Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 116
February 5, 2018
"Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology" Review
Even though developers are falling over to push out games for the Switch, Nintendo's other handheld is still getting some heavy hitters. "Radiant Historia: Perfect Chonology" is the latest example.
A remake of the memorable 2010 DS saga, the new version not only reimagines every significant aspect of the design and presentation -- including new voiceovers and animations -- but adds significant new characters and storylines. Fans of the original seem to be the target audience, with so many new facets to appreciate in a second go-round.
The hero of the old school "Final Fantasy"-like JRPG is Stocke, an agent who gets ahold of a relic that allows him to hop between two branching realities, frantically altering fate in order to keep the world from plunging into oblivion.
One of the most notable new additions is Nemesia, a mysterious character who unlocks a third timeline, further clouding and adding to the mainline narrative while tacking on some intriguing additional options.
Easily the definitive version of the game, "Perfect Chronology" plays like the full realization of the developers' original vision. Ironically playing out as a second, better version of the original. Those who own the first game will probably be drawn to it after playing this version, skipping back and forth to check out the myriad alterations.
Unlike in the game's story, there's no way you can lose whether you stick with the original or jump to the new version. Those who take the latter path will be well rewarded.
Publisher provided review code.
February 3, 2018
"Black Hole" Review
Members of the Dufgames dev squad are clearly fans of "Asteroids" and "Geometry Wars." Their take on the twin-stick shooter adds progression and upgrades, expanding the age-old single-screen bullet hell formula to add nuance, strategy and long-term planning.
What starts off as a sleepy, slow-rolling blast-and-collect routine quickly ramps up to a frenzied, laser-spraying whirlwind of desperate survival. Key early choices in upgrade trees pay off or backfire down the line. It's important to calibrate your choices to your play style.
Do you prefer to be a predator, snatching up power-ups as you hunt down enemies and obstructions standing in your path, or veer toward a more conservative route, slinking in the shadows as you plot out the ideal time to strike and advance.
Originally released for the long-forgotten Ouya and Razor Forge TV platforms, "Black Hole" finally may see the light of day now that it's fallen out of the vortex and onto gamedom's hottest platform.
Publisher provided review code.
February 2, 2018
"Railway Empire" Review
"Railway Empire" has the feel of an early 1990s PC sim that existed only to show that it could replicate an activity in the most simplistic manner.
It may not sound like it, but that's a compliment... sort of. A true, no-frills throwback with nothing more under the hood than what you'd imagine by looking at the cover. As expected, "Railway Empire" is all about, well, building railroads.
An easy-to-manipulate interface, taught by a largely unnecessary but at least uncombersome tutorial, lets you plop a station where you like, build some tracks and lay out a selection of train cars, all while sticking within set budget and mission parameters.
Whether or not a feature-poor package like this justifies its $60 price tag depends on how many hours you see yourself tinkering with your pretend train set. I'm guessing those who manage to table their excitement for a few months will be rewarded with a hefty discount and be able to board the train for the $30 or $40 it probably always should have been priced.
Publisher provided review code.
Book Report: The Origin
Origin by Dan BrownMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dan Brown is now 3 for 5 on his Robert Langdon scavenger hunt series, with The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demon's as the other successes and Inferno and The Lost Symbol as lifeless failures.
Brown gets back to the root of what made his earlier books so appealing, avoiding ludicrous action scenes for the most part and interspersing fun facts throughout the silly adventure. While Great Big Secret Thing his characters are risking their lives and killing each other is as dumb as ever, the journey is entertaining and fulfilling.
Sticking to his well-established formula, his book makes a thought-provoking and somewhat frightening case for the eventual singularity between humanity and artificial intelligence. Part anti-organized religion screed and pro-faith think piece -- as all his books are -- The Origin gives you plenty to contemplate and mull over as you wait for the Tom Hanks movie to come along.
View all my reviews
"Winchester" Review
For my written review, click here.
"Dissidia Final Fantasy NT" Review
A remake of a cult hit 2015 Vita title, "Dissidia Final Fantasy NT" is an online-heavy, squad-based brawler that packs in a metric ton of fan service into a tight, user-friendly package.
With characters available from every numbered "Final Fantasy" entry, as well as several spinoffs, your dreams of having Onion Knight clash with Shantotto can finally come true. The remake even adds characters from XIV, XV Tactics and Type0.
There's a story mode available with a requisite obtuse plot that works as something of an extended tutorial, but the true draw here is online play. You form up teams of three and take on the opposition in lavishly designed levels, taking control of one character and leaving AI to handle the other two.
You survive by playing to your party's strengths, juggling your HP, stamina and summon meters. Mixing and matching complementary strengths and weaknesses through success and failures, adapting strategies and styles that fit your inclinations, makes up most of the challenge and fun available in the near-infinitely replayable clashes.
