Category Archives: VGL Pick of the Week

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: April 25, 2016

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is Star Fox Zero (Wii U), the latest space opera starring Fox McCloud. Developed and published by Nintendo, Star Fox Zero is the first new entry in the franchise in almost a decade and comes packaged with a tower defense spinoff, Star Fox Guard. Reviewers have noted that Star Fox Zero’s controls are difficult to master, but fans of the series (and Nintendo-produced games in general) will definitely want to try it out.

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New Release Round-Up

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This Week’s New Releases + Game News: April 18, 2016

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is a three-way tie between Dark Souls III (PC, PS4, Xbox One), Ratchet & Clank (PS4), and Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS).

Dark Souls III is the third (and presumably, final) game in From Software’s gothic fantasy series that reminds me quite a bit of a grim and gritty take on The Legend of Zelda. Fans love its relentless difficulty and wide variety of grotesque monsters, so Dark Souls III is one adult players will definitely want.

Developer Naughty Dog has taken the original Ratchet & Clank and given it the full remake treatment to launch alongside the movie adaptation. Critics weren’t too kind to the film, but they love the game (which adds new characters, new bosses, and new weapons to the platformer-styled shenanigans), and it’s a perfect match for the “All Ages” segment of your population and adult players who remember playing the PS2 original more than ten years ago.

Finally, Bravely Second: End Layer is a retro-inspired RPG from Square Enix that, again, will appeal to adult patrons who grew up with this style of game. The large game world is even bigger in the sequel and should also keep fans of the franchise busy finding every secret and battling every monster for a very long time.

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New Release Round-Up

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This Week’s New Releases + Game News: April 11, 2016

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is Quantum Break, a time-travelling action game for the Xbox One. Developed by Remedy Entertainment (the same time behind the Max Payne series and Alan Wake), Quantum Break is a unique title that mixes the episodic focus of a television series with actual live-action interludes starring Shawn Ashmore, Dominic Monaghan, and Aidan Gillen.

Also of note this week is Dirt Rally, the latest entry in Codemasters’s popular offroad rally racing franchise. Available for the PC since December, Dirt Rally’s launch on the PS4 and Xbox One adds a number of new features including Classic Mini and Super 1600 series races, 21 Advanced Rally Driving Video Guides, the Pikes Peak course, and more.

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New Release Round-Up

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This Week’s New Releases + Game News: November 30, 2015

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There’s no Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week today because neither of this week’s new releases are very exciting.

But the digital storefronts are having some big Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, so if you’ve got a console in a publicly-available area, now’s the time to stock up on new titles. And I hope you had a good Thanksgiving!

All Links in “This Week’s New Releases + Game News” are Provided by Warp Zoned.

New Release Round-Up

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This Week’s New Releases + Game News: November 23, 2015

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is Star Wars: Battlefront (PC, PS4, Xbox One), a Star Wars battle sim designed for online multiplayer. Developed by DICE, this is the first new Battlefront game in a decade and it lets players recreate some of the films most exciting moments with battles on Hoth, Tatooine, and Endor.

Two other new titles, both published by Nintendo, will also be of interest to your library patrons this week. Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon for the 3DS is a dungeon-crawling RPG starring the popular “Pocket Monsters,” while Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for the Wii U brings Mario and his friends back to the tennis court for the first time since 2012.

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New Release Round-Up

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This Week’s New Releases + Game News: November 16, 2015

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is a tie between Fallout 4 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) and Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One, Xbox 360).

Bethesda’s Fallout 4 gives players plenty to do as it’s the latest open world post-apocalyptic game from the developer. The first-person RPG will let players explore New England in the aftermath of a nuclear war and create a wholly unique character and adventure. Players will even be able to craft an entire city to serve as their base of operations.

Meanwhile, Rise of the Tomb Raider will be the second game to explore Lara Croft’s early adventures. Developer by Crystal Dynamics, with assistance from co-publishers Square Enix and Microsoft, Rise of the Tomb Raider will show the part where Lara Croft changes from an amateur archaeologist and adventurer into “The Tomb Raider.”

Also of note this week is Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void (PC), the finale to Blizzard’s “Starcraft II Trilogy.” Focusing on the Protoss faction, the standalone game will actually “unite the three races in the ultimate battle for survival against an ancient evil threatening all life in the universe.”

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New Release Round-Up

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This Week’s New Releases + Game News: November 9, 2015

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is Call of Duty: Black Ops III (PC, PS4, Xbox One), the latest game in the long-running Call of Duty franchise and the third in Treyarch’s popular Black Ops sub-series. In Black Ops III, players will once again get to travel to the future in a world where war is more high tech than ever. Be aware that Call of Duty: Black Ops III will also be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360, but the previous-generation version of the game will only include the game’s multiplayer modes and not the single-player Campaign Mode.

Also of interest this week is Need For Speed, the next entry in EA’s series of racing games. Developer Ghost Games considers it a complete reboot of the series and has packed the title with five overlapping storylines and dozens of cars.

Finally, there’s two for the kids as Yo-Kai Watch (3DS) and Snoopy’s Grand Adventure (3DS, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One) have also been released this week. One is a Pokemon-like adventure game, while the other is a side-scroller starring everyone’s favorite beagle and his birdie pal.

All Links in “This Week’s New Releases + Game News” are Provided by Warp Zoned.

New Release Round-Up For Downloadable Games

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This Week’s New Releases + Game News: November 2, 2015

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox One), the latest chapter in Microsoft’s long-running space saga. The Master Chief is now a fugitive and players will take control of both the pursuer and the pursued to find out the truth.

Also available this week is WWE 2K16 (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One), the latest wrestling simulation from developer Visual Concepts and publisher 2K Games. Starring “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the latest WWE game includes the franchise’s biggest roster of wrestlers ever, as well as a redesigned Create-A-Wrestler mode.

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New Release Round-Up

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