Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 119

"The Post" Review

For my written review, click here.

Book Report: "Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War"

Manchester delivers a Hemingway-like rumination on war, solemnly revisiting the islands he fought on while a sergeant in the Pacific during World War II. The visits stir up chilling recollections of battle scars both physical and mental, thought-provoking essays on the brotherhood, patriotism and psychological damage from warfare.

"Goodbye Darkness" is an honest, humble account meant to deglorify whitewashed legends of heroism. For every triumph, there was collateral damage of lives snuffed out and fractured on both sides. Manchester is haunted by all his wartime deeds, even his moments the textbooks would describe as glorious. He wrote the book as a way of self-healing therapy, and his work exemplifies the burden that weighs on veterans. He references battles throughout history, juxtaposing his call of duty with the plights of soldiers dating to Thermopylae and Vietnam. His book is a chilling voyage through dark, troubled memories.

"Gorogoa" Switch Review

An eclectic, meditative puzzle adventure, "Gorogoa" feels like a playable piece of art. Georgously drawn and animated by Jason Roberts, the game burst with creativity and intrigue.

Designed to look like en eclectic, illustrated instruction manual of sorts, the game -- originally released on PC earlier this year -- makes an apt pairing with the Switch. Touch screen interactivity replaces mouse pointing and clicking with aplomb.

You tap spots on the pictures, enlarging the surface area you're focusing on to reveal more detail. Once you decipher the solution, you advance to the next page. As you work your way through the game, a thoughtful, if obtuse, narrative starts to develop.

The methodical experience is not for twitch-happy players, but a welcome change of pace for those who like to do their gaming kicked back in a recliner while sipping on coffee.

Publisher provided review code.

"Enter the Gungeon" Switch Review

"Enter the Gungeon" was one of the biggest surprises on the indie scene last year, with the retro-styled roguelike/bullet hell mashup winning over critics and players. Once the Switch dropped, it seemed like only a matter of time until the game popped up on the Switch.

In ideal fit for the Switch's handheld mode, "Enter the Gungeon" barrages you with diverse weaponry and rooms crammed with traps and bloodthirsty enemies. Loaded with unlockables, secrets and loot stashes, the adventure offers plenty of replay value, thanks to the diversity of its challenges, heroes and techniques to master.

The learning curve may be steep, but once you find yourself dodge-rolling through a spike roller to shoot out a sentry, then dodge a stream of projectiles to find yourself cornered, only to reload, work yourself into space and unleash a room-clearing attack to make your way to the exit, you feel like a true badass.

Until Devolver Digital hunkers down to forge a true sequel, fans should play the dev's near masterpiece on the Switch, in what may prove to be its definitive form.
Publisher provided review code.

"Party Planet" Review

The Wii suffered such a deluge of third-party party games -- all trying to recapture the thunder of "Wii Sports" -- that publishers have been hesitant to pump out such games on Nintendo systems since.

"Party Planet" joins a slim crowd in the genre on the Switch, with only the poorly-reviewed first-party launch title "1-2-Switch" to contend with. Most games of this ilk are mediocre by definition, but redeemed by their pick-up-and-playability. Goofy, fleeting fun is about all you can ask for, with the personalities of you and your fellow gamers called upon to add most of the entertainment value.

"Party Planet" fulfills the party game parameters without taking any extra steps to go beyond what you'd expect. Most of the games in the collection require minimal timed button pushes and are light-skill challenges that track and compare scores.

With few standouts and more than its share of stinkers, "Party Planet" goes for quantity over quality, managing to accomplish that meager goal. It's a reasonable pickup if your Switch library is light and you are looking for some variation to show off your system to curious non-gamers. Anyone else can skip this one and spend their time and money elsewhere.

Publisher provided review code.

Otterbox Symmetry Star Wars Collection iPhone 8 Plus Case Review

The Otterbox name is synonymous with maximum protection, but also, somewhat unfairly, as blocky, heavy and cumbersome mummifications that rob devices of their svelte shape and utility. Over the past few smartphone generations, designers have made strides to nullify that stigma. As phones became more powerful and expensive, the need to protect them only grew, so the challenge was to provide similar levels of armor against drops and elemental exposure while preserving the sexiness factor.

With the latest edition of Star Wars-themed Symmetry cases, Otterbox has gotten the combination just right.

Image rises above function with this string of releases, with the likes of Darth Vader, a Storm Trooper and a Rey/R2/Millennium Falcon combo gracing the backside.

The phone pops into the one-piece case after a minimal wiggling and shoving, forging a tight grip with zero possibility of the device ever popping out. The case admirably protects your phone against facepalm-inducing face plants with a surrounding lip that juts out just enough to preserve the face during crashes on flat surfaces. The added bulk is barely noticeable, keeping the phone able to slide in and out of your pocket.

About the only knock against the case I have is that its slick material was sometimes slippery. The sleep button is a little sluggish to the touch, but you get used to applying more force within a day or so. The slight sacrifices are more than wroth the upside of flashing Darth Vader whenever you pull out to text or post pics, as well as the peace of mind won't mean an untimely drop means the fall of the Empire.
Company provided review case.

"Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi" Review

For my written review, click here.

"Bleed" Switch Review

Originally released on the Xbox 360 as part of its indie games initiative, the platformer "Bleed" was a word-of-mouth sensation that tore up the charts and outsold many titles backed by high-profile publishers and marketing budgets. Now it comes to Switch with rough edges smoothed out and gameplay, music visuals optimized for the system.

A retro throwback, the game boasts seven fast-paced levels complete with boss fights.

While the base game is on the short side, there is plenty of reason to replay, thanks to three unlockable characters that provide new angles and twists on the narrative. There are also four difficulty levels -- as well as story, arcade and challenge modes -- to try your mettle against. The hardest of the hardcore can try to plug through the game on hardcore mode, with just one life standing in the way of you and a restart.

Switching from dual-wielding pistols and other projectiles such as missiles in a "Metroid" fashion, you zip through the levels with triple jumps, pinpoint maneuvers and a steady diet of run-and-gun.

As fun and engaging whether you take it on solo on the go or venture into two-player couch co-op, "Bleed" is a combustible action-fest that never lets up.

Publisher provided review code.

"PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" Xbox One Review

Genius tends to come in the form of head-smacking simplicity, and "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" -- known as "PUBG" by the cool kids -- exemplifies that maxim. One hundred players drop from the sky onto a sprawling map, scrambling for weapons, vantage points and shelter in a battle royale. The field of play shrinks down periodically as a counter in the upper right corner ticks down the number of remaining players.

With echoes of "The Hunger Games" and, well, "Battle Royale," the stakes increase as you advance through dwindling ranks. A number of strategies will get you to that end. The scoring system encourages aggression, rewarding you for stalking and killing your competitors.But acting rashly and getting your head chopped off will do you no favors. There is much to be said for hiding out in remote corners, waiting for the masses to hack one another to bits, leaving you to keep breathing deep into the late rounds. The mix of strategy, hunting and patience is tantalizing, making no two rounds the same.

I know only by reading that if you end up as the last person standing, you're rewarded with a loot crate dubbed a chicken dinner, filled with upgrades, trophy gear and cosmetic rewards. I am sure that I will never taste the chicken dinner myself, but that will do nothing to prevent me from striving for it.

"PUBG" handles the transition to console with aplomb. Never did I feel the need for the mouse and keyboard setup. The game plays something like a hybrid of "Skyrim" and "Dead Island," mixing melee with projectiles and ranged attacks to craft a maelstrom of carnage.

Since eliminations are followed by bounces to new games, there's never a lull in the action. Console gamers who have been envious of raving "PUBG" players for months will quickly see what the hype is all about. The simplistic but fascinating and engrossingly addictive title feels like a steal for $30. That it's in early access, sure to be improved by a steady stream of updates and additions, only sweetens the pot.

The "PUBG" era is upon the Xbox One, and the multiplayer landscape will never be the same. This is the sort of game you dreamed of when you pulled the console of the rack.
Publisher provided review code.

"PlayerUnknown's BattleGrounds" Xbox One Review

Genius tends to come in the form of head-smacking simplicity, and "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" -- known as "PUBG" by the cool kids -- exemplifies that maxim. One hundred players drop from the sky onto a sprawling map, scrambling for weapons, vantage points and shelter in a battle royale. The field of play shrinks down periodically as a counter in the upper right corner ticks down the number of remaining players.

With echoes of "The Hunger Games" and, well, "Battle Royale," the stakes increase as you advance through dwindling ranks. A number of strategies will get you to that end. The scoring system encourages aggression, rewarding you for stalking and killing your competitors.But acting rashly and getting your head chopped off will do you no favors. There is much to be said for hiding out in remote corners, waiting for the masses to hack one another to bits, leaving you to keep breathing deep into the late rounds. The mix of strategy, hunting and patience is tantalizing, making no two rounds the same.

I know only by reading that if you end up as the last person standing, you're rewarded with a loot crate dubbed a chicken dinner, filled with upgrades, trophy gear and cosmetic rewards. I am sure that I will never taste the chicken dinner myself, but that will do nothing to prevent me from striving for it.

"PUBG" handles the transition to console with aplomb. Never did I feel the need for the mouse and keyboard setup. The game plays something like a hybrid of "Skyrim" and "Dead Island," mixing melee with projectiles and ranged attacks to craft a maelstrom of carnage.

Since eliminations are followed by bounces to new games, there's never a lull in the action. Console gamers who have been envious of raving "PUBG" players for months will quickly see what the hype is all about. The simplistic but fascinating and engrossingly addictive title feels like a steal for $30. That it's in early access, sure to be improved by a steady stream of updates and additions, only sweetens the pot.

The "PUBG" era is upon the Xbox One, and the multiplayer landscape will never be the same. This is the sort of game you dreamed of when you pulled the console of the rack.
Publisher provided review code.