It's been a long time coming, but Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is finally dropping onto iOS and Android in just a few short weeks.

The mobile version of the incredibly popular PC and console battle royale, Warzone Mobile was announced almost a year ago, and can be pre-ordered on the App Store so you're ready to jump in on March 21, 2024.

Unlike its big-screen counterparts, Warzone Mobile will cap out at 120 players instead of 150 in the main Verdansk map, while Rebirth Island will offer 48-player matches. The former will even carry the Gulag across from the existing versions, letting players fight for a second chance if they're eliminated early.

Call of Duty Warzone had previously been delayed, but it's good to see the battle royale finally approaching the drop zone - especially with Fortnite targeting its own Gulag-style iOS comeback later this year.

You can check out the launch date reveal trailer below.

What is Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile?

Aside from its main battle royale modes, Warzone Mobile will also include more traditional Call of Duty modes, including classic maps. Players can enjoy Team Deathmatch, Domination, and more.

That's got Call of Duty: Mobile players a little worried their game might be closed down, but despite new owner Microsoft suggesting it'll be phased out, it appears set to exist alongside Warzone Mobile.

If you missed it on console or PC, the original Call of Duty: Warzone was the franchise's second attempt at the popular battle royale genre, and smashed all kinds of player number records when it arrived in 2020.

It's since been superseded by Warzone 2.0, which will offer shared progression with Warzone Mobile, including paid skins.

Activision says over 50 million users have pre-registered for the game's launch, and those who do so will unlock an Operator skin for Ghost, two weapon Blueprints, and other cosmetics.

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There are few bigger games on the planet than Call of Duty and those who had been waiting for the latest mobile iteration are going to have to wait a little bit longer.

The Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile game was already available for pre-order in the App Store, but those who placed their order for the free download have started to receive emails with some bad news — the game isn't coming out when we thought it was.

How bad is the delay? Pretty bad, unfortunately.

A waiting game

Overnight we received an email from Apple warning that it "wanted to let you know that the developer, Activision Publishing, has moved the launch to a later date." But anyone hoping for good news — that the game was coming sooner than the expected May 2023 release — were soon left disappointed.

"The game is now expected to be released by November 1, 2023, the email continued."

That's as much as we know at this point but the fact that Activision has chosen to delay the launch is both a good and bad thing. It's obviously bad because it means that we will have to wait a little longer to frag some n00bz (we're the n00bz, really) but there is a silver lining.

We can only hope that Activision's delay means that it is polishing away, making sure that we get the very best Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile possible.

While we're hoping, let's cross our fingers that the system requirements will improve. While you don't necessarily need the best iPhone to play, you'll need something with an A12 Bionic or newer. The same goes for the iPad, too. That means the iPhone XS or newer, the 5th-gen iPad mini or newer, the 3rd-gen iPad Air or newer, or the 8th-gen iPad or newer.

Not yet pre-ordered? You can change that by heading to the App Store now.

With the launch of Fortnite and PUBG Mobile on iOS, fans' ongoing debate over the superiority of their favorite game has now made its way to the mobile gaming world. But rather than try to answer which game is the superior title, I'm far more interested in which one gives you the better mobile experience.

After all, both these titles are attempting an awesome feat: bringing the AAA console experience to mobile gamers everywhere. But which game has done the a better job? Here are my thoughts on how Fortnite and PUBG Mobile stack up to deliver a solid mobile experience.

Controls

As both Fortnite and PUBG Mobile were announced, one of my very first thoughts was how great it would be to play a console game on my iPhone with my MFi gamepad. Unfortunately, as of right now, both Fortnite and PUBG Mobile aren't compatible with MFi controllers, and you're stuck using the on-screen controls provided for both games.

The good news is the on-screen controls are excellent in both games. The dual-stick controls are responsive, feel natural, and are simple enough to give you the ability to do everything you could want to do comfortably. While a gamepad would offer you the ability to be more precise, I have been super impressed with how both games have implemented a control-scheme that works so beautifully.

Mobile-friendly additions

Even though both games are easy to control, I think Fornite does a better job at adding gameplay details that make the game mobile-friendly.

