Review Round-Up - January 2020

The world of Pokemon expanded into the Galar region with
SPC's Games of the Month, Pokemon Sword and Shield.

SuperPhillip Central rolled into a new year of new reviews with seven unique games covered. We kicked things off with the charming 3D platformer A Hat in Time, which I tipped my proverbial hat to and gave a B grade for its quality. Concrete Genie then followed, a darling, creative game that I gave a B to as well. What followed was the return (and return to form) of the Trine series with Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, conjuring up a B+ grade. We then moved on to the macabre world of MediEvil, a PlayStation classic reborn with a graphical remake, but not much else changed unfortunately. That's why I gave it a C-.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield serve as SuperPhillip Central's Games of the Month, earning B+ accolades for still managing to make the Pokemon series entertaining despite not being much of an evolution to the formula. Finally, we battled it out with the Power Rangers' ensemble of heroes and villains with Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid and ventured into our first retro review of 2020 with Final Fantasy Adventure, both earning a B-.

Now, let's take a look at some excerpts from each of SPC's reviews this month, and remember to check out every review ever posted on SuperPhillip Central with the SPC Review Archive!

A Hat in Time (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) - B

A Hat in Time is generally a good time from beginning to end. It's just that the camera can be a real nuisance when it concerns tight and narrow areas, and technical performance problems in the form of glitches and frame-rate issues result in the game having a less than polished feel to it. That notwithstanding, A Hat in Time is otherwise a resounding success in my book. It offers satisfying worlds to explore, pleasing platforming, amusing characters, and I can't help but tip my own hat to the game.

Concrete Genie (PS4) - B

Despite its budget price and retail presence, Concrete Genie is a game that flew under the radar of many PlayStation 4 owners. As you can see from my review, that's a darn shame--for those who missed out on the game. As is, Concrete Genie is another jewel in Sony's first-party crown and only further enhances the quality of the roster of exclusives the PS4 possesses. That said, Pixelopus' showing isn't a total success with some forced combat that doesn't engage as much as I would have liked, and its brevity may turn off a lot of potential players. Nevertheless, for those looking for an abundantly creative, bold, and special title for their PlayStation 4, you don't need to rub a lamp to encounter this genie. You just need to pick up Concrete Genie instead.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC) - B+

While Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince does not really revolutionize the series in any measurable way, it does succeed in bringing the series back to a comfortable place--back to 2.5D and back to its normal, high quality. The QOL improvements brought over from Trine 3 make for a more enjoyable, less stressful and tedious experience, and overall makes for a puzzle-platforming adventure that is in many ways the best that the Trine series has ever been.

MediEvil (PS4) - C-

Overall, MediEvil is an enjoyable enough romp, but one that I wish the developers had given an equal amount of time to improving the game's design and gameplay rather than obviously merely focusing on upgrading the visuals--as impressive and delightful as they are. As is, MediEvil has the appearance of current-gen game, but underneath its HD flesh is a skeleton filled with occasionally cheap design, frustrating deaths, and lackluster combat and platforming.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield (NSW) - B+

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield may not have the most engaging story nor may be the most impressive running game on the Nintendo Switch, but they still meet the same prerequisite I require to enjoy a Pokemon a game--they're darn good fun. While absent features and Pokemon from past games will disappoint, as will the series not evolving as much as say, a Charmander to a Charmeleon to a Charizard, what is here in these two games was enough to satisfy me and make me eagerly await the upcoming Expansion Pass. I look forward to continuing my journey in the Galar region and quest to catch 'em all.

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) - B-

As a budget fighter, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is a product of its cost. While animations and the presentation do less than impress, it's somewhat acceptable to me due to how much the game sells for. It's also acceptable because the gameplay here is so fundamentally solid. There's plenty of depth for those who want it, while also being accessible enough so that those who aren't overly competitive with their fighters and just want a casual time of it can enjoy the game as well. nWay has done well with its initial effort in the fighting game genre, and with more continued work, I can see Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid become an even greater game. As is, the foundation is strong, but the content just isn't quite there yet for anyone beyond the most ardent Power Rangers and fighting game fan.

