National Video Games Day

September 12th is National Video Games Day. Celebrate by checking out these new video games at Davenport Public Library.

Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator: If you enjoy cozy life simulator games, this one is for you! In Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator, you are in charge of restoring an abandoned community garden to its former glory. In story mode, complete tasks given by neighbors to unlock garden sections, as well as tools, seeds, and ornaments. Or instantly unlock all seeds and decorations in creative mode, and let your imagination go wild.

Available on: Nintendo Switch

Dragon’s Dogma 2: In this action RPG, you play as the Arisen, the chosen one destined to slay the Dragon. With a single save file, your choices are important– and permanent. This title offers deeply immersive mechanics, including limited fast travel and campsites, rest-dependent health bars, and interconnected side quests. Explore a deeply detailed map where new discoveries and dangers wait around every corner.

Available on: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

Sea of Stars: This award-winning indie title invokes nostalgia with retro pixel art, a clever turn-based combat system, and a stunning soundtrack. Play as Valere or Zale, Solstice Warriors who use Eclipse Magic to fight monstrous creations made by the evil Fleshmancer. On your journey to defeat the Fleshmancer, explore the intricately designed map, solve unique puzzles, play a slots-based board game called Wheels, and more.

Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch

Opus: Echo of Starsong: The latest installment in the Opus series, Echo of Starsong is a breathtaking visual novel that incorporates narrative-driven gameplay with audio puzzles and light resource management. Jun, exiled by his clan, searches for asteroids known as “starsongs” to redeem himself. Eda is a witch who can hear the sounds of these asteroids. Join them as they venture into space on an unforgettable journey.

Available on: Nintendo Switch

Ultros: Ultros combines a sprawling metroidvania-style map with the intensive combat and looped gameplay of a rogue-like. You awaken stranded on The Sarcophagus, an eternally looping black hole containing the ancient demon ULTROS. Explore the map to discover secrets hidden in the psychedelic storyscape, with each loop bringing you closer to the truth of this strange world.

Available on: PS5

During the month of September, look for the “National Video Games Day” displays at all three branches. Or check out our Video Games LibGuide for more video game suggestions!

Replay, Renew, Repeat: The Dragon Age Series

Excited for the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard this fall? Now is the perfect time to replay the rest of the series, available at Davenport Public Library. (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)

Dragon Age: Origins

You are the Grey Warden. With the return of an ancient foe, the kingdom is engulfed in civil war and you have been chosen to unite the shattered lands and slay the archdemon.

Available on: PS3 and Xbox 360

 

Dragon Age II

Embark on an all-new adventure in the Dragon Age saga. You are Hawke, one of the few to survive the destruction of your homeland. Now, forced to fight for survival, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history.

Available on: PS3 and Xbox 360

 

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Recruit legendary warriors to fight by your side as you hunt down agents of chaos and lead the Inquisition. A blast rips a hole in the sky, unleashing an army of demons from the mysterious realm known as the Fade. As the blast’s sole survivor, only you and your team can bring the world back from the brink of destruction.

Available on: PS4

My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! : Pirates of the Disturbance

Originally a light novel series, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (or Hamefura, for short) has been adapted multiple times, receiving a manga, an anime, and now… a visual novel game! My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! : Pirates of the Disturbance is a non-canon addition to the series, set after season one of the anime.

You play as protagonist Catarina Claes, a Japanese highschooler reincarnated into the game Fortune Lover. As the game’s villainess, Catarina was doomed to an ending of exile or death! Somehow, she managed to befriend the main characters, survive the game’s ending, and make it to spring break. Pirates of the Disturbance finds her spending spring break on a luxury ship voyage with her adoptive brother Keith. After boarding the ship, she finds that all of the main characters are onboard. When the ship is attacked by pirates who hold the passengers hostage, Catarina recalls the plot of a Fortune Lover fan book and realizes she’s on her way to yet another bad end!

The game is made up of one common route and six romance routes, for a grand total of 25 endings. The six romance routes include four existing love interests (Geordo, Keith, Alan, and Nicol), as well as two new additions (Rozy and Silva). The routes share an overarching storyline, with each one revealing different plot details. For the best story experience, the developers recommend the following order: Geordo → Keith → Alan → Nicol → Rozy → Silva. The common route’s friendship ending unlocks after the first playthrough and can be played at any point in this order.

