can play on PS3 or Vita.
 
T

thekonamicode

Member
Close this browser and start playing Dark Souls. Disregard any other suggestions, and don't worry about the other two.

JUST DO THIS.
 
B

bounchfx

Member
my picks would be

Hotline Miami - because it's frantic arcade mayhem with an incredible soundtrack. Plus it's fairly short.

Tales from the Borderlands - I've heard nothing but fantastic things about this game

Dragon Age - the first one was fucking great so why not
 
L

Linkark07

Banned
Dark Souls: What else can I say about this other than GAF has already said? Excellent game, with great difficulty, superb gameplay and if you don't care about lore, you can ignore it.

Dragon Age Origins: another great RPG and for some, on of Bioware last good games. It is basically a story about saving the land but you have great companions, awesome banter and an interesting story. A must for any RPG fan.

Dishonored GOTY: do you like stealth games? Do you like supernatural powers? If you do, this is another must. Plus you can decide your ending by playing stealth or kill 'em all.
 
Z

Zesh

Member
Dark Souls: One of the best games of the last generation, with some fantastic bosses, areas, and worldbuilding. Since you liked Demon's Souls, you should enjoy this one as well.

Dragon Age: Origins: A great RPG with interesting lore and characters, along with some similarities to the Mass Effect series.

Dishonored: A great stealth game with impressive level design that allows you to complete missions in many different ways.
 
hououinkyouma00

hououinkyouma00

Member
>Danganronpa 1 + 2
Quirky, beautiful art, beautiful blend of AA style gameplay. Not much else out there similar
>Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen
The best RPG I've played since in a decade. The gameplay is sublime, no game has made me feel like I was f*cking shit up as a mage like dragons dogma has.
>Binary Domain
Quirky, fun, and unique shooter. Has plenty of style. BIG BO
 
G

GonzoCR

Member
Dark Souls, Dishonored and Ratchet & Clank.

Dark Souls - It's really good, not the life-changing experience GAF makes it out to be but definitely worth playing. Still has the best world design of all Souls games.

Dishonored - I believe someone described it as a "superhero stealth game", which should be enough of a pitch to get you to play it. World building and lore are excellent too, even if the story itself is a little lackluster. DLC is also really good, Daud is the best protagonist the series has had by a mile.

Ratchet & Clank - I played through it some 3 times, really enjoyed each playthrough. The weapons are fun to use, the game never becomes a drag, it's just really enjoyable.
 
H

humansarehorses

Member
Dark Souls -- if you enjoyed Demon Soul's, this is pretty much a step up in every way imaginable. You'll want to play the Prepare to Die edition since the DLC is absolutely worth playing. I think you might be able to beat it within 30 hours since you already played Demon's Souls and are used to the mechanics.

Tactics Ogre: LUCT -- It's not as mechanically fun as Valkyria Chronicles, you grind to use abilities and ranged attacks are pretty OP since you have 12 of your own characters on the ground but it's enjoyable. I highly, highly recommend multiple saves especially before you start the final trek in the game since you can't return to the map. Recruiting allies can be a huge pain in the ass too. There are three routes to the game and you'll be able to clear all three in one playthrough after you clear one. One full playthrough of a single route will take you a while though. 40+ hours.

Alice: Madness Returns -- It's not a very long game even though I think it's too long and it's probably the simplest of the three games. Still, it's a weird game, very nice looking at times and it should offer a good contrast to the other 2 games. It should take you around 14 hours.

Alternate: Danganronpa 1 -- don't play these games back-to-back because they're draining. But Danganronpa also offers a good contrast to Dark Souls and TO. If you're not into the trials and the minigames in them, just use a guide to get through them.
 
W

whalleywhat

Member
Don't play Dragon's Dogma or DA:O on a PS3. Wait until you've got a halfway decent PC.

Resonance of Fate is real good. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Extremely unique and deep combat system and interesting/oblique world-building and storytelling.

There's almost zero challenge to Just Cause 2, and I doubt you'd want to turn the difficulty up, as the shooting is ass, but it's one of the best pure sandbox experiences, with extremely enjoyable traversal options. Ever suddenly feel like jumping your car off a cliff in an open-world, but then the consequences became tedious? Jump off that cliff and parachute out of the car before it hits the ground, then zipline away and rain grenades and C4 down on suckers.
 