Final Fantasy Adventure (GB) - B-

For those who wish to seek out the humble yet impressive-for-the-time origins of the Mana series, Final Fantasy Adventure is that game, warts and all. It's obviously a product of its time in more ways than one in its design, but there's something to be said about how fun the game is to this day that shows, in some ways, how timeless it is. Then, you start running into townspeople, being forced to read through their slowly scrolling dialogue each time you do so, get caught in a dungeon without any keys or mattocks remaining, and then realize that perhaps Final Fantasy Adventure isn't completely timeless. Still, there's a good amount of enjoyment to be found with the Mana series' premiere title, and I think anyone fond of the series should seek the game out to play it, either through an original Game Boy cartridge, through Collection of Mana for the Nintendo Switch, or other [hopefully legal] means.

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Meanwhile, creatures of a different kind popped up in the dazzling and heartfelt Concrete Genie.

Concrete Genie (PS4) Review

Let's start this new week of content on SuperPhillip Central on the right foot with a brand-new review. Concrete Genie came out this past October, and SPC finally gets around to reviewing the game. Check out my thoughts on Concrete Genie with this full review.

Your wish for a unique and touching game is Pixelopus' command.

Some games are short, but are more than worth their price of admission by virtue of just being amazing and unique experiences. Pixelopus' Concrete Genie is one of those games. Like the murals and creatures that our hero can masterfully and magically paint onto the walls of the town of Denska, Concrete Genie is a work of art, exuding a high level of polish and quality.

In Concrete Genie you play as a bullied teen named Ash, an artist that favors to draw in his sketchbook and who yearns for the days where his hometown of Denska was a happening, beautiful place instead of the dilapidated, empty, and scummy eyesore that it is currently. Taken over by darkness and negative energy, Denska seems doomed to its fate, as does Ash who constantly gets teased and picked on by a group of misfits. In one encounter they tear up his sketchbook in a scuffle, sending the pages flying to all corners of Denska. While Ash's short term happiness is ruined, when he stumbles across a magical paintbrush, able to create living mural-like creatures, it appears that in the long term that Ash and Denska's futures as a whole look brighter than ever before.

Concrete Genie is a terrific journey and a heartfelt one at that-that gives each character in it more dimensions than the creatures that Ash can summon with his paintbrush. This is particularly important for the batch of bullies that Ash continuously contends with throughout the game, and the adventure all ends for everyone on an especially poignant, feelgood note.

Behold--the power of creativity!

Ash's paintbrush has plenty of uses to it, as it can conjure art by pointing at walls, holding down the R2 button when doing so, and utilizing the PlayStation 4's motion controls to aim while drawing. If you have an issue with using motion controls, then an alternate right analog stick control setup is available instead. Most walls can be littered with colorful and gorgeous graffiti, but you're limited only by being able to use a set series of patterns when painting as opposed to freestyle. Each main area of the game, which there are four, has a set of landscape patterns to use. With a stroke of the magical paintbrush, hanging lights of mushrooms jingle downward, trees rise up from the ground, an aurora illuminates the wall, and glistening stars light up what were once barren walls.

Denska begins as a dull, drab and desolate place in Concrete Genie,
 so seeing its revitalization throughout the game is glorious.

Really, there is fantastic fun to be found in covering every conceivable wall you can in various patterns to create your own enchanted landscape murals which brighten the once dull city streets. Of course, though, there is a goal to be found in Concrete Genie as well, as and the main one is finding walls containing hanging strands of non-functioning lights on them. With a stroke of the brush on these walls, the lights change from off to on. When all of the walls with light strands on them have been painted, that building is officially finished. Paint all of the walls with light strands on them in a particular zone to complete that zone. Finish all zones in an area to complete that area.

I wish I may, I wish I might, to paint these walls to turn on these lights.

It is completely possible to do a limited amount of work in Concrete Genie by just painting each required wall with light strands with any old pattern and moving on. But, as I said, it's enjoyable and worthwhile to channel your inner Michelangelo and paint the town to create lush, vivid, and colorful landscapes all over to make Denska even more breathtaking than it'd otherwise be. (Well, Michelangelo is known best for a work of art on a ceiling and not a wall, but you get my drift.) Concrete Genie is a tool for expression despite it being covered up under the guise of an adventure game.

The creativity you can channel also works when creating creatures from set locations in Denska. Like with painting walls, you're limited to a set amount of features for creature creation, but even so, there is a wide assortment of tails, wings, horns, and such to create some truly brilliant creatures. Depending on the color of the creature you make, they have different powers and abilities. Red creatures conjure flames, yellow creatures can conduct electricity, and blue creatures blast out wind. All of these abilities are used to solve simple environmental puzzles around Denska. Creatures can be called by holding the L1 button which calls on them, but they must have a means to reach Ash. Creatures cannot jump between walls, so they need a route that is full of interconnected walls. Several of the puzzles in Concrete Genie have you moving blocks and boxes to create new pathways for your created creature companions in some crafty and creative ways.