It's not that PUBG Mobile didn't add things to the make the game run a little smoother on a smaller screen. Some of the additions PUBG put in are fantastic. The mobile version made it way easier to pick up items, manage your inventory, and use healing items (which is huge), but in the end, Fortnite added the sound indicators, and that's why I think it wins this category.

How often do you play mobile games with the sound off? In games like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile, where hearing player footsteps and gunshot echoes give you a considerable advantage, playing without sound could be a miserable experience. Epic Games came up with an incredibly clever way to mitigate this issue in Fortnite— sound indicators.

You'll see sound indicators pop up on the screen whenever someone shoots a weapon or moves around. These indicators can help you figure out which way the sound is coming from as well as indicate how close those noises are to your present location. It's a smart way to make the game playable without sound if you want or need to, embracing the heart of what mobile gaming is all about: taking your games with you wherever you roam.

Playing with friends

When it comes to picking up a game to play with friends, I believe PUBG Mobile does it better for two main reasons; availability and voice chat.

PUBG Mobile is available worldwide, which means if you can your friends want to play PUBG Mobile together, all you have to do is download the game. On top of its more widespread availability, it also launched with voice chat enabled so you can talk with your squad members and plan what you're going to do. Communication in Squad and Duo modes is paramount to success, and PUBG Mobile gives you the ability to be successful every match.

There's no doubt that the cross-platform multiplayer capabilities of Fortnite are impressive, but without being able to talk to your teammates, Squad mode is more frustrating than fun.

Gameplay on-the-go

Over the past week I have played both Fortnite and PUBG Mobile in multiple locations that have offered different signal strengths for LTE and various speeds of Wi-Fi, and by a hair, Fortnite has performed better than PUBG in spotty conditions.

Now don't get me wrong, if you're playing at home and connected to a good Wi-Fi network, both games run smooth as butter, and you'll likely see no problems; however, when you take the game on the go, PUBG Mobile struggles a bit more when reception gets spotty.

It's pretty minimal, and your mileage will vary depending on a lot of factors, but in my personal experience, Fornite ran a little smoother when it was on the go.

Which offers a better mobile experience overall?

I can already hear you screaming at your screen telling me to pick one or the other, but in reality, both games are great and currently excel at different things.

Epic Games went above and beyond porting Fornite for the mobile space and allowing you to play the game when you want and how you want. On a noisy and crowded bus without headphones? Don't worry; the sound indicators have you covered.

Where PUBG Mobile shines is playing with your friends. The game is out worldwide, meaning you can play with iOS players all over the world, so you and your buddies can team up pretty easily. Nobody is stuck waiting for an invite code, and everyone can get in on the fun. Plus, you can use voice chat with PUBG Mobile which makes playing the Duo and Squad modes enjoyable rather than frustrating.

In the end, both games have done a fantastic job in taking a triple-A console experience and bringing it to the small screen, and it's probably best to play both games and see what one you like the best!

What are your opinions on Fortnite and PUBG Mobile?

Let me know what you think of the games in the comments down below!

Although PUBG has built a reputation for its exhilarating 100 players free for all matches, the game offers two different modes that allow you to team up with your best buds and take on other teams.

If you're looking to play Dur or Squad matches PUBG Mobile with your friends, you'll need to add them to your friends list; here's how you do it!

• Can I play PUBG Mobile cross-platform?
• How to add friends in PUBG Mobile
• How to accept a friend request in PUBG Mobile
• How to message friends in PUBG Mobile
• How to play with friends in PUBG Mobile
• How to use voice chat in PUBG Mobile

Can I play PUBG Mobile cross-platform multi-player?

Fornite made a big splash about the cross-platform capabilities of its mobile version, but unfortunately, the same can not be said for PUBG Mobile.

At this time the game can't play cross-platform with any system, so when you're facing off in a match of PUBG Mobile on your iOS device, you'll only meet people in the game who also are playing PUBG Mobile on an iOS device. This could change in the future, but there's no information on when or even if that will be happening.

