With the first Shack Chat of the year, the staff lays out their gaming resolutions for 2022. What’s yours?
It’s 2022 and time for some New Year’s resoultions. We’re not talking about going to the gym for a month or flimsily saying we’ll take better care of ourselves (admirable if you stick with it! Go you!). We’re talking about video game resolutions! For our first Shack Chat of 2022, the staff shares their personal 2022 New Year’s resolutions for video games. Check it out!
Question: What is your 2022 New Year’s gaming resolution?
Keep better track of the early year games – Ozzie Mejia, Increasingly Senior Editor
True story: One practice I got into when 2021 first started was keeping track of my favorite games and already taking notes for year-end discussions. Is it a little absurd? Eh, kind of. Who starts seeing games through GOTY prisms unless it either really stands out or it’s the end of the year? Well, the reason I started doing that was because too many of the year’s early games get forgotten and I don’t want to see that happen. Just because your game comes out in January or February doesn’t mean it should be “out of sight, out of mind” by December.
I fell out of this practice by March, but for this year, I plan to keep that running doc going all year long.
Keep up with more indies – Donovan Erskine, News Editor
By the nature of my job I’m usually aware of notable video game releases, both big and small. While I do play a fair share of indies, it’s usually done in the late fall/early winter months, as I’m binging through the can’t-miss games of the year. In 2022, I simply want to play more indie games at release, instead of cramming the ones that get all the acclaim at the end of the year. That space is only getting more and more impressive with each passing year and I want to give it the love it deserves.
Finally Play Octopath Traveler – Blake Morse, Hasn’t played Octopath Traveler
I bought the Collector’s Edition of Octopath Traveler when it came out for Switch a few years back. Since then, it’s become my excuse to not play other games that look fun, but sound like major time commitments. “I’ll play it after I beat Octopath Traveler” has become a bit of a punchline around here, so I’m thinking maybe it’s time I actually pop this puppy into my Switch and do the damn thing. However, part of me can’t help but feel like I’m setting myself for failure by making this a resolution. Will I finally beat it and open the floodgates for newer JRPGs or will my resolve be diminished by the end of January? We’ll just have to wait and see.
More good vibes – Sam Chandler, Mr Positivity
I want to bring more good vibes to my game time. Whether that means quelling the rage when an Elden Ring boss defeats me for the 75th time in a row or giving a game a clap on the back when it’s really not my type of genre, I want to approach my gaming experiences with more positivity. Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t be critiquing anything, far from it. But I want to enter each conversation with an open mind. I want to view each trailer for a franchise I know nothing about with excitement for those that love it. Games are good, it’s a fun hobby, and an incredible career, and I want to be one of the positive voices in this industry.
Be a bigger hater – Chris Jarrard, Just a husk for a deal soul
There are too many unfinished games being released. The problem has been around forever, but in 2021, it just felt worse than usual. Based on how these games sell, the publishers have no incentive to spend the extra money and time on polish. The only thing that matters is padding the pockets of the shareholders. Thankfully, I have no responsibility to them, so I won’t be giving unfinished software the benefit of the doubt in 2022.
Beat more games – Bill Lavoy, Co-EIC
My 2022 gaming resolution is to play less games that I’ve already completed and play more new games as they come out. Obviously I’ll need to play Destiny 2 until the end of time, which eats up enough of my gaming life, so when you throw in replays of games like Fallout 4 or The Witcher 3 – two of my favorites – you seriously cut into my time for experiencing new things.
Ideally, I’d like to complete at least 25 games this year. Completion will vary in definition from one game to another. Some games don’t have a definitive ending, so I’ll have to be honest if it comes to multiplayer experiences or co-op games. But I’d like to make my way through a lot more games in 2022. I say I pull it off.
Learn the ways of the fight stick – TJ Denzer, can beat you at Guilty Gear on a gamepad
I fancy myself a pretty good fighting game player, but I’ve always played on gamepad. I can’t deny the allure of a good fight stick, not to mention the ways it would improve my game on certain characters in the games I play, but I’ve just never made the time or build up the money to get one. Then, out of nowhere, my spouse sneakily gifted me one of the best fight sticks around in the form of a Victrix Pro FS.
Blown as my mind was at this absolutely insane gift, I now have no excuses. I have the knowledge to play my characters in my games. I just need to create new muscle memory and adapt my style to these new controls. My spouse picked me up one of the best gifts I’ve ever been given for Christmas. I have no intention of letting the importance of this opportunity go to waste. I want to be able to play my characters as good on the stick as I can on the pad if not better by EVO 2022 at the latest. Let the training begin!!!
Clean up the backlog, and more – Steve Tyminski, Stevetendo show host & Cool guy!
It’s 2022 and the New Year means one thing, resolutions to live by. That being said, what are my gaming resolutions for the New Year? I need to clean out my backlog of games so I have more room for the newer games coming out this year. The main ones of my list would have to include Dragon Quest XI, Astral Chain, and Hollow Knight to name a few. Another thing I would like to achieve this year is get more of a following for my livestreams. The Stevetendo show is growing after every episode but I also want my Twitch and YouTube channel to grow as well. I’d love to try some more classic games that I never had the chance to play growing up as well. 2021 was an “interesting” year but here’s hoping 2022 will be better! Looking forward to the new Pokémon, Kirby, and whatever else Nintendo has up its sleeve this year!
Show the Nintendo Switch more love on the go – Dennis White, Community Manager
I’ve had my Switch for quite some time, but it’s not attached at the hip like it is for a bunch of my friends. I think that’s mainly due to the fact that it’s hard for me to unwind and sit still with the portable console when there’s always something else new to do. But I’m committed to making some time in my routine for Nintendo away from my game room or 50-inch TV. I’m hoping that the new Kirby and Advance Wars games will be the ones to draw me in again. I’m also considering handing my OG Switch off to my sister and upgrading to the Switch OLED. But the switch (I like puns) will only happen after I beat at least one new game on the current one. I’ll be keeping track of my progress throughout the year on Cortex so keep an eye out!
These are our 2022 New Year’s gaming resolutions, but what about you? Do you have a gaming mountain you’re going to conquer this year? Let us know in the Shacknews chatty section below!