The Council of Catarinas (game screenshot)

While familiarity with the original series is helpful, the game does a great job of introducing the setting and characters for new players. The writers preserved the humor and charm that made the series popular, including fan-favorite comedic gags like the Council of Catarinas. For completionists like me, the 100 save slots and visible character affinity levels makes it easy to reach the different endings. Completing all 25 endings takes around 40-45 hours, but the visual novel style is great for playing at your own pace. Pirates of Disturbance does have its flaws (the English translation is awkward in places) but overall, it is an enjoyable and light-hearted game, perfect for both long-time fans and newcomers.

My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! : Pirates of the Disturbance is available on Nintendo Switch.

Love Your Library During a Reading Slump

If you just can’t read a book right now, don’t feel bad! You’re not a worse person because you can’t get yourself to read anything more than a cereal box or social media post. Whether you’re busy with schoolwork, family obligations, or just plain burnt out, you can still love and support your library and be part of our bookish lifestyle without picking up a single book.

Tip #1: Do something cool! Try the TechKnow library (featuring a digital camera, a mobile scanner, Snapchat spectacles, and MUCH more), our collection of board games (from Scrabble to Super Mario Checkers), or a community experience pass to a local museum like the Figge.

Tip #2: Go multimedia! Save some serious money by checking out a new movie (like Till or the new season of You), music CD (maybe Charlie Puth’s latest?), or video game (including PS5 games like Dying Light 2) so you can try before you buy.

Tip #3: Read without reading! Skim a heartwarming graphic novel like Moonstruck, or listen to a book on playaway or CD (pro tip: pick a short one like The Poet X, a 3.5 hour listen) for a quick lit fix. (Disclaimer: these are definitely real books and count as real reading, but since they may be easier than traditional print, I’m including them.)

Tip #4: Just show up! Come exist in our spaces – read magazines and enjoy the view at Eastern, warm up at Fairmount’s fireplace, or schedule a Makerspace tour at Main.

Tip #5: Be social with it! Engage on social media from home — repost our news and events, browse databases and digital resources, and check out challenges in the Beanstack website or app.

However you engage with the library, we appreciate you and we want to hear from you! What’s your favorite way to ride out a reading slump – or your favorite way to love the library?

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for Nintendo Switch

It’s no secret I’m largely a fitness gamer – my most-played games for 2021 were Just Dance 2021, Fitness Boxing 2, and RingFit Adventure. Recently I realized that I’ve been neglecting a very fun and relatively active game that also acts as a somewhat ironic time capsule: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The actual games were postponed to 2021, though still held in Tokyo, but luckily Mario, Sonic, and friends had no such restrictions.

Reminding me most of the Wii Sports suite that was popular when I was younger, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games features a variety of Olympic events, including sprints, long jump, discus throwing, archery, canoeing, swimming, boxing, and many more. Using physical activity to simulate the actual athletics is one way to play (and the way I chose) but there’s flexibility built in so that controller buttons can also be used.

I loved that this game was active but not as strenuous as others, and it has a lot of flexibility. It would make a great party game or group activity since it takes pretty much an equal mix of skill and luck to do well. Longtime gamers might enjoy the 1964 Olympics mode or the story mode that makes it a more cohesive experience. But I advise anyone who’s looking for a lively gaming experience with old friends Mario and Sonic to give this game a try – especially if the cold of winter makes you long for summer sports!

Did You Know It Was a Book First? The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski

I love comparing books to their TV or movie adaptations – ask me about The Devil Wears Prada sometime. Right now, as the new season of The Witcher launches on Netflix, I’m reflecting on my recent read of The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski, the book which first introduced Geralt of Rivia to the world – and eventually rocketed him to fame in video games and now as played by Henry Cavill. Here’s my breakdown of this iconic fantasy franchise, then and now.

