Games

IGN names ‘Ridge Racer Slipstream’ its Free Game of the Month

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Heads up gamers, IGN has named BANDAI NAMCO's 'Ridge Racer Slipstream' its Free Game of the Month for November. So for those who missed it when it was Apple's App of the Week earlier this year, you now have the chance to grab the popular game for free.

Normally priced at $2.99, Ridge Racer Slipstream recreates the ultimate arcade racing franchise on your iPhone and iPad with console-quality graphics and high octane gameplay. It includes 12 customizable cars, over 100 competitions and a lengthy career mode.

Monument Valley confirmed to receive its first expansion next Thursday

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 7, 2014

Monument Valley by Ustwo, a surreal physics-based platformer and Winner of Apple Design Award 2014, is set to receive its first content expansion next week.

Titled “Forgotten Shores” and provided as a $1.99 In-App Purchase, it's going to add eight brand new levels to gameplay on top of the original ten levels. The update is scheduled to drop in the App Store next Thursday, November 13.

It will be “coming soon” to Google Play and Amazon Appstore. Monument Valley has seen 1.4 million downloads to date in the nearly seven months since its release. According to Wired, the new levels are inserted between the penultimate and final levels of the original in order to provide “a deeper dive into the emotional story of Ida and her amiable friend, the totem”.

Monument Valley is $3.99 in the App Store.

Battlefield 4 tech demo shows off incredible power of Apple’s Metal graphics framework

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 6, 2014

Hands up who's sick and tired of hearing about “console-level graphics” every time an iPad game hits the App Store?

I know I am and it's high time developers stopped overusing the marketing buzzword in their blurbs, methinks. No tablet on the market has the oomph to take on consoles, plain and simple.

While the advent of Metal, Apple's new low-level graphics framework in iOS 8, clearly won't make iPad games any better than their console counterparts, it does provide more aesthetically pleasing experiences involving far more detailed objects, lush visual effects and richer environments.

Apple is highlighting Metal-powered games in a dedicated App Store section and today folks behind the Frostbite graphics engine are showing off a pair of great looking screenshots of the Battlefield 4 console game running on an iPad and powered by the Metal-drive Frostbite engine.

BricksItOut provides mindless fun while waiting in line for your coffee

Lory Gil ∙ November 5, 2014

The casual game genre on mobile devices is something to be reckoned with. Some might even argue that it has changed the face of gaming forever. Now, a retired grandparent can spend just as much time playing a video game as a teenager and no one questions the coolness of either party.

BricksItOut is one of those casual games built simply for mindless fun. You don’t need fast action or puzzle solving skills. You just need a few minutes of time and a desire for distraction.

Real Racing 3 updated with new Maserati vehicles, new events and more

Cody Lee ∙ November 4, 2014

Two months after its 'Classic Lamborghini' update, the folks at EA have posted another new version of its popular Real Racing 3 game today that brings about new vehicles from both Maserati and Ferrari, new bonus events, and much more.

The new vehicles include the Maserati Trident, the GranTurismo MC Stradale, and its limited edition race-spec counterpart. The update also features the LaFerrari—Ferrari's first production car equipped with the F1-derived hybrid engine.

Woah Dave! will scratch that old-school arcade game itch

Lory Gil ∙ November 4, 2014

Retro games are a big deal in the App Store. I personally love those fantastic 8-bit games from my childhood. I know that technology has made it possible for our video games to look like movies now, but I have a spot in my heart for those pixelated power ups that I grew up on.

Woah Dave! is a retro style game that pays homage to the classics. Not only does it look like it came out in 1982, but the choppy, blips and bleeps of the soundtrack really take you back a few decades.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Companion app hits iOS ahead of tomorrow’s console release

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

The official mobile companion app of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has been released in the App Store on Monday ahead of the game's global release on consoles tomorrow, November 4.

Featuring Clan Wars, emblem editor and more, the companion app makes it easy to create and manage your clan, produce in-game player and clan emblems on mobile for the first time ever that sync with the console game and even participate in Clan Wars on your iPhone and iPad.

The app is available free of charge in the App Store.

Grave Matters review: it’s like Minesweeper for steampunks

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

At this point in the year, I’ve filled my brain with as much horror movie content as possible. For the entire month of October, I’ll watch nothing but scary movies or television shows. Because of that, I am hyper aware of anything relating to images of death, monsters, or the undead.

When Grave Matters popped up in the App Store, I was drawn to it like a magnet. This necropolis themed puzzle game has all of the elements for a spooky good time. We have a full game review of Grave Matters for your reading pleasure.

‘PAC-MAN Friends’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Apple has named BANDAI NAMCO's 'PAC-MAN Friends' its app of the week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you'll be able to pick up the title for free in the App Store—a significant discount off its normal $4 price tag.

PAC-MAN Friends is exactly what it appears to be—a modern twist on an arcade classic. Using simple tilt controls, players are tasked with maneuvering PAC-MAN through progressively challenging mazes to rescue his friends from the Ghosts' Castle.

Tilt to Live: Gauntlet’s Revenge is harder than ever

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

The game development team at One Man Left is known for creating fast-pasted, action-packed arcade style games. You may be familiar with their previous titles, Tilt to Live and Tilt to Live 2: Redonkulous. Well, they are back with a new game for your cramped fingers to try out.

Tilt to Live: Gauntlet’s Revenge is the third installment in the series and is proving to be, if you can believe it, the hardest of them all. We’ve got a hands-on game review of Gauntlet’s Revenge for you today.

Felllice turns cell life simulation into a minimalist affair

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

There is a handful of interesting games that involve production and duplication of cell-like organisms. Games like Osmos provide a relaxing arcade game that requires you to be ready to attack anything smaller than you, but lets you drift through life in a tranquil environment as well.

Felllice (yes, with three Ls) is similar to the cell generation game genre, but features a stark black-and-white minimalist design. Collide with cells that are smaller than yours to grow big and earn achievements.

Miika review: a perspective puzzle game with a platformer look

Lory Gil ∙ Updated February 4, 2018

The perspective path puzzle game has certainly been a hit on iOS. For example, earlier this year, Monument Valley turned heads for its visually striking graphics and complex puzzles.

Miika could be called a simpler, cutesier perspective puzzle game in the same vein as Monument Valley. Players must rotate the screen around in order to reveal the right path to take in order to get to the end of the line. We’ve got a full game review of Miika for you today.