Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 98

Book Report: "Lord of the Flies"

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Golding's sense of immediacy is what makes "Lord of the Flies" a classic. He sticks to prose that matches the education levels and worldviews of his protagonists, a group of schoolboys who crash land on an island and disastrously attempt to forge a society of their own.

He seeks to unearth the depths of greed, domination and inhumanity that are hardwired into even the most seemingly innocuous among us.

The experiment is a success. The novel is fast-paced, accessible and thought-provoking. There are a few nagging faults that weigh it down a bit, though. His characters alternate from behaving like devious, cruel adults in one scene and helpless overgrown toddlers the next.

The range is jarring, conveniently shifting to suit the changing needs of the narrative. This causes the tone to run all over the place, and veer toward crass emotional manipulation. But that doesn't stop it from hitting hard. His gripping, brooding tale of innocence loss strikes the stark reveal that innocence was never really there.


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"Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition" Review

Embracing the charming absurdities of Luchador and Dia de Los Muertos lore, the "Guacamelee" series is an exquisite example of just how engaging and gripping storytelling can be in a genre that often dispenses with narrative as it focuses on combat. "The game predates "Coco" by telling a grim, engrossing story of lost love divided by the realms of the living and the dead. Unlike "Coco," it's not afraid to laugh at itself.

Developer Drinkbox Studios continued to refine and expand its 2013 sensation -- eventually following it up with a glorious sequel -- and the ludicrously named "Super Turbo Championship Edition" marks a capstone on what will go down as the definitive version of the game.

With updated and expanded levels, upgrades and unlockables, the game oozes with things to chase, do, see and punch in the face. There is a decidedly Metroidvania tone to the platforming, which often has you double back over area you have previously covered in order to chase down new skills that will help you as you advance through the story.

The Switch makes an apt home for the game, which benefits from the on-the-go play options -- including quick-save states and short missions that are well-designed for mobile gaming -- while still looking stunning when played at home on your TV. If you're a lapsed "Guacamelee" fan who decides to give the game another shot, you'll find it will grip you in its colorful headlock once again.
Publisher provided review code.

"Vampyr" Review

"Vampyr" sinks its teeth into a fascinating concept. As a streetwalking creature of the night who stalks the alleyways of 1918 London, you are a threat to everyone you encounter. And in many ways, you are more of a threat to yourself than any of your adversaries.

You can give into your urges and take the easier way out, upgrading your skills by indulging in your thirst for blood and power. Or you can make things harder on yourself by avoiding killing those who stand in your way and enhancing your abilities by taking the non-lethal options.

The game dropped in June, but has been reborn with its latest update, which adds two new difficulty modes, making the game both more accessible and more challenging, depending on the amount of bloodlust that courses through your cold veins.

Those who just want to appreciate the writing and visuals, without letting the stress of combat get to them, can take on Story Mode, which requires minimal skill to make your way through the dark, engrossing saga.

Hard Mode, on the other hand, grants you less experience from straight-up kills, forcing you to "embrace" -- sucking the blood out of victims -- in order to make your character more viable.

No matter which way you choose to take on "Vampyr," there is a rich tapestry to enjoy. Developer Dontnod is at the peak of its skills, delivering and refining a masterful, largely unsung think piece on the burden of monsterhood. The latest update pumps some new life into its undead saga.
Publisher provided review code.

"Velocity 2X" Switch Review

A shoot-em-up platformer that rocked the PS4 and Vita indie scene in 2014, "Velocity 2X" gets a welcome rebirth on the Switch, where it fits in nicely with the console's stable of retro-minded concepts.

Alternating between side-scrolling traversal and top-down bullet hell mayhem, the game from FuturLab puts your twitch skills to the test. But reflexes alone won't keep you going. Ample puzzle challenges and varied combat structures keep you guessing, adjusting and adapting.

To survive and thrive, you need to be able to think on the fly and recalibrate not only your tactics, but the pace at which you think, operate and react.

Staying true to its name, much of the game boasts a relentlessly raw speed that would make Sonic dizzy. The forward momentum courses through the entirety of the game's makeup, from the sleek visuals to the thumping soundtrack. There's nary a moment of downtime in the escapade, with the action kicking into high gear from the early moments, rarely pausing to take a breath.

