2025 Gaming Plans.

[DJ]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

My plan for this year is to re-kindle the joy I held for this hobby.

This last year saw me invest the least amount of time into playing games, and I didnt complete a single non-sports game or finish a season in any sports game. That was driven by work, as well as trying to reduce screen time in the evenings; a time when I'd typically get a good amount of gaming in. I'll also throw in just fatigue and disillusionment on the sports-gaming side, for all the reasons discussed in various places on this site.

I have no games on my radar; I likely will just look to my extensive backlog and see what interests me and go from there.

[pietasterp]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

I think this year will primarily be (yet another) backlog clear-out year for me, with an exception for GTA6 just because I know I'm gonna get that when/if it comes out this year.

I'm a huge Civilization geek, so I will eventually get Civ 7, but I almost never get those games at launch. They're good for the better part of a decade, usually, so I'll just wait on that one for a while (unless I miraculously clear out my backlog and end up needing new content!).

Otherwise, I still have FFVII Remake sitting around on my hard drive, and if I ever get the spark again, Gran Turismo 7 is still there.

I'm 50-50 on whether I get a new College Football this year, but it may be time to jump back into MLB The Show depending on how this year's edition looks.

And honestly, that will probably more than account for my year, as I don't finish games or put in as much time these days. But we'll see.

Happy New Year to everyone, by the way!

[Shootermcd]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

I'm a huge Civilization geek, so I will eventually get Civ 7, but I almost never get those games at launch. They're good for the better part of a decade, usually, so I'll just wait on that one for a while (unless I miraculously clear out my backlog and end up needing new content!).

From what I've seen so far Civ 7 is going to be alot different then the previous games. The combat leader system is intriguing.

[pietasterp]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

From what I've seen so far Civ 7 is going to be alot different then the previous games. The combat leader system is intriguing.

Yeah, honestly, it doesn't make sense to me as described - you just switch Civilizations at each era? That seems like it defeats the entire purpose of the game (build a civilization to stand the test of time!).

I'm willing to give it a shot at some point, it's just a matter of whether 'at some point' is next year or 5 years from now.

[ChaseB]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

I'm trying to beat 30 games this year, which will be a mix of new and old. I knocked out Lies of P as the first one and won't count Indy even though I technically finished it after the New Year.

No real locked in plans for the games I plan to focus on though at this point, but probably will lean more backlog in the end.

[peter42O]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

2024 COMPLETED GAMES
- Astro Bot (9.0/10, excellent)
- Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (8.0/10, great)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (8.5/10, great)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (8.5/10, great)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (8.0/10, great)
- Call of Duty: Vanguard (8.0/10, great)
- Dead Island 2: Haus (7.0/10, good, expansion)
- Dead Island 2: Sola (8.0/10, great, expansion)
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (9.0/10, excellent)
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (9.0/10, excellent)
- Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (6.5/10, above average)
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (8.5/10, great)
- Rise of the Ronin (8.0/10, great)
- Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (7.0/10, good)
- Starfield: Shattered Space (8.5/10, great, expansion)
- Stellar Blade (9.5/10, excellent, my 2024 game of the year)
- Visions of Mana (8.5/10, great)
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II (8.5/10, great)

CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Star Wars Outlaws

Will be starting Star Wars Outlaws base game via Ubisoft+ on Xbox Series X this coming Monday and will then jump into the Wild Card expansion once I complete the base game.

2025 QUARTERLY UPDATE
Going into 2025, I have changed how I play games. Games that are on a subscription take priority over all other games. New releases take priority over my backlogged games. New games that I have to buy will no longer be purchased day one unless im actually playing it day one. So for example, Pirate Yakuza will be purchased and played later on in 2025.

My first new game release will be Avowed in February which im really looking forward to playing. I was going back and forth between it and Shadows on which to play first but since Ubisoft delayed the game to March, the decision was made for me. Thanks Ubi!!