Personally, I don't think this is such a bad thing because every time I have played Fornite cross-platform, I have gotten my butt kicked real fast. As good as the mobile controls are for PUBG Mobile, there's no doubt that a PC or console player would tear you to shreds.

How to add friends in PUBG Mobile

Adding friends in PUBG Mobile is a pretty streamlined and straightforward process. Once a friend is on your friends list, you can play matches with them, send them a message, and even check out their player profile.

1. Launch PUBG Mobile from your Home screen.
2. Tap the friends icon in the bottom left corner of your screen.
3. Tap add friends.

4. Enter the display name of the person you want to add.
5. Tap Search.

6. Tap the person you want to add.
7. Type a brief message. This step is optional.
8. Tap Send.

Once your friend accepts the request, you'll be ready to play together!

How to accept a friend request in PUBG Mobile

If you've told a friend to add you in PUBG Mobile, you'll need to accept their request before you can play together.

1. Launch PUBG Mobile from your Home screen.
2. Tap the friends icon in the bottom left corner of your screen.
3. Tap Request.

4. Tap Accept.

How to message friends in PUBG Mobile

If you want to send a message to your friends to see if they want to play a match with you, you can do it right from your friends list!

1. Launch PUBG Mobile from your Home screen.
2. Tap the friends list at the bottom of your screen.
3. Tap the friend you want to message.

4. Enter your message to your friends.
5. Tap Send.

How to play with friends in PUBG Mobile

If you're ready to jump into a Duo or Squad match, you'll need to invite your friends to your party from the lobby!

1. Launch PUBG Mobile from your Home screen.
2. Tap the friends list at the bottom of your screen.
3. Tap + next to the friend(s) you want to play with.

How to use voice chat in PUBG Mobile

PUBG Mobile launched with the ability to use voice chat using your iPhone or iPads built-in microphone. Don't forget to turn it on and plan your attacks with your friends!

Read:How to use voice chat in PUBG Mobile

Any questions?

Let me know in the comments down below!

Though Fortnite is now an up-and-coming mobile game on iOS, it began as a brawl mode for Fortnite's console and desktop versions (PS4, Xbox, Mac, and PC). And thanks to Epic's underlying account system, you'll be able to play with friends on (almost) any other platform.

Here's how to set it up and make it happen!

How cross-platform play works

Fortnite Battle Royale is, by default, a solo game: It's you vs 99 other people on the map, and whoever makes it to the end, wins. But for those who like to play with friends, Fortnite also offers two multiplayer modes: Duo and Squad.

Duo is what it sounds like: You pair up with one other friend, and together you attempt to wipe out the other 98 folks on the map. Squad mode lets you add to two more people, for a total of four.

Here's where the cross-platform fun comes into play. You can't randomly decide, as an iOS user, that you only want to play with PS4 users. Instead, cross-platform play happens when you invite friends to play in Duos or Squads. You'll be able to invite any friends, on any platform* — as long as they've created an Epic Games account first. (For console users, this is separate from their PSN or Xbox Live account.)

*Note: When making a Squad, iOS users can pair up with friends on any platform, but keep in mind: If you have two friends who have a PS4 and Xbox One respectively, you'll only be able to play with one of them — Sony currently prohibits PS4 Battle Royale users from playing with Xbox users, even if you're the initiator of the match. It's dumb, yes, but unfortunately, it's on Sony to fix it.

Once you have your Duo or Squad set up, Fortnite will auto-populate your next game with players using either mobile devices, consoles, or PCs, depending on your party makeup. If you have a Mac or PC user in your party, the other players in the game will come from Mac & PC-land; if you only have console and mobile users, the remaining players will be populated from your friend's console (PS4 or Xbox); and if you're playing with an all-mobile crew, you'll stay on the mobile side of things.

How to set up your Epic account for cross-platform play

NOTE: These steps are the same on every system as all the menus in Fortnite are the same across all platforms.

To start, anyone you'd like to invite needs to have an Epic account, as we mentioned. Here's how to add them as a friend:

1. Tap the Friends icon (looks like a group of people in the upper right corner.
2. Tap on the Add a friend icon.

3. Enter your friend's Epic username or email address in the search box.
4. Select them when they show up and tap Add.

Once your friend confirms the addition, you'll be ready to play with them whenever they're online.

