Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 112

"Ready Player One" Review

For my written review, click here.

"Atlelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Paintings" Review

Each chapter of the anime-influenced "Mysterious" series graces players with dozens of hours of gameplay, steeped in a world of high fantasy intertwined with intense, personal themes juxtaposed with a fanciful backdrop.

Unfolding from the perspective of two magically talented twins, the narrative draws you inside an enchanted painting that transports you to a realm burgeoning with materials to pick up and blend in the family alchemy operation.

The overarching goal is to run the most impressive atelier operation in the realm. A mix of open-world exploration, collection-based fetch quests and recipe experimentation and optimization, the game tasks you to stretch your analytical and creative capabilities to continue advancing.

With dialogue that's as rich as the mystical brews you concoct, "Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Paintings" is a fine acquired taste for those willing to slip under its spell.
Publisher provided review code.

"Pacific Rim Uprising" Review

For my written review, click here.

"MLB The Show 18" Review

The dev team behind "MLB The Show 18" faces much the same quandary as the "Madden" squad. Being the only game in town has both its perks and drawbacks. With no competition to push the product, the only major comparison is the previous year's product.

Which makes it all the more impressive how many leaps the "MLB The Show" franchise continues to take each year.

Like its cover athlete, Aaron Judge, the game looms large and in charge, able to display the patience and laser-precision accuracy to wait for its pitch and crush it over the fence.

While each of the improvements are generally incremental, they combine as a whole to account for a goliath, Judge-like, bat-flipping trot around the base paths. The franchise mode is more detailed and intricate, the visuals are subtly more rich and detailed and the Road to the Show mode is graced with more options and subtleties.

My favorite upgrade involves the ability to toggle into retro mode -- which gives you a Super NES-style perspective and control scheme -- before any game against the AI. From Spring Training through the playoffs, you can opt for the complexities and precision of the current controls or revert back to grip-it-and-rip-it 16-bit-esque style mode.

Another welcome addition is the optional addition of past superstars into franchise mode, signable as free agents you can sign or face off against. From Babe Ruth and Pee Wee Reese to Don Sutton and Troy Percival, the addition of the famed players enriches the game's sense of history.

Likewise, the in-game commentary is peppered with applicable banter that touches on both real-life and in-game developments, making the between-pitches patter seem genuine and organic.

Taken as a package, "MLB The Show 18" is yet another impressive at-bat for the batter with the big stick. As much of a rite of spring passage as the smell of freshly cut grass and the giddiness of hearing it's time for pitchers and catchers to report, the game is a resonant treat for baseball die-hards and casual fans alike.
Publisher provided review code.

"Sea of Thieves" Review

Judging from my time with "Sea of Thieves," the pirate's life is not for me.

The drab, slow-moving pirate sim continues the slump from Microsoft's in-house dev studio Rare -- whose one success in the past decade was the retro throwback "Rare Replay" -- and plays like a misguided slog that should have been killed off early in the concept phase.

That "Sea of Thieves" is something of a shipwreck is all the more disappointing given the fact that Microsoft has drastically scaled back its first-party releases. The fact that the game disappoints means Xbox One owners continue to be marooned, while PS4 players have the likes of "God of War" to tide them over.

Clearly geared to serve as a multiplayer, meet-up-and-quest hub for seafaring, the servers have hit rough waters to begin with. Incessant lag and infrastructure failures have stranded players at sea, making it tough to join games. While some of the initial problems have been ironed out, the tattered fabric of the game is still far from patched up. When I started the game I had to close out and reboot it multiple times just to vault past a glitch in the loading screen.

Those who brave the high seas alone will find some rough currents stopping their progress, with little to sea and do and far too much time between interesting intervals. The game feels like a crude framework of an open-world saga that developers didn't get around to filling out with compelling interactions.

While there is some amusement to be had by taking to the high seas, anticipating the iterative battles, discoveries and trades to be had, the promise ends up empty. "Sea of Thieves" is lost amid the blue, with no rescue in sight.
Publisher provided review code.

"Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut" Switch Review

Like a demented version of the "Professor Layton" penguins on ice lake puzzles, "Slayaway Camp" tasks you to plan out your moves in advance, sending your character in a primary direction on a grid, unable to stop until you meet an environmental block.

The twist is that you're a psycho killer, stalking unwitting campers, counselors and security guards. "Slayaway Camp" -- newly released on Switch after starting off months ago on PS4, and PC before that -- tasks you to take them out in as few moves as possible -- in moves punctuated by comically detailed scenes of "Minecraft" graphics-executed gore -- then escape into a demonic vortex.

