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Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is spotted in the wilds of the App Store, has large bounty on its head
We've known Monster Hunter Freedom Unite would be coming to iOS for some time now, but the question on our lips has always been "when"? "Now!" is the answer, as the title is currently available in App Stores the world over. And that's good news, because we've been more than a little keen to get our hands on it ever since we played it at E3. The original was released on PSP in 2008, and this new iOS version features improved visuals, automatic targeting of monsters in combat, and support for MiFi controllers. Of particular interest to us is the online co-op multiplayer with upto three other players, as we're totally up for forming a party, trekking out into the wilderness, and hunting m…
Capcom
Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake Review
It was great being a kid. We could talk to our dog in the street without people thinking were crazy, and on our birthday we could eat cake for breakfast without feeling guilty. Its this sense of wonder and delight that Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake instantly awakens - except, as the name suggests, there will be no cake because monsters have stolen it. Taking control of a young boy named Niko, you follow your trusty dachshund Bazooka in search of your missing cake. The innocent story s…
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Skylanders Battlegrounds is free on the App Store
Skylanders Battlegrounds - Activision's iOS version of its hugely Skylanders franchise - is currently free on the App Store. This iOS interpretation of Skylanders’s uses a mix of turn-based movement and real-time combat. A hex-based grid provides an overworld map, letting you move one hexagon at a time through the world. Landing on a hexagon either opens a chest to net you gems, or begins a battle dumping you into the game’s battle system. In combat you simply trace a line from your Skylander towards enemies to engage them. Its a simple system, but thanks to the interesting characters and their range of attacks there is enough to keep younger players happy. The real focus of…
Civilization Revolution 2 brings new units, buildings, visuals, and a princely price tag
We were big fans of the original Civilization Revolution back in 2009, awarding it an impressive 5 out of 5 for its large amount of replay value, compulsive play, and surprising depth. We also said of this strategy classic that "you'd be hard pressed to find a better title in the genre". Strong stuff! Five years on, and Civilization Revolution 2 has been released onto the App Store, and it's bringing with it some exciting new features for strategy buffs. Among the new aerial units are Aircraft Carriers and Jet Fighters, and Special Forces also make an appearance. New technology and building types also bring this streamlined version of "proper" Civilization closer in line with the PC origi…
Final Fantasy creator goes free-to-play with his next game Terra Battle
The acclaimed designer and director of the Final Fantasy franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi is going free-to-play with his upcoming mobile RPG Terra Battle. Coming from a translated Famitsu article, information on Terra Battle is still a little sparse. While it is being built around a free-to-play model, it is designed to be completable without having to spend any penny - providing you have the patients and time. In the article Sakaguchi also cryptically states that he is hoping to work in collaboration with other game creators on the project. Though it is unclear exactly what this means we would not be adverse to paying for guest director quests that spin-off from the main tale. As wel…
Hands-on with FallMan, the 'silly little trampoline-jumping sports game'
FallMan is about as indie as it gets. Juho Glad is its creator: a one-man-band indie dev creating the art, designing the gameplay, implementing the sound, handling the promotion... everything. It's his first game, but you wouldn't be able to tell. He describes FallMan as “Tony Hawks meets Flappy Bird”, and though the game is still a fair way out from being finished, the core elements are certainly in place to justify that bold claim. You have to keep a moustachioed gent bouncing on a trampoline, all the while performing death-defying tricks in the air for points. Make one mistake, it's game over, your score appears, and the protagonist rag dolls in slow motion. It's simple but…
Hands-on with Ortus, the digital multiplayer strategy board game
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best person to speak with about board games - my knowledge just about stretches to Talisman, but it's mostly lodged between Mouse Trap and KerPlunk. But sometimes a game like Ortus comes along and it immediately catches my eye. Ortus is interesting, because it's not just a digital board game, it's also a physical board game, and the two are being developed at the same time. The game itself is like a cross between chess, a hyper-advanced checkers, and a Games Workshop release, making for very methodical and deliberate play that relies on tactical nuance and forward thinking from each player. Check out the game being played in the video below...…
The Witcher Battle Arena brings the fantasy series to iOS as a MOBA
