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Alternative title: "2021 in Review: Different Year, Same Bullshit"

... but, like 2020, 2021 had an upside: lots of opportunity to catch up on my videogame backlog.

Not all of that catching-up made it into the Glog -- more and more, I'm rapidly trying and discarding games, without wasting time on write-ups. (I'll get to the hard data on that later.)

In fact, 2021 saw my first multi-game post!, resulting in more games played than posts written for the first time in Glog history (ooh, ahh). I consider that a good omen for my future gaming activity: less writing, more playing!

Anyway, my continued focus on backlog-busting also meant I paid less attention than ever to demos (Copy Editor being the sole exception), although ...

... just as in 2020, I did feel a frequent need to cleanse my palate, by replaying known-good games.

Setting aside Darksiders II and Deadly Premonition - which were in my backlog to re-attempt, and which I've now finally abandoned - that Replay count consists of some really satisfying "comfort food" remasters:

Coincidentally, one side-effect of replaying those particular games (Mass Effect 2, especially) was the most DLCs and expansions I've played in one year:

I've already mentioned Saints Row 3's DLCs, and Horizon's Frozen Wilds; then there were Mass Effect's Bring Down the Sky, and Mass Effect 2's Zaeed - The Price of Revenge, Kasumi - Stolen Memory, Firewalker Pack, Overlord, Lair of the Shadow Broker, and Arrival (phew!) ... which were all pretty underwhelming, and never struck me as critical to the overall Mass Effect epic.

So it was a pleasant surprise that Mass Effect 3's From Ashes, Omega, Leviathan, and Citadel felt so substantial and rewarding. Citadel, especially, was a stupendously heartwarming send-off for Shepard and her eclectic gang of misfits.

Borderlands 3's DLCs, meanwhile, didn't fare that well; Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot was a fresh little side-adventure, and Guns, Love and Tentacles spun a fun yarn as well, but Bounty of Blood and Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck didn't bring much new or interesting to the table. And the so-called Director's Cut was simply not worth the price of Season Pass 2.

Finally, The Talos Principle: Road to Gehenna may have failed to measure up to its main game's "wow" factor, but it was certainly a clever and worthwhile experience all its own.

As for my gaming platforms in 2021, well, "platform" would be more appropriate; as ever, the overwhelming majority of my playtime was on PC. My singular non-PC playthrough last year was Ghost of Tsushima on PS4.

Which might be my last PS4 game, depending on how the upcoming God of War and Horizon sequels perform on the now-"old" hardware.

But if this is the end for my PS4, then it's going out with a "bang," as Ghost of Tsushima ranks among the small number of Awesome games I played in 2021.

That ranking also includes:

So - also like 2020 - it's a little disappointing that my top-rated games last year were so principally "puzzle" or "something I've played before."

But, I'd be remiss if I ignored some of the Good games I played in 2021, too, like those Mass Effect 3 DLCs; a much-needed Ace Attorney installment from The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and Resolve; the enchanting world-building of Shadowrun Returns, Dragonfall, and Hong Kong; and ...

What had been one of the oldest games on my backlog, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, turned out to have aged surprisingly well. (Granted, it did need some modern tech support.) Bloodlines was a satisfying reminder of why I keep a backlog: sometimes, a game I've missed is actually worth catching up on, and lets me experience something cool that I haven't seen before.

Of course there's still plenty of chaff in my backlog that isn't so worthwhile ... and I did better, in 2021, at not wasting so much time writing about that chaff. Check that "hard data" above: a marked decline in No Rating posts. If the game isn't remarkable, then why bother remarking on it?

Hopefully, as I continue burning through my backlog in 2022, I'll stumble across more of those praise-worthy missed gems (and will avoid sinking time into the rest). Here's to some positive progress - in my backlog, if nothing else - this year!