JANUARY
- None

FEBRUARY
02/18 - Avowed (Game Pass Ultimate)
02/21 - Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza

MARCH
03/20 - Assassin's Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Plus)
03/27 - Atomfall (Game Pass Ultimate)

BACKLOG
- Cyberpunk 2077 (base game)
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (expansion)
- Diablo IV (base game)
- Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen (expansion)
- Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide (expansion)
- Ghostwire Tokyo (game pass ultimate)
- Horizon Forbidden West: The Burning Shores (expansion)
- Remnant II: The Awakened King (expansion)
- Remnant II: The Dark Horizon (expansion)
- Remnant II: The Forgotten Kingdom (expansion)

BACKLOG 2
- Fantasian Neo Dimension
- Y's X: Nordics

Backlog 2 are games that I want to play at some point but currently don't own yet. I may buy Fantasian Neo Dimension later this month as I really enjoyed the demo and put over three hours into it but im not certain yet if I will have the time to play it before Avowed releases. If not, no reason for me to buy it yet.

Was going to buy Y's X: Nordics recently but NIS America/Falcom announced Ys X: Proud Nordics for a 2025 release and are treating it as a brand new game so I simply have decided to wait and see how this plays out later this year.

[mike24forever]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

I no longer refer to all the games I own as "backlog". That term fills me with guilt for my spending habits. Plus, I collect sport titles for the original Xbox and they could be considered backlog, but are they really?

I plan on trying to stop purchasing everything I see for the PS5 and Xbox X/S, I NEED to stop buy WWE 2K games. I love them, but do not play them enough to buy when they first drop.

Typically, I will buy all sport titles and I will start multiple seasons in every title and not finish any seasons. This seems to be how I game now.

I would love a college basketball game and a new Battlefield game that is as good as Battlefield 4 back on the PS4.

[KSUowls]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

I no longer refer to all the games I own as "backlog". That term fills me with guilt for my spending habits. Plus, I collect sport titles for the original Xbox and they could be considered backlog, but are they really?

Have you come up with a good system to identify true "backlog" items? I too have more games than I will probably ever play, I blame Steam, and I definitely get the sense of guilt for not playing them. For many of those games I kind of have a vague sense of "I'll get to it eventually". Some others carry a more concrete desire to play, but even then it all is a disorganized mess.

[LowerWolf]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

Put me in the insane backlog group.

Last year was a weird year for me gaming-wise. Really, starting with the fall of 2023, I basically stopped playing and that continued into the spring of last year. I started to wonder if it wasn't time for me to tap out on gaming. Then MLB 24 came out and I got rolling with it, Madden 24 and NBA 2K24 throughout the summer.

I got CFB25 and M25, but September hit and I basically stopped playing again. My lone Christmas gift was a PS5 Pro, so I'm hoping that rekindles some enthusiasm for gaming.

PLAN TO PURCHASE

MLB 25
That's it, that's my list of games I plan to buy this year. And even that is a little iffy as to whether I actually buy it. But I'm assuming it will be Pro enhanced and hopefully bullpen AI is a bit better. Plus, a fair number of Vols from the national championship team got drafted, so they should be in the game.

PLAN TO PLAY

College Football 25
Madden 25
NBA 2K24
MLB 24
Started my CFB dynasty this weekend and my 49ers dynasty will get started soon after. Kind of absurd I've had both games since launch and hadn't started until now. Also continuing my Bulls dynasty on 2K24. I love MLB 24, so I'm going to keep grinding on my Braves dynasty. If I don't like what I see from MLB 25, then I may just keep rolling with 24.

Gran Turismo 7
F1 24
Actually played a fair amount of GT7 over Christmas after getting the Pro, so I'm sure that will continue. Plan to start a career on F1.

Final Fantasy VII - Remake and Rebirth
I want to run through Remake again before starting Rebirth.

Jedi Fallen Order and Survivor
Star Wars Outlaws
Want to run through FO again before starting Survivor and then I still have Outlaws waiting, which I picked up on Black Friday.

Tekken 8
Street Fighter 6
Fighting games I picked up on sale last summer that I've barely touched. Loved T7 and SF5, so I'm sure I'll enjoy these when I get around to them.

And there are still plenty of other games - mainly PS4 that I'd like to get back to or play again. I'd love to run trough the rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy again.

[SugarPlumFairy]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

NASCAR 25 sounds exciting, but yeah, releasing it closer to Daytona would make way more sense! MLB The Show 25 and EA CFB 26 are definitely on my radar too. I'm curious to see what other big non-sports titles drop in 2025. Hopefully, we get some cool surprises!

