No New Games 2012 - Also, Shadows of the Damned

It's 2012 now, and though there are many amazing games on the way (Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, a Firaxis developed XCOM game), I think it's time to put my foot down and stop buying so many goddamned games.  Though black friday itself was a complete disappointment for me this year, the weeks leading up to Christmas were absolutely ripe with amazing deal from Best Buy, GameFly and Steam.  Amazon, not so much this year.  What I wound up with was this:

One of the most sadly overlooked games of 2011.

Shadows of the Damned (PS3 - $14 from GameFly)
Dirt 3 (PS3 - $15 Best Buy)
Portal 2 (PS3 - $15 Game Fly)
Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii - $8 Best Buy)
Bullet Storm (PS3 - $8 Best Buy)
Witcher: Enhanced Edition (PC - $5 or so, Steam)
Civilization V: GOTY (PC - $16 or so, Steam)
Rock of Ages (PC - $2.50, Steam)
Bastion (PC - $5, Steam)

whew, I think that's it.  It should be noted that used titles from GameFly come in amazing condition with all of the relevant packaging, manuals and online codes (really surprising). Somewhere in all this amazing shopping, I willfully forgot about all the other games I haven't finished and now that I'm looking at the pile it has made me a little sad.  Those titles include but are not limited to:

Dark Souls (PS3)
Little Big Planet 2 (PS3)
Resonance of Fate (PS3)
3D Dot Heroes (PS3)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3)
Okami (Wii)
Mad World (Wii)
Metroid: Other M (Wii)
VVVVV (PC)
Braid (PC)
Torchlight (PC)
Final Fintasy IV Complete (PSP)
Jeanne D'Arc (PSP)
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP)
Zettai Hero Project (PSP)

They know who their audience is. ME!

So really, I've got my work cut out for me this year.  I'm starting with Shadows of the Damned. It's a shame that game didn't sell more, because really it is amazing.  The action is alright, but the setting and story are absolutely top notch and I've laughed out loud more than once. The writing is incredibly smart and self-aware, serving the dual purpose of diffusing any outrage one might feel towards the stereotypical portrayal of both the hispanic protagonist Garcia "Fucking" Hotspur and his scantily clad damsel in distress, as well as being a breath of fresh fucking air after what seems like an eternity spent wallowing in a generation of games defined by how gritty its modern military shooters could be.  It's nice to see a game so thoughtfully define its own original mythology and then just run with it like it's just plain common sense that strawberries are demonic treats made from ground-up tongues.  Do yourself a favor and pick this game up, you can get it cheap these days.