Thanks for your help, buddy! You've earned your paycheck for this week, for sure!

That said, even though there is some worth to making some art out of painting up and illuminating the walls of Denska and putting forth care into creature creation, there is no real reward for doing so other than purely personal satisfaction. You aren't judged or scored by your artwork, which is a nice thing for a more relaxing experience, of course, but for an already short game of only seven hours, it's quite easy to just feel the need to rush through. I'm sure plenty of players will do just that, especially as the Platinum trophy is quite easy to achieve.

A late-game ability allows Ash to skate around on paint. Totally radical, dude!

Regardless, when you're not creating creatures or painting the town with all sorts of dazzling displays, you're engaging in some other types of gameplay, such as Uncharted-like climbing and platforming, as well as stealth-like gameplay in actively avoiding pursuing bullies. Even then, there is no penalty for falling from too high of a spot or entering the muddy murk that is Denska's waters, as you're merely placed back to where you fell off or in. Being caught by the bullies just results in getting Ash tossed in a dumpster to simply continue his quest of artistry.

It's a brave new Denska, but there's more to do!

Aside from that, there is plenty of exploration to be found in Concrete Genie. Missing pages from Ash's sketchbook need to be chased down and caught, special paintings need life brought back into them, and special genie memories to solve. The latter two require a specific combination of landscape graffiti to complete them, and it just works out that because of this, they're completely optional to do within the game.

While there's a canvas--if you will--full of painting gameplay to enjoy, the late game of Concrete Genie introduces combat where Ash must take on Dark Genies. While the stakes are high story-wise (which I won't spoil why in this review), they aren't so much when it concerns gameplay. Instead, they're rather tedious, as they require you to chase down each enemy, unleash a flurry of paint attacks, and then slowly creep up to the Dark Genie to calm them down and restore them to their former spunky and sweet selves. The combat overall seems nice on paper, but it's executed in a less than exciting way, despite its attempt to keep the game feeling fresh.

Battling Dark Genies in unfortunately the weakest part of Concrete Genie.

Despite its budget price and retail presence, Concrete Genie is a game that flew under the radar of many PlayStation 4 owners. As you can see from my review, that's a darn shame--for those who missed out on the game. As is, Concrete Genie is another jewel in Sony's first-party crown and only further enhances the quality of the roster of exclusives the PS4 possesses. That said, Pixelopus' showing isn't a total success with some forced combat that doesn't engage as much as I would have liked, and its brevity may turn off a lot of potential players. Nevertheless, for those looking for an abundantly creative, bold, and special title for their PlayStation 4, you don't need to rub a lamp to encounter this genie. You just need to pick up Concrete Genie instead.

[SPC Says: B]

Most Overlooked Current Gen Games - Part Nine

SuperPhillip Central has been around for over 11 years, and some of the earliest articles on the site featured great games that did not quite receive due time in the gaming spotlight. These are the games that fell by the wayside in favor of other, more prolific titles by way of popularity, name, or stature. One of this site's passions is picking out those games that linger in the periphery of popular gaming and putting them directly as the center focus. That's why the long-running "Most Overlooked" series of articles on SuperPhillip Central was originally started. This particular edition gives us games from the minds behind games like Alan Wake, Armored Core, and Banjo-Kazooie.

Before you rush to check out the latest five "Most Overlooked" game selections, why not catch up on the past games picked in previous installments?

Current Gen - Part One
Current Gen - Part Two
Current Gen - Part Three
Current Gen - Part Four
Current Gen - Part Five
Current Gen - Part Six
Current Gen - Part Seven
Current Gen - Part Eight

Control (PS4, XB1, PC)

From the makers of Alan Wake and Quantum Break came Control, a game that despite its unique gameplay hooks, Metroid-style structure (something not often seen created in a 3D game), and intriguing story, did not perform too astoundingly sales-wise. Regardless, Remedy Entertainment added an abundance of novelty to Control's gameplay through its use of main character--and Federal Bureau of Control's new director--Jesse Faden's supernatural abilities. Such act included being able to lift up obstacles and chuck objects like furniture into enemies, performing telekinetic feats, as well as taking over the minds of enemies, thus controlling their movements.

