Last night I was assessing data from my 2018 gaming notebook in an effort to prepare two pieces: my top ten games of 2018, and my top ten most anticipated games of 2019.

It wasn’t until I took it all in that I realized: I dropped the ball on 2018 releases. Big time.

So far (presumably there is still a sliver of time in which I could change things), I have only completed seven 2018 releases: Florence, Far Cry 5, Anamorphine, The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, Asemblance: Oversight, Donut County, and Destiny 2: Forsaken.

I can’t even make a top ten with that. A top five, maybe. Probably, realistically, a top three.

For someone who writes about games, that’s laughable and depressing. It makes me want to double down on my challenge next year to play 100 games to completion.

Looking at that list, I realized I never even played Shape of the World, a game I fell in love with when I saw it at Sony’s PlayStation Experience last December. I bought the game, I bought the soundtrack, but I never played the game.

Ridiculous.

And a wrong I intend to right. Today.

Looking at the rest of my list, I completed only twenty games this year. TWENTY!

I feel hopelessly behind.

This year was all about comfort gaming; I played the familiar, even when it wasn’t an enjoyable experience (e.g.: Fallout 76, Destiny 2). I covered myself up with those games, and hid from all the amazing releases I wanted to play (and most were pre-ordered, no less!), but turned away from. Games like God of War, Spider-Man, Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, and so many more.

I’m great at accumulating games, but I’m lousy at actually starting them.

I am the worst.

Looking ahead to 2019 releases, there are already so many interesting games on the horizon (at least that’s a list I can confidently make!), it makes my head spin (not literally). I think my 2019 challenge is going to force me to game differently and to have different experiences and I like that idea. I’m crammed in my minuscule comfort zone and rarely does anything interesting happen in here. I need to brute force these boundaries and play games again simply to PLAY.

Next week I will have lists; one laughably short. At least it will be honest.

.

This weekend, heck, TODAY, I’m going to sit down and play Shape of the World. If I don’t, I’m not going to let myself play anything else until I manage to see credits. I’m sick of my own sh*t. I’m sure I will play more Iron Banner in Destiny 2, but I’m also getting to this weird point with Destiny 2 where I’m sick of it’s sh*t. All this mindless grinding is a huge waste of time, and their new idea of content doesn’t sit well with me. If I could walk away from Fallout 76 (even though I was having a good and engaging time) for being a broken mess, surely I can walk away from Destiny 2 for its new version of “content.”

With that I ask: what will YOU be playing this weekend? Are you hoping to wrap up specific games before the end of the calendar year? If so, which one/s?

Please be safe out there friends, and try to stay warm. Cheers.