Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 76
July 21, 2019
"Dragon Quest Builders 2" Review
"Dragon Quest Bulders 2" is a triumphant and captivating quest on two different levels. Not only is it a dynamic, creative and joyous RPG, it's also a deep and involving sandbox, with the only limits on what you can create set in place by your imagination.
Three years after the original release blended light JRPG and "Minecraft"-style construction and crafting, Developer Omega Force expands on the foundation laid by the original.
Drawing upon decades of "Dragon Quest" heritage and pushes the franchise forward in many ways, conjuring an alchemy that bridges the gap between the fan bases of the two game types.
Not only is "Dragon Quest Builders 2" an essential component of the "DQ" mythos, but it's also one of the most advanced and accessible construction toolsets available in the construction subgenre. The multiplayer mode allows for collaboration and iterative innovation that ratchets up the satisfaction to an even higher level.
While the storyline and art style is geared toward child gamers, the game is equally enchanting to gamers of all ages, penetrating hardened shells to reach the young at heart. Although the challenge level may be low compared to other "Dragon Quest" games, the writing is as strong as that of any recent entry.
Now a full-fledged spinoff franchise in its own right, "Dragon Quest Builders" expands the possibilities of what can be expected from the side series. After the mastery on display here, fans of the mainline DQ series can't be blamed if they're more eager to see the next installment of "Builders" than the next numbered series entry.
Publisher provided review code.
July 19, 2019
"Etherborn" Review
Puzzle games walk a fine line between unchallenging busywork and depressingly unforgiving bottlenecks. Both are equally likely to stop players cold, sending them on to a more rewarding diversion.
"Etherborn" trends violently toward the tougher side of the equation. After a few warm-up puzzles, you're thrown into an increasingly hellacious fire, stuck way over your head with only your hyperstressed wits to push you forward.
Gravity, momentum and perspective can be twisted and manipulated to your advantage, with each successive challenge building on what came before to add considerable depth and complexity, upping the rewarding struggle each time out.
Developer Altered Matter deserves praise for its creativity and scene-setting, with a stunning art style that connects with its themes of inner struggle and outer validation. The melding of the psychospiritual aspects in the writing are hit and miss, but the overall tone rings true to the intent.
Many players who brave the stinging gauntlet that is "Etherborn" will find themselves giving up in frustration or over-relying on walkthroughs. Those who play things straight, however, will find the effort they put in returned in kind, with a cleansing feeling of satisfaction drifting in with each triumph.
"Etherborn" could have benefitted from a more even buildup, but it also deserves credit for not wasting players' times and getting right down to business. A bold and vigorous puzzle that seeks out bold and vigorous players, "Etherborn" unapologetically weighs in, agitating all comers into a mental slugfest.
Publisher provided review code.
July 18, 2019
"Senran Kagura: Peach Ball" Review
It's hard to get a read on the "Senran Kagura" franchise. Equal parts exploitation and satire, the games feature scantily-clad girls as unapolagetically stereotypical tropes. While the games play to base urges of undersexed gamer geeks, they pack in just enough to be taken as mockery of their crass immaturity.
As embarrassing to write about as it is to play, "Senran Kagura: Peach Ball" cruises through a light, inconsequential story mode to get to a core game of surprisingly playable pinball. With two base tables serving as dressing for interactions with the heroines.
The on-table dynamics, while immature and exploitative, are fun to play and as challenging and rewarding as any digital pinball game can be. What's harder to rationalize is the side mode that posts up the characters as objects to be sprayed with water, touched and manipulated at will.
Whether the mode exists simply for its boundaries-pushing shock factor or to serve as a genuine outlet for sexual frustration of its players is hard to say, but had the developers chosen to cut it, the addition by subtraction might have increased the game's appeal and strength as a voice of mocking immature sexual attitudes rather than encouraging them.
Had the time creating that mode been spent on releasing the game with more tables and gameplay variety, "Senran Kagura: Peach Ball" might have been more of an engaging package than an eye-rolling curiosity.
Publisher provided review code.
PHIL ON FILM: What's leaving Netflix in August 2019
For the article, click here.
July 12, 2019
July 11, 2019
"Blazing Chrome" Review
Playing "Blazing Chrome" is like stepping into a warp zone that takes you back to 1992. A Super Nintendo game through and through, it pits you alone against a nest of alien creatures, robots and ninjas with a constant auto-fire gun and the ability to sprint and cling to wires at will.
This is "Contra" but through the dream lens that those who first encountered it with the wide-eyed expectations of a youthful love for run-and-gun shoot-em-ups.
Developer JoyMasher pays loving homage to the likes of "Contra" and "Metal Slug" with reverent glee, as well as a determined will to push the genre forward while keeping it true to its roots.
