Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Oscar Dayus'
Everything you need to know about FIFA 17 Mobile
FIFA 17 Mobile is out now! Sort of. Well, it is if you live in Canada. So if you really need to play it right this very moment, looks like you need to hop on a flight to Vancouver, my friends. Or, you know, make a Canadian App Store account. Our sister site Pocket Gamer has a guide on how to make a foreign iTunes account if you want to do that. Alternatively, you can read our piece on everything you need to know about FIFA 17 Mobile! Because who needs to actually play games, right? To be frank, you might not want to play this one at all - you can read our impressions of FIFA 17 Mobile here. Anyway, here goes. It's just called FIFA Mobile, finally We thought this was going to be the c…
The 10 most beautiful games on mobile
Mobile games are often looked down on in the graphics department. Despite Apple championing a new chip every two weeks and Android phones having more RAM than a highland sheep, many still think of them as 'casual', 'ugly', and 'isn't that just Candy Crush'? But the App Store and Google Play have some of the most gorgeous looking games in the world up their internet pipes. Let's take a look at some of the best. Monument Valley With bright colours and an overtly Escherian style, Monument Valley is possibly the most striking and distinctive game on mobile, and it deserves to be on every single device. Oh, and it's a puzzle game, if you didn't already know. But I'm sure you did. So that's…
4 reasons why the NX will fail
The NX is out soon! We think! We hope! Well, it's definitely out in March 2017 at the very latest. And you know what that means? The Nintendo naysayers will be out in force again, as will the Nintendo Defence Force. There will be blood, tears, sweat, water breaks, possibly alcohol, and definitely Sunny Delight involved, and it's going to be amazing. Every time Nintendo releases a console, we get the same routine. Nintendo fans love it at first, then hate it, then love it again, while somehow avoiding being swallowed up by the abyss created by their own constant 180ing. Trolls, meanwhile, observe the idiots, laughing to themselves maniacally. They plot how best to attack the Nintendo fan c…
5 games we want to see first on Nintendo NX
Nintendo's NX is coming out soon! Probably, maybe. We don't really know. Ah well, I'm sure it will get announced soon! Right, Ninty? Either way, the rumour is it's going to launch in March 2017, so a reveal must be coming soon. And you know what that means! Games! Woop woop. Given the mess the Wii U got into - partly because of poor marketing and inherent problems in the console itself, but also partly due to its poor launch lineup - the NX needs a strong start. So here's five games we want to see first on Nintendo NX. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Yeah, if this could finally come out, Nintendo, that'd be great. Seriously, how long has it been since the last proper 3D consol…
Why are there no good detective games?
The whodunnit is one of television's greatest genres. There's tension, confusion, drama, and then faux-surprise when it's revealed that, yet again, it was the butler who did it. But despite TV - and the ol' written word before that - falling in love with detective stories and exhausting them till the cows go missing, games have never really embraced them. We get those B list Sherlock Holmes games every other year, sure, but they're not at the same level of the BBC's Sherlock. Instead, we get bargain bin efforts like Murdered: Soul Suspect. In theory, a good detective game sounds *amazing*. Using ~player agency~ (sorry for the buzzword - it means 'doing what you want', basically), we could…
The state of horror in 2016 - where have we come from, where do we go, and who turned out the lights?!
Horror films and games are a special quantity. They're obviously designed to scare, but they're incredibly hit and miss, with some quite terrible results. They either end up managing to scare me (no thanks), or they're bad, don't scare me, and are boring (similarly, no thanks). For that reason, I've never 'got' horror. I can understand it, sure: that adrenaline rush is the same one that keeps Alton Towers in business, but I'm quite happy in my epinephrine-free world of tea and blankets, thankyouverymuch. No one can hear you scream ice cream It's a shame my cowardly brain thinks that way - mobile has been home to some truly great horror games over the years. Dead Space showed a big con…
Want to be a King or Queen? Try these 5 great kingdom simulators
I don't know about you, but when I was a kid I always thought being a royal would be amazing. You'd have all the money in the world, people - for some reason - loved you, and you'd never have to work a day in your life. I still think it'd be pretty awesome. Unfortunately, I fear it's a little too late for me now, unless I go to St Andrews uni and happen to get off with a minor Princess. Instead, I'll stick to playing these five great mobile kingdom simulators. Yay! Reigns Reigns is sort of like being a monarch in a world where every interaction you have is seen through the lens of Tinder. You swipe left or right to say yes or no to various people and their suggestions. Want to build…
Can't wait for The Banner Saga 2? Here are the 6 best strategy games on mobile!
The Banner Saga was a bit of alright, wasn't it? It combined some amazing storytelling, a branching narrative, and some of the deepest strategy combat seen on mobile. Even better, The Banner Saga 2 launches this week on iOS and Android! If you're just too darn impatient to wait another couple of days though, you can try the following six best strategy games on mobile. To the word vessel! (I mean the article.) The Banner Saga Where better to start for a Banner Saga fix than with the original Banner Saga? This little viking story was beautiful, with amazing characters and compelling combat to boot. Just thinking about it has gotten me all excited for the sequel. Hey! That's out soon! Coo…
5 things we've learned about FIFA 17 Mobile (spoiler: it's bad)
We've played FIFA Mobile! FIFA Mobile, if you didn't know, is the new name for the iOS and Android editions of the football phenomenon. That's right, no 17 in the title - this is, supposedly, going to be the only FIFA app you need for years to come, to be supplemented by regular updates. And, judging by what we've played so far, that might not be such a good idea. Let's take a look at five things we've learned about FIFA Mobile this year. 5. It's just Ultimate Team Remember when we all thought it would be more than just Ultimate Team? Ahh, how foolish we were. It's just Ultimate Team. I got all excited when I first booted the game up - it lets you choose a team, see. Or at least tha…
The 6 best gamebooks on mobile - you HAVE to play these
Mobile gaming is an incredibly diverse space. You've got everything from The Walking Dead to Candy Crush. Critical Ops to Angry Birds. iPhone to Nvidia Shield (lol). But there's one genre that often goes unappreciated. Overlooked. Disregarded. (I'm going to stop listing things in threes now.) Oh, that genre is the gamebook. Gamebooks are often ignored because people think they're boring, or they think books are a pastime from a bygone age, or because- No, Oscar! Don't list another item for comic effect! Basically what I'm trying to say is that gamebooks might not be the biggest genre in the world, but they are home to some of the most engrossing experiences out there. So let's take a loo…
Race across America on a giant motorbike in Faily Rider
Ever wanted to ride across America on a giant motorbike? Well now you can. Sort of. As long as you don't mind the odd cactus and broken neck. Try Faily Rider if that sounds like your idea of fun!…
Rob a bank and speed away from the cops in Drifty Chase
Drifty Chase is pretty cool. It's simple - you just rob the bank, speed away, and try not to crash round corners - but escaping from the police is fun, and reminds me of my childhood. Maybe. Check out the video to see more!…
Family Guy, Futurama, and American Dad in a card battler?!
That's right! Family Guy, Futurama, American Dad, King of the Hill, and Bob's Burgers have joined forces to make this brand new card battler, Animation Throwdown. Check out Oscar's hands-on video to find out more!…
There's a new Wizard of Oz game?!
For some reason, there's a new Wizard of Oz game out. Oscar checks it out.…
What's with all the GO games?
What is with all the GO games recently? Let's find out...…