Many games show their age quickly, but the polish and energy of "Velocity" keep the game's look and feel relevant, easily managing to keep pace with current offerings. If you missed out on "Velocity 2X" on its first go-round, the Switch makes an excellent landing place for its second tour of duty.
Publisher provided review code.

PHIL ON FILM: "A Star is Born"

For my written review, click here.

Book Report: "Artemis"

Artemis by Andy Weir
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Weir comes close at times but can't quite recapture the alchemy he conjured in "The Martian." He follows the template he set in that book, sticking us in the head of an ultra-nerdy protagonist who solves extraterrestrial problems with exhaustive knowledge of engineering and science.

The setting shifts from a botanist marooned on Mars to a smuggler attempting to make a big score by undermining a megacorporation on a moon colony.

But the formula doesn't quite translate. The hero this time out is a woman in her mid-20s who happens to think, talk and act like a geeky 45-year-old.

Her stream of consciousness and outlook are overly manufactured, undermining the humor and making her thoughts and actions seem forced and calculated, rather than natural. It also doesn't help that she tends to make awkward pop culture references to 20th and 21st century American pop culture, rather than futuristic moon culture in which she was raised.

It's also annoying how Weir gets hung up on the minutiae of scientific explanations, over-narrating scenes that easily could have been pared down.

I liked the book at the beginning, but it wore on me as it droned on. "Artemis" sputters rather than flows, ending as barren and desolate as the barren satellite on which it's set.

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"Rise & Shine" Review

Nearly three years after releasing the run-and-gun platformer "Rise & Shine," Adult Swim games has given the game another shot on Switch.

Feeling more at home on the system than it did on other systems, the fast-paced side-scroller is an apt fit for handheld mode, with its bite-sized missions lending themselves to on-the-go play.

Set on the planet of Gamearth, the robotic overlords of Nexgen have a stranglehold on the remnants of society.

Playing as a gun-toting child named Rise, you double-jump, dash, duck behind cover and aim your weapon and fire away. Rolling through inventively designed levels, with clever platform and enemy placement, you work your way through increasingly frustrating obstacles.

With a steep difficulty ramp-up, you need to glean survival lessons thrust upon you in order to prepare for the next challenges.

With the highly meta story unfolding in stylishly rendered cut scenes, the action-packed levels keep the adrenaline flowing. "Rise & Shine" is well worth a look for those who are looking for an action platformer to add to their Switch stable.
Publisher provided review code.

"Assassin's Creed Odyssey" Review

Through the years, the "Assassin's Creed" series has taken gamers on a guided tour of world history, spiced up with a fascinating web of conspiracy theories and a sizable dose of historical fiction poetic license. But underlying all the gaming and storytelling trappings always rested a bedrock of historical authenticity. You truly felt like a time traveler, seeing the world through the eyes of an assassin ancestor.

"Assassin's Creed Odyssey" marks a new highwater mark for the franchise because it embraces its history to such an obsessive degree that even its exhaustively researched predecessors can't match. Ancient Greece comes alive in ways a textbook or even a film couldn't hope to approach. Every detail, from the ways the clouds roll over Mount Olympus to the manner in which townsfolk react to the way you brandish a dagger or swipe some loot channels lifelike realism into the experience. The game not only makes you feel as though you live and breathe inside a Peloponnesian War-era Greece, it grants you the sense of powerful freedom to manipulate the land to your goals.

Ubisoft Quebec prioritized player choice above all else for "Odyssey," which is by far the most RPG-like entry in the series to date. Taking a cue -- whether consciously or not -- from the direction in which "God of War" moved, you can adorn your hero with upgradable, craftable armor, unlock abilities by distributing points along the branches of a skill tree, and make meaningful choices in dialogue and actions that have ramifications on the way the story unfolds. The first, but not least of those choices, is whether to play as a man or woman.

That sense of choice and the empowerment it represents echoes throughout the world. More than ever before in an "Assassin's Creed" game, you are at liberty to take non-lethal routes toward your goals. You can also forgo the usual HUD setup that tracks your progress and quest goals, freeing you to explore without inhibitions. Regardless of what you choose, the narrative is written in a manner to justify and de-gamify your selections.