How to invite friends from other platforms to a Fortnite Battle Royale game.

NOTE: These steps are the same on every system as all the menus in Fortnite are the same across all platforms.

1. From the main Fortnite screen, tap on the plus button next to your avatar to add a friend to your party. (This is also how you accept a party invite from another friend.)
2. Wait for your friend to accept their invite.

3. Change mode from the Fortnight Battle Royale main screen to switch into Duo or Squad mode.

Questions?

Let us know in the comments.

The extremely popular Fortnite is coming to iOS, and mobile gamers everywhere are rejoicing. While the game isn't out publicly yet, you can sign up for the beta right now — here's how!

How to sign up for the Fortnite Battle Royale iPhone and iPad beta

All you need to do to sign up for the beta is to go to the Fortnite Battle Royale website and enter your email address.

NOTE: Due to the popularity of the game, Epic Games is having trouble keeping its site up and running smoothly. You may get a 404 when trying to load its website.

After you sign up, it's time to wait:

System requirements

Fortnite Battle Royale will require an internet connection (no surprise there) to participate in its massively multiplayer online brawl; to play it, you'll need iOS 11 or later and one of the following devices:

• iPhone SE or later
• iPhone 6S or later
• iPad Mini 4 or later
• iPad Air 2 or later (this includes the iPad (5th generation) and iPad Pro)

Will there be an Android release?

Currently, the Fortnite beta is limited to iPhone and iPad users, though Epic Games states they hope to release an Android version in the next few months.

Did you sign up for the beta?

Did you sign up for the Fortnite Battle Royale beta? Let us know in the comments below!

More at Epic Games

After lots of eggnog, food, merriment, and reminiscing about how great 2017 was for iOS gaming, I'm ready to get back to playing games on my iPhone and iPad and telling you all about them.

I started off the year by playing a simple, retro-style survival shooter called Let Them Come, and while it didn't blow me away, it was enjoyable enough to occupy a decent amount of my time this week.

$1.99 - Download Now

Fantastic retro style

I'm a sucker for a good retro-style game, and since it seems to be a common theme these days, I guess that means I'm lucky. In any case, Let Them Come delivers a fantastic experience by including high-quality 16-bit-style graphics that really do feel fresh while remaining true to video game roots.

On top of the graphics being top-notch, the soundtrack is incredible. The heavy synth and pulsating bass of the electronica tracks that make up the game's soundstage are not only adrenaline-pumping, but remind me of some of my favorite music in video games ever. It's upbeat enough to make you amped up for the gameplay but sinister and spooky enough to fit within the context of the game.

No frills

Let Them Come is a very simple game, which isn't a bad thing — it does its job quite while.

You are tasked with shooting a giant mounted machine gun at aliens coming down a dark hallway. The goal is to survive wave after wave of increasing difficulties. Of course, along the way you have the opportunity to upgrade your health, acquire grenades, and load your gun with better ammo by using an in-game currency that you receive for playing the game.

Although the game is simple, the combination of upgrading your gun, buying melee weapons for enemies that get to close, and having a limited supply of grenades and other consumable weapons gives the game enough variety to keep the gameplay interesting.

Some progression flaws

Although the game feels and plays similarly to an endless runner, there is actually a progression.

When a wave of aliens defeats you, you aren't forced to the beginning of the game, rather you get a chance to buy items and upgrades before returning to the action. While it's nice to know that you don't have to grind through all the levels whenever you can't beat a wave of enemies, the progression has some flaws.

When I got to the first boss wave, I came to realize that normal bullets did little to no damage to the creature, which made defeating the purple alien seem like an insurmountable task. You have to have the right kind of weapons and ammo to deplete its health bar. This meant I had to play the boss wave over and over again just to get enough in-game currency to buy an upgrade or special bullets that could hurt it.

While I was able to beat the boss and continue on in the game, it took longer than expected and really zapped the momentum out of the gameplay.

Overall impressions

Let Them Come is an enjoyable game, and aside from a couple of flaws in the progression, delivers a solid experience for only $1.99.

