Arizona Theatre Company Review: 'Bob & Jean: A Love Story'

Before the common mode of long-distance written communication shifted from handwritten letters and telegrams to texts and email, words were ironclad documents of fleeting experiences rather than throwaways in between emojis. The intimacy of penmanship flourishes and inserted photographs forged a theater of the mind that helped hearts take flight, as well as shatter them.

"Bob & Jean: A Love Story" is true story about a man's attempt to piece together his parents' cross-global romance through the letters they left behind. Bob (Jake Bentley Young), a Navy sailor deployed to Europe during World War II, and Jean (Mary Mattison), a USO performer and aspiring actress, forge an indelible connection via pen and paper as both face their solitary struggles. They dream, they fantasize, they bicker, they pull back and they embrace.

Although the leads always share the same stage, they are most always half a world apart. Both Young and Mattison excel at expressing their yearnings, fears, loneliness and, especially, their deepening connection.

The narrator is their son, played by Scott Wentworth, who makes wry comments about the hokeyness, stubbornness and cluelessness both characters often demonstrate. He often adds in colorful anecdotes that foreshadow future character traits both will exhibit as parents. Wentworth's warmth and charm is key to bringing the audience into the story.

The latest effort from Pulitzer and Tony-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan is a deeply personal voyage that becomes a fascinating journey of introspection. Bolstered by an elegant stage enhanced with subtle flourishes of projection, the three actors cast a transcendent spell over the audience. It's in the second act that "Bob & Jean" truly comes into its own, with a pair of scintillating monologues and a tear-jerking epilogue.

I found myself as enraptured as I was when I was less than half my current age, savoring Schenkkan's ruminations in "The Kentucky Cycle," the only play that has ever made me cry. I had to fight back tears at the end of "Bob & Jean." I sort of wish I'd let them flow.

"Bob & Jean: A Love Story" plays through April 12 at the Temple of Music and Art. Buy tickets here.

Box Break: 2023 Topps Baseball Series 2 Monster Box

 See which 1985 and foil cards I pull.

Game Review: 'Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition'

Slowly but steadily, Nintendo has managed to revamp nearly every major first-party Wii U gem for the vastly more popular Switch. It may have taken until the end of the console's life cycle, but the publisher has now revitalized the beloved JRPG "Xenoblade Chronicles X" as the "Definitive Edition."

The 2015 Wii U classic, known for sprawling landscapes roamed by gorgeously detailed monolithic enemies, blossoms to new life on the Switch. Those who keep the old console around just to plunge into the realm of Mira can now give the Wii U its deserved Viking funeral. A few hours with "Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition" and you'll find it as tough to go back to the original as it would be an old toothbrush.

Developer MonolithSoft rebuilt the stunningly immersive saga from the ground up. In addition to HD visuals, buffed-up animations, smoothed-out battle mechanics and seamless loading, the dev team took an imaginative and holistic approach to removing the old game's irritants that disrupted the flow of play.

While the 2015 product was astounding, MonolithSoft took care to listen to fan suggestions to integrate a slew of subtle improvements that make the Definitive Edition play more like something akin to a new release than a last-decade relic. Inactive party members now rack up EXP in line with that accumulated by active party members, negating the need to distribute playtime equally among your benchwarmers. A new hot menu allows you to swap out party members at any time, rather than having to track your pals down in order to make substitutions.

While the narrative of "Xenoblade Chronicles X" may lack the depth of many other games in the series, the cinematic majesty of the landscape, bolstered by its myriad traversal options, more than makes up for the thin story. Every moment is fueled with a sense of forward momentum and steady, gnawing urgency, but the tone also allows you to make yourself comfortable with the thought of taking a step back and evaluating your methods.

Customization is king here. You can adjust your avatar's gender, attributes, class and abilities. Tinkering with various Arts and passive abilities helps you formulate ideal loadouts for various objectives.

