Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 101

"Little Dragons Cafe" Review

Playing as a twin brother and sister thrust in charge of a cafe set amid a world of dragons and magic, you keep the questing heroes happy by feeding them when visit your place to refuel in between adventures.

From the creative mind of Yasuhiro Wada, who created the "Bokujo Monagatari" series, comes a frantic cafe management sim that keeps up a frantic, engrossing pace.

Like the "Overcooked" games, "Little Dragons Cafe" keeps you busy, putting out fire after fire as you juggle tasks to keep thigns running smoothly while ever teetering on the edge of disaster.

Utilizing the Switch controls to fluid effect, you gather ingredients, fill orders, deal with demanding customers and prepare for the next unexpected twist. The more dexterous and adaptable you are, the more likely you are to thrive.

The ability to play as either gender goes far in helping the game appeal to families, and while the cutesy setup seems geared toward children, there is enough challenge to keep adults interested. Buried beneath the bubbly, whimsical exterior is a well-hones suite of interlocking puzzle mechanics poised to challenge veterans. This dragon packs its share of fire in its belly.
Publisher provided review code.

"Fall of Light: Darkest Edition" Review

An action-focused RPG with stunning visuals and a captivating visual style, "Fall of Light: Darkest Edition" introduces an arresting tale of an aging warrior who embarks on a journey with his light-emitting daughter on an elegiac quest to reach the rumored last place on earth that's still touched by daylight.

Working in a co-op manner with your computer-controlled sidekick has the feel of the "God of War" reboot, with  admirable AI making your companion feel like more of a boost than a burden. Much of the game, though, does take on a nagging, escort-mission feel. If you let her die, your progress ends abruptly.

Combat is slick and innovative, with 20 different battle stances available to help you dodge, parry and counterattack the hordes of enemies that assault you.

An update to a game that was released on PS4, Xbox One and Steam two years ago, the new edition adds an exclusive new dungeon. The updated version is new on Switch, and excels on the platform, taking advantage of mobile play with scaled-down visuals that fit the system well without losing any noticeable framerate or graphical fidelty.

A stronger, more vibrant rendition of a game that turned heads in 2016, "Fall of Light: Darkest Edition" sheds some new light on a promising premise with more exact execution.
Publisher provided review code.

"Destiny 2: Forsaken" Review

One of the qualities that makes "Destiny" stand out from the pack of open-world shooters is the lengths Bungie is willing to go to reinvent the game, injecting life into it with a regular stream of sizable free and paid updates, as well as the occasional rainmaker mid-cycle expansion.

"Forsaken," like 2015's "The Taken King" for the original "Destiny," is one of the latter. More of a full-figured sequel than an add-on, the $40 package revamps the very bones of "Destiny 2," adding an overwhelming amount of equipment drops, weapon types, enemy classes and bosses. Along with vast new areas to explore, there is a head-spinning amount of new things to experience in Bungie's finely-crafted universe.

The story kick-starts with a riveting prison break. You confront a Western-inspired area, complete with rolling tumbleweeds, rolling prairies a la "Borderlands" and fortified outposts that house untold treasures to uncover.

Striking intimidating profiles are the new enemy archetype, the Scorn, as well as the big bads -- dubbed Barons -- force you to reevaluate your tactics and restock your firepower options. Luckily, there is plenty to choose from, with new energy slots that let you wield special, energy-enhanced attacks. There are also scads of new weapons with which to arm yourself, including long, medium and short-range bows that provide intriguing alternatives to traditional firearms.

With ample additions to the ever-expanding universe of "Destiny" lore added to the mix, the franchise continues to grow in depth and resonance. Adamantly proving to be a series worth the considerable investment of time and energy it takes to advance to high levels, the game feels like less of a grind than ever before, and more of an onion, with layer upon layer to reveal as you probe its depths.

"Destiny 2: The Forsaken" proves above all that Bungie has kept fan service front and center as it pushes the series' boundaries wider with considerable vigor.
Publisher provided review code.

"Divinity: Original Sin 2 -- Definitive Edition" Review

With the "Divinity: Original Sin" series, Larian Studios has taken the "Diablo" aesthetic, mellowed out the frenetic action in favor of tactical mastery, and created one of the shining lights in gaming innovation in the past half decade.