Through acquiring new abilities via Objects of Power, players could take Jesse to new areas of the mysterious Oldest House game world in true Metroidvania fashion. Between the elaborate world to explore in the game, showing off some insanely impressive, mind-warping sights, as well as the myriad of means both traditional and supernatural that Jesse can use to dispatch enemies and discover new ways to overcome challenges, Control is a super satisfying game that I urge more gamers to play.

Concrete Genie (PS4)

The first parties of the PlayStation brand performed well this past generation, and the Sony's arsenal of studios improved immensely ever since the company invested more into them. The quality over the PlayStation 4's lifespan speaks for itself, and while obviously the most significant exclusives take over the conversation--such as God of War, Uncharted 4, Horizon: Zero Dawn, among others--smaller projects--passion projects, if you will, added even more variety to the PlayStation brand's first-party offerings.

One such game was Pixelopus's Concrete Genie, released last month, and it exuded immense creativity, originality, and artistry. In the dismal town of Denska, a boy named Ash finds his doodling book stolen by a group of brash bullies who proceed to rip out the pages. With the help of a found magical paintbrush, Ash goes on a journey that sees him hoping to restore not only the pages of his book, but also hoping to restore the town of Denska to its former glory. This is performed by the player using Ash's paintbrush to turn their works of art into living creations used to solve puzzles based on how they painted the creation. From what colors they used to how they drew the creation, this all affects whether a puzzle is solved successfully or not.

Concrete Genie came and went for many PlayStation 4 owners, but like a fine work of art, it most likely will serve the test of time. It certainly serves as a great addition to the PS4 lineup and Sony's first-party efforts this generation regardless.

Daemon X Machina (NSW)

Mecha no mistake--Daemon X Machina isn't in a genre that would light sales charts on fire, but as a compelling Nintendo Switch exclusive, it served its purpose well at bringing exciting, fast-paced mech combat to the system. If you have any excitement for stuff like Gundam or Pacific Rim--or better yet as an example for video game fans, the Armored Core series--then it's quite likely you'll find something to love with the rush of battling other gigantic bipedal machines and foreboding robotic bosses, all while outfitting and customizing your mech and pilot down to the last, obsessive detail. New content continues to get added to the game, such as new online co-op missions, competitive multiplayer, and much more. Whether you're a lover of mecha movies and games that feature them or want a satisfying and intense action game to blow stuff to smithereens in, Daemon X Machina will provide you with plenty of explosive entertainment.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC)

I'd be remiss if I didn't regale readers of SuperPhillip Central with a passionate plea to check out Playtonic's Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, especially since Black Friday deals include the game. Simply put, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a wonderfully done spirit animal in video game form to Rare's Donkey Kong Country trilogy. The game is quite clever with its level designs, especially the way the 3D overworld (which is also a fantastic, novel, and quite clever contribution to the DKC formula) can be manipulated to alter levels entirely. For instance, a formerly dry sewer-based level presents an entirely different approach when it's partway flooded, allowing for new areas of the level to be explored and familiar sights taking on fresh challenges. The eponymous Impossible Lair isn't quite so "impossible", especially not with the Bees that you collect in the game's levels that each give Yooka and Laylee and extra "hit" in this final, ultra-challenging level. It's still rather difficult with a full supply, but overall, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair remains one of my favorite games of the year and I wish more people would play it.

Crystal Crisis (NSW, PS4, PC)

Filling the hole in my gamer heart that was once occupied by Capcom's Puzzle Fighter series (which is currently on hiatus like many other Capcom franchises), Crystal Crisis takes various video game all-stars, but in this case, they're mostly from lesser known series to the mainstream video game audience. I'm referring to series like Cave Story, The Binding of Isaac, Code of Princess, 1001 Spikes, Azure Striker Gunvolt, among many others. Also joining these indie gaming all-stars are some notable anime characters, the most notable of which being Astro Boy.

Aside from the fancy presentation on display, the actual match-based puzzle fighting game finds itself endless addicting, having players match similarly colored blocks together and causing explosive reactions by combining them with falling crystals of the same color. Thus, this causes their opponent to receive a "gift" of blocks dumped on their board. The player whose board fills to the top with blocks first loses. Crystal Crisis may not bring much new to the table, as it's very much a clone of Capcom's Puzzle Fighter, but it's a well made clone all the same.