Tag Archives: video games

ESPN Fantasy Sports

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Fantasy Football - Leagues, Rankings, News, Picks & More - ESPNMany of you probably enjoy watching sports, whether it’s basketball, football, baseball, or even hockey. Now, what if I told you that you could have your own virtual team including your favorite players that help you get wins every week? Well, actually, you can!

ESPN Fantasy Sports is an app that allows you to play fantasy football, basketball, or any other major professional team sport in America (except soccer). 

To get started, you just need to create an account with ESPN Fantasy. Then, you can join a random online league and/or create your own league where you invite your friends to join. After creating a fantasy league of your choice, you need to send the invite link to your friends who you would like to join the league. Then, you can arrange a draft time when you and your fellow fantasy players will be able to draft your fantasy team. You can choose any player, from any team, to draft. 

After the draft, you can drop and pick up players onto your roster. You can also do trades with other teams, exchanging players, sometimes multiple at a time. 

I definitely recommend making a fantasy football league when the next season comes around (It might be too late now for this season) as it is extremely popular and fun to play. Since I enjoy basketball, I am also in a Fantasy Basketball league, but I suggest you make/join a fantasy league based on the sports you like. If you like hockey, maybe join a fantasy hockey league. If you enjoy baseball, maybe create a fantasy baseball league. In addition, the WNBA also has a fantasy league, so if that’s something you’re interested in, go for it! 

Fantasy football (and other sports) is one of my favorite activities to share with my friends. Whether it’s negotiating trades, trying to decide which players to choose on draft day, or competing in a neck-and-neck battle between fantasy teams, fantasy is a great way to socialize with friends, while competing at the same time! 

FIFA 22

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Although many people have heard of NBA 2K and Madden NFL, you would be surprised to hear about how less popular another sports-related video game is. FIFA 22 is my favorite video game, despite the fact that I don’t play or watch soccer. So, today I will be introducing you to FIFA, the soccer video game that allows you to play with many (and almost all) professional soccer teams in the world. Whether you want to play with a powerhouse like Real Madrid or a less popular team, FIFA will allow you to use your favorite players and replicate the most thrilling matches! 

Just like MyTeam in NBA2K and Madden Ultimate Team in Madden NFL, FIFA also has a game mode for you to create your dream lineup by collecting player cards. You can purchase these cards through auctions or pull them from packs. This game mode, FIFA Ultimate Team, makes you feel like a general manager! 

In addition, you can create your own player in the FIFA Career Mode. You can choose his height, weight, kit number, team, and position. Personally, the goalkeeper and striker (primary attacker) are some interesting positions I recommend trying in this mode. If you don’t want to create your own player, you can also play as someone who already exists, such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. 

There are other game modes in this video game, too. One of my favorite ways to play FIFA is through Tournament Mode where I get to choose a team and compete in their country’s league (Ligue 1 for French teams, English Premier League for English teams, La Liga for Spanish teams, and more). I like playing with Paris Saint Germain because of their super-team with Mbappe in the middle and Neymar and Messi at the wings. 

In conclusion, FIFA is an awesome game that I wish I had tried earlier than only a few months ago. If you ever need a new game to play, give FIFA a try! 

Terraria Game Review

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Terraria is a 2-dimensional survival game where you explore and utilize the vast world you spawn in to upgrade your weapons and armor. The game contains many different monsters, animals, and bosses that all get progressively stronger as your progress in the game. The pixelated world has many different biomes that are all different in their own way, and the game easily has one of the best music tracks that switch up with each setting. 

When I first started playing this game, I instantly got hooked because of the thousands of different craftable items that you can make. You can make a wide range of items like magic wands and grappling hooks, all the way to weaponized yo-yos. Each item is unique and has its own special uses like how some allow your character to fly and teleport to different places.

One of the main components of Terraria is the boss fights. Each boss gets progressively harder to defeat, and they can be summoned by crafting items or by appearing naturally. Besides fighting against giant worms, bees, and sentient pieces of slime, I really enjoyed the game because it introduced a really interesting concept called hard mode. After going to the undergrounds of hell and defeating a boss called the wall of flesh, your character will enter hard mode and the world around you will change. Hard mode does a great job of keeping the player entertained by introducing new weapons, monsters, and bosses that get even stronger.

Terraria is a very fun game that I would recommend to people who enjoy playing explorer games like Minecraft. Its combination of vibrant graphics, challenging bosses, and a large number of weapons and items make it one of my favorite games and would most likely make it yours too.

Overall, I would rate this game a 9/10

-Christian P.

Geometry Dash

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Geometry Dash is one of the best games out there. It is a very cost effective game being only $1.99 on the App Store. This game is very underrated in my opinion and should be more popular because of its seemingly infinite amount of replayability.

It has 21 main levels that come with the game. These are a good starting ground as they start off very easy and get pretty difficult in the end. Then once you hone your skills by beating these levels, you can go to the online section which has over 50,000,000 fan made levels. These can range from simple level builds to art masterpieces. People have made minigames inside of levels. The possibilities are endless. Anyone who plays this game should never run out of things to build and levels to beat.