"Divinity: Original Sin 2 -- Definitive Edition" serves as a victory lap for the developer, which tops off its achievement of the 2017 release with a tricked out, fuller-featured version that includes all previously released DLC, upgrades and tweaks. The improvements lift an already superior game to legendary status, making it a must-play for any fan of isometric strategy games.

Numerous adjustments make the game more palatable on consoles than before, with hot keys and menus geared for easy access via controller HUD wheels. The result is a free-flowing, slickly paced journey into darkness that captivates even as it frustrates, heaping massive challenges on you, filled with twists and psychological mindgames that top those that came before.

As tough to put down as it is to conquer, the game pushes your analytical skills to the limit as you collect and ration resources, plot out upgrade paths and seek out innovative ways to keep surviving and advancing.

New additions include two-player couch co-op, four-player online co-op, a revitalized and redesigned Arena Mode and scores of new surprises lurking around every corner, "Divinity: Original Sin 2" still packs scores of surprises, even for veteran fans. This is the version to check out for console gamers seeking a passion that will last them months on end.
Publisher provided review code.

"PES 2019" Review

With FIFA World Cup 2018 still fresh in mind, it's time to get started on the new soccer season. "PES 2019" is there to take your newfound soccer enthusiasm in stride, deke a defender and launch a back-of-the-goal screamer that brings the crowd to its feet.

Impeccable controls, stunningly realistic charactetr models, precision onfield tactical reactions and countless authentic chants, crowd reactions and stadium quirks make up components to a robust soccer casserole that manages to be as accessible as it is intricate.

Even having lost the UEFA license to rival FIFA, "PES" still maintains the crown as the go-to game for the most realistic soccer experience.

Konami's dev team has long since wrestled away the crown from EA's "FIFA" as the superior choice for serious fans, the latest entry continues to hold the banner proudly despite several imitative advances from the competition.

Like its cover athlete, Brazilian and Barca attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho, "PES 2019" favors high risk/high reward style strategy, while subtly punishing those who prefer to park the bus and pray for a counterattack opportunity.

With elegant and lively through balls, conniving first touches and devastating precision in free kick set plays, the game that unfolds on the virtual pitch feels like an elevated, slightly stylized and idealized version of what you see on TV.

With a revamped franchise mode that takes cues from the dry but influential "Football Manager" franchise, the front office becomes as lively a strategic outlet for your soccer passions as the onfield action.

A host of other improvements, including an upgraded multiplayer suite and an exhaustive slate of customization options, makes the game more of a long-term investment than you'd expect out of an annual release. "PES 2019" is built to last, never mind that you'll almost certainly be tempted to trade it in for "PES 2020" a year from now.
Publisher provided review code.

PHIL ON FILM: "Kin"

For my written review, click here.

Book Report: "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America"

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Larson's book is half a riveting account of the sadism of the first American serial killer -- a figure of inexplicable evil and cold calculation -- and half a dull, monotonous recap of the committee meetings and political infighting that led to the creation of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Having scoured libraries for primary sources, Larson's indispensable research and vivid writing recreates a lost time of juxtaposed pride, ambition and horror. He seems to be so deep in the weeds, though, that he loses sight of what makes his topic intriguing. The chapters languishing on the design and construction of the fair are bores that you suffer through only to get to more of the good stuff.

Eventually most of the dullness fades away, and Larson justifies why it was that he felt the need to spend so much time dwelling on the legwork that went into creating the beacon of science and culture that was the World's Fair.

H.H. Holmes, who built a hotel equipped with a hidden kiln and gas chamber that he used to trap and kill women throughout the fair, emerges as an unspeakably evil man, who was all the more terrifying because his murders lacked motivation. He was a doctor and businessman who sought success and stature only to facilitate the end goal of sacrificing the lives of the innocent to no known purpose.

Meanwhile, the fair that sprouted up around him was a bubbling crossroads of ideologies and the human spirit of progress. The first Ferris wheel was erected as a response to the Eiffel Tower. Chicago came into its own as global city. Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley showed off their Wild West road show, Nikola Tesla wowed the world with alternating current demonstrations. World-changing minds such as Walt Disney, L. Frank Baum and Frank Lloyd Wright sprang from the fai like flowers in a garden.

