2017’s Game of the Year Winners

When searching for games to add to your collection, it’s always good to check-in with the five major industry award shows. The following games received “Game of the Year” honors in 2017:

    The Game Awards: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    GDC Awards: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    DICE Awards: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    SXSW Gaming Awards: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    BAFTA Games Awards: What Remains of Edith Finch

A complete list of all winners and nominees can be found below. Continue reading

April 2018’s Free PlayStation Plus Games for PS4, PS3, Vita

April 2018’s selection of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers includes Avalanche Studios’s Mad Max and more wild racing with Ubisoft’s TrackMania Turbo. “Witness!” the announcement on the PlayStation Blog

First stop: Mad Max for PS4! Developed by Avalanche Studios, you star as the iconic lone warrior surviving a hostile Wasteland. Max Rockatansky’s dangerous journey begins after a gang steals his legendary Interceptor. Combining open-world vehicle combat with bone-crunching battles, Mad Max will keep you fully immersed as you fight to get your Interceptor back and make it to the Plains of Silence.

Racing fans will appreciate TrackMania Turbo, a polished PS4 arcade racing game where your goal is to achieve the perfect racing time. You can hone your skills with 200 pre-built tracks, then create and share your own custom tracks to make the competition last forever.

This month’s other free downloads available with a PlayStation Plus subscription are…

  • In Space We Brawl (PS4, PS3)
  • 99 Vidas (PS4, PS3, PS Vita)
  • Q*Bert Rebooted (PS4, PS3, PS Vita)
  • Toy Home (PS3)

April 2018’s Free Games With Gold for Xbox One/Xbox 360

Microsoft has announced April 2018’s additions to the Games With Gold service on the Xbox Wire blog, and Xbox Live Gold subscribers will once again be able to download four more free games during the month. Xbox One owners will be able to pick up the 2016’s The Witness and 2015’s Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. And if you’ve still got an Xbox 360, you’ll be able to download survival horror classic Dead Space 2 and the family-friendly Cars 2.

Click here for more information about all four selections from the Games With Gold program this month…

The Witness
Available April 1 to April 30 on Xbox One

You awake on an island with no idea where or who you are. Over 500 puzzles lay before you as you slowly regain your memories piece by piece in the hopes of finding your way off this mysterious, gorgeous island in this challenging open-world puzzler that has been described by admirers as beautiful, challenging, and a puzzler’s paradise.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Available April 16 to May 15 on Xbox One

The Industrial Revolution in London provides the backdrop in this epic chapter of the Assassin’s Creed series, as you play as siblings endeavoring to retake the city back from the Templars. With new fighting mechanics, extraordinary tools, and new modes of transport, build your gang and fight to bring justice and the rule of law back to your home city.

Cars 2
Available April 1 to April 15 on Xbox One and Xbox 360

Become the fastest racecar in the world. Play as Mater, Lightning McQueen, or other favorites as you take on dangerous missions, action-packed challenges, and race against friends in this high-speed adventure inspired by the film Cars 2.

Dead Space 2
Available April 16 to April 30 on Xbox One and Xbox 360

Return as Isaac Clarke in the terrifying sequel to the classic Dead Space. This time you’ll find yourself on The Sprawl, an epic space city that has fallen under attack. Fight mysterious government operators and the deadly Necromorph with a variety of tools and customized weapons, trying to piece together what has transpired from the first game while recovering from the ill effects of your recent coma.

March 2018’s Free PlayStation Plus Games for PS4, PS3, Vita

Fans of ultra-difficult action RPGs will be pleased to learn that Sony will offer PlayStation Plus subscribers a free download of Bloodborne during the month of March. This month’s selection of free PlayStation Plus games also includes Insomniac’s Ratchet & Clank and several other titles, as revealed on the PlayStation Blog:

First up, we have the award-winning action RPG Bloodborne. Hunt your nightmares as you search for answers in the ancient city of Yharnam, now cursed with a strange endemic illness spreading through the streets like wildfire. Danger, death and madness lurk around every corner of this dark and horrific world, and you must discover its darkest secrets in order to survive.