It's not going to blow your mind and you likely will play it for a few weeks and then forget about it, but if you're looking for an easy-to-play shoot 'em up game, Let Them Come is almost as good as it gets.

$1.99 - Download Now

Other games this week

Anithero — Digital Board Game: Become the ultimate thief by using your stealth, cunning, and the odd murder or two. $3.99 in the App Store.

Bridge Constructor Portal: It's time to start thinking with portals and bridges! This hilarious combination of Portals gameplay mixed with bridge constructor allows you to have endless creativity and will kepp you entertained for hours. $4.99 in the App Store.

Fire Emblem Heroes has a fun and complex battle system that relies on numerous different stats (some obvious, others not so much) of the heroes you have deployed onto the battlefield. Leveling up, equipping skills, and increasing potential are all important aspects of the game.

Lucky for you, I have been fearlessly playing the game (hard work, I know) and am passing all of my knowledge onto you, so you can create the best team of heroes and save the Kingdom of Askr from Veronica!

• Game Modes
• Character Stats
• Increasing Stats
• How to Level up your heroes
• Potential
• How to increase potential
• Skill Points
• Merging Allies

Game Modes

There are currently four different game modes in Fire Emblem Heroes, and each one functions a little bit differently, I'll break them all down for you one at a time.

Story Maps is the main storyline of Fire Emblem Heroes. It's broken up into nine chapters, and each chapter has five parts, for a total of 45 battles you need to complete to finish the game's campaign.

To enter into a battle in Story Maps, you need to have the appropriate amount of stamina points, which regenerates one point every five minutes. You can also use Orbs to pay for stamina if you run out.

Special Maps give you the chance to collect heroes — both new and duplicates. They function the same as the Story Maps, except for one main difference, none of your heroes can die, or you'll lose the battle.

The Special Maps come in two difficulties — normal and hard — and depending on which one you complete, the hero you receive will be stronger. Plus, the hero available to grab by claiming victory on a special map will change each day, so be sure you're always on the lookout!

It's a great way to get new heroes you have yet to unlock, or duplicates of heroes you already have, which you can always send home for Hero Feathers.

Arena Duels are where you go to battle other players, but instead of stamina, the Arena Duels cost you dueling swords. You only get three dueling swords a day, but you can refresh them with dueling crests, which you can get by completing missions.

The Training Tower functions as a place to train — go figure. There are nine different training Stratums that offer increasingly harder challenges. It's the only place you can pick up Badges and Great Badges in the game, so you'll need to visit it often if you plan on raising the potential of your heroes.

Character Stats

Each character in the game has five main stats that will affect the outcome of any given attack. As your characters increase in level — whether by defeating enemies or using items — some stats will increase (I'll go more in-depth on this a little later) and some stats won't.

The five primary stats are as follows:

• Hit Points (HP): The amount of damage a character can suffer before they leave the battlefield.
• Attack (Atk): Attack is the measure of a unit's strength. The higher the attack, the higher amount of damage the character can inflict.
• Speed (Spd): If your character's speed is five or more points higher than the enemy unit you will be able to attack twice in one turn. This extra attack is called a follow-up attack.
• Defense (Def): Determines how much physical damage will be deducted when struck with a weapon.
• Resistance (Res): Determines how much magical damage will be deducted when struck with a magical tome or dragon attack.

These stats can be altered on the battlefield by various skills and by the Weapon Triangle. The game will calculate all the outcome of every battle (barring any special attacks) in the top information bar during a fight, while you don't need to memorize this information, it's good to know to understand how characters level up.

Increasing Stats

A hero's stats will increase randomly each time they level up, meaning some levels a hero will only get a boost to one stats, while other levels they'll get a boost to multiple stats. This random leveling has been a staple in the Fire Emblem series since its creation, and it can be frustrating when your favorite hero gets many crappy stats bonuses in a row.

How to level up your heroes

You can level up your heroes using two different methods in Fire Emblem Heroes, and you'll likely need to use a little bit of both to have success in the harder Story Maps.