The PS4 upgrade paves the way for stunning visuals that match the look and flow of XV on the PS4. There's something special about seeing characters you haven't thought much about since the 8 or 16-bit days blossom to HD glory.
The online arenas are full of cutthroat devastation, so be ready to fail consistently. Luckily the game is well-designed enough to keep you willing to come back for more.
Publisher provided review code.
February 1, 2018
MyCharge AdventureUltra Portable Charger Review
Here's a way to get everyone at the airport jealous of you.
An ideal pickup for gamers on the go, the MyCharge AdventureUltra portable charger frees you from electrical outlets during travel. A heavy-duty alternative to pocket chargers, the device packs two USB-A ports and a USB-C port into a diminutive brick that is less than six inches wide by four inches thick and weighs in at less than a pound.
Capable of juicing up any device that charges at less than 45 watts -- this encompasses any smartphone or the power-hungry Switch -- the AdventureUltra can provide several full recharges. The sense of being free from plugging into the wall for stretches of days at a time makes it an ideal tag-along for camping voyages or road trips.
Sturdy design and an accessible form factor make it easy to pack. You can also just charge it up and leave it in your trunk, to be called upon when needed on a spontaneous need to hit the road arises.
Manufacturer provided review sample.
"SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt" Switch Review
After the other two games in Image and Form International's "SteamWorld" series made such successful debuts on the Switch, it was only natural that the original 2013 game would make a similar impact.
To the surprise of no one and the adulation of many, "SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt has made it to Nintendo's new console, and has lost nothing in translation. Purists will appreciate the fact that the game is a straight, no-frills port.
Anyone anticipating upgraded graphics or controls or new content might feel burned, but you can identify with the developer's confidence in the original product, not feeling the need to mess with a good thing.
It's not likely that Switch owners who have played the other two games have yet to experience the original, so this release seems more like fan service for completionists -- perhaps those who ditched their 3DSs and are longing for the comforting thought of having the exploration-based thrills of "A Fistful of Dirt" available whenever they like. To that sector of superfans in particular, this game is quite the find to unearth.
Publisher provided review code.
January 30, 2018
"Shadow of the Colossus" PS4 Review
A technological marvel when it was released for the PS2 late in the system's life cycle in 2005, "Shadow of the Colossus" has now graced each of the last three PlayStation console generations.
Following a 2011 PS3 remaster that kept many of the originals outdated problems intact, the PS4 recreation easily captures the title as the definitive version by injecting much-needed quality-of-life upgrades such as a silk-smooth autosave, more intuitive camera, streamlined traversal, combat and horseback functions as well as a healthy load time speed-up thanks to the customary mandatory install.
Even better, the settings are customizable. You can opt for a 60 fps, anti-aliasing performance mode or a traditional cinematic mode that pumps out 4K visuals at 30 fps on the PS4 Pro.
Technical jargon aside, the real draw here is the distilled version of the deceptively simple saga that cuts through technical limitations of the past to cut to the core of the true vision that Team Ico had 13 years ago. Unburdened by the shackles of bothersome limitations, you are free to roam the countryside as the lovelorn Wander, on his obsessive quest to bring his lost love back to life by slaying several hulking beasts who prowl the realm.
At the time, the moral grey area in which the storyline delved was shocking and disturbing. The passing years have jaded gamers to the point where the buried revelations no longer pack such a jarring impact, but that doesn't dull the sense of conflicted regret you feel as you delve deeper into the darkness that awaits.
About the only complaint I can muster is that this elegant, devastatingly beautiful remake of one of gamedom's all-time greats didn't come along with its spiritual predecessor, "Ico," which was also remastered on the PS3 in 2011. But if we have to choose one of the two, "Shadow of the Colossus" is the easy choice. No matter how many times you've played through the game -- and if you've yet to take on the achingly gorgeous saga, shame on you -- you now need to take it on at least one more time.
Publisher provided review code.
January 27, 2018
"Tennis" Review
The worst possible thing to befall the Switch game "Tennis" is the announcement of "Mario Tennis Aces," which pretty much made this game irrelevant as soon as it became known. Not that it needed much help in that respect. The slim, sloppy title plays like a minigame awkwardly expanded into a stand-alone download, feeling like a singled-out segment of a party game package rather than a full-fledged release.
The basics copy the look and feel of the tennis portion of the beloved "Wii Sports," the success of which Nintendo never managed to emulate on the Wii U and has yet to attempt on the Switch.
On second thought, the advent of Nintendo's first-party effort may be just about the only thing going for the simplistic, bare-minimum effort. Gamers thinking they are getting Mario's latest sports outing who accidentally pick this one up instead may be the prime source of sales.
Publisher provided review code.
