Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 99

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"Forza Horizon 4" Review

Each release in the "Forza" series somehow pushes the bar for realism and accessibility even higher. "Forza Horizon 4" manages to continue the trend, delivering stunningly realistic visuals that captivate and thrill, feeling at times like an action movie come to life.

The "Horizon" spinoff series has always been the more fun, freewheeling open-world cousin of the mainline franchise. The temptation for developers Playground Games and Turn 10 studios may have been to devolve into something of a "Burnout Paradise"-style arcade romp, they throttle back and lean into the sim aspect. That doesn't mean this new "Horizon" pulls back from fun and frivolity. With nearly everything you do counting toward XP-style clout that lands you sponsors, funding and access to better cars and more varied events, you always feel as though you are inching forward on the progression loop.

Compared to dryer games such as "Gran Turismo Sport," "Forza Horizon 4" is a freewheeling goof. With so many disciplines available to keep things fresh and fascinating, you never feel as though you're playing the same race twice -- even if you take on the same event over and over in an effort to grind to the top. The trick of the game is that it makes all the grinding required feel like messing around. As you refine your skills, upgrade your fleet and seek out the events clamoring for your attention in the British countryside, you lose yourself in the constant forward momentum with which "Forza Horizon 4" enraptures you.

More than 450 cars from a staggeringly diverse 100 manufacturers are there to draw you onward. New modes such as "Horizon Life" boast 25 unique campaigns, testing varied skills such as stunt driving, drifting and sprint racing. The seasonally-divided shared world makes the same courses seem varied depending on whether they are, say, frozen over with ice or drenched with rain. The weather effects merge with impressive damage modifiers that particularly pop when you shift the POV to first person, dealing with the need to peek in between window cracks at the road hazards flying fast and furious at you.

It's been a slow couple of years for Xbox One exclusives, but "Forza Horizon 4" is nearly excellent enough to make up for the dearth of games to pick from. A driver's delight, the game is brilliant enough to convert those who don't care much about car games into true believers.
Publisher provided review code.

Book Report: "Fear: Trump in the White House"

Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think this book will become more relevant and valuable as the decades pass and people look back on this surreal period of time to sort out exactly what the hell happened. Woodward's research and sourcing are sure to stand the time better than the likes of Omarosa, James Comey, Stormy Daniels or the other Trump book-of-the-week opportunists.

In the wake of Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury," though, Woodward's work comes off as milquetoast and meek. Just about everything here has been copiously reported elsewhere. Woodward takes the newspaper-of-record tack of foregoing the attempt to break news while making sure its facts are settled and straight.

Woodward shocks no one by tearing the lid off an obviously chaotic and dysfunctional White House and showing that it's... chaotic and dysfunctional. He offers no more insight as to the haphazard way Trump operates than what anyone can see after watching him jabber on for a few minutes on camera. If anything, Woodward doesn't so much rip Trump apart as he does provide a security blanket by showing how his staff actively works to undermine his crazier impulses to keep some semblance of normalcy in the day-to-day at 1600.

Woodward's more explosive material is at the beginning and end. The bulk of the book could have been written by anyone with a stack of newspaper pieces to summarize. Woodward catalogs the list of Trump's well-reported scandals, padding out what cynically could have been an extended magazine article.

But I'm glad Woodward made this into a book. It will either be something to pass down to future generations in an effort to explain WTF happened during this episode of temporary insanity... or show how the first domino fell in the process that ended up giving us President Ivanka.

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"MagiCat" Review

It's a bold move for a developer to take on the tried, true and done-to-death genre of the child-friendly, side-scrolling platformer, but Toge Productions didn't back down from the challenge. "MagiCat" is an unapologetically earnest and whimsical take on the genre.

With 63 levels to take on, there is no lack of content in the sprawling game. You navigate difficult jumps, shifting platforms, unfortunately placed enemies and secret pathways to keep maneuvering onward. Your hero kitty not only has the ability to pounce, but can shoot projectiles at the enemies. In between levels, you navigate a top-down overworld first popularized in "Super Mario Bros. 3."

