Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 100

"Valkyria Chronicles 4" Review

After a mic-drop debut in 2008 on the PlayStation 3, the "Valkyria Chronicles" series had spread itself too thin, losing its focus in watered-down, sporadic spinoffs. "Valkyria Chronicles 4," though, marks a proud return to form.

The tactical strategy enterprise is just as much of a head-turner today as the original was a decade ago. The dev team at Sega has approached and largely achieved the vision set forth by the first game in the saga, marking a watershed achievement. "Valkyria Chronicles 4" matches an enchanting narrative with stylized visuals, a thematically enhanced score and sharp writing to an airtight combat, upgrade and resource management system.

It's the action-infused battles where the game's threads of tension, suspense and execution come to a head. Orchestrating your party's priorities as you systematically take down the opposition is a fascinating and often harrowing rush. This is a game that's dangerous for its ability to captivate you, making time and priorities slip away as you obsess over the next step in your path to glory.

Chapter after chapter, the plot changes the paradigm on you, forcing you to forget what you think you know and channel your creativity and gumption to forge new solutions on the fly, making use of your limited, often unbalanced forces to jury rig a ramshackle way to survive and advance.

To call "Valyria Chronicles 4" a surprise for its excellence would be something of a disservice to its heritage. So if the game doesn't shock you with its overwhelming competence, it certainly at least satisfies while slickly relieving any doubts that may have mounted over the years. "Valkyria Chronicles," like George Costanza, is back, baby.
Publisher provided review code.

Book Report: "A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever"

A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever by Josh Karp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was drawn to this by the Netflix movie, which is a much more entertaining rundown of the rise and fall of Doug Kenney and the National Lampoon empire. Karp's book has much more detail and nuance, but gets bogged down in the effort to complete a well-rounded portrait rather than focus on Kenney's foibles and the wackiness that went on off the clock.

Reading like a textbook, albeit an often fascinating textbook stuffed with all sorts of inappropriate, cocaine-fueled 1970s mayhem, the book chronicles the origins of biting political satire that reshaped the whole of the entertainment medium, spawning the likes of "Animal House," "Caddyshack," the "Vacation" series, "Saturday Night Live" and the indomitable John Hughes.

Kenney emerges as a lost soul; a genius incapable of handling the success or especially the perceived failure that the highs and lows of life thrust upon him as he ran roughshod through the print world and Hollywood. The finest moments are those that get intimate with Kenney and his most meaningful relationships, particularly with Chevy Chase.

This is an instance in which you can get all the good stuff by watching the Netflix movie and save the book only to sate the need of fully nerding out.

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PHIL ON FILM: "A Simple Favor"

For my written review, click here.

"Senran Kagura Reflections" Review

Unless played any way but ironically, "Senran Kagura Reflexions," is almost sure to creep you out. It seems geared to do so.

Shamelessly and outrageously creepy, the game tasks you play as a reflexologist whose job it is to touch, stroke, massage and otherwise fondle a string of bubbly, jiggly and hyperflirtatious clients.

While this is presumably the most outrageous "Senran Kagura" game to date, it's always toed the line between entertainment and exploitative near-pornography as it took on the brawler, watergun fighting and cooking. That the content is leering and exploitative has never been in doubt.

The whole point to the game is to give you the mandate to pleasure your clients to the point of wildly enthiuastic elation with your reflexology skills. You rotate among eager shinobi customers, rotating among hand massage, body rubs and... thigh slaps. The strange dynamic that develops is unnerving enough to shatter whatever illusion exists of professionalism or innocence.

At its core, "Reflexions" is a rhythm game with overtly questionable window dressing. There is challenge, humor and subversive satire at play, redeeming a game that most might turn up their nose at. Determined to focus on the "guilty" portion of the term "guilty pleasure," the game is a thought-provoking, disturbing commentary on sexuality, while at the same time an outlet for those with particular kinks and control fetishes. For better or worse, you make the experience what you bring into it.

Publisher provided review code.

"Haunted Neighbors: Hyakki Castle" Review

A real-time dungeon-exploration JRPG, "Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle" is an eclectic entry that revels in its relentless oddity.

Wacky, Lovecraftian characters stalk the catacombs. You scrounge among limited resources to make your way through the passageways, facing increasingly formidable opposition as you advance. Each of the bad guys brings with it a distinct moveset and slate of strengths and weaknesses, and much of the game's attraction comes in ferreting out the most effective way to dispatch them.

Enemies that start off seeming like invulnerable behemoths tend to devolve into weaklings once you figure them out.

Japanese publisher Happinet keeps things fresh by adding a party split-up feature that allows you to go the route of every ill-advised slasher flick protagonist and go separate ways. Those who take advantage of the system can cover more ground, tracking down enemies, loot and hidden passageways to clear dungeons with smooth efficiency.

A punishing yet personality-filled spectacle, "Haunted Neighbors: Hyakki Castle" packs loads of charm into a tight, innovative package. These are walls well worth scaling.
Publisher provided review code.

"Jurassic World Evolution" Review

A theme park builder in the vein of "Sim City" and "Roller Coaster Tycoon," "Jurassic World Evolution" released in June, perhaps in something of a rush in order to drop while "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" was the hottest film in theaters. Critics praised its tight management aspect but chided it for its tedious grinding aspect.

