Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 25

Early Game Review: 'Assassin's Creed Mirage'

Set in Baghdad in the year 861, "Assassin's Creed Mirage" is a deep dive back to the Middle Eastern roots of the franchise. 

Tighter and denser than most mainline entries in the franchise, the effort from the dev team led by Ubisoft Bordeaux delivers a meticulously crafted, endlessly entertaining adventure that draws on the series' heritage and paints a bold path toward the future.

Due out Oct. 5, the follow-up to "Assassin's Creed Valhalla," the game is set in a gloriously imagined version of Baghdad when it was a cultural and economic hub. Teeming with life, culture and audiovisual wonders, the city is one of the prime characters in the game. 

As you race over desert rooftops and romp through bazaars while playing out sequences, you feel as though you've entered via a rift in time. No game series makes history come alive as much as Ubisoft's flagship, and "Mirage" continues the tradition with gusto.

You play as Basim, a side character in "Valhalla," who is a master of stealth and parkour. More than in most games in the series' past, you'll need to rely on deception and sly maneuvering to stalk and kill targets with the most efficiency. The challenging, yet coolly forgiving nature of the gameplay manages to keep you intrigued while rarely frustrated.

As part of the fabric of the Hidden Ones -- the forerunners of the Assassin's order locked in eternal conflict with Templars -- you trade blows with the Ancient Ones, who will evolve into the Templars. Wrestling for control of the future of mankind, you must operate in secret against overwhelming numbers and strength, exacting your order's directives by chipping away at the Ancient Ones' power base.

Paced with deep storytelling, spellbinding cutscenes and compelling combat, "Assassin's Creed Mirage" is yet another triumph for the storied franchise. While some may crave the vast worlds of the more recent entries, the return to more succinct and penetrating quests on which the "Assassin's Creed" name was built. The title may be "Mirage," but there is substance to this trek to ancient Persia.

Publisher sent review code.

Early Game Review: 'NHL 24'

"NHL 24" is more like a measured, well-executed power play set piece than a thrilling breakaway. It takes calculated, smart risks that advance the gameplay in meaningful ways, building on the strengths of last year's title while minimizing its flaws. 

The hockey sim may lack the wow factor that convinces lapsed players to come off the bench in line-change masses, but its refinements and clever adjustments will satisfy its base.

Due out Friday, the game takes on the grit and forcefulness of cover star Cole Makar. Like the bruising Avs defenceman, the on-ice action delivers chilling hits that deliver crushing momentum shifts. 

Much of the on-ice improvement comes from the implementation of the new Exhaust Engine, which orchestrates the nuances in the ever-evolving interplay between offensive pressure and the goaltenders' alertness, energy level and overall effectiveness. 

The shift leads to the sort of questionable goal allowances and heroic saves you tend to see in real life, but which previous games had trouble simulating. Well-integrated into this dynamic are Vision Passing -- which lets you flick the left stick to size up a possible pass before you make it -- and Total Control Skill Moves, in which star forwards use flashy moves to work their way past defenders and clear up space to fire off shots.

Also spicing things up are Flex Moments, which deliver more than 75 new goal celebrations into the mix. The attention to detail is mesmerizing, with flourishes and nods from the gameplay to the color commentary and new snippets of atmosphere that capture the culture of each arena, that will make superfans smile.

When I'm blowing off steam in between more serious games, I spend some time with Chel, the franchise's take on street hockey. Chel, like standard multiplayer, gets current-gen crossplay that lets you take on frenemies on other platforms. While it remains to be seen whether a new World of Chel Battle Pass will hook gamers in or chase them away for its efforts to squeeze more money out of players via microtransactions, it's pleasing to see that developers channeled more effort into the mode.

While I would have appreciated more adjustments to franchise mode and Hockey Ultimate Team, the mechanics that remain in place are still as addictive as ever. Constructing your squad is something akin to shaping a Bonsai tree, tasking you to cultivate your squad by playing to its strengths and snipping out the weak spots.

Rugged and robust, "NHL 24" is the hockey fan's hockey game. It's proud to thrive in its insular world, ever ready to share its bounties with outsiders who decide it's time to suit up.

Publisher sent review code.

Early Game Review: 'EA Sports FC 24'

The FIFA license may be gone, but the essence of what made the series great remains.