ON THE PAGE

I expected a much darker, gritter fantasy than this actually turned out to be. This first book, The Last Wish, acts as a series of short vignettes as highly-trained and lightly superpowered Geralt goes on his adventures fighting monsters for money, and in fact most of these vignettes read as retellings of classic fairy tales. I identified, among others, one like Snow White and one like Beauty and the Beast, both of which seem to echo the source material with wry humor and a good dose of feminist reality check. Along the way, interspersed chapters start to hint at a larger story to come, linked to Geralt’s history with sorceress Yennefer – who’s finally introduced in the book’s final story revealing how Geralt and Yennefer first met. Important themes include what makes a monster, lesser vs. greater evils, and the losses in lifestyle and belonging that happen as society changes. While obviously standing apart from the rest of society, Geralt is very human and sympathetic, and his good friend Dandelion adds even more lightness and humor.

ON THE SCREEN

The show (currently only available on Netflix, and not on DVD or Blu-Ray) takes full advantage of its medium to expand as much as possible – Yennefer gets her own dose of screen time instead of only being seen from Geralt’s perspective, and Geralt’s backstory including his childhood is explored in much more detail. Geralt himself, however, is much less talkative in the show than in the books, which may be because in a visual medium, more nonverbal communication is possible. Another obvious change is one in translation – in the books Geralt’s troubadour friend is identified as Dandelion, but on the show they kept his Polish name, Jaskier, which actually literally translates to ‘buttercup’ in English. And of course, because The Last Wish functions more as an introductory book than a plot-driven one, the stories in the show are also from later books than the one I read, and expand more on various battles and events. In the interest of full disclosure, I drew most of these insights from others’ perspectives, as at the time of writing I haven’t yet seen enough of the show to comment.

Speaking for myself, I think I’ll enjoy both equally as each uses their medium to full advantage; I prefer a chatty, relatable Geralt but I love the idea of showing Yennefer’s perspective and keeping Dandelion’s original name. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more books in this series and catching up with the show. If you’re into fantasy that’s exciting but not too heavy, I recommend reading The Last Wish for a bit of adventure, or at least background context for your next binge-watching session.

Cris Tales for the Nintendo Switch

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience the past, present, and future all at the same time? Do you like games filled with adventure, fantasy, and cute animal side kicks? Cris Tales might be the game for you!

This Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG) follows the story of orphan, Crisbell. Crisbell is an ordinary girl, until one day she discovers she is a Time Mage. With her new found abilities to jump from the present to the future or the past, the fate of the Four Kingdoms lies in her hands. She must defeat the fear mongering Time Empress! However, Crisbell isn’t alone in her fight; allies from around the kingdom Christopher, Willhelm, and more band together. She also relies on her animal sidekick, Matias, who guides Crisbell through this brand new world of being a Time Mage.

Cris Tales is surely to be a new favorite JRPG. Right off the bat, the player is immersed in the drama surrounding the Four Kingdom’s fight against the Time Empress. The player learns a lot of the important skills at the beginning of the game. Cris Tales also allows you to venture off and explore. You can talk to multiple townsfolk and learn more. The plot is fun and easy to follow.

The turn based fighting style, allows the player to think through the moves they want to make. I liked this concept for the game. Some traditional RPG’s can get intense with the fight scenes, and by the time you think about what to do, you have to start over. The turn based element keeps the fight scenes simple and kid friendly.

Cris Tales is available on the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One/Series X.

Fitness Boxing 2 for Nintendo Switch

Need to get out a little frustration, but still like to move to the beat? Then you might like Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise, a game for Nintendo Switch. I came to the game hopeful, because I’ve liked the boxing and kickboxing I’ve tried in the past, but skeptical that it would measure up to the other, very robust, fitness games I’ve already discovered on Nintendo Switch.

Fitness Boxing starts with a comprehensive tutorial walking you through the moves and the basic game interface and how to set your goals and customizations, and only after you’ve completed the tutorials can you unlock other portions of the game. I liked that this was a cumulative and careful learning process, but sometimes I like to drop in and figure things out as I go, so I thought it was a pity you couldn’t skip some of the early steps to just start experimenting. The more I played, however, the slow and steady unlocking of more features made the game addictive and rewarding. Not to mention the fact that jumping into new moves and routines without knowing what I was doing led to some serious sore muscles.