While the controls are tight and hit detection is fair, there isn't much here to push the genre forward. That may be fine for younger gamers who didn't grow up on a steady diet of games like this, but anyone in need of innovation should look elsewhere. At times, "MagiCat" plays like an underbaked minigame in some grander adventure.

Still, there is plenty to appreciate in "MagiCat" for those willing to give it a chance. Its hero has enough charm and personality to star in internet memes and T-shirts, but risks being lost in the morass of obscurity. MagiCat" is bound to be the favorite game of some subsets of kids -- and kids at heart -- whose parents, inner or otherwise, give it a shot.
Publisher provided review code.

"Cities: Skylines" Switch Review

After releasing three years ago on PC and two years ago on consoles, "Cities: Skylines" is taking a victory lap on the Switch. A deep and robust city builder, the game has rapidly grown its reputation to the point that it's come to define the genre for its generation.

Deep customization options, wild scenarios, authentic simulation variables and an easy-to-navigate menu system are the hallmarks of a game viewed by many as essential to a well-rounded collection. While that distinction may make "Cities: Skylines" sound about as sexy as a reference book or research paper, a few minutes with the game will show you it's anything but dry. It manages to cast its spell, drawing players into its rhythms, emergent conflicts and moments of peaceful synconicity.

Developer Colossal Order's answer to "SimCity" allows players to craft breathtaking cityscapes, manipulate intricate economies and stretch their urban planning skills to the max.

While it's not realistic to hope that the Switch version could match the keyboard and mouse setup in terms of menu efficiency, the touch screen and hot key maps hold their own well, going far beyond what was possible on the PS4 and Xbox One versions.

Numerous other upgrades are present, such as a savvy use of the device's HD rumble feature to guide you toward sweet spots on your map to build. Those who prefer to hunker down in console mode can also use a Pro Controller to plot out their grand designs.

With a full-figured weather system ever present to change things up whenever you get too confident, "Cities: Skylines" cuts an impressive silhouette of towering buildings cut against the horizon.
Publisher provided review code.

"Jake Hunter Detective Story: Ghost of the Dusk" Review

With 3DS releases waning, there are fewer reasons to dust off the old portable system. "Jake Hunter Detective Story: Ghost of the Dusk" feels like an elixir that jolts new life into the handheld.

A defiant throwback to the type of game the system became known for over the past decade, "Ghost of the Dusk" is a hard-boiled sleuthing yarn that hearkens back to the likes of "Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective" and "Hotel Dusk: Room 215."

Following the apparently accidental death of a homeless man, gruff gumshoe Jake Hunter teams with an old pal to dive into action, determined to proof that there is more to the incident than at first seems. Navigating dialogue options and menu selections, you strive to unravel the twist-filled web of mysteries linked to the death.

Film noir-style writing blends with comic book style visuals to weave a haunting and entrancing web of mystery and discovery.

Making savvy use of the system's two screens, "Ghost of the Dusk" shows exactly what made the 3DS so versatile and enduring. Even though the fad of glasses-free 3D has long since lost its luster, there remains a staunch appeal to the accompaniment of touch screen navigation with simultaneous story presentation up top.

Like a ghost from the shadowy past, "Ghost of the Dusk" emerges from the ether as a reminder of what once was, and what could be again.
Publisher provided review code.

"LittleBits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit" Review

There's a difference between strapping on some plastic armor and pretending you're iron man and actually simulating the circuitry and mechanics that go into components of an exosuit.

"LittleBits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit" takes the next step toward putting young Tony Starks in training through the paces of cobbling together a superhero suit. Packing beginning and intermediate robotics design and engineering principles, the set works as a training tool for would-be inventors.

As much a hands-on, experiential teaching tool as a toy, the STEM-focused educational package is an empowering and enchanting introduction to circuitry and robotic design. Once you put together a project, you control it via a smartphone app.

