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!
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