If you’re like me, you’re sitting on a venerable goldmine of great games that you haven’t had time to finish. Or, in some cases, games you’ve had to abandon for some reason or another. No big deal, right? That’s why the gaming industry doesn’t release that much in January and February. If you plan wisely and follow these tips you’ll be ahead of the game in no time!
1. Lower your expectations.
You won’t be able to be a completionist on EVERY game. It’s just physically not possible for most gamers to scour every planet in Mass Effect 2, traverse every side quest in Skyrim, and collect every Lego block in Lego Harry Potter. Unless you’re the town’s only weed dealer, you’ll have commitments outside of the house that require you to leave your characters behind. And that’s okay. Just keep your expectations reasonable. Instead of scouring every planet in Mass Effect 2, maybe just probe the planets closest to your quests. Or, just focus on the one element you really need to survive.
2. Find a buddy and plan out your gaming sessions.
If you’re hoping to finally finish Gears of War 3 then find a buddy or two to play with. Set actual times to play and make sure you show up to play them. Hell, if you’re having problems meeting up online - drive to the dude’s house. Also, don’t be so hardcore to not allow your partner to play ahead if necessary. Sometimes life happens and you get stuck away from your console for a few days. Let the other dude play ahead as long as he’s willing to replay with you later or he might give you a couple of days to catch up.
3. Take a break from your MMO or Multiplayer game of choice.
It’s a fact that MMOs and multiplayer games (Modern Warfare) can eat up a lot of your gaming time. If you’re staring at a stack of top-rated single or co-op games and you just can’t get them in the disc drive, then maybe it’s time to take a break from your clan. Don’t worry, your friends will still be there in a week or two. Sure, your sniping skills might suffer from a couple days on recovery. Nevertheless, taking a break from a repetitious multiplayer game can help you to break from some bad habits while letting you try out a whole new game at the same time.
4. Finish games with an upcoming sequel first.
No one wants to be the guy (or girl) that is left behind when a big sequel is released. So, if in your stack of backlog games you see Mass Effect 2 and Borderlands, those games need to jump to the top of your queue. It will keep the story fresh in your brain and will assist with your playing. Furthermore, it will help you when the new game launches and all of your friends want to play cooperatively. It might even give you an advantage because the mechanics will remain fresh for you.
5. Save the DLC for a later date (if necessary).
This tip coincides with the first on this list: lower your expectations. If you know that Borderlands is going to take you 40 hours to finish, then maybe you should hold off on the extra 20 hours of DLC. Take that time to relax your brain and to try a new experience. Plus, if you hold off on buying the DLC immediately you might get a better deal later.
