Game reviews by Elizabeth, Kristin and Stacy.
Hello everyone! To celebrate fall and the season of all things spooky, we hope you’ll enjoy these reviews of our favorite horror video games!
Games that intend to frighten, scare or disgust – if we’re lucky, maybe all three!
We Were Here
Available on PC
“Now, I don’t mean to rush you. Take your time. I might be dying, but it’s fine.”
We Were Here is an escape room that taps into that truest of horrors: trusting other people. Do you want to survive a room filling with water, get out of a locked tomb, or avoid freezing to death in the bitter cold? You’d better communicate with your friends! One of you is locked in a series of dangerous rooms; the other is locked in a room with clues. However, the clues are cryptic – even more than the typical escape room, and I say that as a fan. As you progress through the puzzles, new rooms unlock for each of you, until (hopefully) you’re standing in the entrance hall, looking out at the snow and freedom once more.
Most of this game isn’t horror. Spooks lurk at the edges of this escape room. You walk past old tombs and rattling chains, hear faint shrieks from the walls. Most of the time, you’re far too focused on surviving the next puzzle to worry TOO much about the terrible Things out there that might get you. But I promise, there is an intensely spooky scene. During one puzzle, a horrifying monster with glowing eyes inches closer and closer to the player while tinkling bells play in the background. Will you survive? That depends entirely on your partner, who is probably stammering over how to direct you as the lights flicker on and off. During my first time through the escape room, the terrifying creature definitely did catch up with the puzzle-solver: a shriek over the mic let everyone know exactly what had happened.
We Were Here is free to play on PC. If you like it, it’s the first of a series. - Elizabeth
The Open House
A browser-based game available
This quick browser-based horror game went low-key viral in March of 2020 when a handful of streamers played it live. The game starts by masquerading as a generic real estate listing that offers a 3D tour, but don't be fooled--the home has a gory history bleeding through the seams. The Open House depends on atmosphere, ambient noise, and some jump scares to entertain, but it's still a fun ride. All said, the game takes about 20 minutes to complete, and that's factoring me getting lost at the end trying to figure out how to progress (hint: hit tab).
While not the scariest game on the planet, this game is above all free and browser-based, so if you're looking for a quick scare to get you in the Halloween spirit, give this a try. It's especially great to play in the dark with friends for some good laughs. – Kristin
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Available on Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4 & Xbox One
New to Resident Evil? Haven't played games 1 through 6? Worried you won’t know what's going on? No worries! Resident Evil 7 is almost entirely unrelated and unlike the previous games in this series. For new players, this is great news! This self-contained story makes it fairly easy to just pick up and learn the story as you go. There aren’t any repeat or important main characters you’re supposed to know that randomly show up to move the story along. Honestly, the only benefit I could see to having played the previous games beforehand is that it might make you a little bit more prepared for what the overarching storyline is.
If you are a returning player to the Resident Evil series and want a game more similar to the first few games – this might not be for you. However, if you are looking for something scary, intense, and appetite losing, than look no further! This is the first and only Resident Evil game to play through a first person perspective rather than an over the shoulder 3rd person perspective, making it feel more similar to games such as Outlast. Rather than focusing on solely horror, this game focuses a lot of its attention on world exploration. This is also one of the few games that doesn’t reference the previous games and characters, making it truly an outlier in the Resident Evil series.
I highly highly highly recommend this game to fans of first person horror video games. This game is both interesting in story and plot, the game mechanics are so smooth, the exploration never feels tedious – and for those of you with VR, you can even experience the horrors of Biohazard as if you were actually there! Well, for those who are brave enough to go through THAT ordeal. - Stacy
Played one of these games we listed? Know of another horror game we missed? Let us know in the comments!
Game reviews by Brandon, Elizabeth, Kristin, Stacy, Justine, and Sue.
Hello everyone! We hope you’ll enjoy these reviews for free games to entertain you! These are a mix of browser and smartphone games, and none of them will cost you anything to play.
Tired of slime and bubble wrap? Check out these oddly satisfying games!