While The Witcher 3 may have been pushed back to 2015, fans of the franchise won’t have to wait that long for their next fix because CD Project has just unveiled The Witcher Battle Arena for iOS. Rather than mimicking the expansive RPG formula of the main series, this mobile take on The Witcher is a MOBA. Like League of Legends and Dota 2, the gameplay revolves around capturing and holding strategic points to gain victory. Where it differs from much of the genre, however, is its focus on short intense battles. Allowing up to six people to play together online, The Witcher Battle Arena offers plenty of game options. You can choose to play in six-way matches, enter into three-on-three…
Mushroom Wars 2 features re-worked multiplayer, deeper gameplay, and UFOs
The original Mushroom Wars went down rather well with fans and critics alike when it was released, focusing as it did on realtime strategy and adorable visuals. Mushroom Wars 2 has just been announced, and from early word on the game, it looks like it'll be more of the same army-battling shenanigans and warring toadstools. The game's publisher Zillion Whales just dropped a big package of details about it onto us, and the company is promising an all new single player mode of over 20 stages, with multiple difficulty levels, set across the Mushroom Universe, complete with new enemies, and new battle tactics to implement. If you win an encounter it'll give you a boost to your morale, which…
Storm Casters Review
You're lost and alone in a forest. Your village has been destroyed. A wizard appears before you. Granting you magic powers to claim your revenge, the robed figure then points you in the direction of the village-ravaging monster's lair, the aptly named Skull Keep. Within the keep, you are thrown directly into Storm Casters's no nonsense dungeon crawling. A responsive virtual stick guides your hero, with a fire button letting you cast spells at the nearest available target. This si…
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Final Fantasy Artniks Dive is an upcomming free-to-play game from Square Enix and GREE
Final Fantasy and free-to-play has had a rocky history together. Hell, Final Fantasy and mobiles haven't always been the best of friends either. For every super classy remake of Final Fantasy IV, there's a visual misstep in Final Fantasy VI.For every mega impressive Final Fantasy Agito, there's a diabolical Final Fantasy: All The Bravest. So when we saw that Square Enix had partnered with GREE to create its next mobile Final Fantasy, and that it would be free-to-play, you can imagine that we were cautious about getting too excited. There's very little information out in the wild about the game right now. We know it's coming to iOS and Android, and that you probably won't need a beast of a…
Genre Busters: Racquet Balls - live on Twitch (5pm UK | 9am Pacific | 12 noon Eastern)
How are you doing on this fine summer's day? Knee-deep in sport you say? Not sure which match to watch? Well, while we can't help you there, we can certainly help you stay stuck in your game of choice through any downtime. That is, if you join us for this week's episode of Genre Busters! Whether you prefer the quiet murmurings and sudden yelps of tennis or the cheering crowd and powerful punts of football, we'll be playing your summer sound over on Twitch shortly. Doubles partners James and Peter will serving our beloved Twitch audience the best football and tennis games over on our Twitch channel from 5pm UK / 9am Pacific / 12 noon Eastern. We need you there to decide which title will t…
Huge Disco Zoo update lets you catch animals in space
Disco Zoo’s latest update has brought a host of new features to NimbleBit’s casual puzzler. The biggest change comes in the form of two new environments, city and space, which add twelve new animal types for you to hunt down for your exhibits. The city setting works much like previous ones, letting you trade coins to engage in the game’s Battleship-like expeditions to capture animals. Space, however, can only be explored by spending a new in-game currency: the imaginatively titled Space Coins. These can only be earned by capturing specific animals to order from other habitats, or through in-app purchases. The update also adds ways to jazz up your enclosures using eithe…
World of Tanks Blitz Review
At its most reductive, World of Tank Blitz is a modern interpretation of the Atari classic Combat. But this mobile instalment the of tank-based arena warfare behemoth bring flair - and considerate monetisation - to the formula. A quick tutorial teaches you nuances of manoeuvring your metal death-machine using the virtual stick, buttons, and various drop down menus. It is a familiar system, but one made unique thanks to your tanks methodical pace and cumbersome turning circle. Th…
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Beautiful botanical point-and-click adventure Botanicula is on sale for the first time
The gorgeously floral adventure game Botanicula has been in bloom on the iPad for three months now. In fact, it's fourished so well that developer Amanita Design has given its price a prune for the summer. The charming point-and-click game has you guiding a troop of tiny creatures along the branches of a tree. Their home is under attack, forcing them to flee in order to rescue their arboreal homestead's last remaining seed. Each creature has its own unique powers. From the stick-like being that can extend to create bridges over dangers, to the rotund orb that illuminates the dark, every beastie must be nurtured and mastered to guide the team to victory. Botanical is currently &poun…
