Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 117
January 27, 2018
"Space Dave!" Review
If you've ever played "Space Invaders" and thought the game would be better if there were more bullets, different heroes to select and the ability to jump, "Space Dave!" is your game.
A retro throwback that pits you in a single-screen throwdown against patterned alien forces gradually descending until they're obliterated or their laser bombardment sends you to oblivion.
Colorful and vibrant, the game is billed as developer Choice Provisions' spiritual follow-up to 2014's "Whoah, Dave!" Power-ups, familiar characters and online leaderboards give you reason to keep coming back for more.
While the gameplay reward loop is a little slim, the game manages to suck you into an entrancing rhythm. A fast-moving, twitch-heavy shootout, "Space Dave" allows you to switch off your brain for a while, settle into the cockpit and unleash destruction on alien forces.
Publisher provided review code.
January 26, 2018
"Wulverblade" Review
A side-scrolling brawler in the vein of "Streets of Rage" and "Alien Hominid," "Wulverblade" blends bloody slash-and-hack combat with outrageous humor and hellacious boss battles.
Packing eight sadistic levels of swarming you-against-the-world melees, the effort from developers Fully Illustrated and Darkwind Media makes for a blood-pumping, button-mashing spectacle with every ounce of its being.
The game makes its way to the PS4 and Xbox One in a buffed-up, feature-added form -- online leaderboards and a animations flowing at a consistent 60 fps. With the Roman army bearing down on northern Britannia, you select a warrior who represents the presiding tribe and proceed to bash in the skulls of any and all soldiers who dare cross your path.
Single-player modes are fun, but the action truly comes to life in two-player co-op mode. Engaging a tricky opponent so your pal can jump the enemy from the back never loses its appeal. Likewise, spacing out your cooldowns and build-ups for rage mode and special moves makes your team an unstoppable dynamo of destruction.
Heroes and enemies utter hilarious quips that keep the slim narrative alive, pumping up the tone with a come-at-me-bro bombasticism.
A rapidly-paced, muscle-flexing lark, "Wulverblade" scratches the stride-and-slam itch that gamers who came of age in the 90s will best appreciate.
Publisher provided review code.
"Hostiles" Review
For my written review, click here.
"Eternal Kings" Review
A chess and board/card game hybrid, "Eternal Kings" pits players against one another in 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 team matches.
After building a squad of soldiers that matches traditional chess pieces, only with card analogues related to creatures with special attributes and abilities, you place your warriors on the field of play. Along with ability cards, you maneuver your characters to corner opponents and take advantage of strategic advantages.
With a relatively low learning curve and easy setup, "Eternal Kings" could become a tabletop go-to for players who like to clash wits in a traditional strategy setting jazzed up with well-integrated fantasy tropes. Endlessly replayable, with no two games likely to turn out the same way, this is a game that could easily rise to the stack of board game boxes in your closet.
If "Eternal Kings" piques your interest, look up for an upcoming Kickstarter, with info to come on the game's website.
Manufacturer provided review sample.
January 25, 2018
"Monster Hunter: World" Review
Since its inception, the "Monster Hunter" series has been a raging success in Japan and an oddball, insular curiosity in the U.S. The intense crowd of American devotees would overlook countless annoyances and bizarre roadblocks in order to indulge their obsession. If you didn't get the "Monster Hunter" reward loop, it seemed all but impossible to break into the club.
"Monster Hunter: World," the franchise's debut on current-gen home consoles, works hard to lower the barrier to entry. Its appeal is still on the insular side, but the Capcom dev team took impressive strides to make the game accessible to a wider audience.
It helps that this is the largest, most lavish, best-looking and expansive game in the series. Its menu systems are easy and intuitive to navigate, and the opening narrative acts as a welcome tutorial to indoctrinate you into the themes and techniques you will need to survive.
Once you're on your own, the game becomes what you make of it. Much of the joys of "Monster Hunter: World" comes in endless tinkering. Crafting, selecting weaponry and items and planning out your next grand expedition encompasses much of the time you will spend with the game. Squadding up with multiplayer friends, selecting majestic beasts to take down and engaging on safaris to seek and reap your spoils in the icing on the scaled, fire-breathing cake.
If you've never played a "Monster Hunter" game, you'll lose nothing by skipping the others and making this your first. If you're a long-suffering devotee of the franchise, this is the one that will indulge your passion to the highest degree.
Publisher provided review code.
"Mutant Football League" Review
Back in the early 1990s, "Mutant League Football" and "Base Wars" were sports games for gamers who weren't much into sports. Jazzing up traditional rules with superpowers, grotesque humor and battles to the death, rode a wave of absurdity to cult fame.