Little Alchemy
A free game available on your app store (Apple/Android) and web browsers
Nothing exists except the four elements- air, earth, fire, and water. By mixing two of these rudimentary ingredients at a time, you can create new objects from scratch. (For example: “water” + “earth” = mud.) You can discover over 500 different items! This game isn’t just about the finish line, but it’s about the journey, too! I didn’t expect to chuckle as many times as I did playing this game. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how simple yet elusive the combinations can be. You might have to think outside the box at times, but if you get stuck, Little Alchemy offers hints to help. You can play this charming, clever game at your own pace. Try making one of my favorite combinations: “bread” + “fire” makes... “toast”! - Sue
Blendoku
A free game available on your app store (Apple/Android)
Blendoku isn’t your average puzzle game: there are no numbers or letters. Instead, you get to play with colors! The level gives you a couple tiles to start with, and you’ve got to drag the remaining tiles onto the playboard. The colors must blend seamlessly to adjacent tiles. The result is an aesthetically pleasing color palette. I find the bright hues and mellow sound effects soothing. I prefer taking my time, but if you’re feeling competitive, you can solve the puzzles as fast you can and see if you can beat your own personal record. - Sue
Soap Cutting
A free game available on your app store (Apple/Android)
If you’re like me, I can watch soap cutting video clips non-stop. While those videos can be uber gratifying, they result in lots of waste. Now, we can enjoy all the satisfaction of cutting soap without the waste or the mess! In this game, you get to slice colorful bars of soap into perfect, tiny cubes. The combination of crisp sound effects, smooth graphics, and just the right amount of haptic feedback brings this app to life. You might even discover some hidden prizes as you’re slicing away!
What game is your favorite? Tell us some of your other favorite games in the comments!
Game reviews by Brandon, Elizabeth, Kristin, Stacy & Justine
Hello, everyone! Below are links to paid games that you can play right now at home. All are available on PC; some are available on consoles as well. We hope you enjoy!
Anyone who walks into a library or reads a library blog knows the importance of stories. Today we chose to amplify the voices of black storytellers as we feature fantastic games with black protagonists.
Dandara
Available for Switch, PS4, Xbox, iOS; available on Steam
Dandara is a gorgeous, gravity-defying platformer rooted in Brazilian culture. The main character, Dandara, is named after the historical figure Dandara dos Palmares, an Afro-Brazilian freedom fighter and master of capoeira in 17th Century Brazil. This game is sci-fi, though, not history: the world of Salt is in danger, and this game’s Dandara can warp through a gravity-less world to save it. Dandara gets new abilities by collecting memories and inspiring artists to start creating again. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a tough platformer. But it’s excellent. - Elizabeth
Elsinore
Available on Steam
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” meets “Groundhog Day” in this retelling of a classic. Ophelia knows there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark: she keeps reliving the same three days over and over, a mysterious assassin wants to kill her, her ex-boyfriend Hamlet keeps talking about a ghost on the castle walls and the only one who seems to know what’s going on is a strange playwright! All you can do is ask questions and share information to try to change this story’s ending. This game’s fun for Shakespeare nerds like me, but it’s also fun for fans of story games and detective games in general. There are a lot of secrets tucked away, and as you keep reliving the same day, you’ll discover that your time loop’s a lot more alarming than you originally thought. - Elizabeth
Telltale’s The Walking Dead series
Available on Steam, Playstation 4, Playstation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
A crisis does two things to people. It brings out both the very worst, and the very best of mankind. This game that showcases its protagonists as people at their very best. Pictured above, you see Clementine and Lee. The two characters who you will start your journey with during the very first Walking Dead entry. This game is responsible for the modern revival of the interactive movie, if you will. A compelling story plays out where you control the choices and fates of the characters within. I personally feel that the game series is easily the greatest piece of Walking Dead media – and that is including both the comics and AMC television show. The bond between Clem and Lee will absolutely pull at your heartstrings and, as they are in danger, you will find your pulse racing right along with them. The game allows you to play the characters as you see fit, but it’s clear the most natural gameplay style is to play up to our protagonists natural inclinations; to be courageous, to be kind and to be true to one another. - Brandon
Resident Evil 5
Available on Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, and Android.
