2021 and Video Game Resolutions

One thing I’ve constantly reflected on this year is how appreciative I am of video games. They’ve manufactured social interaction when there was strikingly little of it to find elsewhere and served as a very necessary source of escapism. As we look forward, it’s important to take the context of 2020 with us: no amount of time that we have to enjoy our hobby should be taken for granted. As such, here are some of my video game resolutions for the new year. 

Death to the Backlog

In the Epilogue Gaming community, we playfully call our backlogs the “drakniList” after one of our staff members Zach Rogers – who, like the rest of us, seems incapable of playing games faster than he can talk about them. If there was ever a year to shorten up the list, it would have been 2020. If you’re like me, however, it probably just got a little longer. In 2021, I’m calling for the death of the backlog – a bad habit that we get into as a result of the pressure to play everything we “should” rather than to play the games we want to. 

What I’ll be doing this year is keeping a much shorter list of 3-5 games on hand. Once I’m done with one game, I want more time to process it and think about it. Most of the games I’ve enjoyed the most this year I’ve also taken the time to 100% – Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Beyond Blue, Tetris Effect, Astro’s Playroom, and the currently-in-progress Hades and Demon’s Souls. Getting the most out of the games I play rather than burning through them has helped make this one of my favorite years in video games. 

Getting Comfortable

If there’s anything I’ve realized with a total certainty, it’s that my desk and video game space has gotten a lot more play than ever before. As a result, I’ve resolved to make my space as comfortable as possible. The project has started with a handful of changes, the first of which involves taking a slab of Gerton wood, sanding it down, and finishing it. The second of which is retiring some old tech with new – including a monitor that’s been cracked for three years, speakers that emit a low buzz every time I turn them on, and ultimately building and replacing my current PC. It’s been a process, but I’m ready to take the next step in 2021.

If you find yourself in a similar position, I have a few recommendations! Here are some things that have made my setup immensely more comfortable over the last few years:

1. Get a second monitor if you can. Having more screen space is a lifesaver, especially if you like to “game and watch” – an activity that has also become increasingly popular for me this year. 

2. Don’t sleep on having a good chair! While it’s true that gamer chairs are overpriced, like the DXRacer, they’re really helpful if you deal with bad posture or are perhaps a little taller. Though, if you can afford it, there are plenty of Herman Miller’s that will more than do the trick. Trust me, I’ve sat in their Aeron chair and it’s like plopping yourself up on a cloud. 

3. Get a warm light and keep it on. I don’t think I realized what a difference it makes to just always have lighting, and something that glows rather than shines will prevent any kind of screen glare. 

4. Check out r/battlestations if you want inspiration. I’ve spent countless hours looking through other’s setups the past few months and there are some really amazing work/game spaces. 

Play The Witcher 3

Alright, I know I said death to the backlog but I’m pretty sure this is the last head on my video game hydra. Taking down The Witcher 3 is how I end it once and for all. While it’s certainly not the CD Projekt Red game everyone is talking about, The Witcher 3 has been my video game white whale (I’m getting all of my metaphors out while I can, but this is specifically a video game resolutions article) for years. In fact, when I did this last year, I also said I would play The Witcher 3. So what’s holding me back?

To provide context, The Witcher and The Witcher 2 are two of my favorite games ever. I begged my friend and colleague Flora Eloise to play them, and they have since gone on to engulf the entire franchise and become its biggest fan. I think a mixture of a potential Mass Effect-type letdown has prevented me from going headfirst, but more than that I think there’s something comforting about always having a game I really want to play in my back pocket. It’s like never eating the last piece of gum in the pack – sometimes the important thing is that you know it’s there. 

Hit 25k in Mario Kart 8

This past year, one of my favorite video game accomplishments was hitting 10,000 VR in Mario Kart 8. I know that for many (and I’m not immune to this, either) Mario Kart can be a little rage-inducing. But for me, it’s served as a constant all year. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people through Mario Kart and I’m ready to take my play to the next level. Plus, I have an inkling that Mario Kart 9 isn’t that far off either, so I’d like to appreciate this one while I can. 

Try Something New

I like to keep tabs on video game genres I don’t follow super closely on my own. My friend Marcos Carmona, and the many other Epilogue community members who have an intense enthusiasm for fighting games, have opened the doors to the FGC and everything that it offers. This year, I’d like to dive into other genres I don’t spend a lot of time with – even if it’s just reading more about them or generally consuming more about them. JRPGs and MMOs seem like a good place to start. 

Play More Games with More People

With all of this being said, the thing I enjoyed most about 2020 was playing games with other people. I’m very fortunate to have hundreds of people readily willing to play games with me at any given moment. Here’s a link to our Discord if you ever feel like joining along! Furthermore, if you have any video game resolutions for 2021, feel free to share them there! 

Thanks for reading our work this year. Having a platform to talk about games is something I know I (nor the rest of the Epilogue Gaming staff) take for granted. See you all in the new year, and good luck on those video game resolutions.

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