Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 121

"The Shape of Water" Review

For my written review, click here.

Book Report: "Fighter Pilot"

With humbleness, a natural, easygoing voice and unbridled passion, Robin Olds tells his life story as though he were hunkered down over a beer or three at the VFW. His book is filled with spectacular stories of death-defying battles in the skies during World War II and Vietnam.

He downplays his exploits rather than embellish them. Despite his heroism, he saw himself as just a regular guy doing his job.

Sometimes Olds loses track of the point of his tales by getting mucked up in technical minutiae, but for the most part he keeps his stories soaring. He keeps his guns blazing in the latter half, describing his salty encounters with the dopey military brass about his frustrations over Vietnam rules of engagement that set the operation up to fail.

Above all, Olds translates the sheer thrills and fun of his service. He was a vital part of what made the Greatest Generation great.

"Stick it to the Man" Switch Review

If you had a giant pink spaghetti arm sticking out of your brain, you'd naturally use it to vault you from one platform to the next, tear down pieces of paper hiding people who need you to get objects for them, find those objects, then deliver them back to the people in need.

That's the oddly logical concept behind "Stick it to the Man," which puts you in control of the hero, who is on the run from the Man, who's accusing him of a crime for which he was framed. With Adult Swim-style visuals, creatively designed levels and obtuse but engaging tasks, it provides an easygoing diversion from heavier fare.

The 2014 2D puzzle platformer re-emerges on the Switch in fine form. Like most indie games of its ilk, it seems to be an apt fit for Nintendo's handheld-home console combo. With bite-sized challenges and checkpoints that make it fitting for on-the-go gaming, the game is a whimsically welcome addition to the console's holiday lineup.

Adjustments made to the base game are minimal, but that's because the game already fit so well with the JoyCon setup. If you missed it upon its original release and have a Switch aching for a library-extending download, you could do much worse.
Publisher provided review code.

"River City: Rival Showdown" Review

"River City Ransom" (1989) was a groundbreaking marvel of the NES era, adding RPG elements to a "Double Dragon"-style brawler to create a hybrid experience that developers still try to emulate today. Word that Arc System Works was crafting a spiritual sequel has tantalized fans of the original for years. Now after a stream of nagging false starts and delays, the end result is finally here. It doesn't disappoint.

The devs not only had to live up to the towering expectations of the original, they had to surpass the shadow of the legend to create a game that adhered to modern standards while nailing the feel and energy of the predecessor. They accomplish both tasks by nailing the basics -- this is a game with looks and sounds ripped straight out of the late 80s -- and constructing a deep, satisfying ecosystem around the archaic trappings.

Taking cues from "Groundhog Day" and "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask," the setup takes you through three days on the gang-infested streets, allowing you to spend them any way you like. While forced to adhere to a day/night cycle with a set amount of time to seek out objectives, you are free to plow through the main storyline, chase off on side quests or just stay in one area braining the same group of thugs over and over again. Various characters have different things to say to you depending on the time of day you encounter them, and you need to follow routines and devise a plan of attack through trial and error to make headway.

With a deceptively complicated and satisfying battle system complete with throws, blocks, punches and kicks -- the latter two of which can be modified by jumps -- there are a host of ways to set out attack and defense strategies. With two difficulty modes to consider, you're probably best off starting on the easier mode to get your feet wet before taking on the game n its more cheap and punishing level. The fact that you'll keep on diving back in with a determined grin on your face says something about how replayable "River City: Rival Shodown" is.

Publisher provided review code.

"Lego Worlds" Switch Review

A "Minecraft"-style universe building game dressed up in Lego trappings is a no-brainer, and while the execution lags behind the game "Lego Worlds" imitates -- it lacks the depth of "Minecraft" and the charm of licensed Lego adaptations -- the bones are there for a rock-solid experience.

With both freeform creative modes -- complete with expansive online multiplayer -- and a quest-based campaign to test your building talents, there is enough to see and do to knock out dozens of hours of largely iterative gameplay.

The Switch is an excellent fit for the game because of its portability. It's therapeutic to craft a part of a village while stuck in a waiting room or airport terminal. And the campaign missions are short enough to be satisfying in quick sessions.

With the $40 physical version down to $20 on Black Friday -- that's cheaper than the $30 digital version -- now is a spectacularly good time to check it out.

Publisher provided review code.

"Coco" Review

For my written review, click here.

"Justice League" Review

For my written review, click here.

Book Report: "Seal Team Six"

Wasdin is an excellent storyteller and poor writer. If I have to choose one quality, I'd always go with storyteller. He either has a memory with an uncanny sense of detail or is skilled at inventing minute details he forgot. Either way, he excels at describing the tumult and grind that Navy SEALs go through as they hop the globe to perform video game-like ops.

His weakness is the humblebrag. Every single story he tells has the same moral: He is the strongest, smartest and most easygoing member of whatever group with which he was involved, and was the unsung hero of every activity in which he took part. Once you just accept that Wasdin is incapable of identifying any flaws within himself or questioning anything he did, you can enjoy his tales for their homespun campfire qualities.

"Outcast: Second Contact" Review

A wholesale remake of the 1999 cult classic, "Outcast: Second Contact" hurls you into an open-world, sci-fi saga as hero Cutler Slade, who explores the deep-space world of Adelpha. In what was an innovative style at the time, you advance through adventure game-style mechanics, blending point-and-click sensibilities with an action combat motif.

Although the remake is spiritually faithful to the original, there are several enhancements to appreciate, such as the ability to crouch and roll during combat, as well as a streamlined, modern save system.

Legacy issues, including a slow-moving plot with copious comic book-inspired cut scenes, remain. The main challenge tends to be to stay interested despite the blocks the cumbersome story and mission structure foists in front of you.

What might have been a rush job -- the game was originally scheduled to drop in September -- instead is a polished, steady effort. Whether or not it reconnects with its old audience and manages to find new appreciators remains to be seen, but the work has been done to revitalize what many hail as a cult classic.

Publisher provided review code.

"L.A. Noire" Switch Review

Rockstar's stunning 2011 period police procedural "L.A. Noire" has been blessed with a late-2017 renaissance, with a 4K upgrade on its PS4 Pro and Xbox One X debuts.

But leave it to the Switch release to steal the thunder from the better-looking counterparts.

With HD rumble, touchscreen controls and dual-screen play seamlessly adapting the dated title to Nintendo's new system, the developers managed to make the game feel as though it was designed from the ground up for the handheld/home console hybrid.

Set in the grim, dank 1940s Hollywoodland era, the game pits your mildly corrupt cop character -- a grizzled World War II vet -- against the Black Dahlia murderer. You scour crime scenes, hunt down clues and grill witnesses. At the end of an episodic scene, you decide which suspects to arrest. The choice-based gameplay adds replayability and ratchets up the intensity of choices you make.

Enough time had passed for me from my initial playthrough to make the missions seem new again. With only a vague recollection of where clues were hidden or what questions and responses I needed to ask to get the most out of witnesses I grilled, the story seemed fresh rather than like a rehash. The less familiar you are with the original release, the more you'll be able to enjoy the new version.

A hefty 14GB install file puts up a significant barrier to entry to players, pretty much requiring players to pony up for a massive SD card to expand the Switch's memory enough to take on the game.

"L.A. Noire" is such a resonant accomplishment that Switch owners shouldn't let the SD card requirement keep them from taking it on. Further rounding out the console's ever-expanding library, it's now the home of a true classic.

Publisher provided review code.