A

arigato

Member
Nier to get ready for the sequel, Okami HD, and Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction.
I will type the reasons as to why later as I am browsing via mobile.
 
S

Strimei

Member
Dark Souls - Its a classic at this point, plays well, great overall design though it has a few problem areas (but what doesn't?)

Nier - Story is quite something and if you plan on playing Nier Automata probably best to play it if you already own it. It is kinda rough in some aspects though but still worthwhile.

Deadly Premonition - Speaking of rough, yeah this game is rough but story-wise, incredible. Do you like Twin Peaks? Play this. Never seen Twin Peaks? Play this.
 
Sanctuary

Sanctuary

Member
Man, you listed quite a few really good games to choose from. Personally, I'd go with:

Dark Souls - Of course this all hinges on how much you liked Demon's Souls. I absolutely loved Demon's Souls, as it was one of the most refreshing/backward thinking games in a long while. Dark Souls is somewhat "more of the same", but with tweaks. Bonfires instead of the archstones, and a world that is mostly interconnected, instead of hub based. Different, but similar enough that if you enjoyed the first, you'll enjoy the second.

Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen - Again, just a personal preference, but I've always enjoyed most of Capcom's "action" offerings, and this game does a great job of bringing back the D&D arcade games into the modern age, with some great, almost character action game action. The base game was a bit too much of a second rate Skyrim, with vastly improved combat, but Dark Arisen fixes a few problems with the base game, and adds the fantastic Bitterblack Isle. Many people compare this to Dark Souls for whatever reason, claiming that it's just as difficult, but it's not really. The one thing that they do often share though is atmosphere. This game has it in spades at times, and it also has some of the best use of dungeons in this type of game. It also has some of the best animations ever, and is probably the only game that truly makes you feel like a badass sorcerer. The feedback with spells is astonishing.

Diablo 3 Ultimate PS3 - Because why not? Although I don't know if the rampant cheating was fixed for the console versions. If it wasn't, it's still a great game to play locally with others if you're into messing around with various skills and the whole gambling/treasure hunting to get stronger, to get better rewards feedback loop. All around a pretty fun game for a while.

If Diablo 3 isn't working out so well, Dragon Age: Origins. The only reason I didn't suggest it over Diablo 3 anyway is because you're playing the PS3 version. So many issues compared to playing it on PC.
 
H

Harmondale

Member
Dragons Crown - My Most played game 2016 and GOTY (120 hours). Played it for 10 hours 2015 but put it down. When I picked it up again I got completely hooked

Amazing art style, awesome gameplay and Music. Different characters with very different gameplay. Quite Deep game to master and you Will love the idea of doing chain-dungeon to increase your rewards

I wish this game got a PS4 remaster or an sequel. Loved the mechanics
 
J

Jay Sosa

Member
Dark Souls
Nier
Tactics Ogre Let Us Cling Together
Dishonored GOTY
Hotline Miami
Deadly Premonition Director's Cut
Growlanser Wayfarer of Time Vita
Okami HD

I'd say these are the only outstanding ones of the bunch.

Personally I'd pick:

Deadly Premonition - mechanics are laugahbly bad but the story and the atmosphere are soooo good. It certainly is one of a kind.
Okami-Perfection. Some say it's too long. I loved every minute of it. From the artstyle to the music to the characters. Perfection
Dark Souls-Even though I personally stopped playing because the frame rate issues pissed me of so much it is the game of last gen,
 
W

wig

Member
You must play Dragon's Dogma. It's in my top 5 games from the last gen. The combat is sooooo good.
 
W

WooHooAlex

Member
Hotline Miami - Great game, not too big of a commitment.
Tactics Ogre - Maybe the best tactics game ever made.
Danganronpa - Perfect time to jump into the franchise.
 
O

Ogawa-san

Member
Resonance of Fate
Best combat system in a JRPG. Stop laughing, I'm serious. And unlike Graces, the rest of the game is alright too.

