Not many people have achieved what I’ve achieved. Several flake out. Even more buckle under the pressure. They can’t handle the weight of the situation. Well, I didn’t buckle. I focused. I made a promise to myself and I kept it. I don’t mean to sound like I’m gloating … oh wait, yes I do. It was a long, grueling road. Countless hardships. Agonizing late nights. Dozens of bags of chips consumed in battle. So yes, I’m going to gloat, in this, the hour of my victory.

Back when I joined Avault a couple of years ago, my gaming shelf was in ruin. Ravaged by my neglect, several titles succumbed to the torment of dust and resigned themselves to a permanent incomplete state. Some games were half-beaten, several more were still in the beginning stages. Heck, a few were still in their packages. All told, I tallied the list of my ineptitude to be about 35. Thirty-five games I still had yet to beat. My life was a mess and I was spiraling out of control.

But one day I gathered myself up, dusted myself off and got to work. One week I repelled legions of Nazis and saved Europe from Hitler. Another week I became the God of War. The next week I even took a little time to visit an out-of-the-way mall and take pictures of zombies. I did it all, and nothing could stop me.

The simple fact is, I’m not going to let my games beat me. They’re not going to run the show. I’m running the show, and I’m going to get the most out of my experiences. You don’t stop a movie halfway through and put in another one, do you? No, you follow it until the end. That’s what I do with my games now. That’s how I conquered them. Play one until the end and then move on to the next one. And if a game sucks: take it out, and use it as a table coaster. No sense wasting your time because there’s too much good stuff out there.

So now that I’ve cleaned up my collection and have beaten everything that I own, you might be asking me, “What’s next?” Do I travel the world, do I settle down, or do I march onward? I think the answer is simple. There are still plenty of games out there, begging for me to conquer them, and I won’t stop until I do. So take notice, Ratchet and Clank: Future, you’re next.

And tell me, Avaulters, how are your collections faring these days? Have you let your games get out of hand, or have you reined them in? And what are you playing now?