A long running video game series such as Resident Evil is bound to have it’s fair share of great, good, and bad games. “Resident Evil 5”, despite it’s initial rocky announcement back in 2005, ended up becoming a highly successful addition to the beloved series upon it’s release in 2009. Despite being the fifth installment, this game does not require you to have previous knowledge of it’s predecessors as the game does a great job at providing player’s with the necessary information through compelling storytelling. The plot of this game revolves around an investigation of a terrorist threat by Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance in Kijuju, a fictional region of Africa. This is the first “Resident Evil” game to depart from the series survival horror genre and start to ground itself in a more action focused genre. While that may disappoint some players, this genre change also allows for “Resident Evil’s” first co-operative game!
Players will get to play the well-known and ever enjoyable Chris Redfield from the previous games, however, they will also get to play as Sheva Alomar - an immensely smart, strong, attractive African woman. It’s unfortunate that Sheva has not made a reappearance in more games as she is not only a fan favorite, but she was also highly regarded among most critics. As with most “Resident Evil” games, the single player campaign requires that you play through and complete the game was Chris Redfield before giving you an option to play through primarily as Sheva. However, this game’s wonderful co-operative campaign allows players to play as both Sheva and Chris as their partnership grows stronger and the puzzles and maps get harder. As with other games in this series, “Resident Evil 5” is no stranger to criticism; however, the reviews for this game are very positive and this game remains in most players top five “Resident Evil” games! - Stacy
What game is your favorite? Tell us some of your other favorite games in the comments!
"Animal Crossing: New Horizons" Review
by Justine
Around the beginning of March (and perhaps long before), if you logged in to any of your social media accounts, there is a good chance you saw a meme or article relating to a game called "Animal Crossing". On March 20, 2020, Nintendo welcomed the fifth game in the franchise, "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" for the Nintendo Switch, much to the delight of longtime fans who indeed waited a very long time for this installment.
Image from https://ec.nintendo.com/AU/en/titles/70010000027620
"Animal Crossing: New Leaf" for the 3DS family of systems came out a whopping eight years ago and fans of the series like myself have been chomping at the bit ever since, waiting for our next foray into the village. I myself was in college then, playing between studying sessions and essay writing, and as I entered the workforce I kept checking every day to see if a new game was in the works. Would we be getting a new "Animal Crossing" for Nintendo’s new console the Switch? Imagine my excitement when it was finally announced! But the wait... The wait was grueling.
A question I get a lot, and the question on your mind right now, is why this game in particular is so popular. Why was there such anticipation surrounding its release, why is everyone and their mom playing it, and what is the point? Picture this. You’re invited to be a founding member of a brand new (deserted) island. With nothing but the clothes on your back you begin your life anew, no career, no friends or family. You strike out into this new world with a tent gifted to you... by a raccoon. Yes, a raccoon. His name is Tom Nook, thank you for asking. And right now he’s the internet’s favorite mascot and the memes are endless surrounding him and his protégés, Tommy and Timmy, who help you adjust to your new island life.
Along with these three kind raccoons, you also meet and befriend two other animals who come to stay on the island with you. For every player they’re different, but I was lucky enough to have Phoebe the peahen and Kid Cat the kitten join me on my journey to make the island habitable.
You start off owing a large debt to Tom Nook for all the moving fees and the plot of land where you’ll eventually build your house, which probably already sounds boring, but hear me out. For some reason I found it so charming to be thrown into this new world where I had to earn everything myself. I hate paying rent every month in real life, but Tom Nook is the best landlord there is. I was grateful to a virtual raccoon for giving me a chance to meet new animal friends and catch all the butterflies and fish my pockets could carry. Isn’t that the dream? To get back to nature, to nourish the earth with your own two hands, to be responsible for your destiny? "Animal Crossing" lets you do just that. It lets you live your best virtual life the way you want to.