Dragon's Crown
The ultimate beat 'em up. Bonus points for being amazing in short bursts, so you can play it alongside other games.

NIer
Since you have it, might as well go through it and see for yourself how deranged Taro Yoko is (and get hyped for Automata in the process).
 
C

collige

Banned
Dark Souls - It's a GOAT game. Period.
Hotline Miami - One of the all time best top down shooters and indie games. Lots of difficulty. Amazing soundtrack and art style.
Danganronpa 1 + 2 - Thrills! Chills! KILLS! It's hype as fuck and Monokuma is probably the best video game villain ever. Really memorable dialogue and character design
 
V

vicoakland

Member
These comments have all been really helpful. Thank you. Great community here.

I've made some progress into Dark Souls.

One question on that since I seem to be stuck despite my Demon's Souls experience.

Should I spam the Taurus Demon with Firebombs? That feels kinda cheap to me.

And is there a trick to getting that Black Knight, or is he one that I should leave for later?

I always did fine playing slow on Demon's Souls, but Dark Souls is making me doubt that a wee bit.
 
H

humansarehorses

Member
vicoakland said:
These comments have all been really helpful. Thank you. Great community here.

I've made some progress into Dark Souls.

One question on that since I seem to be stuck despite my Demon's Souls experience.

Should I spam the Taurus Demon with Firebombs? That feels kinda cheap to me.

And is there a trick to getting that Black Knight, or is he one that I should leave for later?

I always did fine playing slow on Demon's Souls, but Dark Souls is making me doubt that a wee bit.
Click to expand...

You could apply a similar strategy you used against the first boss in DkS to the Taurus Demon. Blocking is also useful.

You can backstab fish Black Knights but you can also come back to it once you get a better weapon. You can get a very useful weapon soon after the Taurus Demon.
 
J

JobenNC

Member
I'm going to throw in a lone vote for Velocity 2X. It's going to be a nice change of pace from whatever your other two choices are. The way it's put together just compells you to speedrun, and you can be as little or as much of a perfectionist as you want.

Soundtrack is hot, and the loading screen looks magnificent on a Vita OLED screen.
 
G

GonzoCR

Member
vicoakland said:
These comments have all been really helpful. Thank you. Great community here.

I've made some progress into Dark Souls.

One question on that since I seem to be stuck despite my Demon's Souls experience.

Should I spam the Taurus Demon with Firebombs? That feels kinda cheap to me.

And is there a trick to getting that Black Knight, or is he one that I should leave for later?

I always did fine playing slow on Demon's Souls, but Dark Souls is making me doubt that a wee bit.
Click to expand...

1. No, there's a much easier way.
There's a ladder just behind you when you go through the fog door. You can lure the Taurus Demon there and kill it with plunging attacks
. It may also jump off by itself. Gold Pine Resin is really effective too.

2. He can be parried to death once you get the hang of it, and his tracking is pretty bad so it's possible to backstab him once and then chain backstab him to death from there.
 
T

TheBowen

Sat alone in a boggy marsh
Dark Souls: If you liked demon souls, you'll love dark souls

Dishonoured: one of my favourites .So many different paths and ways to approach killing a target with deep world building and characters, plus it supports going stealthy or being violent. A relatively short game with so much depth

Tales from the borderlands: funny and enjoyable, but also with an interesting plot. As someone who loves borderlands but hates the story, this was such an amazing game, and is quite short
 
J

jdstorm

Banned
Tomb Raider 2013

Just finished up a Rttp playthrough yesterday. Its a lunear Survival Horror Metroidvania masquerading as an Uncharted style set piece shooter with better set pieces and more responsive controls. I highly recomend it. Its also shorter then many games on your list and should allow you to conplete them quickly

Ratchet and Clank

Pure fun. Lots of color and energy. Its a nice change of pace.

Dark Souls

If you liked another souls game jump right in

Bonus
If you play Remember Me do it in french with subtitles. In english its a 6/10. In french its an 8/10. The difference is huge.
 
A

Atomski

Member
Darksouls and Hotline Miami..

Because they are the best two games on that list.

