A shock to the system - I need to game

Soldato
Joined
1 Dec 2006
Posts
16,867
Location
Amsterdam, NL
Well, I was browsing these forums, and as I've mentioned many times before I have had a dry period of gaming, nothing excites me at the moment apart from GTA V on the 360. I'm a VERY casual gamer, a hour or so an evening if I'm lucky. I wish I could play more but I simply don't have time to.

So, I started to look into exporting my steam library into excel to try and organise what I've played, what I've complete, what I want to do etc etc.

However, the problem is, I've completed a lot on the console. As I went to consoles for several years, but then bought the games on Steam through the sales just because I enjoyed them on the 360.

Has anyone got a decent way of picking which to start playing first? Here is my list:

Code:
Complete	Game Title	Hours Played
YES	BioShock Infinite	9.4
YES	Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition	73.3
YES	Dear Esther	2.1
YES	DmC Devil May Cry	7.6
YES	Free to Play	1.3
YES	Indie Game: The Movie	3.2
YES	Tomb Raider	9.3
NO	Alan Wake	0
NO	Alan Wake's American Nightmare	0
NO	Alice: Madness Returns	1.5
NO	Amnesia: The Dark Descent	3.3
NO	Arma 2	0.8
NO	Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead	0
NO	Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead Beta (Obsolete)	0
NO	Assassin's Creed II	7.1
NO	Assetto Corsa	0.7
NO	Awesomenauts	1.1
NO	Bastion	0.3
NO	Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition	3.3
NO	Batman: Arkham City GOTY	0
NO	Batman: Arkham City™	4.7
NO	Batman™: Arkham Origins	2.2
NO	BioShock	3.2
NO	BioShock 2	0.3
NO	Borderlands	2.1
NO	Borderlands 2	16.4
NO	Borderlands DLC: Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution	0
NO	Borderlands DLC: Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot	0
NO	Borderlands DLC: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx	0
NO	Borderlands DLC: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned	0
NO	Botanicula	0.3
NO	Braid	0.6
NO	Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons	0
NO	Brütal Legend	0.3
NO	Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box	0.8
NO	Castle Crashers	4.1
NO	Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Ultimate Edition	10.7
NO	Chivalry: Medieval Warfare	3
NO	Chivalry: Medieval Warfare Beta	0
NO	Clive Barker's Jericho	0
NO	Closure	0.1
NO	Company of Heroes	1.1
NO	Company of Heroes (New Steam Version)	0
NO	Company of Heroes 2	1.7
NO	Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts	0
NO	Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor	0
NO	Counter-Strike: Global Offensive	5.4
NO	Counter-Strike: Source	19.2
NO	Crysis	0.8
NO	Crysis Warhead	0
NO	Crysis Wars	0
NO	Damnation	0
NO	DARK SOULS™ II	10.1
NO	Darksiders	2
NO	Darksiders II	4.8
NO	Dead Island	1.3
NO	Dead Pixels	0.1
NO	Dead Space	0.6
NO	Dead Space 2	0
NO	DeathSpank	0.3
NO	DeathSpank: Thongs Of Virtue	0.6
NO	Deus Ex: Human Revolution	3.1
NO	DiRT 2	1.5
NO	Dishonored	5.8
NO	Dota 2	1.1
NO	Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition	7.4
NO	Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition	0
NO	Dungeon Defenders	1.2
NO	Eets Munchies	0
NO	EVE Online	28
NO	F1 2013	3.4
NO	Fable III	1
NO	FEZ	2.2
NO	FINAL FANTASY VII	0.9
NO	FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn	5.1
NO	FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn (PAL version)	0
NO	FORCED	0.5
NO	Frozen Synapse	0
NO	FTL: Faster Than Light	1
NO	FUEL	0
NO	Garry's Mod	0
NO	God Mode	0.4
NO	Gotham City Impostors	0.4
NO	Grand Theft Auto	0
NO	Grand Theft Auto 2	0
NO	Grand Theft Auto III	0
NO	Grand Theft Auto III	0
NO	Grand Theft Auto IV	3.1
NO	Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City	0
NO	Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas	0
NO	Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas	0
NO	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	0
NO	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	0
NO	Guardians of Middle-earth	0
NO	Half-Life 2	0
NO	Half-Life 2: Episode One	0
NO	Half-Life 2: Episode Two	0
NO	Half-Life 2: Lost Coast	0
NO	Hard Reset	0
NO	Hard Reset: Exile DLC	0
NO	Hitman 2: Silent Assassin	0
NO	Hitman: Absolution	3.1
NO	Hitman: Blood Money	0.5
NO	Hitman: Codename 47	0
NO	Hitman: Sniper Challenge	0.6
NO	Hotline Miami	0.3
NO	Just Cause 2	0.6
NO	Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning™	4.9
NO	L.A. Noire	1.1
NO	Left 4 Dead 2	0.6
NO	Legend of Dungeon	0
NO	Legend of Grimrock	3.7
NO	LEGO Lord of the Rings	2.2
NO	Magicka	1
NO	Magicka: Vietnam	0
NO	Mark of the Ninja	0.7
NO	Mass Effect	2.8
NO	Mass Effect 2	0
NO	Max Payne 3	7.9
NO	McPixel	0
NO	Metro 2033	0.8
NO	Natural Selection 2	0
NO	Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit	0.2
NO	Neverwinter	3.3
NO	On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One	0
NO	Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising	0.4
NO	Operation Flashpoint: Red River	0
NO	Orcs Must Die! 2	0.1
NO	Outlast	0.7
NO	Overlord	0
NO	Overlord II	0
NO	Overlord: Raising Hell	0
NO	Papo & Yo	1.2
NO	Path of Exile	10.9
NO	PlanetSide 2	3
NO	Portal	0.1
NO	Portal 2	6.7
NO	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time	0.2
NO	RAGE	0.6
NO	Ravaged Zombie Apocalypse	0.3
NO	Red Faction: Armageddon	1.2
NO	Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad Beta	0
NO	RIFT™	1.6
NO	Rising Storm Beta	0
NO	Rising Storm/Red Orchestra 2 Multiplayer	2.6
NO	Risk of Rain	0.1
NO	RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum!	0.5
NO	Saints Row: The Third	3.4
NO	Sanctum	0.6
NO	Sanctum 2	0
NO	Serious Sam 3: BFE	0.1
NO	Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter	0
NO	Shadow Warrior Classic Redux	0
NO	Shank 2	0.4
NO	Shift 2 Unleashed	2.7
NO	Sid Meier's Civilization V	3.1
NO	SimCity 4 Deluxe	3.4
NO	Sleeping Dogs™	0.3
NO	Snapshot	0.3
NO	Spec Ops: The Line	1.9
NO	Spectraball	0.6
NO	Spiral Knights	1.5
NO	Super Hexagon	0
NO	Super Meat Boy	5.9
NO	Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition	16.4
NO	Supreme Commander	0
NO	System Shock 2	0
NO	Team Fortress 2	8.2
NO	Terraria	0.3
NO	The Binding of Isaac	0.3
NO	The Cave	3.1
NO	The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind	0.1
NO	The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 	0
NO	The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim	101.8
NO	The Forest	0.1
NO	The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing	2.1
NO	The Lord of the Rings Online™	0.5
NO	The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot	0.9
NO	The Showdown Effect	0
NO	The Walking Dead	1.8
NO	The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition	4.3
NO	Thief: Deadly Shadows	0.2
NO	Thomas Was Alone	0
NO	Titan Quest	0.4
NO	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms - EU	0.9
NO	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction	1.3
NO	Torchlight II	7.7
NO	Total War: SHOGUN 2	6.9
NO	Tribes: Ascend	0.6
NO	Trine	2.1
NO	Trine 2	0.4
NO	Two Worlds 2 - Pirates of the Flying Fortress 	0
NO	Two Worlds II	2.2
NO	Universe Sandbox	0.7
NO	Unreal Tournament 3: Black Edition	0.5
NO	Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine	1.1
NO	Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Game of the Year Edition	0
NO	Who's That Flying?!	0
NO	XCOM: Enemy Unknown	1.4
	Total	542.2
 
