A new year means a new round of Operation Backlog Completion, a goal in which in theory will help me conquer my game backlog and in reality only makes me realize that my backlog is an unstoppable force of doom.
But hey, last year I set a 50-game goal for myself, and this year I’m going to do the same.
(I’ve also decided to change the post title to reflect the year rather than the round number. It makes more sense and will be less discouraging as the years go on.)
Operation Backlog Completion 2020
I also listed 16 games I intended to play during the year, of which I played 6. Here’s hoping it goes better this year, as my new list includes the games I skipped from last year’s list, another crowdfunded game I backed, and my most-anticipated games of 2020.
And Color Splash. Just because I have a friend who really wants me to play it.
Batman: Arkham Knight (and maybe Origins, but let’s try for one thing at a time)
The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Dragon Quest XI
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
Yooka-Laylee
Aviary Attorney
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan
Dies Irae
The Great Gaias
Bug Fables
RE3make
Tales of Arise
Yakuza 3 (what, you thought I was going to put the entire Remastered Collection on this list?)
Psychonauts 2
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Special mention goes to Aviary Attorney, which I intend to play not only before the end of 2020, but before the end of January, since Aviary Attorney is coming to the Switch on January 30.
2020 is here! Yesterday I talked about the best games I played last year, and now I’m ready to look ahead to the new games coming in the year ahead!
Honorable Mention
We don’t often get an honorable mention here, but Kingdom Hearts III’s Re:Mind DLC is due out on January 23, and I can’t wait. DLC doesn’t count as a game release, though, so it doesn’t officially belong on this list.
With that out of the way, then, let’s move on to the five games I’m most looking forward to in 2020!
5. Resident Evil 3 (2020)
I debated for quite a while if I should put the Resident Evil 3 remake on the list or not. I loved RE2make, and it left me with high hopes for RE3make… but I can’t entirely shake my skepticism over Capcom mentioning in interviews that Resident Evil 3 will have more action than Resident Evil 2.
Still, though, they’re right. The original Resident Evil 3 did have more action than the original Resident Evil 2. Jill was able to dodge attacks, for example. So I’m willing to give Capcom the benefit of the doubt here and say the Resident Evil 3 remake will be a good survival horror game like its predecessor.
They didn’t let us down with Resident Evil 2, so I’m cautiously hopeful for Resident Evil 3.
4. Tales of Arise
With how little we’ve seen of Tales of Arise, it’s strange to think it’s coming out this year. There have been a lot of questions surrounding Arise, with fans jumping to conclusions about just how different it might be from previous games in the series.
I’m looking forward to seeing more from Tales of Arise and then playing it when it comes out. I enjoyed Tales of Berseria quite a bit, so here’s hoping this is another great entry.
In the meantime, there are plenty of Tales games I still need to play while I wait (including Tales of Vesperia, which I had on last year’s list).
3. Yakuza Remastered Collection
Does this count? Of course it does! Last year, the remastered versions of Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 were announced for the west as the Yakuza Remastered Collection. It’s already available digitally, with Yakuza 3 and Yakuza 4 already available and Yakuza 5 coming in February.
And when Yakuza 5 becomes available, so will the physical copy of the Yakuza Remastered Collection, which I pre-ordered pretty much the minute it appeared on Amazon.
Right now, I’m playing through Yakuza Kiwami 2, so there’s a good chance I’ll be all ready to dive into Yakzua 3 when my physical Yakuza Remastered Collection arrives.
2. Psychonauts 2
I can hardly believe I can actually put this on the list, but Psychonauts 2 is actually coming out this year!
Psychonauts is one of my favorite games. When Psychonauts 2 was finally announced, I was thrilled. I backed it on Fig right away. After a while, I started to get nervous about whether or not it could really live up to the first game, but the new trailer and gameplay shown at E3 got me excited again.
So far, it looks like everything I wanted from a Psychonauts sequel, and I have high hopes for it.
Speaking of games where I’ve gone back and forth in terms of excitement before settling on yes, I’m extremely excited for this game…
1. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Everyone probably saw this coming: my most-anticipated game of 2020 is the Final Fantasy VII Remake. Yes, I was initially hoping it would be turn-based, but I like the compromises they made with the pause system and Classic Mode. Yes, Midgar was my least favorite part of the original, but I’m interested to see how they’ll flesh out the city to turn this section into a full game.
(Let’s face it, I’m hoping for Yakuza Midgar , but even if it’s not quite that, it still has the potential to be pretty interesting.)
Everything I’ve seen from the Final Fantasy VII Remake since E3 has only made me want it more, and it’s hard to believe it’s only a little over two months away. Now if they’d just release that leaked demo already…
Conclusion
We already have a lot of great games slated for 2020, and these are the five at the top of my list: the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Psychonauts 2 first and foremost, then the Yakuza Remastered Collection, Tales of Arise, and the Resident Evil 3 remake, plus Kingdom Hearts III’s DLC as an honorable mention.
And with Re:Mind coming out on January 23, Yakuza on February 11, Final Fantasy VII on March 3, and Resident Evil 3 on April 3, the early part of the year is already packed!
What games are you looking forward to the most in 2020?
