Question Missed Opportunities: What game did you never get around to playing?

There are a lot of games.

Steam's library passed fifty thousand total games this year, over ten thousand of those came out just last year, and Steam doesn't make up the entirety of PC gaming. There were almost a thousand games for the original Xbox, over a thousand on Xbox 360, and that's just two consoles out of the fifty-odd year of home gaming.

There are only so many hours in a day, or lifetime, so you can't play everything. Even ones that seem right up your alley can pass you by, buried in the morass of new releases and remasters and remakes, until you realise that shiny new IP you remember reading previews for is now available only on GOG.

The first MDK, released in 1997, was the second PC game I ever bought. I loved everything made by Shiny Entertainment and it was no exception, completely unique and the first true third person shooter of my life. The sequel came out three years later, now fully 3D and with two more playable characters. Never played a second of it.

Key members of the Shiny team behind MDK left to form their own studio between releases of that series, Planet Moon Studios, and their first release was another bizarre sci-fi TPS with a comedic bent, Giants: Citizen Kabuto. I obsessed over this game prior to its release, devouring coverage of previews and marvelling at its then very original idea of assymetric multiplayer. The actual game itself might not have lived up to my unrealistic expectations, but is still a standout memory for me, and when news started coming out of their next game Armed And Dangerous, my interest was piqued. Missed it completely.

So what games, for you, were the ones that got away? That you just never found the time or money or energy to try out? Maybe we can tell you whether or not it's worth your time revisiting them, or assure you that your life was better off without them in it.
 
I have a considerable backlog of games on Steam that I've yet to play. Most, if not all, of that backlog were games that I picked up on various sales, but just haven't found the time, or like you stated, the energy, to try something new. I find myself replaying games that I really enjoyed over the years. Part of that is that I enjoy modding certain games (like Skyrim, FO4, FONV, the ME & DA series), which can lead to totally different experiences.

But there are 2 games in my Steam backlog, that I really want to try, but haven't yet, more so than any of the others: Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. I've had many play throughs of the 1st Deus Ex, which will always be a classic, as well as the sequel Deus Ex: Invisible War (which was just okay and not nearly as good the original). Also played Deus Ex: Revision, which is a community made overhaul of the original Deus Ex.

So, for whatever reason, I've yet to start Mankind Divided or Human Revolution, and can't really pinpoint the reason. They seem like they are a bit more of a shooter than the original, plus they take place before the original, and I'd really rather see the Deus Ex world progress from where Invisible War left off.
 
One of my criteria's for playing games is time and date but even i'm not infallible and some games fall through the cracks after i purchase them. Atm, Xcom apolocalpse and jagged alliance are left at the bottom of the pile. They're too old and clunkly for me to enjoy. Grim dawn and the adventures of van helsing are near the bottom of the list as i keep playing POE so i'm always burnt out from playing ARPGs.

i suspect one game that will be buried away is probably the recently released Enlisted. The grindly, live services nature means it has to compete with other games and my other commitments to play . I've had an honest look at myself, my game list and decided that probably should uninstall it and ignore it. Which is a shame. From what i've played and seen its good.

if any more specifics come to mind i'll mention them. But i'll get round to those games. Eventually...
 
I'll probably never get to play ARK: Survival Evolved. I was really excited when I first saw it, I bought it in a sale a bit later and found out my video card was just not good enough to properly play it.

I only recently been able to get some better specs, but I simply do not have the time to invest in it, especially with all the other games I also want to play.

Another game that seems really cool but I'll probably never find the time for is No Man's Sky. At least I didn't buy it before realizing I wouldn't be able to play.
 
Just from the icons on my desktop Games fence:

Just Cause 3
Subnautica
Galactic Civilizations

I just seem to pass them by when picking something new to play.
I find myself replaying games that I really enjoyed over the years
Yep, that's the main culprit for me too. I'll fire up Civ4 or Crysis or C&C Remastered or a Far Cry because I know they'll fit just like a comfy pair of old shoes.
 
@mainer Replaying old favourites is the primary reason for my own pile of shame too. When the day is over and the kids and wife all asleep it's hard to convince myself to risk the hour I have left on an unknown quantity, or to lose the whole thing to a tutorial or prologue. Always safer to leap straight into tried and true gameplay.

I never finished Human Revolution, but it's definitely way better than Invisible War. I also shamefully only completed the original once, so I've been eyeing that revision mod or even some of the HD texture packs for a replay. This as if I don't have Prey sitting unplayed in my library.

@Johnway Jagged Alliance and the sequel are two classics I never got my hands on either, but I might warn you against going out of your way for X-Com: Apocalypse. From my recollection it didn't bring much to the series beyond higher resolution and slightly better sprites.

Grim Dawn is terrific IMO, but I loved Titan Quest more than any other ARPG of the time and it owes a lot to that game in terms of systems. I also love any RPG with gamepad support to enable couch gaming.

@Pifanjr I loved the look of Ark too but taming sounds like a terrible grind. I've been similarly tempted by the openness of Conan Exiles but it seems to have the same emphasis on multiplayer which won't work for me.

Now is a great time to start No Man's Sky, it had more content added last year alone than since launch, including some graphical improvements to coincide with the new consoles.
 
Now is a great time to start No Man's Sky, it had more content added last year alone than since launch, including some graphical improvements to coincide with the new consoles.

It would if I had the time for it. Or the disposable income.

I'm currently trying to get through a Warhammer II campaign. Something I also don't have the disposable income for (especially not with all the DLC!), but one of my friends is sharing his library with me. Steam tells me I've been able to play 3.8 hours in the last two weeks.
 
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Zloth

Community Contributor
...when news started coming out of their next game Armed And Dangerous, my interest was piqued. Missed it completely.
That was a fun one! The humor kinda waned through the course of the game, but the gameplay was also quite good. Shark gun rules. It's only $6 on GOG even with no sale.
Another game that seems really cool but I'll probably never find the time for is No Man's Sky. At least I didn't buy it before realizing I wouldn't be able to play.
But... all those planets and species I named, just for you to find!?
Just Cause 3
Subnautica
Subnautica is the best of the three. JC3 is pretty good. Friend me on Steam and you can try to beat my soap box distance record! (Maybe. I wonder how long they will keep those stats?)
Prey is another game on my list that I just haven't got to yet. Picked it up on "Mid-week Madness" sale on Steam for $2, figuring I can't loose, even if I only play a few hours. Which I have yet to take the time to do.
Oh no! That one was good stuff! Also gets the award for "most disturbing way to power up." And maybe another for best opening credits.

As for me, I think everything I have isn't something I want to play or is something I expect to get to over the next year or so. Oh! Except Planet Coaster! I keep thinking I'll play it but I just never quite seem to be in the mood.
 
Talking about replaying old favourites instead of new games, I just saw this article: https://www.pcgamer.com/this-17-yea...e-in-game-one-of-the-best-pirate-sims-around/

I checked the website for the mod and they apparently got access to the engine source code recently.

How am I supposed to have time to try out new games if I can instead play old favourites that are updated with new technologies and tons of new content?
 
How am I supposed to have time to try out new games if I can instead play old favourites that are updated with new technologies and tons of new content?

That's the crux of my problem when it comes to playing newer games (or diving into my Steam backlog). Not only developer created content & tech, but mods for some games are just so good, some being complete overhauls, that I'd rather spend my time there, than taking a chance on something new.
 

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