For a 'casual' gamer who plays approx 1 hour an evening, that is a huuuuuuuge list of games. You've made a good decision to start gaming again - That list would be too much of a waste of money otherwise (steam sale or no steam sale).

To answer your question, My first 5 games to complete on that list would be -

HL2
Portal
Portal 2
Tomb Raider
Metro 2033

(and I would mix in some CSGO, L4D and TF2 for online gaming)

Theres loads of very good games on that list.
 
Last edited:
For a 'casual' gamer who plays approx 1 hour an evening, that is a huuuuuuuge list of games. You've made a good decision to start gaming again - That list would be too much of a waste of money otherwise (steam sale or no steam sale).

I have moments, I can spend 10 hours a night on gaming, but as of late (since the end of summer last year) I've put in a max of 5 hours a week. It's slowly killing me seeing so many titles that I could replay on the PC and enjoy the experience again but I'm put off by the time required to play them properly.

I don't know where to start lol.

Ah, as for your suggestion, please note I previously had an old (now ban for a STUPID reason) steam account which I completed HL2 and all eps on.

HOWEVER, the cinematic mod would be more than enough to entice me into playing again :p
 
for me in no particular order

Batman 1 & 2
deadspace 1 & 2
Dishonored
Hitman absolution
Just cause 2 (for mindless blowing stuff up)
The walking dead
Splinter cell conviction
Metro 2033
Spec ops the line ( not the best fps but a very engaing story it thought)

For me i would start with spec ops the line as it not very long but a good story.
 
same as the OP
was always a console gamer, but the so called next gen left me feeling cold so i built a gaming rig.
i have about 150 games in my steam but i have a limited amount of time to play them because my PC is connected to main TV in house so i have to wait till my mrs as watched her usual nightly **** before i get to play anything haha

back to OP question, pick a genre you like playing and then stick with that game until you finish it. for me there is nothing worse than starting a game, then starting another etc
if i were you go through the batman games, start off with asylum and so on

i hear Half life 2 is well loved (never played it blaspheme i hear you say) and you have the additional episodes so go with that?
 
Spoilt for choice is a serious thing, it's hindering my options as it's daunting how many good titles I have haha.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep them coming, I'm keeping a tally up and will pick the top 3 SP and the top 2 MP for online fun.

Oh, note, this isn't even taking into consideration of other libraries... BF4, Assassins creed 4 etc etc. Hearthstone, Diablo 3. Actually, other titles on other platforms are ones I barely play.
 
Try and focus on some short but good games to start with, you'll find once you have them completed you'll be more up for some thing a bit more meaty.
 
Going from personal experience, Batman AA, The Witcher 2 and Borderlands 2 are all good shouts, but none are really casual, you'd want at least 2 hour sessions for any of them.
 
for me in no particular order

Batman 1 & 2
deadspace 1 & 2
Dishonored
Hitman absolution
Just cause 2 (for mindless blowing stuff up)
The walking dead
Splinter cell conviction
Metro 2033
Spec ops the line ( not the best fps but a very engaing story it thought)

For me i would start with spec ops the line as it not very long but a good story.


Most of this.
Dead space has a good story and graphics but the gameplay gets really boring.
My #2 would be Spec Ops. I thought this was a great game.

#1 would be to play and complete Mass effect 1 & 2. 3 too if you feel like you need some sort of closure to the story.
 
Back
Top Bottom