The game is an apt fit for the Switch, especially in handheld mode, which plays well into the quick-hit nature of the level design. The blocky, retro-style graphics -- if not the gratuitous gore -- also meld well with Nintendo's heritage.

Levels are compartmentalized as scenes from VHS slasher flicks, which conveniently allow you to be kind and rewind at will in order to take part in necessary trial and error without the pain of having to restart fresh. Do particularly well on a level -- including executing a button press timed to a slider to pull off a finishing move -- and you'll accumulate enough in-game currency to buy enhancements at the store.

Always giving you a reason to come back for more and build off your past successes and hone your strategic thinking to ace each scene with maximum efficiency. The trappings of 80s horror tropes sweetens the deal, making one of the better puzzle games in recent memory even more of a killer.

Publisher provided review code.

"Assassin's Creed Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs" DLC Review

Ubisoft has continued to build out "Assassin's Creed Origins" with memorable swatches of story expansion DLC, following the solid yet unspectacular "The Hidden Ones" with the more adventurous, risk-taking "Curse of the Pharaohs."

Focusing on Egyptian afterlife myths, the storyline has you go to Thebes, where you confront the first of several monarchs who have risen from the dead. Jumping headlong into the supernatural rather than skirting around the concepts as window dressing.

The result is a headlong dive into increasingly bizarre and exhilarating side story that highlights the best of what the game has to offer.

While the mission structure sticks to the established recon, targeting and assassination suspects, but colors the action with spectacular flights of fancy.

While the base game was memorable for robust visuals, intricate map design and challenging objectives, the latest add-on ramps up those qualities to new heights. A worthy pickup for those who have either burned through the previous "Assassin's Creed Origins" content or anyone looking for a changeup before taking down the myriad sidequests. This "Curse" ends up as far more of a blessing.
Publisher provided review code.

"Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered" Review

Back in 2014, Ubisoft snuck out "Assassin's Creed Rogue" on previous-gen consoles to appease fans who hadn't yet taken the leap to the Xbox One and PS4 generation, which got the far more ballyooed "Assassin's Creed Unity."

What might have been a perfunctory curiosity instead generated moderately more buzz than its new-gen blowout. But those who took the leap into the new frontier never got a shot at what ended up being the last "Assassin's Creed" gasp of the PS3 and Xbox 360 contingent. That has finally changed, now that "Rogue" has gotten the current-gen remaster it has always richly deserved.

Having aged surprisingly little in the 3.5 years since its release, "Rogue" chronicles an agent of the Brotherhood who becomes disillusioned, siding with the Templars, who are usually portrayed as the villains in the saga. In a narrative that might have paved the way for the Empire-centric point of view of "Star Wars Battlefront II," you weave through the blurry middle ground in the conflict between the factions, exploring rifts and sinister forces within the ballyhooed Brotherhood while evoking the strength and order of the Templars.

The core development team behind the original release is back, and the continuity shows in the smooth, polished product on which they collaborated. Taking place in the mid-18th century, the narrative guides you through a tumultuous flashpoint in the larger saga, giving you insight into historical machinations that affected the third and fourth numbered entries in the franchise.

Mixing ground stealth and sea battles, "Rogue" conjures the happy medium between the two entries confronted with "III" while overdone a bit in "IV."

A gorgeous and steadfast triumph in the "Assassin's Creed" lineage, "Rogue" continues to earn the praise it has long harvested. More than the cult classic it has been recognized as, it's high time for the game to step into the spotlight.
Publisher provided review code.

"Tomb Raider" Review

For my written review, click here.

"Attack on Titan 2" Review

We're living in a post-movie-to-game world, but TV shows are not immune to the age-old practice of licensed adaptations. With the "Attack on Titan" series, the developers at Koei Tecmo America are burdened with the thankless task of conjuring a playable game version of the popular anime while also doling out the expected stream of fan service.

The team handled the job with aplomb in the 2016 game, and tackles the task with similar vigor and success this time out. "Attack on Titan 2" nails the look of the series while capturing the sense of movement and flow that those who loved the first game would expect.

Gameplay additions in the sequel are few but impactful. The story draws from season two of the anime, adding new protagonists, villains and settings. There's also the ability to create a customized Scout, which use unique evade-style attacks, ranged sneak strikes and hook drives while using the monocular tool to help take down the enemies who stand in your way.

While some fans may find the gaming series to be milquetoast, superfans will find plenty to sink their teeth into. This is a game for card-carrying "Attack on Titan" obsessives, and outsiders need not apply.
Publisher provided review code.