Just as in the Wii U version, there is a multiplayer aspect that adds some spice to the package, letting you recruit allies for Squad Missions or take on frenemies in antagonistic Nemesis Missions. While many insular JRPG fanatics will ignore these features, their presence enriches the experience by allowing you to share in the glory, and sometimes agony, with familiar players and anonymous passers by alike.  

I was floored by the gloriously painstaking restoration of an underappreciated classic that "Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition" turned out to be. Like a Renaissance painting reconstructed with an artistic vision that matched the precision of the original mastery, this new edition adds even more heft and majesty to one of the greatest RPGs in all of gaming. Even if you wore the old game out a decade ago, it's high time to make your introduction with the version of the game that surpasses its legendary progenitor.

Publisher provided review code.

Book Report: 'Three Stories and Ten Poems'

 

Three Stories and Ten Poems by Ernest Hemingway
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ernest Hemingway's first published book is a mixed bag, with plenty of impressive moments that show the promise he would one day fulfill, bogged down with inconsistency and self-indulgent scene painting that goes nowhere.

I found the poems to be largely throwaways, and two of the three stories to be worthwhile. "Up in Michigan" is a heartbreaking tale of misplaced romantic yearning that leads to crass abuse and "My Old Man" is a stirring rumination of a child's experiences in the highs and lows brought on by his father's rise and fall in the corrupt horse racing industry. The other one, "Out of Season," falls victim to Hemingway's worst qualities as a writer, and is a dense bore.

The book is so short that it's worth reading for any Hemingway fan. If you can do without the author's low points, it's skippable.

View all my reviews

Early Game Review: 'Assassin's Creed Shadows'

 

After a 15-month break, "Assassin's Creed" is back in action in glorious form with the release of "Assassin's Creed Shadows," a vibrant and rich return to form for the franchise, which makes its way to east Asia for the first time. Due out Friday, the game is a powerful saga that thrives as a riveting adventure, fascinating historical reenactment and meaningful push forward for the franchise's ongoing saga.

Set in the late 16th century Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japan, during which frayed factions are beginning to unify into a single entity, the game exists in an iconic time frame, in which samurai roam the land attempting to scrape by under the heels of bickering warlords. Gilded castles, clashing cultures and historical turning points abound, as an old way of life begins to fade into the background as firearms and Western culture begin their incursion on the old ways.

The story spins the saga of two outsider underdog heroes, Naoe and Yasuke, both who are intertwined with Oda Nobunaga. A female, Naoe is a lithe, elegant merchant of death, while Yasuke, is a tank-like force who has traversed from across the world and strives make a name and life for himself under Nobunaga's tutelage.

The usual conceit from the franchise is back. Once again, you play as a near-future person who relives and alters an ancestor's memoires through a VR-infused version of time travel. The combat is an excellent melding of swordplay, subterfuge and strategic projectile deployment. The best "Assassin's Creed" games introduce a steady diet of verticality to the tactical repertoire, and "Shadows" manages to do so in a way that should please those who found "Mirage" to be a humdrum effort. 

Style abounds in "Shadows," which will please those who found themselves fascinated by Hulu's "Shogun" or Sony's "Ghost of Tsushima." Steeped in well-researched sociopolitical tapestry, the game comes to life as a vivid recreation of its time and place. 

"Assassin's Creed" games have always flowered to life as educational tools, zipping you around the globe and timeline with the fervor of a Jules Verne fever dream, and "Shadows" is a similarly grandiose dollop of historical fiction. A timeless score by the English duo The Flight helps set the mood for each fascinating scene. Skip scenes may be skippable, but it's not the least bit tempting to zip through the gorgeously cinematic storytelling.

I adored my time with "Assassin's Creed Shadows," and am excited to talk to friends and colleagues about the similarities and differences of ways we experienced the voyages of Naoe and Yasuke. One of the key facets of the franchise's magic is the way its iterative style results in radically varied experiences that reflect the player's mindset, insecurities and drives. 