Anytime a hero of on your team damages an enemy, heals an ally, or defeats a unit your character will receive experience points (EXP). Each level your hero gains will increase the amount of experience points needed to progress to the next.

You can receive EXP in practically every game mode; however, if your hero is five levels or higher than the character you're attacking, you will receive no EXP. Plus, healers will stop receiving EXP after they have healed five times in a single battle.

You can also increase the amount of EXP you earn, by spending Orbs to upgrade your castle. Something I recommend you do to be successful in battle and spend fewer resources in the long run.

You can level up your heroes outside of the battlefield by spending different types of resources — known as Shards and Crystals — you obtain through completing the Story Maps and battling in the Training Tower, and completing missions. By leveling your characters this way, you can even increase a hero by multiple levels at a time, as long as you have enough resources.

I wish I could leave it there. Unfortunately, Fire Emblem Heroes has ten different resources you need to collect to level up heroes. It sounds daunting but isn't quite as complicated as it sounds once you understand how it works.

Shards

Shards are used to level up heroes under level 20. There are five different types of Shards. You obtain shards by completing chapters in the Story Maps mode or by battling in the Training Tower.

• Universal Shards: These yellow shards can be used to level up any hero under level 20. You can use universal shard in conjunction with other shards listed below to help spread your resources around.
• Verdant Shards: These green shards can be used to level up any character with a green weapon wielding hero under level 20.
• Azure Shard: These blue shards can be used to level up any blue weapon wielding hero under level 20.
• Scarlet Shard: These red shards can be used to level up any red weapon wielding hero under level 20.
• Transparent Shard: These gray shards can be used to level up any colorless weapon wielding hero under level 20.

Crystals

Crystals are more powerful versions of shards and are used to level up heroes level 20 and over.

• Universal Crystals: These yellow crystals can be used to level up any hero level 20 and over. You can use universal crystals in conjunction with other crystals listed below to help spread your resources around.
• Verdant Crystals: These green crystals can be used to level up any green weapon wielding hero level 20 or over.
• Azure Crystals: These blue crystals can be used to level up any blue weapon wielding hero under level 20.
• Scarlet Crystals: These red crystals can be used to level up any red weapon wielding hero level 20 or over.
• Transparent Crystals: These gray crystals can be used to level up any colorless weapon wielding hero level 20 or over.

Potential

Leveling up your characters is only half the battle, to beat the most challenging battles in Fire Emblem Heroes you'll need heroes with high potential.

Potential is represented by a star rating — five stars being the highest — and it affects the chances of getting better stat increases when leveling up. Furthermore, the higher a hero's potential, the higher their base stats will be, meaning a level one hero with three stars will be less powerful than the same hero that has four stars.

Potential isn't all about stats either; some heroes will be unable to unlock their most powerful skills until they have a certain number of stars.

Technically, the easiest way to acquire heroes with a 5-star potential rating is to summon them by spending Orbs; however, depending on the day, you only have about a 3% chance of getting that lucky. Instead of spending Orbs to summon heroes and relying on luck you can increase the potential of your heroes by spending other resources you collect.

How to increase potential

You can only increase the potential of a hero that's level 20 or higher, and only by one star at a time. Once you increase the potential of a hero, they will be put back to level one, but start with the base stats of their new potential level, which means you will have to put in some time and effort to level them up again. When you do get them to the level they were at before, they will be stronger than the were previously.

To increase the potential of a 3-star hero to four stars, you'll need 2,000 Hero Feathers and 20 badges that match their color either Verdant Badge, Azure Badge, Scarlet Badge, or Transparent Badge.

To increase the potential of the a 4-star hero to five stars, you'll need 20,000 Hero Feathers and 20 Great Badges that match their color either Great Verdant Badge, Great Azure Badge, Great Scarlet Badge, or Great Transparent Badge.

You can collect a few Hero Feathers by tapping on the heroes hanging around your castle in the Home tab of Fire Emblem Heroes' main menu, but the way to get the most Hero Feathers at once is by sending heroes home.

As you summon heroes, you are bound to get many duplicates, and while you can merge them together (more on that later), you can also send them home. When you do, you'll be awarded Hero Feathers. The more powerful the hero you send home — both in level and potential — the more Hero Feather you'll get in return.