Due out Sept. 29 but available now on early access for those who preordered it, 'EA Sports FC 24' is a capable reboot of the storied soccer franchise, built like a veteran team that's gotten a burst of energy from the addition of a new stud from the transfer market. Like Lionel Messi's Roman spring on Inter Miami, the game has a newfound spring in its step and is ready and willing to assault the back of the net.

On the field, the new animation engine dubbed HyperMotionV is proudly on display. Players react in lifelike ways to the situations they encounter, with bountiful PlayStyles-driven motion capture blended with lifelike physics to create a captivating result of players behaving in distinctive ways rather than following robotically predestined protocols.

The smooth onfield animations and balanced netcode come at a perfect time for the introduction of current-gen crossplay, which will democratize the player base and halt the irritation tradition of siloing that had forever plagued the game in the past. With the exception of the insular Switch title, current-gen gamers will be able to match up in multiplayer modes to swap bragging rights.

Ultimate Team continues to pull the load as the centerpiece fantasy-minded game mode, with cards based on current and former greats to mix and match as you piece together your dream squad. Continuing off the foundation of recent "FIFA" games, female players are integrated seamlessly into the fray. The purposefully equity-minded move shows how the series welcomes fans of the female game with open arms, and makes for some fascinating "what if?" matchups.

The career and franchise modes continue to grow in robustness of feature offerings, letting you live out your dreams a an up-and-coming star or grizzled GM who's trying to squeeze the most out of a club's meager offerings to climb up the ranks toward glory. The silly, street soccer-focused side mode, Volta, also offers smiles and ways to blow off steams for whimsical, trick-focused matchups.

Playing all weekend with my soccer-obsessed 11-year-old, "EA Sports FC 24" gave me loads of laughs along with moments of triumph and despair that the beautiful game tends to disperse in droves. An excellent jump-on point for faded FIFA fans of the past, the game shows that the present and future of video game soccer.

Publisher provided review code.

Review: 'T-Mobile REVVL Tab 5G'

The T-Mobile REVVL line of devices continues to grow in stature and capability. The latest shot across the bow of the big guys is the brand's venture into the tablet realm in the form of the T-Mobile REVVL Tab 5G.

Available for $200, or free to T-Mobile customers who activate a tablet line, the device is a handy, capable device that wields a gorgeous 10.36-inch screen and battery life that extends well past 10 hours of heavy, bright-setting use. It can do you proud on a series of long flights with connections, and still have some juice left over as you wind down at your destination.

While the tablet may not hang with the latest Galaxy and iPad entries of the world, it does work as a well-rounded, lower-cost option that can handle most of the functions of higher-end devices, and manages to compete with the likes of Amazon's Fire tablets.

Packing a long-lasting 7,040mAh battery, dual stereo speakers and an 8MP dual-camera system, the device can tackle the demands of mobile games, streaming apps and e-readers. The Android functionality opens it up to far more than the Fire tabs can -- including Vudu, the Chrome browser and the NFL app -- and manages to record video as a 30fps clip.

The REVVL Tab 5G is also durable, able to withstand some rough handling by my one-year-old daughter, who'd prefer to play her games on a larger screen rather than my phone. While I think too highly of the tablet to give it to her, I'm happily to lend it to her, as long as I can have it back to binge my shows during her naps. Like my daughter, the tablet is spunky, tough and never should be underestimated.

T-Mobile sent device for review.

Hot on Home Video: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,' 'Matlilda,' 'No Hard Feelings'

Matilda (1996)

The beloved and devilishly subversive 1996 Roald Dahl adaptation, which starred Mara Wilson in the title role, continues to thrive as a family comedy classic. The supporting cast of Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman and Embeth Davidtz, who manage to thrive on similarly zany notes, lifts the source material to the peak of its potential.
Bonus features include new commentary with DeVito, who also directs, as well as a slew of making-of featurettes. The most charming of the lot is Wilson's own mini-film about the shooting of "Matilda."

No Hard Feelings

After a long break, Jennifer Lawrence gets back in the saddle in a charming rom-com about a woman with financial troubles who's hired by overprotective parents to date their 19-year-old son (Andrew Barth Feldman). Critics praised the coming-of-age story's savvy writing and snappy lead performances, which lifted it to a 71 percent positive rating.