A stunning and hauntingly masterful return to top form for "Assassin's Creed," "Shadows" casts a long and looming silhouette over its chosen time and place. The dev team at Ubisoft Quebec should take pride in its luminous accomplishment.

Publisher provided review code.

Box Break: 2025 Sage Hit Football Low Series

 See which three autographs I pull.

Box Break: 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1 Jumbo Hobby Box #3

 Check out the autograph and relics I pulled.

Game Review: 'Split Fiction'

Games can so often be isolating experiences, but the dynamic and thrilling "It Takes Two" injects the magic back in co-op play.

Developer Hazelight Studios, fresh off its triumphant, Game of the Year awards-raking 2021 release of "It Takes Two," continues its mastery of co-op gaming with this triumphant follow-up, which capitalizes on all the promise of its predecessor while delivering a far more mature, challenging and satisfying narrative.

The genre-hopping enterprise puts you in the role of one of two storytellers, with your online or local partner playing the other. You work together to unfold the tale, which takes you from one chills-inducing setting to another. Solo play is nonexistent, forcing hermetic gamers out of their comfort zones to infuse human connection with their quest. You'll find yourself making new friends, making playdates with current buddies, and possibly restarting dormant connections with old friends with spur-of-the-moment invitations. 

Don't let this requirement be a dealbreaker for you. Hazelight does everything in its power to make the game accessible to all. In what is both a clever marketing ploy and an altruistic outreach effort, the game's early stages are accessible to anyone via a game share feature. This masterstroke reminds me of the early days of 3DS online play.

Operating with the vivacity of an amusement park thrill ride, "It Takes Two" takes you on a series of unexpected, refreshingly intuitive adventures that make you want to keep coming back for more. Even more impressively, it helps you forge personal connections that guide you to improve on one another's ideas, settle conflicts and channel your brainpower and dexterity toward a common goal.

"It Takes Two" proves once again that Hazelight is one of the most intriguing, intelligent and creative voices in gaming. Every moment of the game feels fresh, wild and bold, and the moments you'll share with the gamers you play with will no doubt be as priceless as mine. This is the game to beat for 2025 Game of the Year honors.

Publisher provided review code.

Box Break: 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter Value Box #2

See which minis I pull.

 

Early Game Review: 'WWE 2K25'

Each year, 2K Games sets the tone for the pro wrestling year with a new entry in its annual series. The dev team at Visual Concepts has to balance itself atop the turnbuckle by paying tribute to up-and-coming superstars and their developing fanbases while honoring the towering past of the organization.

Due out Friday, "WWE 2K25" manages the trick nicely, looking to create as much of an impact as cover performer Roman Reigns did when he first entered the ring in 2012.

Out of the gate, the narrative establishes itself as a reverent observer of the franchise's past and the way it continues to influence the present. By wrapping itself along the famed Bloodline, which stretches back to the tag team dubbed The Samoans in the late 1980s, carried on through the ensuing decade with the debut of Dwayne Johnson as the Rock, and thrives today in the form of Reigns. 

The game sets you on a path that echoes that of the Big Dog himself, attempting to dominate both in the ring and at the watercooler with its Rule Beyond the Ring tagline. MyRISE lets you roll into the game's story mode, playing a part in a wild, twist-filled narrative worthy of a pay-per-view special.

Taking a cue from the NBA 2K franchise, there's a hub world dubbed The Island that lets you guide your created wrestler through various challenges and attractions, grinding for XP while trying to avoid the temptation of pay-to-win mechanics. 

Other prime additions include new brawl environments and match types, intergender competition, a Bloodline Rules Match, Underground Match and barricade driving. Add to that some subtle visual upgrades and gameplay enhancements, and you get a package that's hard to resist, even for players still enthralled with "WWE 2K24."