I think one of the main reasons "Animal Crossing" is so appealing is because there’s no one way to play it. You can be an archeologist and spend your time digging up fossils to give to a knowledgeable owl named Blathers to display in the island’s museum. Maybe you love fishing and just want to spend hours on end collecting one of every species. And in case you were worried, yes, you can totally fish for sharks. And when you catch one you can bet everyone will be asking you how, because it takes as much patience as fishing takes in real life. As for me, I personally enjoy gardening in the game (I’m a black thumb in real life; everything I touch dies, even hardy cacti). I plant flowers of all kinds, in specific arrangements, so new ones will blossom in beautiful new colors they don’t normally come in. I was ecstatic when my black roses began to bloom and I told all my friends about it (and my grandpa, but he didn’t seem that impressed). There aren’t many games out there that give you the chance to be whatever you want to be with the lowest stakes possible. Usually you’re a hero trying to save the world, a detective trying to solve crimes, a plumber trying to save Princess Peach for the eightieth time. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with those games, but my point is that Animal Crossing doesn’t have a linear storyline and doesn’t shoehorn you into a specific role like games you may have played before. It is incredibly freeing to play at your own pace with nothing dictating how you play or what you do in the game. Your only limits are those you impose on yourself.
My friends and I usually vary pretty greatly in the types of games we play. Some like fighting and sports games while I’ll sink 90 hours into Japanese RPGs. But I can’t name one friend on my list who hasn’t bought "Animal Crossing". Every single one has it and with the online feature to visit one another’s islands, during this government-mandated quarantine, I’ve been able to play with them. We visit each other’s homes, compliment one another’s gardens, fish together, dig for clams on the beach, and share fruit that the other doesn’t have yet. I’ve finally got all the peaches and oranges I can handle when I started out my game with only pears. I love seeing all my friends living their best island lives, decorating their homes in such creative ways and gushing about how their favorite animal villager (there are over 400 for reference) just agreed to move in. The communal aspect of the game is a huge pull for many gamers, and I think that’s just another reason people from 8 to 80 love it and keep coming back for more 19 years later. The first "Animal Crossing" game was released only in Japan back in 2001, but when it was localized for North America I’m not sure they knew how much it would resonate with fans of all ages, genders, and races not just here, but globally.
This is technically a review, so I’ll get to the point. Why do I love "Animal Crossing: New Horizons"? I think back to one of my favorite poems, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by William Butler Yeats:
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
Now I’m sure you weren’t expecting a poem in the middle of a video game review, but humor me here. I promise its relevance will be made clear hastily. As I said above, getting back to nature is something so many of us desire. It’s in our human nature, almost hardwired in our DNA, to want to connect with the natural world and live a simple life with something we’ve cultivated on our own. In these modern times, and especially with the coronavirus forcing us indoors, this want for the outdoors is stronger than ever. I live in a cramped townhouse in Aurora. I don’t hear Yeats’ lake water lapping or cricket song or honeybees. The fact of the matter is, my life is not a pastoral one, and I’ve been robbed of the opportunity to have that right now. As silly as it might sound, "Animal Crossing" lets me live that life virtually until it’s safe again to go into the mountains and enjoy a day of sunshine and the sound of something other than refrigerator buzzing and traffic noise. I can hear the sound of the ocean in the game and the striking visuals make me feel like I really did catch a sea bass and planted a gorgeous rose or tulip. It might pale in comparison to the real thing, but it feels real enough right now. The game encapsulates everything in Yeats’ poem and what so many of us feel and desire for ourselves.
If you’ve stuck it out this long, I want to sincerely thank you. I know this was a lot just to explain why I love a video game so much, but in these uncertain times, I think finding something that you love and keeps your mind off of the state of the world is a rare and beautiful thing. "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" is worth every penny and I hope you’ll consider joining me and millions of others if you’re at all curious what the hype is about. I’d sure love to see what you make of your island adventure, and so many other fans would too.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Crossing#Animal_Crossing_(2001)
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43281/the-lake-isle-of-innisfree
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/26/21195022/animal-crossing-switch-sales-japan-famitsu
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