Extras include outtakes, bloopers and character profiles, as well as the making-of featurette dubbed "A Little Wrong."

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

The sequel to the 2018 Best Animated Film Oscar winner is a better film than the original in nearly every way imaginable, delving far deeper into the breadth and depth of Spider-Persons inhabiting the scattered multiverses and funneling them into a cohesive, invigorating tale of courage in the face of daunting odds. The stellar voice cast includes Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Jake Johnson and Jason Schwartzman. '

More than 90 minutes of bonus features are included in the Blu-ray/DVD/digital combo pack, including a spotlight on the more obscure characters, a deleted scene and a glance at the comic book influences.

Game Review: 'NBA 2K24'

This year's NBA 2K game gives Kobe Bryant the Michael Jordan and LeBron James treatment, with his visage plastered on the cover and a game mode dedicated to his greatest triumphs.
"NBA 2K24" strives to live up to the Black Mamba ethos, pouring effort into the minutiae with full awareness that the work will pay off on the macro scale.
Among the additions, the most exciting to me was the introduction of crossplay into current-gen systems. The expanded player audience and precision balance across the consoles vastly expands the pool of competition in the revered online mode.
Gameplay is geared to more realistic animations with tech dubbed ProPLAY. Players move with lifelike, motion capture-enhanced flow, and scrambles for loose balls look more fluid rather than stilted, pre-determined animations.
The stalwart MyCAREER and MyTEAM dovetail into a singular experience that reflects both your created player and the franchise you try to micromanage via card collection into a dynasty. There is solid support for the WNBA in The W mode, which is also blended into the throughline. The surface is a beachfront basketball paradise laden with challenges that help you bump up your experience and VC.
The Kobe Bryant-dedicated mode, Mamba Moments, takes you through his career highlights, challenging you to match his clutch performances.
I appreciated the way each team included alternate uniforms from memorable eras, as well as all-time great teams and a squad from the franchise's most impactful season. I always like delving into quick play games to get a feel for court redesigns, the looks of new uniforms -- I'm psyched for the soon-to-drop City Edition threads for the new season -- and the relationships between the new players. It was a thrill to see Bradley Beal charging down the wing on a fast break alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
While the latest version of NBA 2K may lack any massively game-changing moments, it's a must pickup for Kobe Bryant fans, and an invigorating appetizer for the upcoming season. This one does Mamba proud.

Broadway in Tucson Review: 'Aladdin'

  For my money, there is no single production -- theatrical or cinematic -- that matches the song quality of "Aladdin." The 1992 animated film bowls you over with a series of catchy, clever and timeless Alan Menken rainmakers that pulse with romance, whimsy and laughter.
The theatrical musical, which debuted on Broadway in 2014, captures the essence of the rollicking animated film, while expanding and grounding the flighty story and characters in meaningful ways. To watch the show is to be whisked away into a fantasy world of hopeless longing, redemption, wishes granted and denied and meteoric rises and falls. In short, it's Disney magic in the least ironic sense of the term.
Bulky, loud, bright and gorgeous, the touring production manages to distill the essence of the original film and bring it to stage in an arresting burst of creative heft. While the Bollywood-flavored production is padded out with a few songs that don't nearly rise to the level of the source material, the continuity the numbers add helps make the emotional pressure points pay off with more convincing payoffs.
The show lives and dies on the strength of its three leads, and this one is powered by three superstars in the making. Marcus M. Martin is a rambunctious force of kinetic energy as Genie. Adi Roy captures the devil-may-care charm of Aladdin, and the songbird-voiced Senzel Ahmady shines into the back rows as the proto-feminist princess Jasmine.
Crafted to bear the weight of a 150-minute musical, the writing is filled with pragmatic choices that strengthen the story. The jettisoning of the film's talking animals in favor of sidekicks helps ground the absurdist angles of the material, and workmanlike supporting performances from ensemble members polish the characters to lifelike sheen. Jasmine's attendants, in particular, pump up the crowd with their spirited dance breaks. Kudos to Alysssa Anani -- who doubles as the fortune teller -- Lizzy Marie Legregin and Sonia Monroy.
The projections and backgrounds are works of art, but some of the lighting choices are bizarre, such as a Cave of Wonders sequence that blinded part of the midsection of the crowd by shining lasers into eyeballs. But even that off-kilter choice helped drive home the majesty and wonder of the cave.
I had colossal expectations for "Aladdin," and the show obliterated them all. It lifts you on its magic carpet to a whole new world.
 "Aladdin" plays through Sept. 10 at Centennual Hall. Buy tickets here.