Everything from the graphics to level design and character animations sticks strictly to 16-bit limitations -- at least on the surface. Underneath the nostalgic facade lies a robust tapestry of circuitry that makes the game more stable, inventive and intense than Konami developers at their peak could ever approach.
A pure joy to play, "Blazing Chrome" is also unfettered hellfire. Even at its lowest difficulty level, there are stiff, unforgiving challenges in the game that will frustrate you so much you'll slam your controller down on the couch in frustration. Only, of course, to end up picking it back up a few minutes later once you've concocted a new strategy.
You play as either a robotic insurgent or a human resistance fighter, but no matter who you choose your survival will depend on your sense of timing, ability to just on the fly to demands of stress and overwhelming odds, as well as your ability to time out your gun upgrades and adapt them to the needs of whatever obstacles confront you.
The successes in "Blazing Chrome" may not come easy, but they come in such a thoroughly satisfying manner that you become filled with the resolve it will take to march on to the next seemingly impossible deathtrap.
They sure don't make 'em like "Blazing Chrome" anymore. Hell, they never really did make 'em this good anyway.
Publisher provided review code.
"Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide Edition"
Guiding spirits of fallen samurai warriors to sweet vengeance, you put your turn-based strategy skills to the test in "Skulls of the Shogun."
A comic book-influenced art style, slyly humorous writing, a classic martial arts film-inspired soundtrack and a slick, engaging combat system makes the game hard to put down.
Originally released on the Xbox 360 in 2013, "Skulls of the Shogun" proved enthralling enough to merit a rerelease on current-gen consoles four years ago in the "Bone-A-Fide Edition."
Now it's out on Switch, which makes excellent use of the game's RPG lite sensibilities in both handheld and docked modes.
Developer 17-Bit changes little in the structure and look of the solid foundation, adapting the game to the Switch's control setup with elegance and precision.
Multiplayer is at the forefront, with up to four players able to throw down in network matches. For those who'd rather go solo, the standard campaign is there to help you hone your skills.
Arguably the strongest of the "Skulls of the Shogun" iterations, the Switch version makes the game seem somehow as fresh and vital as it was upon original release. The sassy death-obsessed game has found new life yet again.
Publisher provided review code.
July 9, 2019
"Sea of Solitude" Review
There are purposes for games that are higher than simple entertainment. "Sea of Solitude" marks a mature new direction for gaming as a whole. The fact that an experimental indie such as this was released by EA shows the level of innovation at play in the industry.
Set inside the damaged pscyhe of a woman suffering through mental issues, "Sea of Solitude" is an emotionally challenging voyage. It shatters preset conceptions of what a game should be by revealing what a game should be.
Freeform and meditative as you drift along the point-and-direct adventure finds you scampering among dilapidated buildings, rowing a boat through flooded streets or confronting tentacle-waving beasts.
Symbolism abounds, with many on-the-nose messages mixed with a smattering of obtuse riddles. Taken as a whole, the voyage makes up for what it lacks in challenge by adding an all-consuming dramatic narrative.
Developer Jo-Mei Games has an empathetic command of its touch subject matter. orchestrating elegiac voiceover blended wtih haunting visuals amd somber music. The mix, combined with a freeform stroll on a guided path, makes for a fascinating and unique trip, albeit a bleak one.
The role of a video game as therapy has rarely come on display in greater effect than it does here. "Sea of Solitude" is a shuddering yet critical walk on the long, slow path to change and redemption.
Publisher provided review code.
July 8, 2019
Book Report: "The Caine Mutiny"
The Caine Mutiny by Herman WoukMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
With passionate storytelling, an easy command of complex military detail and an effortless sensitivity for power dynamics and emotional exchanges, Herman Wouk spins a devastating and tense tale internal and external conflict brought to a head while at war on a Naval vessel.
"The Caine Mutiny" is an example of a tale best known as a classic movie that is blown out of the water by its literary source material. Woulk's story covers far more ground than the film, transplanting the reader into the dark, conflicted minds of its power players. The book also takes a far broader look at the mental conditions afflicting the infamous Commander Queeg, who writes the almanac for incompetent management with each of his controlling, obsessive quirks.
At the same time a harsh, unforgiving wartime satire, a gritty tale of maritime survival and an awkward coming-of-age opus, the book navigates the dark, squall-plagued depths of the human psyche. As the crew conspires to overthrow their cruel, incompetent commander, there are no wholesale victories or defeats, but shades of triumph laced with painful sacrifice burdened with sprawling consequences.
Kevin Pariseau's narration in the Audible version is note-perfect. His trembling unease inside Queeg's skin rivals Humphrey Bogart's Oscar-nominated turn, and the subtle ways he differentiates each character's delivery infuses the story with layers of depth and nuance.
Endlessly captivating and thoroughly intriguing, "The Caine Mutiny" is an essential exploration of bureaucratic obedience, command, coping and rebellion. It docks in your psyche and sets your intellect on a chillingly thrilling course.
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