Be warned the music and tense gameplay of Hotline Miami and everything about Darksouls will ruin the rest of these games for you.... foreeevvverrr.

giphy.gif
 
S

SilentRob

Member
vicoakland said:
These comments have all been really helpful. Thank you. Great community here.

I've made some progress into Dark Souls.

One question on that since I seem to be stuck despite my Demon's Souls experience.

Should I spam the Taurus Demon with Firebombs? That feels kinda cheap to me.

And is there a trick to getting that Black Knight, or is he one that I should leave for later?

I always did fine playing slow on Demon's Souls, but Dark Souls is making me doubt that a wee bit.
Click to expand...

Dark is a lot more open than Demon. So when you arrive at enemie's that seem way too strong for you - like that Black Knight - don't be afraid to just come back later :) Try to ask as little as possible and explore on your own. If you are not sure how to progress, just try and your mind will be blown when you realize how these levels are interconnected. Have fun!
 
Q

QisTopTier

XisBannedTier
I nominate Okami HD it's really something special, a pretty fun combat system, and a very beautiful scenery and music.

*spoilers for people that played it*

Plus this answer let's me get away with not having to pick two other games ;)
 
P

psyfi

Banned
Dark Souls. I finally played through it this summer after trying three times to like it in the past and failing, and now I LOVE IT. It really is as good as everyone says, just be patient and let yourself get good at it.
 
V

Verelios

Member
FUUUUUUU what!?

Damn, there's about 5 games on your list that are must plays but let's just start with the best.

1. Tactics Ogre LUCT: This is pretty much the definitive SRPG of last generation. Great branching storylines, vivid memorable characters and an immersive grid system make this the best since FFT, and FE look like B grade.

2. Resonance of Fate: Yo, you like raisins or grapes? Nah, but seriously this is one of my favorite games ever. Some people may say the gameplay vacillates between unreasonably difficult or easy but they can suck a lemon. If you've never played it then you can't really understand how liberating the gameplay truly is.

3. Nier: Yoko.Taro. End. Get on it and enjoy.
 
V

vicoakland

Member
Thanks again to everyone. I've got my work cut out for me. And Dark Souls queued up in my PS3.

Since I know that I'm not the only person with this kind of backlog (and I'm a listhead) I ranked the results for anyone who stumbles on this thread searching for some LTTP gems:

1. Dark Souls 17 votes
2. Hotline Miami 6 votes
2. Nier 6 votes
4. Tactics Ogre LUCT Vita 5 votes
4. Dishonored GOTY PS3 5 votes
4. Dragon Age Origins 5 votes
7. Danganronpa 1 + 2 4 votes
7. Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen 4 votes
7. Resonance of Fate 4 votes
7. Okami HD 4 votes
11. Deadly Premonition Director's Cut 3 votes
11. Ratchet + Clank Tools of Destruction PS3 3 votes
13. Dragon's Crown 2 votes
13. Tales from the Borderlands 2 votes
15. Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon 1 Vote
15. Tomb Raider PS3 1 Vote
15. Binary Domain 1 Vote
15. Velocity 2x 1 Vote
15. DmC 1 Vote
15. Metro Last Night 1 Vote
15. Remember Me 1 Vote
15. Growlanser Wayfarer of Time Vita 1 Vote
15. Alice Madness Returns Ultimate 1 Vote
15. Just Cause 2 1 Vote
15. Diablo 3 Ultimate 1 Vote

No Votes:

Freedom Wars Vita
RE 6 Ultimate Edition
Soul Sacrifice Delta
Yakuza Dead Souls
One of (Tales of Xilia, Graces F or Symphonia Chronicles)

Btw, I created a Ranger character in Dragon's Dogma some time ago because the bow shooting was supposed to be so great. I only got to the point of recruiting some pawns and venturing down the well.

Should I start over as a Magic character? Is it worth doing the full game and DLC magic?

And, how important is it to find all the hidden stuff in Dishonored on a first playthrough? I did some random diving in the water once I got a little further along in the game and realized that I had probably missed a bunch of stuff in similar type spaces.
 
