Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 96

Book Report: "The Call of the Wild"

The Call of the Wild by Jack London
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

London takes the half-crazy, half-genius idea of writing a book from a dog's perspective, and goes scarily deep into the psyche of Buck.

A St. Bernard-Scotch Shepherd mix who is torn away from his easy life as a country dog when he's sold to a brutal, unforgiving prospector who seeks gold in the Yukon. Buck endures the monotony of dog sled life, vies against rivals for leadership, analyzes the pecking order of people and, in the most brilliant moments, waxes philosophically about what it all means.

London's writing is mesmerizing and spectacular. He communicates his thoughts effortlessly and naturally, with a down-home grit that borders close to satire without tipping over the edge. You can imagine Sam Elliot making such musings when he is high or drunk.

The narration by Peter Humann on the Audible version is the next best thing to Elliott. He brings a stoic grit to the story, making you feel as though you're listening to a made-up-as-it-goes story being spun over a campfire.

A strikingly bold and original effort, "The Call of the Wild" deserves its status as a recommended student read I never managed to get around to before now. I'm glad I finally made it inside Buck's head.

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PHIL ON FILM: "Hunter Killer"

For my written review, click here.

Book Report: "One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our Democracy"

Anderson's book suffers from the tedious grind of a research paper, but at times breaks free for some righteous anger, heartfelt personal stories and biting insight. The writing gets stronger as it goes, and by the end it hits such a fever-pitch tone of righteous fury that it lives up to the promise of that potboiler title.

Still, much of the writing is bogged down in copious statistics that would have been best summarized and left as footnotes. There are droll, Leviticus-style listings of places, figures and sundry statistics that hold the main thrust of the book back rather than push it forward.

Still, even in the slow parts, this book has a whole lot to teach. Packed with a master class's worth of historical perspective, incisive examples of the evolution of Jim Crow laws and their implementation over time, the book is a chilling treatise on the decay of our democracy. She also over-relies on the word "disfranchisement," saying it so often that a related drinking game would lead to alcohol poisoning every few pages.

The sone-sided argument, well bolstered, is that conservative mechanations actively seek out to prevent the poor and minorities from voting. The conspiratorial sickness is prevalent, running from poll workers, throughout local and national political machines and all the way up through federal courts. Only a mass awareness of the adversarial nature of disenfranchisement,  a strong ground game and a determination by the affected to be more stubborn than those who seek to stop them from voting can lead to victory.

The Audible narration by Janina Edwards does Anderson's writing no favors. With a grim monotone that sometimes sounds like a voice-to-text program, she too often lacks the inflection that Anderson intended. It probably would have been best to have the author read it herself.

I spent much of the book annoyed and continuing mainly out of obligation, but found myself liking it more and more as it continued. By the end, in which Anderson gives a more incisive description of exactly how Russian hackers managed to manipulate the election via social media, I was won over. This is an important book that demands to be picked up, suffered through, appreciated and ultimately, put into action.

Publisher provided review copy.

"Nickelodeon Kart Racers" Review

Any go-kart racing game with a goofy, licensed character roster and power-up-filled tracks will seem lacking in comparison to "Mario Kart" games. The best way to appreciate what developer GameMill Entertainment has to offer is to separate such prejudices and take the game on its own merits.

But even after doing that, the racer sputters to reach the finish line. Mediocre visuals, rough controls and milquetoast design make the game average at its best moments, and mediocre at its worst.

With a decent level of polish and a solid base of mechanics, there is nothing inherently broken or unbalanced with the game but as you play you're always stuck with the nagging feeling that the execution doesn't come close to matching the promising concept.

Available on Switch, Xbox One and PS4, the game stocks its slate of racers with slim pickings. SpongeBob SquarePants, Sandy and Patrick are there, as are Angelica, Tommy and, bizarrely, the  Reptar doll from "Rugrats." The "Hey Arnold" crew also makes an appearance, as do all four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The array of available racers play in distressingly similar manner, feeling like lackadaisical re-skins of one another rather than diverse competitors designed from the ground up with different strengths and weaknesses.

Best fit for the younger set who are more forgiving of the game's drawbacks and content just to see their animated favorites in action, or with friends who are willing to fill out the four-player multiplayer slate, "Nickelodeon Kart Racers" takes some effort to shift out of neutral.
Publisher provided review code.

"Zarvot" Review

Zarvot is a quriky brawler that's meant to make you smirk and chuckle as you work your way through levels filled with enemies that include bananas, milk cartons and walking crayon boxes.

Playing as two cubes -- named Charcoal and Mustard, because why not? -- you slice, slam and shoot your way through the madness.

Developer Snowhydra LLC excels at managing to convey its list of necessary skills to advance without resorting to pandering or handholding. You are on your own, stuck in the mayhem, forced to learn to survive on your wits and reflexes.

The challenge level ramps up quickly, but each level gives you adequate training, bestowing you with skills you'll need as you move on.

Much of the game plays out like a retro-styled arena shooter, reminiscent of the likes of "Geometry Wars" or even "Centipede." "Zarvot" lifts things to the next level by dressing everything up with a charming story and disarming visuals and music.