How the game works is that there are a bunch of different game modes to choose from. The simple one is the cube (even though it is a 2d game). You just tap the screen to jump over spikes. Simple as that. Right? Not true at all. With the different game modes there are infinite challenges to overcome such as blind jumps and invisible gameplay. Next is how the game works. The levels are all made of a certain amount of objects. These can range from 1 to 1,029,093 getting laggier as the objects increase. The objective of the game is to avoid dying and getting to the end of the level. You jump and fly to avoid the spikes and to avoid crashing into a wall. Every time you die you need to start over at the beginning. Every. Single. Time. It gets really annoying very fast but that is the charm of this game. This game has the most bang for its buck in terms of replayability. That is why I would recommend this game for people who want a fun game to spend their time playing.

-Jasper D.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus

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I like to consider myself a Pokemon connoisseur. I have played all of the Pokemon games at least 3 times each and would like to think that I have a good understanding of which of these games and my favorite and which ones I would recommend playing.

This game combines the fun of catching and battling a wide variety of Pokemon throughout a specific region. It also has the same open-world charm that Breath Of The Wild had in the Zelda franchise.

The backstory behind this game is that for one, it takes place in the Sinnoh region, the fourth region in the Pokemon franchise. The first games that featured this region came out in September of 2006. They were the original Diamond and Pearl. They showcased brand new Pokemon and even brand new mechanics such as the Underground, where a player can dig for fossils which had never been featured prior to this game.

In November of last year, the Pokemon company released Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. These were the faithful Gen 4 remakes that most Pokemon fans were hoping for. This game added more mechanics related to the Underground, such as new areas where Pokemon could spawn. This was a really good way to acquire some rare Pokemon that could only be obtained by trade between other consoles.

This was the only new feature that they added to this game, so people were not that happy about this because they wanted new mechanics. Oh, but what they didn’t know was that they would get what could very be the best Pokemon game ever made up to this day.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes place in the Hisui region which is what the Sinnoh region was called in the past. This game has a story about how the Sinnoh region came to be and takes place very far in the past regarding the Sinnoh region. The part of the name with the word Arceus is also the name of the supposed god of all of the Pokemon universe. This game focuses on how Arceus came to be and how the world of Pokemon was created.

Now onto the mechanics of the game. The first noticeable one is the feature of Outbreaks. Once you get far enough into the game, everytime you move between locations, each location has a change to have an outbreak of a specific Pokemon. This means that you will be able to locate and catch 4-12 of the same Pokemon. These also have a very boosted Shiny chance.

Just a bit of background info, a Shiny is a Pokemon that has a different color than its original version, and are very rare and prized possessions.

These are all ways to improve your in game experience and trust me when I say, this game is the peak of Pokemon as of right now.

-Jasper D.

Game Review: Marvel’s Spider-Man

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run up and down walls and swing from building to building in Midtown Manhattan?  The Spider-Man action adventure game developed by Insomniac Games allows you to do that. Released by Sony Interactive Entertainment on September 7, 2018 exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and recently released for the PS5, Spider-Man allows the player a third person perspective of a superhero wandering around New York City, taking on missions and battling the bad guys.  With over 13 million copies sold, Spider-Man made it near the top of the list of most games ever sold for the PlayStation 4 version and it’s easy to see why.

I really enjoyed this game for multiple reasons. One of the reasons is because of the variety of unique suits. There are 47 different suits each with an ability that you can mix with any suit you want. With these suits you can dress up with some of the suits in the movies as well as some suits from the comics. You can also unlock suit modifications which give you additional abilities like reducing damage or increasing the time enemies need to spot you.

Another reason why I liked this game is because of the advanced combat system. Through the skill tree you can gain additional attacks and abilities giving you an infinite amount of combinations for defeating enemies. In addition to this, you can also unlock gadgets which can do various tasks to help you in missions and battles. An example of some of these gadgets are the electric web which allows you to activate certain electronic parts like a fuse box.

 My favorite part of this game is the massive replica of New York that you can swing from building to building and collect backpacks, open research stations, and stop crime. This scale replica of New York  includes many famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and Central Park. When you find backpacks, open research stations, or stop crimes you earn tokens which can allow you to buy new suits, gadgets, or suit modifications.

Overall, this is a great action-adventure game, rated T for teens, that most everyone would enjoy. I highly suggest you check it out. You can even borrow it from the Mission Viejo Library.

-Brandon G.

Marvel’s Spider-Man is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library.

Marvel’s Avengers: The Game

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This high-quality video game features 4 different story modes and 1 online game mode. The newest of these 4 story modes is the Black Panther and Wakanda expansion. Many of the original Avengers are found in this game, including Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Captain America, and the newest playable character, Black Panther. Each character has 3 abilities, which act like power-ups for a short time before they need to recharge.

The first story primarily follows Kamala Khan, also known in the Marvel Universe as Ms. Marvel. It starts off at a celebration of the Avengers, but things quickly go awry as they get attacked and Captain America dies. Kamala gains Inhuman powers in a world that fears Inhumans and does not like the Avengers anymore. One day, amidst AIM’s (Advanced Idea Mechanics) announcements that they are doing everything they can to take care of Inhumans, Kamala is taken into the world of the Avengers. 