Whether you choose to pursue the main path or allow yourself to be sucked into the many side quests that you encounter, you get a rich, thrilling escapade into times of yore, getting an up-close, full-bodied dose of Ancient Greece in its prime. Along for the ride are a pair of animal friends -- one series veterans are used to and the other which is new, yet familiar to those who have played titles with similar tropes.

There is a bird of prey you can summon to give you aerial recon and mark locations of adversaries, and there is also a horse you can call whenever you like to help speed your travel, trample enemies or navigate harsh terrain. Much like "Red Dead Redemption" and the "Zelda" games, you form a stark, emotional bond with your steed, adding yet another layer of depth to the experience.

Bolstered by crackling dialogue, a sweeping and enrapturing story, as well as boundaries-shattering visuals that fulfill promises the series has long hinted at but never fully delivered, "Assassin's Creed Odyssey" shines in free running, naval combat and stealthy slinking. This is an "Assassin's Creed" to sink into and savor. There is a bright, big world of history there for the seizing, and exalting in it makes you feel like a Greek god.
Publisher provided review code.

"THE Card: Poker, Texas Holdem, Blackjack and Page One" Review

Not every game needs to swing for the fences. There's something to be said for a title that aims small, eschews frills and executes its niche with a vengeance. That's the hand dealt by "THE Card: Poker, Texas Holdem, Blackjack and Page One."

That mouthful of a title is just what the game is -- no more and no less. It's strictly for those looking to kill time while maybe refining their card game skills a bit. The games are as basic as their execution. Sure, you could get the same games via free apps on your phone, but those would likely come attached to a train of microtransaction upsells and ads that dampen your enjoyment.

Everything about "THE Card" is pure and Spartan to the core. You take part in network-wide ranking systems partitioned by each game.

The card games are simple, straightforward and well-executed, with modifications possible including house rules, card design change-ups and backgrounds. The inherent challenge and strategy embedded in each of the card games is the main draw, and you "level up" not by artificial XP but by genuine experience that makes you a savvier and more efficient gambler. With no real money at stake, this is a cheaper and less stressful way to learn the ropes than by braving a real-life or online casino.

An attractive impulse buy to keep in your back pocket to fill out the edges of your Switch library, "THE Card" gives you just what you bargain for, and is worth the proverbial roll of the dice for those looking to do some ramification-free gambling.
Publisher provided review code.

"Life is Strange 2: Episode 1" Review

It's fitting that "Life is Strange 2" is launching the week that Telltale Games went under. As the old guard that reinvigorated the point-and-click adventure genre with "The Wolf Among Us," "The Walking Dead," "Batman" and "Game of Thrones" fades away, the wily innovators at Dontnod Entertainment have reached new heights with "Life is Strange 2." The third episodic series in the franchise proves beyond any doubt that the torch for the genre has been passed.

The first of five planned episodes, "Life is Strange 2" shifts to a different set of characters. Once again, the game is a supernatural forces-tinged tale of awkward, brutal adolescent life. Much of the appeal comes in small moments, such as crashing on a beanbag to sketch out a drawing, flipping on music, and firing up a laptop or pulling out a cell phone to check on your friends. With the vigor and insight of "13 Reasons Why" and "Stranger Things," the "Life is Strange" sequel plants you squarely into the tumult of teenage life, where decisions fluctuate from inconsequential to life-changing minute by minute.

The narrative focuses on two brothers who are left to fend for themselves in a harsh, unforgiving world. David, a high school senior, is the reluctant caretaker of Daniel, who is coming to grips with newfound, barely-controlled psychic powers. The kids wrestle with the typical interchangable insecurities, rivalries and tenderness of siblings, all while sinking into a larger struggle that's more explosive and wide-ranging than either of them can fathom.

The choices you make in actions and in manipulating the dialogue trees have a heavy impact on the way the story unfolds. Likewise, your choices in the original "Life is Strange" -- yet not that of the prequel, subtitled "Before the Storm" impact the setup you face in this game. You can vie to steer Daniel toward the path of righteousness, or nudge him seemingly along the path or short-term gain that could possibly lead to madness or megalomania.

A crackling start to what promises to be yet another chilling, tragic and effortlessly funny and insightful take on teen angst and empowerment, "Life is Strange" proves that despite the fall of Telltale, the adventure genre has not yet plateaued.
Publisher provided review code.