Like some sort of Adult Swim adaptation gone rogue, "Zarvot" keeps things fresh and lively by oozing equal parts unfettered personality and adamant dorkiness.
Publisher provided review code.

"911 Operator" Review

No matter how skilled and quick to react first responders are, they are only as effective as the dispatchers who field calls, siphon key, urgent information from frantic people at the worst moment of their lives, then break that info down into something actionable.

"911 Operator" from Jutsu games may be an exaggerated, over-the-top take on the career, but it's grounded enough to serve as a fitting tribute to the unsung heroes. As you field calls, it's on you to cut through the noise to help as many people as possible by getting the authorities to the places they need to be.

You provide instructions, dispatch crews or ignore a superfluous call, not letting it distract you from something more urgent. Expect to second-guess yourself often. You work at a rapid pace, scrambling to stay abreast of the tasks at hand. The stress level is high because the simulation is so convincing.

Two years after its release on PC, Xbox One, PS4 and mobile, "911 Operator" makes its way to Switch. Optimized to work well with the Switch's touch screen and Joy-Con setup, the game takes on a new vibrance and urgency.

While possibly too dry and clinical for some tastes, "911 Operator" manages to take what some might consider a perfunctory task and bestow it with the glory and reverence it deserves. While not a "fun" game by any traditional definition, it manages to get the adrenaline flowing, sucking you into its distinctive realm.
Publisher provided review code.

"Pizza Titan Ultra" Review

"Pizza Titan Ultra" is one of those "anything goes" types of games, where the off-the-charts weirdness level is so prevalent that oddity starts to become the comforting norm.

You play as a giant robot whose job it is to romp through destructible environments, bashing everything in sight in all-out pursuit of prompt pepperoni delivery.

Released in August on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, the game now comes to the Switch, where its pick-up-and-play accessibility translates well to low-intensity, on-the-go play.

Throwback visuals replicate the 16-bit era in tone and style, if not pixel count. The visuals are smoother than the finest Super Nintendo devs could have conjured.

While there is plenty of humor to enjoy, you may find that the laughs take on diminishing returns. Once the quirky trappings fade away into normalcy, what you're left with is a well-polished but perfunctory series of destructive delivery challenges.  The replay value dwindles within an hourlong session.

Still, if you're looking for a tight, charming experience that lets you take out your frustrations on hapless enemies and structures who can't contend with your wrath, "Pizza Titan Ultra" delivers.
Publisher provided review code.

"Child of Light" Switch Review

"Child of Light" is a game you sometimes just find your self staring at in admiration. Gorgeous enough to seem like a playable painting, the story follows a young girl tasked with the challenge of capturing three sources of power and defeating the evil queen, who has seized power.

It makes for a whimsical, involving journey, bolstered with clever writing and a resonant soundtrack. It finds a perfect new home on the Switch, which lets you both appreciate the gorgeous visuals and sound on your living room setup and plug away with missions while on the go.

Ubisoft Monteral's ethereal 2014 puzzle-strategy gem, emblazoned with light RPG elements, continues to shine, because many of its stylistic choices were timeless.

The characters all operate with distinct, often conflicting mannerisms, motivations and worldviews, and there are little nuggets of inspired writing and visual design lurking in every corner. I still smile when I open a treasure box, find that an enemy is hidden within, greating me with a telltale "What's inside? Homicide."

"Child of Light" is one of those games that you feel almost guilty for enjoying by yourself. You feel compelled to text all your friends and pressure them to play it as soon as possible, if only so you'll have people to chat up about the intricacies, contradictions and plot developments you experience in the deep, psychologically challenging journey.

Now there's a new opportunity to evangelize. "Child of Light" is born again on the Switch, shining as bright as ever.
Publisher provided review code.

"Joggernauts" Review

Adorably colorful, space helmet-wearing aliens trot in a line. They hop, dodge and weave their way past an array of obstacles that bombard them as the action flows from right to left. That's "Joggernauts," which milks a deceptively simple concept for more than its worth.

Developer Space Mace's co-op-focused rhythm-puzzle-platformer has much in common with "Patapon" and, well before the time of that game, "Lemmings." Your survival depends on the effectiveness of teamwork. No matter how skilled you are, you are only as good as your weakest collaborator.

As many as four players can join in the action. Success prizes communications, coordination and especially, synchronization. If you gather with three close friends to play, expect them to become three frenemies within a few minutes.

The game seems coded from the ground up to inspire dissent and suspicion among even the tightest of squads. The difficulty level ramps up considerably, forging an arduous challenge level that's closer to "Dark Souls" than that of a typical party game.

If you lack Switch-playing friends to delve into the meat of the mutiplayer, you're left with a perfunctory solo mode that tasks you to toggle back and forth between two characters as they barrel down the paths.

"Joggernauts," like Jenga, is a giddy time with friends but has almost no point at all alone.
Publisher provided review code.

PHIL ON FILM: "Halloween"

For my written review, click here.