The game integrates the instrumentals of some well-known pop songs (Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, and Marshmello, among others) into its workouts, which I found really helpful when trying to stay on the beat (apparently boxing is all about rhythm?) though I did get distracted trying to sing along. And distraction is BAD in this game, because timing is everything. If you don’t move at just the right time you’ll miss your punch and lower your score, and along with it your “estimated fitness age” that’s calculated at the end of the workout. Me personally, I didn’t really appreciate some trainers’ vaguely judgmental commentary on your performance and estimated age, but maybe that’s just me. Either way it wound up working a number of muscles I forgot I had, and even virtual jabs and uppercuts are strangely cathartic. The specific punches are surprisingly technical and hard to get right, and the instructors (of which there are a pretty good variety to choose from and personalize) are animated in a vaguely unsatisfying style that doesn’t move totally naturally with the actual movements you’re doing – this is mostly concerning in the stretching portion, where doing it incorrectly has real consequences.

All around, it wasn’t the best Nintendo Switch fitness game I’ve tried (Zumba Burn It Up still holds that spot), not least because it’s oddly challenging in unexpected ways, but it’s a solid contender to have in your rotation of virtual workouts. If you like fitness video games, learning in cumulative chunks, boxing, and lively animation, you might enjoy Fitness Boxing 2.

PGA Tour 2K21 Video Game

guest post by Anthony

When I was a kid I loved playing the Tiger Woods PGA Tour golf games but it has been quite a while since I last played one. I’ve been an avid golfer for most of my life though I’ve fallen off a little bit over the last couple of years. This summer I’ve been making an effort to get out on the course a lot more often and it’s been fun to get back into one of my favorite hobbies. It has been so much fun in fact than in addition to playing golf in real life I’ve also been eager to get back into playing virtual golf as well. PGA Tour 2K21 is the more recent golf simulation game that has come out and I’ve been really enjoying my time with it.

The game looks amazing with a multitude of real life PGA Tour courses on offer, including our local TPC Deere Run which hosts the John Deere Classic over in Silvis, Illinois.  The team behind the game scanned all 15 of the real courses from the game so all the bunkers, water hazards, and fairways match their real life counterparts. The visuals and sound effects do a lot to showcase the beautiful courses and the gameplay mechanics make it almost as much fun to play as real golf. Swinging a golf club in the game is intuitive and when you make mistakes it is easy to see what you did wrong, something that is not quite as easy to figure out in real life.

The game has a couple of main modes. The two biggest are the PGA Tour mode were you create a golfer than work your way up from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour, while unlocking new gear, clothes, and sponsors along the way. This is the main mode that I’ve been playing and I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. The other main mode is multiplayer. I’ve played a couple of games online with friends and it plays just like single player does, just with other humans instead of the computer. It’s fun to be able to play on a bunch of tournament level courses that I will likely never have the opportunity to play on in real life. I can play them a lot better in PGA Tour 2K21 than I probably could in real life as well.

PGA Tour 2K21 is available on Nintendo Switch and XBox One.

New Pokemon Snap for Nintendo Switch

If you’re an action / military / sports gamer, I’m very sorry, I still don’t have any recommendations for you. If you like gentle, low pressure games, though, I’ve got another highly-anticipated gem to recommend: New Pokemon Snap.

I’ve heard lots of hype surrounding this release and I believe it’s warranted: this game from the Pokemon universe lets you live out your wilderness photographer dreams seeking and documenting various Pokemon in their natural habitats. The game play is relaxing and easy to learn, and you get a thrill of exploration and discovery along with bonus points for capturing particularly good photos.

Here’s the basics: you’ve joined the research team of Professor Mirror, who’s studying Pokemon behavior with the help of his assistant Rita (and some others). He gives you a pod to travel in and a camera to take photos with, and he sends you to various nature preserves. Your pod travels slowly along a preprogrammed course, and it’s your job to keep your eyes peeled for Pokemon along the way. Your camera can scan your surroundings, identify Pokemon, and zoom in to take good photos, and you also have a supply of fruit to toss to attract hungry ones. You must go back to the same course a few times to level up and unlock a new area, but there’s always something new to discover. You can also go to the courses at night to see a whole new set of Pokemon and behavior, including the mystical Illumina effect.

With beautiful scenery, cute creatures, and a variety of courses to unlock, this is a great game to get lost in, and another good entry point into the Pokemon universe. I myself got quickly addicted and was very sad to have to turn the game back into the library. Don’t miss it!