Think of the set as a next-level version of angles. Following step-by-step instructions, you snap components together to form circuits that are powered by an included 9V battery. Taking inanimate nodes, connecting them and watching them come to life through your direction is empowering and exciting.

Although designed for kids to be able to decipher and construct themselves, a healthy dose of parental supervision and gentle guidance will keep kids short of IKEA-level frustration. Meant to be built, taken apart, adjusted and experimented with, there are plenty of open-ended applications for the package. A generation inspired by such interactive building could well inspire a generation of Ironmen and women.

Publisher provided review sample.

"Nefarious" Review

As raw concepts go, "Nefarious" is a gem. Playing as a pompous, egotistical villain who romps around action platformer levels to kidnap princesses and dispatch heroes, your goal is to conjure as much mayhem as you can muster.

The execution, though, leaves much to be desired. Playing at times like a rough beta -- with slippery controls, inconsistent hit detection and discomforting difficulty ramps and plateus amid levels, "Nefarious" is as rough around the edges as its ugly protagonist.

Despite the nagging flaws, there is plenty to enjoy in nefarious. If the premise makes you giggle, you'll surely appreciate the sense of power playing as a bad guy grants you.

A catchy soundtrack and charming visual style will give gamers who came of age in the 1990s much to appreciate. It takes considerable reflexes and pattern detection to make your way through the more harrowing parts, and handholding is kept at a minimum. A throwback that mocks conventions of the era while also leaning into them, the game shimmers with nostalgia.

"Nefarious" may not have quite lived up to its potential, but manages to win hearts and mind as an occasionally brilliant diamond in the rough. The ramshackle experience works especially well in short bursts, and manages to grow on you as much as you're willing to let it.
Publisher provided review code.

"Mercenaries Saga Chronicles" Review

If you're looking to pick up a strategy-minded RPG that wears its "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Quest" influences proudly, you'll be hard-pressed to find more value than what awaits you in "Mercenaries Saga Chronicles."

Packing three lengthy games into a $40 package, the Switch download packs dozens of hours of gameplay into its beefy package. It's easy to lose yourself in the interlocking tales of intrigue, robust lore, staggering amount of upgrades and skillfully balanced combat.

The knocks against the package are its stiff, linear narrative and milquetoast design. The "Mercenaries Saga" games seem so intent on aping their influences that it struggles to establish tones of their own.

If there's any system best suited to enjoy "Mercenary Chronicles," it's the Switch. Just as enjoyable in quick hits on the go as it does in marathon sessions on the couch, the game shines as brightly in portable mode as it does in the traditional console setup.

With few alternatives out there to contend with the series in its chosen genre, "Mercenaries Saga Chronicles" stands out as one of the most appealing options for strategy RPG-minded Switch gamers. If you find yourself hooked, you may not feel the need to play anything else for weeks on end.
Publisher provided review code.

"Shikhondo: Soul Eater" Review

A bullet hell shooter adorned in the trappings of Asian mythology, "Shikhondo: Soul Eater" adds beauty and resonance to the typical shmup tropes.

As is always the case in the genre, you barely have time to appreciate the visuals and story as you work frantically to stay alive amid a constant assault from the neverending grind.

But don't be surprised if you find yourself occasionally distracted because you are so taken with the window dressing. This is as gorgeous a game of this type as you're ever likely to stumble upon, so it's only right that you appreciate the captivating visuals.

A tight and combustive package, "Soul Eater" packs five stages of increasingly bizarre and difficult barrages of enemies gunning for your head. Close brushes with death are encouraged, with brash, high-risk flying patterns rewarded with additions to the soul gage, which you can build up toward super moves, much like a fighting game.

The challenge to climb your way up the leaderboards always beckons/taunts you to copious replays with the goal of enhancing your skills to reach new heights. Boss rush and local co-op modes join the traditional arcade campaign to keep things fresh.

You can easily lose yourself among the rhythms and hypnotic swirl of sights and sounds, becoming one with the soul of "Shinkohndo," only to happy to have it eat you alive.
Publsiher provided review code.