Games of today are an ever-evolving medium, though, and the team at Frontier Developments kept at it, listening to its community as it plotted out a series of regular updates to sharpen the game's claws and amping up its roar. Like the team of genetic editors who conjure the movie's bio-engineered dino-hybrids, the squad has been ruthless in its pursuit of the "wow" factor. The result, with the 1.4 update, is a game that has evolved from its initial release.

Sprucing up what was previously somewhat of a dry sim, the free update adds in a Challenge Mode, in addition to new cameras, contracts and lighting options. The result is a number of small improvements that coalesce together to create something more refined and polished than before. The current game is more action-packed and filled with things to see, do and adjust than the previous release.

While still tuned to the management-minded player -- the console edition still plays much like its mobile version -- "Jurassic World Evolution" will please the type of player who likes to tinker with concepts and see how they play out. It's also for those who like to unleash chaos on an imagined world. Life finds a way, and so does "Jurassic World Evolution."
Publisher provided review code.

"Shadow of the Tomb Raider" Review

Five years ago, developer Crystal Dynamics reinvented one of gaming's icons by scrapping just about everything that came before and reimagining Lara Croft as a younger, more vulnerable and experienced adventurer who got by on her drive, creativity and resourcefulness.

Now three games into the revitalized series, "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" finds Lara as a seasoned explorer, benevolent thief and confident adventurer more akin to her persona in the older games and films. Thanks to the groundwork put in place by the previous two games, this new iteration of Lara seems more grounde, realistic and sympathetic. She now stands alongside Nathan Drake in terms of relevance and precision.

The game tells a stirring tale of Lara meeting her destiny, determined to derail the efforts of the notorious Trinity, while determined to avoid succombing to the temptations of bowing to self-indulgence and wanton destruction that her newly-honed powers make possible. To defeat her enemy, she fears she may risk becoming just as nefarious.

The dev team makes the most of the game's jungle setting, taking cues from the likes of "Far Cry" and "Uncharted" in developing and establishing a sense of place. Utilizing the resources at your disposal, you scrape your way through the enemies and obstacles in your face by culling together minimal resources and dispatching adversaries with stealthy fair. A smattering of quick-time events make for occasional distractions, but don't take away from the momentum.

As strong as the previous two games were, "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" manages to dwarf them wth confident verve and flair.

The tombs are larger, more elaborate and more integral to the story than those of the previous two games. Combat is engrossing and refined. The voice acting and cinematic storytelling are revelatory triumphs.

Much has been said of "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" being the capstone of a trilogy, but the game feels more like a beginning than an end. Lara Croft will continue to reign as the queen of adventurers, and this game is the material on which her thrown is built. All future iterations of the character will draw from this superb trilogy and its resonant finale.

Publisher provided review copy.

"NBA 2K19" Review

Visual Concepts keeps managing to push the "NBA 2K" franchise to new heights because it never seems content to rest on its past triumphs, always pushing toward the next frontier by hitting the figurative open gym to refine what it does well and reinvent its few flaws.

"NBA 2K19" is the latest example of what such tireless work can yield. It's a sports game that transcends the appeal of the NBA itself, recognizing what it is that makes the league so appealing and synthesizing its essence to craft a fast-paced, 1980s Showtime Lakers-caliber experience.

New this year is a Takeover feature, which replicates that tough-to-define feel when a superstar player ratchets up his play to the next level, becoming a formidable force that draws all attention on the court and in the stands.

Somewhat akin to the "on fire" power up from "NBA Jam," the star metaphorically glows with upgraded attributes, moving with an extra step exemplified in special animations, draining shots with more accuracy, wrestling away rebounds and steals and zinging passes with thunderous crispness. It's all the opposition can do to adjust and weather the storm.

The ever-popular MyCareer mode has struggled in recent years with hit-or-miss narrative campaigns, but this year's "The Way Back" story is an upswing. A well-written and acted tale of redemption, the story keeps you engaged and allows you to skip cut scenes if you want to move things along even quicker.

As a franchise mode, MyLeague Online has long rivaled that of "Madden" for superiority, and ups the ante this year with an imersive, full-featured offseason crammed with unexpected storylines and intrigue that mirrors that of the league in real life. "The Saga Continues" also allows you to play out a storyline campaign.

On the court, the action is barely distinguishable from that of the past couple stellar years. Tighter animations, more realistic ball physics and an amped-up broadcast presentation are the most distinguished upgrades.

Taken as a whole, "NBA 2K19" is a robust, full-featured upgrade that makes a strong case for yet another upgrade for superfans and casual NBA dabblers alike.
Publisher provided review copy.

PHIL ON FILM: "The Nun"

For my written review, click here.

"428: Shibuya Scramble" Review

A visual novel blessed with stunning photographic visuals and a dizzzying, twist-filled story to match, "428: Shibuya Scramble" is a wily, text-heavy adventure that keeps you as engrossed as you would be in a binge-worthy TV series or page-turning beach read.

The concept may seem fresh, but it's actually a relic from a decade ago. Originally released in Japan in 2008, the game is a mix of stylized text, still photography at times manipulated by subtle fascination. You follow five protagonists over a period of 10 hours.

Choices you make in one timeline affect the various others, making no two playthroughs the same. As many as 50 different outcomes are possible.

Soaked in the authentic-feeling culture of Tokyo's Shibuya district, you begin to feel as though you are part of the humming community, which serves as the backdrop to the web of intrigue. An engrossing use of gaming to tell an interactive story that wouldn't be possible with any other narrative medium, "428: Shibuya Scramble" is a hard-to-forget experience that sinks its hooks into you and hangs on for one wild ride after another.
Publisher provided review code.