I'm 31. It took me 30 of those years to figure out that I don't have to own every new game when it comes out. woof.

I recently took a look at my haul from the Steam Summer Sale. I didn't have that feeling. You know, that feeling of "hell yes, got some stuff to play and I'm good". Instead I bought a ton of games, and I didn't know why other than "I might want to play them". I got Dishonored 2, Prey, and a few others. Prey gave me a few hours of fun and I liked the parallels to Bioshock, and was surprised on how much of Dishonored made it into that peanut butter. As I watched /r/gamedeals and isthereanydeal.com and checked prices...I started feeling empty. "I want the deal, but do I want the game" I found myself trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing. And so, in 2017 I became patient....finally. There are going to be some exceptions but I thought it'd be fun to use this thread for me to come back to and talk myself off the cliff from impulse purchases (stupid Green Man Gaming and their 20% off). This is a bit of a letter to myself, but also a reminder that games are exploding and the current rate of release is just too much to even try keeping up with. Having worked as a reviewer in the past, that feeling of having to play everything and quick is the worst, and somehow I'm just now shaking it. As a bit of background on me, I'm 31, back in school for a computer science degree, learning some programming outside of that, and work in Tech/Project Management. This should all get across that I'm legally and technically a big boy with barely any free time. I have a wife that I love dearly and loves me the same, I try to run 5k 3x per week and mix in a 10k somewhere in there if possible, and if not run, then hitting some weights or something else to get the heart rate up. The long and short is: free time is not a readily available commodity. If you're reading this, I'd love to hear your thoughts on patience for a hobby you love, and how you flagellate yourself while Brad and Jeff beam about games like Doom and you run home and have your finger on the purchase button.

Before I kick off I should note that I'm definitely picking up Star Wars Battlefront II but other than that I cancelled all my existing preorders for the year. At one point or another I had each of these games on my list.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Ugh this one is rough. I loved the first re-entry into the Wolfenstein universe by Machine Games, and this looks just as, if not better. I loved the E3 demo, the strawberry milkshake scene, the whole alternate history and brutality of BJ are absolutely up my alley for a shooter. This game will be bought, and it will be played by myself. BUT. Think about it - this game won't be a "live" game. Time won't make you miss anything, and you can go back to it weeks/months after release and you'll be experiencing the same (maybe better depending on ports/patches) game that everyone else is. I'm looking forward to see what MG does with this entry, and can't wait to play. But I will. See you in 2018 you Nazi bastards. Want something close? Pop in the Old Blood or The New Order again (REMEMBER YOU NEVER FINISHED THE OLD BLOOD JACKASS).

Middle Earth: Shadow of War

That one hurt to type, and may be the hardest to resist on this entire page. But see the argument for Wolfenstein II - this isn't a live game - sure there are online features but you don't care about that, do you? It's also a WB game you want on PC - it typically takes them a bit to iron out the kinks and it gives a chance for the whole microtransaction landscape to play out. The game will be good - the nemesis system and all videos look great. Be honest with yourself though - when will you have the time? Destiny 2 is already sucking up all the spare time and if they drip out the new content every 2-3 months as we're hoping, you'll get those nasty D2 hooks back in you every quarter. This can be your New Year/Winter lull game going into January/February, but put it up against an "as objective as possible" look vs. Wolfenstein and make a choice. Want to get a taste? Surprise! it's a sequel...play the first. If you're not feeling Tolkien-y fire up Witcher.

Cuphead

You'll be fine. This looks great and I'm expecting good reception, but be honest - the game was delayed for quite a bit, it's only about $20, and sometimes those bullet hell games suck. Pick this one up pending sale, and solid reviews from trusted sources. Same as you thought you'd love to have Nidhogg 2 - sure you could play alone but why not get a buddy over for beers and couch co-op instead. Wait until Spring or Summer break maybe.

Forza 7

You've always been able to wait on Forza, until a sale. Wait even longer - this looks great but remember you've got Forza Horizon 3 on PC and hooo boy does that Sapphire M4 need your attention. You also need to keep working on the LFA and pick it up on your festivals. Forza doesn't have all that extra stuff, so remember it's a more true race simulation - sure that will be great but maybe wait until summer for this one and see how the DLC does - maybe Ultimate will go on sale mid-2018 like FH3 has millions of times already.

Assassin's Creed Origins

Ok why do you even want it? Do you know? You buy these every time they come out, and you play like 3/4 of the campaign then ditch it for a solid 6 months to come back, play an hour, say "oh yeah I kind of like this" and then it goes back into the pile. Just wait for a sale - Ubi cannot seem to keep AC games at full price 60 days after release, just think of the sale come Winter - then think of it the following Summer! Remember Unity? Yeah, you remember Unity. As you write this you're a little concerned about the game - remember that. How is the combat now that it's RPG-like? Is that Arena any good, are the microtransactions for chests back, is the actual narrative any good? There are a lot of questions about this game - which should remind you that questioning buying it day, week, maybe even month one is a bad idea. Woosah.

Call of Duty WWII

The Beta was fine. The definition of both what you like and hate about COD multiplayer - but they added objective modes. Sure, it was great to get back to WWII and the Normandy invasion, even though it's the 3209th time it's been done, will probably be cool with new tech - wait for the reviews. See what Jeff thinks - if he's super down on the game hold fast, but if he expresses the kind of reception he had for Advanced Warfare you might be ok to have a provisional looksee at this one. Remember COD games don't go on sale often, so there's not a pro or con to waiting, you're going to pay the same and you probably won't play online much. If the Destiny crew suddenly decides to jump ship to it, maybe think about it - but try to wait for those 50% off or at least 20% off sales and some solid review scores - otherwise "it's just another COD".

Horizon Zero Dawn: Frozen Wilds

As an expansion to one of your favorite games of the year, I get it - it's exciting. But remember, you've got a lot on your plate and this is November. This expansion will hopefully have a few hours of content, but you also said you'd go right back through Horizon for collectibles...then you promptly moved right along and never did that. Keep your eye on PS+ for this to be a free game in the new year maybe, but just like Lost Legacy...you don't NEED it. You just want it, and you won't have time to play it, then you'll forget about it until 6 months later anyway and say "ohhhhh yeeeahhhh".