2023 has been a very busy year for great game releases (though a terrible year for the people who make the games we love). And if you’re trying to keep up with every game that launches to critical acclaim, it’s probably going to take a toll on your bank account.
There are deals that can help you get around that. I got access toHi-Fi Rush,Venba,Cocoon, andLies of PthroughXbox Game Pass, and am planning to attempt to make time forLike a Dragon: Ishin!now that it’s been added to the service. If you have one of the higher tierPS Plusaccounts, you could use the Sony service to play the great indie RPGSea of Stars(or Game Pass, it’s everywhere) and one of this year’s best received puzzle games,Humanity. And, if you’re plugged into theEpic Games Store, you can get a couple of free games every week (though few of them are new releases). But that still leaves a bunch of new games that you can’t play without shelling out a lot of money. With triple-A prices increasing this generation, you’re often looking at $70 a pop.
In my quest to spend as little as possible while playing as much as possible, my local library has played a vital role. I’ve often seen people say online that if libraries didn’t already exist they would be painted as a pie-in-the-sky socialist idea, and there are certainly moments when they feel downright utopian. I currently haveArmored Core 6: Fires of RubiconandStar Wars Jedi: Survivorchecked out, andDisney Illusion Islandon the way. I played through library copies ofMetroid Prime RemasteredandMarvel’s Midnight Suns earlier this year, and am planning to borrow Diablo 4, Street Fighter 6, and Fire Emblem Engage if I can find the time.
Even if you’re not into games, libraries are extremely useful for keeping up with film. My library and the extended network available through interlibrary loan have just about every new movie I might want to see, and most old films I want to see (sometimes they even have the Criterion Collection version with the little essay booklet). And, if they don’t, my library card grants access to Kanopy, a free service that likely has digital versions I can watch from an app on my TV.
Libraries are a vital service and, unless you’re an avid reader, you may not be aware of the breadth of things they can offer. My library has tons of movies on DVD and Blu-ray, hundreds of CDs, several shelves of comic books, and even more dedicated to manga. There’s a library of things, where you may rent an instrument, a sewing machine, a Chromebook, and plenty else. American society is constantly in the process of hollowing out more and more third spaces — those gathering places that aren’t home and aren’t work — and libraries remain a vital public good where communities can come together free of charge.
But if you don’t care about any of that, well, you may borrow Spider-Man 2 or Super Mario Bros. Wonder without paying a dime. You may have to wait a little while for the game to come in, but maybe you can learn ukulele or read Berserk in the meantime.
