Here at XPN Junkie, I tend to post a lot of different things about gaming. To keep it straight, I group all of my posts into general categories, or Features, that follow a basic theme. Below are the features I’ve linked to and a description of their posts.
Backlog Barbecue
The OG. This one has been here from the start. Whenever I complete a game that has been sitting in my backlog for any amount of time, whether its months, years, or (as we are getting knee-deep into the digital age) even decades. These tend to be like retro reviews; depending on the age of the game I may comment on how well they hold up, if the back compat (on Xbox at least) is well-executed, etc. These can be on any platform I game on, but because of the multi-generational capabilites of the Xbox, and the embarrassing stack of games I have accumulated over the past twenty years, most of these tend to fall on Microsoft’s console.
Rant-astic!
This is the category where I usually post about games I gave up on because they pissed me off in one way or another. Rant-astics are just what they sound like; they are irrational, emotional rants that may or may not make sense. They are the blog version of rage-quitting. I usually write these immediately after my gaming session, when I finally screamed “fuck it” and decided it wasn’t worth my time. These posts tend to be filled with expletives and poor grammar. I rarely give up on games so emotionally, so these posts are of the more rare variety, but they do happen.
Side Quest
These are game write-ups that are probably technically Backlog Barbecues, but are specifically reserved for RPG’s. Because RPG’s tend to be so long, these posts are a little bit rarer, but there are no shortage of roleplaying games in my backlog, so expect to see them pop up from time to time.
Game Pass Goodies
This one honestly started out with good intentions. I would find an indie gem or some other game on Game Pass that would otherwise go overlooked and give them a try. Sometimes I would find a really good game that I never would have played otherwise. It was a good idea. The problem is, as Game Pass has really ramped up, it’s getting really, really hard to keep up with the release of the games in the service. It’s been tough enough to keep up with my own games, much less games that I have never heard of or don’t know anything about. I really do still like the idea though. So it’s always something I’m willing to do.
Merle’s Junk Food
This one is a feature that’s slanted to a more mature (or immature) audience. Merle doesn’t have much of a filter, and a lot of the stuff he talks about is probably not suitable for the more sensitive readers. It’s a “read at your own risk” is what I’m saying. He’s also a contributing writer and only submits when he feels like it, so these posts tend to be few and far between.
I am always looking to find new fun things to write about, so these categories could always change. I do intend to further sub-categorize my Backlog Barbecue entries, and when I do I will restructure the menus accordingly. Until then though, enjoy!