All the while, the similarly ambitions Holmes spun his diabolical web in a blind spot. His story cannot be told without also including the fair as context. Had Larson spent as much time on revision and condensation of his languid portions he could have had a masterpiece rather than something that only flirted with such a status.

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"Freedom Planet" Review

A fast-paced brawler in which a dragon girl leads her oddball friends in a spirited romp through a colorful world. Insects, megalithic androids and bizarre beasts straight out of monster movies stand ready to be dispatched by whatever wacky means necessary.

Originally released four years ago on PC and Wii U, the under-the-radar gem springs to new life on the Switch, where it fits in well with the cadre of indie-style gems that thrive on the system.

The dev team's philosophy seems to have been to prize fun above all else. In a journey that brings to mind the silliest offerings of the TurboGrafx-16 era, "Freedom Planet" excels with slick combat and energetic pacing.

True to the inspiration of its origins, the difficulty level is squarely on the tougher side of the equation. But the challenge is earned because of the way the opponents are stacked, helping you hone the sharp edges you'll need to advance to the next menaces that lie in wait.

A breezy, whimsical chase through blooming fever dreams, "Freedom Planet" sends you freewheeling through increasingly fascinating sights and experiences.
Publisher provided review code.

"Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age" Review

"Dragon Quest" is one of the most revered names in RPG gaming, and also one of the most sporadic. The dev team at Square Enix had the type of crushing expectations to live up to that tend to be thrust on its protagonists.

Leave it to the heroes to come through when it counts, delivering a thunderously action-packed and emotional addition to the storied franchise.

The first numbered series release since the 2012 MMO, and the first single-player mainline experience since 2009's DS title, "Dragon Quest 9," the new addition to the series somewhat benefits from the distance from its predecessors, which sit so far back in memory and technology that the onus was on the current team to reinvent what a "Dragon Quest" RPG can be from basically scratch.

While trademarks such as the high fantasy setting, slime enemies and iconic retro sound effects remain in place, "Dragon Quest XI" obliterates what came before in terms of storytelling depth, graphical fidelity and combat flexibility.

Eschewing the turn-based battle RPG trope "Dragon Quest" pioneered back when it was known stateside as "Dragon Warrior," the new setup is a vivacious and tense game of cat and mouse that allows you to score bonus points by striking first, dodge enemy attacks in the field of play, set and adjust your party's tendencies and orchestrate magic and force attacks with healing and item use. The result is a fluid and dynamic skirmish setup that means no two battles will ever play out exactly the same way.

The writing team delivers similarly creative inspiration, spinning a miniseries-worthy tale of a child predestined as a savior since childhood. The burden placed on him plays into the emotional depth and lingering sense of fatalism, shading the bonds he forges with allies, as well as the grudges with adversaries.

Captivating from the opening moments, the saga sends you headlong on an unpredictable, violently twisting quest that takes cues from the likes of "Ni No Kuni" and "Persona."

A robust and beautiful journey, "Dragon Quest XI" is a bold critical strike of an RPG that will please lifelong fans, as well as do its part to usher in a new generation of "Dragon Quest" fanatics who will join the throngs of elders who long for the next entry.
Publisher provided review code.

"Blade Strangers" Review

A throwback 2D fighter with tight controls, well-balanced characters and flashy visuals, "Blade Strangers" is all about pitting cult favorite heroes against each other in one-on-one slugfests.

Characters largely from Studio Saizensen and Nicalis games including "Cave Story," "Shovel Knight," "Code of Princess" and "The Bind of Isaac" all appear, ready to slug it out in an incongruous but immensely satisfying arena fighter. The game thrives on setting up bizarre "what if" matches that likely only popped into the heads of the most obsessive indie gamers.

Those familiar with the likes of "Street Fighter II" and "BlazBlue" will be comfortable with the four-button control scheme, 2D fighter setup and victory conditions.

Although the game was crafted with traditional tropes, the flashy battles that emerge are anything but common. A thrilling sense of energy courses through the competition, with an appealing array of specials, breakers and finishes splashing the screen with thrilling standoffs, slugfests and comebacks.

Playing like a lost classic from the 1990s that happens to be stacked with some of the more popular under-the-radar gaming characters in recent years, "Blade Strangers" cranks out just the sort of fan service you may not have even realized you had been craving.

Publisher provided review code.