Latest Articles
For those wanting some target practice on the go, check out Firing Range
In an article I wrote last month, I likened a lot of the shooting we do in videogames akin to target practice. How fortuitous then that Firing Range appears in my inbox, an iOS adaptation of the Xbox 360 game of the same name. If you want to test your aiming abilities with a selection of firearms over ranges of increasing difficulty, this looks like a good way to go about doing so. Have a look at the trailer to see it in action. It looks like moving your gun around is done via touch, but we hope there might be a tilt option as well. For those interested, the game is available now for $0.99. [App Store Link]…
Galaxy on Fire: Alliances | Hands-On
Galaxy on Fire: Alliances may not be the sequel you were expecting. In fact, it's not really sequel at all. Rather than creating another instalment of third-person ship-to-ship combat, developer Fishlabs has decided to take the series in another, more strategic direction. The result is a free-to-play game based around resource management and social co-operation, where you must unite with other players from around the world to form international armadas capable of bringing the universe to its knees. The open beta for Galaxy on Fire: Alliances went live in 14 countries today, including New Zealand and Canada. I went hands-on with the game earlier today. Here is the result: Incidentally,…
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Panem Run | Hands-On
You all knew it was coming. Where a blockbuster movie franchise passes, an endless-runner tie-in is sure to follow. Following in the well-worn footsteps of Brave, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and Despicable Me 2, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire now has its own Temple Run-inspired mobile game. Below you will find a short video showing the game in action. In truth, you could probably close your eyes and imaging playing Temple Run while being chased by bees and it would do the same job. Still, I am duty-bound to supply you with footage of new games, and supply I have. Now you have to do your part. It'll only take five minutes, and then we can all forget this ever happened.…
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse magically appears on the App Store
Disney Interactive has just released its re-imagining of '90s Sega classic Castle of Illusions for iOS devices. Rather than simply tart up the original Mega Drive for the App Store, Disney has decided to port this year's PSN and XBLA release Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse onto iPhone and iPad instead. Though it shares the 2D original's castle setting and rodent lead, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is a 3D platformer which constantly shifts perspective. Sometimes you'll be guiding the mousekateer from right to left in traditional platforming fashion. Now and then, however, the camera will shift to an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective or fixed angle. The cons…
Invade the Atlas Mountains against the clock in Call of Duty: Strike Team update
Activision's hybrid shooter Call of Duty: Strike Team now features even more ways to kill a dude from another country, thanks to the game's latest update. If wading through enemy territory with only a side arm and a flak jacket between you and a permanent dirt nap isn't exciting enough for you, then you might enjoy Strike Team's newly-added Beat the Clock mode. This mode has you blasting baddies against the clock, with every fallen hostile adding valuable seconds to your timer. Players who have reached XP level 16 will also find an extra map available to them. Set in the Altas Mountains, this combat zone can be explored in Time Attack and Survival modes. What's more, the dev team has i…
Jetpack Joyride developer lets you play with its huge snake in Colossatron: Massive World Threat
Jetpack Joyride developer Halfbrick Studios has taken to YouTube to warn us of an incoming threat to our national security. According the video (below) a giant mechanical snake called Colossatron is tearing up capital cities, laying siege to skyscrapers and soldiers alike with a terrifying arsenal of space-age weaponry. Luckily for us, this massive metal serpent is merely a character in Halfbrick's lastest iOS project Colossatron: Massive World Threat. You will take control of the titular snake, and have to conquer earth's military defences while increasing your own firepower. To boost your weapons' capabilities, you need to reconfigure the snake's modular 'powercores', aligning d…
Tricky sequel Touchgrind Skate 2 rolls onto the App Store after midnight
I don't know about you, but I like my modes of transportation to have an engine and some nice, comfy seats. However, if you're one of those 'active' types who enjoys belting around concrete parks on a piece of wood nailed to a set of shopping trolley wheels, then you might want to check out Touchgrind Skate 2 when it appears on the App Store later tonight. The sequel to the popular Touchgrind Skate expands on the original game by offering a choice of skateparks in which to practise your stunts. As before, you pop these tricks by placing two fingers on the deck and using a combination of well-timed taps and flicks. There's also the option to record your best moves and share them onl…
