Time once again to kick off another round of voting forBacklog. We’re just about finished withMega Man Legends 2and I’ve put together another list of candidates to be the 22nd game played. The theme this time around is “Screw the pen, gimme the sword” and features a selection of games which feature long, bladed instruments of battle.
Every game in this particular list has been up for voting before, some many times and I’m interested to see how things shake out. Check out the following list of games, make your selection in the comments and get ready for a fresh new game onBacklog.
Afro SamuraiDeveloped by Namco BandaiReleased on Jul 01, 2025
Afro Samuraihad me pretty excited when I first saw it at PAX in 2008 and I wasted little time in picking it up once I purchased a PS3. It is, in fact, the second game I purchased for the console (the first beingBlazBlue: Calamity Trigger).
Once I started playing I kept getting the sense that there were crucial plot elements in the animated series, which I had yet to see. It put me in a bit of a quandry and I finally decided that the best course of action would be to put the game down, watch the series, and then pick it up once I’d finished. The show remains unwatched but the game must be played. Does it need to be played right now?
Overlord IIDeveloped by Triumph StudiosReleased July 19, 2025
Pikmin for people who love to be bad, theOverlordgames are known for their dark sense of humor and morality system which forces players to choose between being evil or being very evil. I had a ball with the firstOverlord, so much so that I played it both in its original release on Xbox 360 and the later, expanded Raising Hell for PS3.
While I was enjoying my time withOverlord II, I planned poorly and started amidst a strong spring season. There just wasn’t any contest at that point, but I’m ready to give this the attention it deserves now.
3D Dot Game HeroesDeveloped by From SoftwareReleased May 11th, 2010
Apart fromThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the PastandAlundra, both of which I’ve completed multiple times, the genre of adventure games which3D Dot Game Heroesis a love letter to is one I routinely fail to finish. They either run on too long or, well, they’re the same thing I’ve seen a dozen times before in otherZeldaclones.
3D Dot Game Heroeshas a lot of charm going for it, which may help to push me along. And then there’s you guys of course. And I suppose with a game like this, there could be some opportunities to play with some rather creative designs on a nightly basis. Food for thought.
Fable IIIDeveloped by Lionhead SoftwareReleased October 26th, 2010
I honestly love theFableseries. It’s like the casual gaming answer to the action/RPG genre, with accessible combat and no consequence for player death, while still offering interesting characters and a world where there are just as many questions remaining as there are answers given. I boughtFable IIIimmediately upon release knowing that my lovely fiancée would enjoy it, but I’ve yet to put the disc in for myself. Mayhaps it’s time to go back to Albion.
Mystery Game
Finally, we have the Mystery Game. Don’t make the mistake of choosing this for curiosity’s sake, as people have clamored before to know what it was and groaned when they learned. The intent here is to select the Mystery Game if none of the other games appeal to you, so voting for it just because you want to know what it is is kind of adick move.
If the Mystery Game is not chosen, it’ll roll over into the next series where it will continue to be a mystery.
There you have it. Make your selection in the comments below and get ready for a whole new series ofBacklog!