Review: REVVL 6X Pro 5G

Now that smartphones that access 5G service have become commonplace rather than luxuries, the benefits trickle down to base users. It's not only possible, but expected, to get free or nearly-free 5G smartphones that are leaps and bounds above those that cost $1,000 or more just a couple years ago.

Once barely adequate for heavy users, the REVVL brand has now become something of a flagship for the T-Mobile-using common man. Engineers have figured out ways to cram efficient, effective technology into its lower-grade chassis. 

A nominal upgrade over last year's REVVL Pro 5G, the REVVL 6X Pro 5G is a spruced-up version of its already solid predecessor. 

The device, which is available to T-Mobile customers for free when adding a line, buying a REVVL Tab 5G and activating service on the tablet, or for $50 with a trade-in of any device in any condition, fulfills the needs of those looking for an entry-level Android smartphone that can hang with the big boys.

While the value you get for that rock-bottom price may not turn heads, it will free up your income while keeping you astride with the latest games and apps. Its 6.82-inch screen presents vivid, crisp images, and its 6GB of RAM and MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G processor lets you access the best of T-Mobile's impressive network without losing a step.

The 50MP rear-facing and 16MP front-facing cameras handle any social media or work functions you can hurl at it. 

While the REVVL 6X Pro 5G may struggle a little when confronted with some of the more battery and processor-taxing games and apps on the market, it still was functional with the punishing amount of usage I tend to put smartphones through. I admired the phone's hand-friendly feel and resilience.

While there is little reason to upgrade for base-level REVVL 6 Pro 5G users, those who have missed the past couple of generations will be pleased with the suite of ramped-up upgrades with the X model. The times when the REVVL name was synonymous with corner-cutting have long since passed.

T-Mobile provided review unit.

Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyo...

 

Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy by Emily Zemler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thirty years after it first hit screens, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" still stands as required viewing when holidays roll around. The fantastical melding of horror, whimsy and

Emily Zenker's gorgeous coffee table book delves into the mythos, hype and legacy surrounding the 1993 stop-motion masterpiece, finding nuggets of trivia that have likely eluded even the film's most obsessive followers.

Its 168 pages are crammed with anecdotes, photos, interviews and oral histories that surround the film's historical footprint.

There are also nods to the film's spiritual successors, such as "Coraline" and "Frankenweenie." There are also glimpses of the sundry merchandise that the film has sired, with its characters as firmly integrated into the fabric of holiday decorations as skeletons and Jack-o-lanterns.

While an outsider's perspective may have been more complete -- this book is clearly a Disney-sanctioned product -- the book served its passionate audience well.

View all my reviews

Game Review: 'Red Dead Redemption' (Switch)

Whenever a Rockstar Games product shows up on a Nintendo console, it's always a bit of a novelty. The decidedly adult-aimed games' presence on a traditionally kid-friendly outlet seems incongruous.

Like most of its predecessors that have carved out the oddball path, "Red Dead Redemption" trots along with charm and guilty-pleasure pomp. The game's 2018 prequel may be roundly agreed upon as the superior, but the sense of free-wheeling fun in the 2010 original makes it the one that's more fun to pick up and play in short, nostalgic spurts.

While the prequel boasts the fine grain and introspection of a John Ford film, John Marston's lonesome, revenge-fueled Wild West odyssey has the easygoing pizzazz of a spaghetti Western. Its villains are more outrageous, its missions more ludicrous and gameplay more arcadey. Despite its mature trappings, it's an excellent choice for a Switch port.

With load times that seem quicker and crisper visuals than the creaky Xbox 360/PS3 origins, "Red Dead Redemption 2" hums along in a more accessible and enjoyable version than its older counterpart. 

While the $50 asking price may be steep, the opportunity to take the game with you wherever you go is an opportunity too good to pass up. 

Add in that the zombie-driven DLC, "Undead Nightmare" is included, and you've got a deal more appealing than a huckster hocking snake oil on a wooden crate. Whenever the "Red Dead Redemption" itch creeps back into my saddle, this is the version that will  be my ride or die.

Publisher provided review code.