Deemo Review
It's been a while since gamers fell out of love with rhythm games. This was mostly due to the over-saturation of rock music sims driven by plastic guitars, but also because of lack of creativity in the games themselves. Deemo does its best to address these issues by not only providing feedback as you tap and slide, but also presenting a fantasy through the melding of music and haunting artwork. The story, such as it is, tells the melancholic tale of a lonely creature who finds the co…
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Joe Dever's Lone Wolf Review
Gamebooks may be a niche market, but it is amazing how many people have fond memories of them. Relying on people's nostalgia for the '80s has worked for many gamebook publishers, and now Joe Dever, author of the infamous Lone Wolf series has thrown his hat into the fray with a new four part saga. With the release of Steve Jackson's excellent Sorcery! earlier this year, however, Lone Wolf has its work cut out for it. It's an interesting take on the genre, but one which creates as many p…
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Friendstrap - a game of comfort and endurance
How well do you know your friends? Have you ever wanted to have an interesting conversation with a complete stranger? That's where Friendstrap comes in. The concept is simple. Each of the two people participating hold their finger on the screen. The first one to lift their finger off loses. The game suggests topics of conversation that range from the mundane and bizarre, to deeply personal, and things you might not want anybody to know. The 12 minute demo video will explain it all better than I could (if you have the endurance to watch it). A game of chicken lies at the center of this app, but even for a completely open and honest person (or someone playing the game with their partne…
Saddle up for new Kairosoft sim Pocket Stables
Management sim maestro Kairosoft has just released its latest mobile timesink onto the App Store. It's called Pocket Stables, and it's all about running a hairdressing salon. Just kidding - it's about horses. The game puts you in charge of a ranch, and tasks you with training up your thoroughbreds to competition standard. Once you've got your fillies in fine fettle, you'll enter them in races. If any of your horses turn out to be the next Seabiscuit, then you'll unlock more races, and be entered into global tournaments. A quick glance Pocket Stables confirms that Kairosoft is up to its usual pixel-art tricks again. However, previous efforts Game Dev Story and Grand Prix Story prov…
Shadowrun Returns expansion Dragonfall confirmed for iOS
Cyberpunk RPG Shadowrun Returns will receive a brand new campaign in 2014, developer Harebrained Schemes has confirmed. Set in the anarchic state of Berlin, the Dragonfall expansion will explore a mysterious event which took place when the Awakened world was in its infancy. As well as added a full-length campaign to Shadowrun Returns, the dev team has promised to deliver a selection of new characters, weapons, and enemies. At present, the PC and Mac versions of Shadowrun: Dragonfall has been confirmed for January 2014, when they will launch with a price tag of $14.99. However, a report by Polygon states that the iOS version is expected to follow later. We broadly approved of Shadowrun…
Oceanhorn ™ Review
It's fair to say that many action-RPGs released in the last 15 years have been influenced in some way by the Zelda franchise. However, few games wear their inspiration as proudly as Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas. Stop me if you've heard this one: You're a young boy with a mysterious backstory who is sent on a perilous quest. You're armed with a sword, shield, and bow, and must explore forests, deserts, and caverns in search of keys to unlock doors. Along the way you'll chop up…
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Get ready to explore The Room Two on December 12th
Fireproof Games has just confirmed that The Room Two will be heading to iPad on December 12th. After winning widespread critical acclaim - not to mention a BAFTA award - for their gorgeously spooky logic-puzzler The Room last year, the dev team started work on what they describe as the "difficult second album". Despite the warm reception the first game received, the creative minds responsible for the indie hit were more than aware of its limitations. "We know our first game had many weak points," explains Fireproof Games' Barry Meade. "It was on the simplistic side, it took place in an overly confined world, it ended quiet abruptly, and above all else, it was too damn short." The dev d…
Galaxy Run is an auto-runner... platformer... puzzler... kind of
Rez has crashlanded on an unknown planet. The easiest way to repair his ship and get home is by running through a set of increasingly dangerous levels. Spiel Studios wished to create an auto-runner with single screen levels, slowly adding to the challenge and variety of the gameplay on offer. From the few examples shown in the trailer, it looks like they might have hit the ground running with the right formula (joke!). The has a one-touch control system, and will be available on December 4th for 69p / 99c. …