[mike24forever]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

Have you come up with a good system to identify true "backlog" items? I too have more games than I will probably ever play, I blame Steam, and I definitely get the sense of guilt for not playing them. For many of those games I kind of have a vague sense of "I'll get to it eventually". Some others carry a more concrete desire to play, but even then it all is a disorganized mess.

Yes, I have. I call them my "other" games. It doesn't hurt my head as much as the term "backlog" which makes me think of work.

Side Note:

I had no idea that there was a NASCAR game coming out this year. Well, add another game to add to the buy list...dammit. There is always something.

[KSUowls]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

Return to the monthly updates again this year. I feel like they helped keep me on track and motivated to actually work through some of my goals.

On that topic not a lot to report. I've been bouncing around a few games waiting for something to stick.

January Game Reviews:
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle (PC) - (7.5) - Good bones on this suspense/shooter

Spoiler

Picked this one up based on a whim during the recent Steam sale. I came away pleasantly surprised. Maybe think of it as a low budget Dead Space in terms of gameplay. The story is pretty interesting, and there is plenty of suspense to get your heart rate up as you go through it. It's pretty linear though and combat is only serviceable at best. Fun enough, especially for just the few dollars that I spent on it.

Diplomacy is not an Option (PC) - (8.5) - Really fun Survival/RTS.

Spoiler

It has some humor that really throws you for a loop. Quite challenging but fun

Earthbound (Switch - Online) - (9.0) - A classic revisited.

Spoiler

Earthbound is available to play as part of the Nintendo online subscription (SNES). It's a cult classic that is considered one of the best JRPG's of the SNES era. I've played through it so many times, and it still holds up today. The story is kind of whacky, and it does not take itself seriously. There are a lot of pop culture things which get parodied in the gameplay. But it never goes so far that it becomes inane. A lot of the gameplay systems are also simplistic. Somehow it all just works though.

Madden 2007 (PS2) - (9.0) - How is a nearly 20 year old game so vastly superior to any football game currently on the market?

Spoiler

You see a noticeable difference between like a 90 overall receiver and a guy who is a 75. Dynasty depth might as well be alien technology for how far advanced it is compared to either Madden or CFB (4 coaches instead of 3, named coordinators not just the head coaches, former players eventually becoming coaches, coach stats tied to attributes instead of cheat code unlocks like the skill tree...and that's just the coaching side. I haven't talked about the Tony Bruno show, the game planning (more informative than Madden), position battles, etc...There are certainly some QOL things that Madden and CFB do better with 20 years of additional experience, but so much about the old PS2 footballs are just better.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch) - (8.0) - What a weird experience.

Spoiler

The creators of this game also created the Xenosaga trilogy which are some of my favorite games ever. Xenoblade Chronicles (XC) was meant to be a spiritual successor to that game, and in a lot of ways XC is really good. The story is quite compelling, the characters are interesting in their own right, and the combat system has a certain flavor to it. In fact, I really like the combat system with its heavy emphasis on resource management and the unique mechanic where you can see the future. Itemization and crafting are also present enough to offer some interest there too.

There is a major 'but' though. The way that side quests are handled in XC is beyond horrible. I can't think of a strong enough word to describe how bad it is. For one, there are A LOT of them. A large percentage of them are some form of a fetch quest too, which isn't particularly interesting. As if that were not bad enough, they are implemented in a way that seems to be intentionally inconvenient to complete efficiently. Many quests have pre-requisites of either/both needing a specific quest completed and/or a certain affinity (ie: completing a bunch of quests in an area) before you can access. This means that you can't just load up on quests at once and do them as you explore passively, you have to actively go back and forth and engage with this system. Some quest givers will also only offer their missions at specific times of the day, which is yet another hoop that you have to jump through. The rewards for these quests really aren't even all that great in most cases either (which is actually a good thing as noted next).

I spent the first couple of story chapters trying to 100% the game and realized that I had spent literally like 5x-6x more time on the available side quests than I had spent engaging with the story, and I was not having fun. Finally I decided to just forget the system entirely, only pick up a couple of quests when it is convenient to do so, and the game experience increased dramatically.

