Why Christmas is the best time to play old games
Summer is an awful time to play games - despite the fact that we all inevitably power through anyway. The unbearable heat is only exacerbated by the furnaces that are modern consoles and PCs, the long hours of daylight that glare at our displays, and the ever-present feeling that we should probably be outside instead.
However, the pains we all suffer through in the summer months only make winter - and Christmas, by extension - the best time to dive into new worlds and experiences, especially those that might have missed over the years, or even games you've missed this year.
Of course, a big part of why Christmas and video games fit together like peas in a pod is the natural break most of us achieve - and as someone who has done their fair share of retail shifts over the holiday period I know that larger luxury isn't afforded to all - but the sentiment definitely still stands.
There is simply no better time within the calendar year to dive into old games than at Christmas - whether it be GOTY contenders that you've passed over, or old classics to revisit or experience for the first time.
Click to enlargeIt's happened once again this year - a jam-packed start to Q4 withers away into the last remaining releases of the year, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Suddenly the fear of keeping up is gone, and I'm left to wonder what's next on my radar as I scan through my backlog.
Of course, I'd like to play something new - although the prospect of settling into a world that I am far too familiar with is incredibly tempting, and with nothing imminent ahead of us, why not look back?
We all have Steam libraries full of games we bought years ago with the intention of playing but have since remained untouched. I, for one, have a 'Games to Play' category that is 55 games tall, and that was only supposed to be for my most imminent titles.
The prominence of gaming subscription services like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass have only made backlogs and decision-making even more challenging too, as our collections suddenly broach into the hundreds, if not thousands of prospective titles.
Click to enlargeI've perpetually got the words 'I'll get around to Ys VIII any day now' stuck in my head, yet I know that the moment I finally decide to download it it will have been removed from PlayStation Plus. So why don't I take the initiative and play it during this Christmas period so full of time to waste?
So, I propose the notion that we should all take a step back and properly asses our own backlog. What's that one game that you've been meaning to get to for a long time? The one title that you've always heard is great but have never got around to?
Now is the perfect time to dive straight in and give it a go, as you've maybe got some time off, and it's far warmer inside than it possibly could be outside. There are few things I love more than slouching on the sofa in those cold, dark, winter evenings with a game that I've been wanting to play for weeks, months, or even years.
You'd be surprised at how much you can get through if you put your mind to it, and you'll be able to tell your friends that you finally got around to playing that game that they love.
I can't deny that Christmas isn't also an excellent time to play multiplayer games, as everyone who has been gifted titles like EA FC or Modern Warfare 3 is thrown to the wolves of dedicated players. As someone who has been firmly on both sides of this engagement, it feels like a rite of passage - where you reach a point in your life when you're not the newbie lamb anymore, and can instead hope to pick up a few extra wins or kills after a period without much luck otherwise.
Click to enlargeI've got my eyes on Earthbound this Christmas, but I wouldn't be surprised if my Steam Deck has me dabbling in a number of different games between my parents' house and my sofa. There really is no time quite like it though, so grab the holiday season by the horns and get to playing - I know you won't regret it.
