Chipping Away at My Shame Pile: Revisiting Games in 2025

Games have a tendency to sneak by me. Whether I’m playing a co-op game with close friends, going through a phase of playing small indie games, or getting lost in a sea of titles to review, I try my best but often end up distracted. During a period of trying to save money and feeling generally bored by some of the bigger releases toward the end of last year, I made a vow to clear out my pile of shame once and for all.

In case you’re wondering, “What is a pile of shame?” allow me to explain. A pile of shame is your collection of unfinished games. Whether you barely made it past the tutorial or are yet to finish the main storyline, all your unfinished games sit around in a virtual (or real) pile, yearning for you to complete them.

Watch Dogs (2014)

I originally played Watch Dogs briefly in 2014 when it first released, but something about tackling yet another open-world game left me unenthused. Despite purchasing Watch Dogs 2 and Watch Dogs: Legion (which are both also in my pile of shame), I never dedicated myself to completing Ubisoft’s serious tale of vigilante hacktivism.

Playing the game in 2024-25, however, is highly recommended. On all modern consoles, it has been optimized to run at 60FPS, and on PC, it performs much better than it did on 2014 hardware. I took advantage of the Xbox Series X’s Quick Resume feature to jump in and out of the game at my leisure, chipping away at side activities before finally tackling the campaign.

For its age, Watch Dogs remains an engaging title. My only major gripe was its banal licensed soundtrack—except for one or two tracks. Thankfully, the Xbox Series X came to my rescue as I used the Spotify Music app to create my own playlist.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was how the game’s player base still remains active. Nearly every session, I was offered a bounty on another player or had someone invade my game to tail or hack me. These encounters were always highlights, as high-tech games of hide-and-seek never get old.

When Watch Dogs originally released, some players criticized its overly serious tone. I respectfully disagree. While Aiden Pierce can be a bit stiff, I enjoyed the campaign’s tone overall. Some side activities overstayed their welcome (looking at you, AR alien wave shooter) or felt outright cringe (extreme drinking). Still, I had a great time progressing through the game at my own pace.

Sea of Thieves (2018)

To say I was excited for Rare’s open-ocean pirate game is an understatement. As a kid who grew up playing Sid Meier’s Pirates!, Uncharted Waters, and the Monkey Island games, I was all-in on whatever Rare and Xbox were cooking. However, when it finally launched, I encountered two massive problems: I’m terrible at reading maps, and the game initially had limited content.

While my map-reading skills remain terrible, the latter issue has been resolved thanks to years of hard work from Rare. The once-barren Sea of Thieves now offers a swag of activities for budding swashbucklers. Game mechanics have been overhauled, and quality-of-life improvements—like fast traveling to quest locations—make a significant difference.

Season 14 is currently underway, with stealth as its major focus. The Plunder Pass offers all manner of ninja-themed accoutrement, from hoods and garb to kunai throwing knives.

Revisiting the game now means I get to experience all the Tall Tales (narrative-driven adventures). Initially, I thought these were a cop-out to appease players who wanted an actual narrative. However, the crossover events featuring Pirates of the Caribbean and Monkey Island are brilliant. I even 3D-printed Sea of Thieves’ version of Murray, the Demonic Talking Skull.

Playing Sea of Thieves in 2025 has been a blast. Call me a fishwife, but I’m enjoying private servers via the Safer Seas mode. When I’m ready to deal with salty sea dogs, I’ll return to the high seas. For now, I’m focused on hunting achievements and exploring activities.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (2019)

Upon its release, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint was an absolute disaster. Buggy, unpolished gameplay, pay-to-win microtransactions, terrible AI behavior, and questionable design choices made it feel like a game struggling to find its identity.

Fast forward to now, and the game is vastly improved. I’ll even go on record to say it’s pretty great.

This turnaround is largely due to Ubisoft’s post-launch efforts. Missing AI companions have been added, and the “Ghost Experience” update allows players to customize game elements such as injury management and gameplay guidance. I’ve kept things as close to Ghost Recon: Wildlands as possible. Hopefully, it gets an FPS boost update in the future, but I’m not holding my breath.

Playing Breakpoint in 2025 has been enjoyable, though I’ve yet to try PVP modes. The narrative feels much more engaging than Wildlands’, but I have some gripes. For the first few missions, I was flooded with tutorials, missions, side quests, and gameplay tips. My map was littered with icons, and my screen never stopped bombarding me with information. For someone neurodiverse, this was overwhelming. By the time I finally catch the game’s final boss (played by Jon Bernthal), I’ll probably still be learning about weapon attachments.

Grounded (2020 in Early Access)

When Grounded originally launched, I played everything available at the time and even earned 1000G. After that, I completely dropped off the game.

Now that Grounded is finished, complete with an actual ending for the main story, my friends and I are diving back in. The game has seen significant updates, including new species of bugs, more decorative items, and overhauled mechanics.

Despite occasional instability kicking players from the game, Grounded in 2025 is a fantastic title to explore. I’m eager to see if I can finish the main narrative with my friends and connect the entire backyard via a system of complicated ziplines.

Conclusion, but not the End…

If I’m being honest, my shame pile contains hundreds of titles. Some games I’ve revisited but struggle to find the words for or have complex thoughts on (hello, Destiny 2).

Hopefully, I can get around to Dragon’s Dogma 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and more soon. Just keep in mind—I also have a shame pile of games I’m currently reviewing!