In my first match out of the gate, I chose the 1997 version of the Rock to square off against Andre the Giant. Severely outmatched and easily tossed out of the ring, I formulated a desperate strategy to dance around outside the squared circle until the referee had almost reached his disqualification 10-count. Then I slipped back under the ropes, planted a kick on Andre's face when he tried to follow suit, and claimed the cheap victory, reveling in the booing crowd and announcers' complaints that the result didn't feel justified. This sort of iterative WWE action is electrifying and has me coming back for more.

While I yearned for a more robust cast of past stars, this game's roster, which includes the likes of ody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, Rey Mysterio, Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Jacob Fatu, Rob Van Dam, Lita, LA Knight, Chyna, Batista, Nia Jax and Becky Lynch, provides plenty of potential for intriguing matchups and cross-generational drama. DLC promises brawlers such as the Motor City Machine Guns, Giulia, Stephanie Vaquer, and Jordynne Grace, plus WWE Legends including Mark Henry, the New Age Outlaws, Jesse Ventura, New Jack, Junk Yard Dog, and Tito Santana. 

As it nearly all of its predecessors have done, "WWE 2K25" has reignited my fascination with the pastime, making me feel excited to play out permutations of prototypical WWE wildness on my own screen. This is a game worthy of its cover star.

Publisher provided review code.

Book Report: 'Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope'

 

A Journal: EVERYTHING IS FUCKED: A BOOK ABOUT HOPE by Mark Manson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mark Manson is a sneaky philosopher, wedging in classical, Freudian and Buddhist themes with his rough-hewn, locker room-style comedy diatribes. Delivered in the audiobook via a deadpan style that sometimes undercuts the urgency of his message, the often rambling, occasionally poignant set of observations on the misery wrought by materialism manages to carve a sharp impression.

The subtitle is misleading. The book is only about hope in that it is out to destroy it. In Manson's thinking, hope is an ever-dangling carrot that is the root of depression, violence, rage and misery. Only through the rejection of fleeting highs, he reasons, can you strive to a higher purpose. The pleasure, as he sees it, is in the pain.

There is much to relish and appreciate in Manson's book, and there is also plenty of unkempt, half-baked solipsism that might have been cultivated into a more consistent theme with better editing. But Manson pulls off a parlor trick by dreaming up a fantastic title, beginning and ending, leaving the reader feeling fulfilled. These may be empty calories, but they sure are tasty.

View all my reviews

Box Break: 2025 Topps Series 1 Baseball Jumbo Hobby Box #2

 See what autographs and relics I pull.

Box Break: 2025 Topps Series 1 Baseball Fanatics Exclusive Value Box

The first value box of the new season yields guarded optimism.

Early Game Review: 'Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars'

Two of the most influential role-playing games in the past 30 years are taking a victory lap in the form of a buffed-up anthology, thanks to Konami's "Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars." Due out March 6, the game is set to take JRPG fans on a nostalgic trek. Those who own the PS4 versions of the game will get the PS5 upgrade automatically.

Originally released in 1998 and 2006, the games are back in a form that resembles the look and feel of the primary releases. 

In the first game, you lead a Liberation Army against a brutal tyrant, shifting the 108 stars of Destiny in order to reshape history. In the sequel, you guide a pair of friends, members of the Unicorn Youth Bregade, who face down the Highland Kingdom in a long-running border dispute that continues to smolder.

Clever dialogue, intriguing combat, addictive leveling and an engaging story pules both games. Both work as master classes in character development and storytelling that works on several levels.

Upgrades abound, with all background illustrations uipgraded to HD, new effects that enhance the pixel art animation and revamped environmental sound effects. Quality-of-life improvements abound, including autosave, battle fast forward and a conversation log.

Both of these "Suikoden" games deserve to be revisited, and are far more palatable to modern sensitivities in this form than were the original releases. If you've waited to dip your toe into classic Suikoden, now is the time to take the plunge.

Publisher provided review code.

Box Break: 2022 Panini Absolute Baseball Hobby Box

 There is an "average" of one autograph or relic card per box... See how the numbers broke for me.