H

hydrophilic attack

Member
Dark Souls - If you really enjoyed Demon's Souls (which admittedly is the GOAT) you should get into all the other Souls games as well. As a an added bonus, getting into souls will help you with your backlog, because it will make you never want to play Western rpgs (due to their inferior gameplay) ever again

Nier - The sequel is looking hype as fuck. You should get ready for it by playing the first game, which has one of the best game narratives ever. I very rarely tolerate bad gameplay for a great story, but this one of very few exceptions. It's just that good.

Tactics Ogre - GOAT tactics RPG. Great story, and the remake improved the mechanics a lot
 
R

Rymuth

Member
Tales from the Borderlands
Hotline Miami
Remember Me

Your objective should be to make a dent in your backlog. These three should be done with pretty quickly, plus they're enjoyable (well, Remember Me is uneven but it doesnt overstay its welcome)
 
N

Nielm

Member
Dark Souls - It's worth the time investment/learning curve, plus you can then play DS2/DS3.

Dishonored GOTY - Dishonored 2 came out recently, and the first game is a fantastic stealth game. It's worth playing (for the gameplay alone) as well as to get backstory for the 2nd game.

Hotline Miami - A classic indie game with a great soundtrack/art design.
 
R

reKon

Banned
Everyone is telling you to play Dark Souls so play Dark Souls and then come back to this thread another day
 
B

Blindy

Member
Tales from the Borderlands: Will take about 10 hours to finish, excellent writing and funny scenes. Easy finish. Never finished a Borderlands before and you absolutely do not need to know the story of it though there is a spoiler of a major character in the series though if you are a hardcore gamer you kinda know what already happened to this antagonist.

Dark Souls: Much longer game but a very nice balance with a game that has little to no gameplay in Tales from the Borderlands

Danganronpa 1: It has more gameplay than Tales from the Borderlands and is much longer but I think getting a taste of at least one of these would be well and gives you a nice barometer if you'll like the series or not.


So essentially 2 visual novels and 1 heavy gameplay makes for the 3 I would choose for you, very nice balance of a quick but unforgettable game(Tales from the Borderlands), a game that does not stress too much coordination(Danganronpa) and a main game that will frustrate but reward you(Dark Souls)
 
K

KimbleJay

Member
Certainly play Tomb Raider and Diablo 3: RoS. I take it you don't have access to a current gen console? Both are obviously better on PS4/XO, but the PS3 versions of both hold up pretty well. Tomb Raider is, in my opinion, much better than Uncharted as far as adventures go. Diablo is... well, I've probably put more hours into that across PS3, PS4 and Xbox One than any other game, so that speaks volumes!
 
H

hydrophilic attack

Member
vicoakland said:
These comments have all been really helpful. Thank you. Great community here.

I've made some progress into Dark Souls.

One question on that since I seem to be stuck despite my Demon's Souls experience.

Should I spam the Taurus Demon with Firebombs? That feels kinda cheap to me.

And is there a trick to getting that Black Knight, or is he one that I should leave for later?

I always did fine playing slow on Demon's Souls, but Dark Souls is making me doubt that a wee bit.
Click to expand...

Whatever allows you to survive is good and not cheap. Especially if you're just starting out with these games. Everyone starts somewhere. We've all been there. There are plenty of Souls games left for you down the road for you to turn into a rolling shieldless bad-ass who beats bosses on your first attempt. So you don't have to be that person right now. Enjoy the scrub period; being a Souls scrub is one of my greatest gaming memories. Kill a boss with firebombs if it gets you through and you are willing to risk "wasting" them if he kills you first. If you are having trouble with an optional enemy you can come back later, try clever cheese tactics, or make that enemy be the hill you die a thousand times on until you finally git good. Whatever works for you :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Need some 2D goodness recommendations (PS4/PS5)
2
62
2K
geary replied
Post your backlog list!
2
82
2K
TheDrunkenMerchant replied
LTTP Killzone HD aka The Halo Killer
2
78
3K
Heimdall_Xtreme replied
LTTP: Far Cry 1&2
31
1K
10101 replied
LTTP: Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen - I'm Dragon myself to the Sequel
12
772
Maiden Voyage replied
Top Bottom