"Mutant Football League," a crowdfunded remake of "Mutant League Football," not only resurrects the charm of the older game, but adds "NFL Blitz"-style arcade influences. The result is a rambunctiously joyful whirlwind of monster-infused football mayhem.
Limited formation and play selection adds a rock-paper-scissors strategy to the affair, which takes on a new life during multiplayer. Single-player and spectator modes are also available, with the latter being noteworthy for the opportunity it provides to scope out potential stratagems.
While a little thin in execution -- franchise and character creation modes would have been welcome -- "Mutant Football League" manages to hit its routes in stride and gleefully reinvents a classic for the modern age.
Publisher provided review code.
January 19, 2018
"12 Strong" Review
For my written review, click here.
January 18, 2018
"The Aquatic Adventures of the Last Human" Review
Set in a post-apocalyptic year 2971 in which the world has sunk underneath the ocean and our savior Kevin Costner is nowhere in sight, it's up to you to spelunk the depths of the flooded landscapes with a dinky little submarine.
Set in 2D and bearing more than a little influence to the notoriously tough swimming level in the first NES "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" title, the setting forces you to adapt on the fly to cheap attacks from enemies, making your way through backtrack-coaxing labyrinths as you strive to survive, and, through a trickle of upgrades, thrive.
If you're not initiated with the hells of old-school NES deathtraps, think the "Steamworld" franchise, only with no overworld. You are tasked to search out hidden depths, slaying sea creatures who want to reduce the world's human population from one to zero.
It's easy to find yourself lulled into complacency by a chain of peaceful corridors, only to have the door slammed in your face, "Dark Souls" style, with a brutal choke point that forces you to work on your abilities to launch and defend attacks from all angles.
While a little archaic for some tastes, those who can withstand the trial, error, more trial and wheels-spinning will find the charms that lie in this game's depths.
Publisher provided review code.
"Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition" Review
When it first debuted in 2016, "Street Fighter V" seemed like barely half a game. With a flimsy list of launch characters, no story mode and a gutted online infrastructure, it played more like an early access entry than a full-fledged release.
Capcom's resilient dev team, though, kept at it. Determined to achieve a flawless victory by methodical iteration, a steady stream of updates and additions -- as well as a dollop of paid DLC -- inched the game closer and closer to the original vision promised in breathless previews leading up to the original release. Now, with the advent of the "Arcade Edition"rerelease -- a free update for owners of the original -- this scrapper is rough and ready to slug it out through the long haul.
In addition to the expected balance updates, the bonus characters from the first two seasons of the game are here, as well as an arcade mode, team battle mode, extra balance mode and additional V-trigger for each fighter. With the likes of Sakura, Sagat, Blanka, Falke and G. Sakura available, there is plenty of new stuff for even hardened veterans to tackle.
A dedicated community kept the spirit of what the game could be alive throughout the doldrums, and players who hop in now benefit in the form of a robust, ever-present stream of competitors to hone their skills against. Finally the sequel emerges from the formidable shadow of "Street Fighter IV" and its umpteen recalibrations. The array of special moves available and the level of rock-paper-scissors strategems keep the game as addictive as ever.
Finally, after nearly two years of pushing, "Street Fighter V" is the world warrior fans always hoped it would become.
Publisher provided review code.
January 17, 2018
Book Report: Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael WolffMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wolff writes a political insider book with the allure and panache of a novelist, with far more in common with F. Scott Fitzgerald than Bob Woodward. Wolff not only soaks up tons of juicy fly-on-the-wall sights and sounds, he insightfully breaks down the motivations and thought processes of all the players.
The Trump White House is portrayed as a lawless wasteland in which family members, bewildered establishment pols and pushy hangers-on all jockey to curry the favor of the unstable king. There are shades of "Game of Thrones" throughout, with the Trumps forging their power on the realm as the Varys-like Steve Bannon scurries in the shadows, attempting to twist and bend those around him to his complicated, if true-hearted, will.
There are a flood of negative characterizations, but nothing here anyone wouldn't have assumed went on. What emerges in a stark but fair portrayal is the humanity of the Trumpites -- accidental politicians who have crystallized as caricatures in the public view.
Trump comes off not as a racist -- he just wants racists to like him in the way he yearns for everyone to adore him -- and is in no way organized enough to have served as a puppeter of Russian electoral tampering. He baffles those around him just as he does the electorate, standing as a Learish figure scrambling to maintain slipping control of the house of cards surrounding him. Wolff paints him as a sympathetic oaf rather than a nefarious despot.
This book is not likely to be matched by any future White House insider, because no one with the access Wolff was able to land here will likely match his talent. A shimmering gem, "Fire and Fury" is executed with passion, flair and shrewd analysis.
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