The main game with its story and combat is like a 9/10. The side quests are a 0/10.

Currently Playing
Diplomacy is not an Option (PC)
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle (PC)
Madden 07 (PS2)
Earthbound (Switch - Online)
Xenoblade Chronicles (Switch)



Gaming goals for 2025:
Complete 8 single player games


--------------------------------
2025 Game Release Radar:

Spoiler

Games I will likely Pre-order:

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (3/18/25) - Already pre-ordered. One of my favorite RPG developers
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (2025) - It's Metroid, duh
Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines (2025) - I'll believe it when I see it, but when I see it I'm buying it
Gears of War: E-Day (2025) - This looks great
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 (2025) - To be honest this game looks amazing from the minimal information that has been shown. The lack of information is my only hesitation.

Games that I'm really excited about, but I have a hint of hesitancy

Wuchang Fallen Feathers (2025) - I may not love Souls-like games, but every trailer on this one looks good
Showa American Story (2025) - A post-apocalyptic zombie action adventure game set in America with Japanese culture? It sounds super interesting, but I have so many questions.
Fable (2025) - It's Fable, I have high expectations.
Tokyo Xtreme Racer (2025) - Loved playing this game on the Dreamcast. I'm curious how it will translate in a modern setting.
Nascar 25 (2025) - The way these devs talk about old games like Dirt to Daytona has me really excited. It's been nearly 20 years since I was happy with a Nascar game though.

Intrigued but wait for a sale (a big one)

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2/4/25) - I expect it to be good, just not in a rush to buy it when I still have a long way to go in the first game.
Civilization 7 (2/11/25) - I generally love these games. I have some questions around some of the new mechanics, and I have other similar games that will hold me over.
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster (3/6/25) - I'm tired of re-masters, but I would be lying to say that I don't want it.
Kingmaker (Q1 25) - Pretty gimmicky, but it's hard to say no to a game that lets you use a tank in the middle ages.
Borderlands 4 (2025) - These zany games are usually fun, but I can always wait for a discount

Others on my radar

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (2/21/25) - It's funny if nothing else.
Kaiserpunk (2/27/25) - An interesting combination between city builder and strategy.
Monster Hunter Wilds (2/28/25) - Not the biggest fan of the series, but all of the gameplay does look fun
CFB 26 (July 2025) - It's on here by default, but I don't have high hopes
Ship of Heroes (Q2 25) - I've been waiting for this City of Heroes successor for YEARS. As a MMO fan there is a good chance that I try it out.
Eternal Strands (2025) - I don't really like games with a survival mechanic, but this action rpg has a lot of interesting elements.
Lost Soul Aside (2025) - An RPG with modern action combat. It gives off major Final Fantasy vibes
Doom: The Dark Ages (2025) - Nothing against Doom, just not a huge FPS guy anymore. This one looks cool though.
Ghost of Yotei (2025) - I hope that it's good
Crimson Desert (2025) - I wish that combat looked more like BDO, but I'm still interested to see more.
Gothic Remake (2025) - Good call on this Picci. Completely forgot that this was in development.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

January Update:


Currently Playing:

MLB The Show 24 - 1990 Blue Jays Season Replay

MLB The Show 23 - 1985 Yankees Season Replay

NHL 25 - Panthers Year 1

CFB 25 - Alabama Year 7

Sudden Strike 4 Complete Editon

2025 Purchases:

Sniper Elite 6 Resistance January 30th Release Date

In the Que:

Sniper Elite 6
Star Wars Outlaws

[ChaseB]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

January Update:


Currently Playing:

MLB The Show 24 - 1990 Blue Jays Season Replay

MLB The Show 23 - 1985 Yankees Season Replay

NHL 25 - Panthers Year 1

CFB 25 - Alabama Year 7

Sudden Strike 4 Complete Editon

2025 Purchases:

Sniper Elite 6 Resistance January 30th Release Date

In the Que:

Sniper Elite 6
Star Wars Outlaws

I just re-ran through Sniper Elite 4 with a buddy, not sure if we'll play Resistance at launch or not though.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

I just re-ran through Sniper Elite 4 with a buddy, not sure if we'll play Resistance at launch or not though.

4 and 5 were so good.