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Ubisoft reveals debut trailer for Trials Frontier
Trials developer RedLynx has just released the first full trailer for upcoming iOS stunt racer Trials Frontier. Concocted as a loose tie-in to its yet-to-be-released console sibling Trials Fusion, this free-to-play racer takes place in an even more distant future, and features even more stylised visuals. Though the decision to make free-to-play variations of premium properties usually raises a few hackles, RedLynx chief Tero Virtala believes it's the best way to get people playing. "We want a lot of players to play this game," Virtala told Eurogamer, "and more people are likely to give Trials a try if it doesn't cost them to test it out." Judging by the trailer (below) the game wil…
Joining Hands 2 Review
A meteor has crashed in the whispering woods. The denizens of the forest, the Peablins, go to investigate. The investigation might take a while though. It seems the only way these cute little creatures can advance is to hold hands until everyone is happy. It might seem a bit of a weird strategy, but this is for Joining Hands 2, it's just another day in the office. Each Peablin has a different number of hands. The grabby blobs must be arranged on the game board so that no hand is left…
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Call of Duty®: Strike Team Review
When is a first-person shooter not a first-person shooter? When it's also a tactical third-person RTS. In an apparent effort to give iOS gamers a Call of Duty game which harnesses the full potential of the touchscreen interface, UK developer The Blast Furnace has tried to capture the best of both worlds: a fully-fledged Call of Duty FPS which also let players command their squad from a drone's-eye view. The result is a Call of Duty: Strike Team, a game which tugs you in two different…
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The Question
Hello there loyal Appspy readers! It’s another Monday and it is of course time for another question. This week’s questions struck me as I was playing a game for review last week. The game had stars to collect during its levels, like so many puzzle games and time wasters on the App store do. It made me think of how I approach the stars in these games, and thought I’d ask you the same. I’m talking about games like Cut the Rope where the stars are actually on the stage themselves (although games like Angry Birds where the stars are tied to a score count as well). How do games with bonus stars influence your gameplay? Do you try and grab them all, perfecting each level…
Strata adds elegance to the App Store on September 12th
If last week's Answer column wasn't a give-away, I'm always on the lookout for new engaging puzzle games on the App Store, and the upcoming Strata certainly qualifies. By laying down colour ribbons on different levels, you have to create a pattern based on the coloured tiles already in place. The trailer will explain all. And how beautiful is that menu? Strata looks to be a complete puzzle package, and I look forward to trying it out upon release.…
Ookibloks swinging into the App Store late September
Now at first glance, Ookibloks seems easy to ignore, with its presentation appealing more to a younger audience. After half a minute or so into the trailer however, the gameplay grabs your attention. It looks to be a rhythmic platformer, creating music depending on how the monkey travels through the stages collecting fruit. Have a look at the trailer and see what you think. There's a fluidity to the movement that will most likely make for some entertaining play. We'll be keeping an eye on the release schedule for when this one finally hits the App Store.…
News Wrap-Up | 6th September 2013
It's a little under two weeks until Angry Birds Star Wars II lands on iOS. To whet our appetites for yet more bird-flinging fun, Rovio has given us a glimpse of its new physical docks in action. Like the Skylanders portals, these telepods will allow you to transport the accompanying Star Wars figures directly into the game. As this sequel actually covers the movie prequels, expect to get your hands on a mini plastic Qui-Gon, a feathery Padme, and Jar Jar Binks. The launch date is set for September 19th. Many bothans die to bring you this information So we got a bit of a surprise when we signed into the App Store this morning. Rather than the usual landslide of free-to-play endless-runner…
Call of Duty: Strike Team | Hands-On
So we got a bit of a surprise when we signed into the App Store this morning. Rather than the usual landslide of free-to-play endless-runners, what should pop up on our screens but a brand new - and hitherto unannounced - Call of Duty game. I know right. It's called Call of Duty: Strike Team, and it's a CoD game with a difference. Rather than plumping for another 15 levels of military-themed first-person mayhem, Leeds-based studio Blast Furnace has created a game which is part FPS, part third-person strategy game. What does such a game look like, you ask? Well, just check out the video below to see me talk you through the first 15 minutes of Call of Duty: Strike Team. It's Call of Duty,…
The Answer
Hey there loyal Appspy readers! Not much of a response this week, but I more than understand. Not only is asking what your favourite game of the year is time consuming (if you need to go back and remember what you’ve played), but doing so in September is more than a little odd. Still, I would like to thank those that responded. Each person had a different answer, and all games mentioned were fine picks. It was difficult for me to choose. For one, I had to go back and look at all the games I reviewed on this site this year for reference. Not being the editor, and working under Andrew and now James, I often miss out on the big releases each week. I don’t review them, and in my sp…
Mikey Hooks Review
Speed-run platformer Mikey Shorts, which appeared on the App Store last year, did a great job of demonstrating how precision platforming can be successfully achieved on a touchscreen. For the sequel, Mikey Hooks, Beavertap Games has upped the number of onscreen hazards, and given Mikey the ability to swing across chasms like a big-headed Tarzan. Things are a little more dangerous for Mikey this time out. Though the familiar flat-topped robo enemies return, they are now decked out…
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Gaijin Games announces Runner 2 headed for iOS
Yup, Bit.trip presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is on its way to the iOS platform. The controls have been rethought from the ground up, and it looks like the entire game is surving the trasition to mobile intact - unlockables and all. Have a look at the trailer for the original release. I devoured this game on PC back in March and it most likely will feature in my top games of the year. Whether the iOS port can replicate the experience remains to be seen. We should have a launch date and pricing later on in the year.…
Abyss Attack Review
Abyss Attack is an endless-runner in the garb of a shmup. Here are your instructions: shoot everything, play till you die, use the currency to upgrade your craft, and try to overcome the temptation to spend real money on upgrades. To control your underwater craft, you simply drag your finger around the screen. You fire automatically, while picking up packages will change your weapon. These packages usually contain equippable power-ups like blades and bombs. Each stage ends with…
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Link The Slug Review
The slugs in Link the Slug are the result of an experiment gone horribly wrong. And, as science is blame for these colourful abominations, it's science's job to clean up the mess. To do this, you need to use the power of electricity. Tap two slugs of the same colour and a bolt of electricity will zap between them, eradicating the slugs from existence. Each stage is complete when all slugs have been zapped from the screen. The trick is to clear the screen in such a way that your electr…
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Squid up!
When watching the trailer of the upcoming game Squid up! by Abyssal Games, the gameplay of helping a squid hop further and further upwards was not what caught our attention. It was the charming sense of humour surrounding what looks to be solid enough gameplay. If you watch the trailer yourselves you'll see what I mean. We'll find out what the squid is made of on September 12th.…
The Impossible Line Review
The Impossible Line features a concept that we've seen before on iOS. The aim of the game is to draw a line from point to point, avoiding all the hazards in-between. The catch is that once you start drawing said line, the obstacles disappear, leaving you to rely on your memory. For this incarnation of the concept, a radar has been added, as well as a few power-ups. But as is the case with many free to play games these days, The Impossible Line is rendered almost impossible to enj…
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