I really enjoy playing this video game and the stories are very engaging. There are so many missions to complete and the storylines connect with each other really well. It constantly keeps you guessing. I also liked how you are able to play as a lot of different Avengers characters. There are constantly new players, stories, and challenges being added into the game. 

The stunning graphics, the amazing gamemodes and stories, and the variety of characters makes this a very enjoyable video game. I would recommend anyone who enjoys Marvel or adventures to play Marvel Avengers. 

I would rate this game a 10/10.

-Peri A.

Marvel’s Avengers: The Game is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

List of Video Games to try!

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NBA2K21: With the NBA Playoffs in action, if you are a basketball fan, you might want to get on NBA2K21 and play with the real matchups a little bit. With the different game modes from MyCareer where you build a player or the Play Now game mode where you can play with all of the current NBA teams. This is my favorite video game and I suggest you try it. 

Madden NFL 2021: If you enjoy watching or playing football, I suggest you play this game because it is based off of the NFL. You can buy the latest version of the game which is Madden NFL 2021 at the moment, but you can also play the older versions like Madden NFL 2020 or Madden NFL 2019. If you want the current NFL rosters, you might want to play the newest edition, but if you are just looking for the Madden experience, I recommend Madden NFL 19 or Madden NFL 20. You can purchase them at a more reasonable price. 

Minecraft: Building, creativity, and survival are all different elements in this game. You can use your creativity to build different structures and homes, but you need to make sure to survive. I love to play Minecraft, especially with my sister. Playing solo is fun, but playing with friends is awesome! You can play in Survival mode, where you have to collect materials and craft tools, or you can also play in Creative mode, where the game is mainly based off of building. You have unlimited supplies, and can do anything you want without worrying about dying in the game. 

Tennis World Tour 2: If you are a fan of tennis or play the sport yourself, you might want to try this game. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal headlining the players you can use in this game, there are many great options for you if you are interested in using your favorite tennis players. I recommend playing this game against your friends or family, but you can also play against the computer. Also, it is a fun way of learning the rules of the sport. 

Rocket League: This is definitely one of my favorite video games. You can customize your dream car and use it during matches. My sister and I also enjoy bringing home the championship trophy after a long season filled with competitive matches against the computer. It doesn’t end there though, because you can play online against others or you can play exhibition matches in your favorite Rocket League stadiums. 

The Golf Club 2019: If you have been looking for an incredible golf game, look no further than The Golf Club 2019. In this game, you can customize your character and you can choose if you want to start a career in golf. You can also just play a competitive exhibition match against your friends.  

These games are very enjoyable and fun to play. It might take some time  to learn the controls at first, but later, I am sure you will enjoy these games as much as I have. 

-Mert A.

Game Review: We Were Here

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Two adventurers, stranded in the mountains. An ancient castle, full of secrets. And only a radio to talk with.

We Were Here is an indie puzzle game similar to an escape room. The two player game starts as both players are captured by an unknown entity. The players are separated, with one in a library and one in an enclosed room. This is one very interesting aspect of the game. The players are completely isolated from each other, with voice chat as the only way for players to communicate. The puzzles, which might be easy to solve normally, become much more difficult when neither player can see what the other is seeing. Good communication and descriptive wording are absolutely necessary if you want to make it out alive.

A friend and I played this together, and we had a blast. The puzzles were fun but not overly challenging. The changing scenery kept the game fresh throughout our play, and we both really loved the atmosphere of the game. We may have died once (or twice) but it never got boring. We were pleasantly surprised by this excellent game.

One thing I love about this game is that it showcases the potential shown by virtual escape rooms. When the escape room is fully digital, you can have all sorts of crazy scenarios, puzzles, and themes. Who cares if you freeze to death while playing a giant game of chess? Who cares if a murderous marionette ends your theater career early? It’s all just a game!

So, in conclusion, I’d definitely recommend checking We Were Here out. It’s a nice, simple game with a cool premise, and it’s loads of fun with a friend. Even, better, as I write this, it’s free on most platforms (Xbox, PS4, Steam, etc). So pick this up and give it a try if you’re looking for a fun cooperative challenge.

9/10

– Josh M.

Game Review: Eyes

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The game eyes is a horror game that has the player navigate through a mansion in hopes to find twenty money bags. If you get the twenty money bags through the door your free, but there is a catch. The house consists of one spirit that wanders around trying to ensure that you do not leave.

There are three floors and to find the money bags you must search in cupboards, drawers, and shelves. 

This game is different from every other game because around the house there are symbols of eyes drawn on the walls and when you collect them they show you what the spirit sees. This can help you tell what floor the spirit is on and if it is safe to leave the room or not. 

When the spirit is within ten feet of you everything around you will start to rattle, you will start to hear heavy breathing, and rats will start coming out of the floorboards. 

Overall the CGI in the game is very well done and looks realistic. The plot and goal of the game are very intriguing. The game is very fun to play especially in the dark and I would recommend this game to anyone who likes jumpscares. 

-Sanjana S.