Next, we have Ratchet & Clank. Get acquainted (or reacquainted) with some of the greatest heroes in PlayStation history. Based on elements from the original Ratchet & Clank (PS2), Ratchet & Clank brings Insomniac’s classic, out-of-this-world-gameplay to the PS4. Join Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark, and their new friends as they battle to save the Solana Galaxy. Armed with an arsenal of original weapons the franchise is renowned for, including the new Pixelizer and fan-favorites like the dance-party-inducing Groovitron, you’ll explore the galaxy and get a deeper look at the origin story of these two beloved characters.

This month’s PlayStation Plus lineup also includes:

  • Bombing Busters (PS4)
  • Claire: Extended Cut (PS4)
  • Mighty No. 9 (PS4)
  • Legend of Kay (PS3)
  • Mighty No. 9 (PS3)
  • Bombing Busters (PS Vita)
  • Claire: Extended Cut (PS Vita)

A trailer showcasing the selections for March 2018 has been embedded above.

March 2018’s Free Games With Gold for Xbox One/Xbox 360

Microsoft has announced which games will be available to download for through the Games With Gold program in March on the Xbox Wire blog, and they include a pair of puzzling first person shooters, a Disney adaptation, and a “driving platformer.”

In March on Xbox One, take control of Sergeant Rex Power Colt’s cyber commando kids as they drive and shoot their way through a variety of environments in Trials of the Blood Dragon, then experience one of the most innovative and award-winning shooters in Superhot. On Xbox 360 and Xbox One via Backward Compatibility, we’ll start with the action adventure game based on the classic Disney-Pixar film Brave: The Video Game, followed by the challenging puzzle-platformer Quantum Conundrum.

Superhot and Quantum Conundrum are both fantastic games, and their puzzle-based levels make them perfect for crowd play.

Click here to learn more about Microsoft’s selections for Games With Gold in March 2018… Continue reading

February 2018’s Free PlayStation Plus Games for PS4, PS3, Vita

Sony has revealed the games that’ll be available to download for free this February as part of their PlayStation Plus subscription service on the PlayStation Blog:

First up, we have Rime. This single player puzzle adventure is set in a beautiful world where you play as a young boy who has awakened on a mysterious island after a torrential storm. Armed with your wits and a will to overcome, you must explore this mysterious island, reach the tower’s peak, and unlock its closely guarded secrets.

Next up is the family friendly adventure game Knack. Take control of Knack and his signature size-shifting abilities to protect the world from a dangerous threat – the invading Goblin Army. Knack is a fun-filled adventure that lets players wield fantastic powers and discover a uniquely vibrant world.

This month’s PlayStation Plus lineup also includes:

  • Grand Kingdom (PS4)
  • Spelunker HD (PS3)
  • Mugen Souls Z (PS3)
  • Exiles End (PS Vita)
  • Grand Kingdom (PS Vita)

A trailer showcasing the selections for February 2018 has been embedded above.

Video Game Librarian’s Favorite Games of 2017

2017 was an absolutely incredible year for video games, and after helping put together the “Golden Pixel Awards” at Warp Zoned, I thought I’d share also some of my favorites from the past year right here.

Some of the picks, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, won’t be too surprising, but maybe some of them will… Continue reading

Four-Player Sports Video Games @ Inverse Genius

Just in time for the Super Bowl, the Games in Schools and Libraries blog at Inverse Genius has offered up a great collection of sports video games that are perfect for four players:

Sports games are always an excellent addition to any video game collection. They see constant play and are nearly always multiplayer. Their appeal to a broad audience brings in a fair number of patrons we wouldn’t see otherwise, as well as being accessible to all ages.

Whether they’re rumbling down the sidelines for a touchdown or taking a last-second shot at the goal, your patrons will definitely enjoy Madden NFL 18, FIFA 18, NBA 2K18, and NHL 18.