The only way to earn Badges and Great Badges is by winning battles in the Training Tower. Claiming victory in the 1st - 5th Stratums will earn you Badges, and any of the harder Stratums will award you with Great Badges.

Each day Nintendo switches the color of Badges you can earn in the Training Tower so if you're saving up to increase the potential of a certain hero, make sure you take advantage when that color is available.

Skill Points

As your heroes level up, or you merge allies (see below), they will be awarded skill points (SP) that you can use to teach them skills. Each hero has six skill slots, but not every hero will have access to a skill for each slot. Skills can cost as low as 50 SP or as high as 500 SP, and usually the more expensive the skill, the more powerful the skill.

The right mix of skills — offense, defense, and support — between the four heroes in your party can turn the tide of battle, so make sure you diversify to ensure the best results.

Merging Allies

As you summon more and more heroes, you will undoubtedly acquire many duplicates, and instead of sending them home you can always merge them.

Merging two of the same heroes together will grant that hero SP and sometimes even increasing their level. The more powerful the hero you merge, the more SP you will be awarded.

What else do you need to know?

There's a lot going on in Fire Emblem Heroes, and if you're new to the game, it can be a little overwhelming. Was there anything I missed in this guide? Do you have a question about the game? Let me know in the comments or even hit me up on Twitter and I'll be happy to help!

Fire Emblem Heroes has an excellent battle system that flows smoothly and looks gorgeous. And while Nintendo did a bang-up job on making the battle gameplay look and feel good... they certainly don't give you many hints when it comes to winning on said battlefield.

Don't worry: I'm here to help. I've collected some tips and tricks for everything you need to know to dominate any fight!

1. Know the Weapon Triangle

Almost every weapon is tagged with one of three colors — red, green, or blue. These colors are part of what Fire Emblem calls the "Weapon Triangle." Each color is strong against one color, but weak against another.

As shown above, the Weapon Triangle goes as follows:

• Red weapons are effective against Green weapons, and weak to Blue weapons.
• Green weapons are effective against Blue weapons, and weak to Red weapons
• Blue weapons are effective against Red weapons, and weak to Green weapons.

These advantages and disadvantages amount around to a 20% damage bonus or penalty. For example, a Red weapon will do 20% more damage to an enemy carrying a Green weapon, but 20% less damage to an enemy carrying a Blue weapon.

Magical tomes also have these colors, and fall under the same rules.

Some units have what Fire Emblem Heroes calls "colorless weapons" — bows, daggers, and staves are typically colorless — they appear gray. These weapons are exempt from the Weapon Triangle; they do not receive and advantages or disadvantages versus any color.

But colorless weapons aren't created equal: Bows — which happen to be colorless — receive a 20% damage bonus against flying units. Keep your Pegasus and Wyverns mounted force far away from any archers.

2. Plan your team

Before entering a battle in Story Maps, the Training Tower, or Special Maps modes, pay attention to your surroundings: The game will give you a heads up on the type of arsenal your enemies are packing. Not only will you see the colors of your enemy forces, but also the weapons they're carrying into battle.

In the screenshot above, you can see that the enemies on this particular map will have Red swords, Blue lances, and Green axes.

3. Edit your team

If you head into battle with a proper assortment of heroes, you can defend appropriately against enemy attacks; this will significantly improve your chances of being victorious. If there are many enemies with Red weapons, for example, you'll want a couple of Blue heroes. Likewise, if your enemies are packing a few bows, perhaps hold off on your battalion of flying units.

You can edit your four-hero team at any time before entering a battle, and you can even have up to five teams pre-assembled: That way, you can pick your best team for each battle.

4. Check the attack outcome before you strike

It can be tricky to know which enemy to attack (and which hero should deliver the blow), but the information you need to be successful is all right at the top of the screen — you just need to look.

When you drag your hero over an enemy, the information bar at the top of the screen will tell you how much damage your hero will do to the enemy, whether or not you have an advantage or disadvantage, how many Hit Points your hero will lose, and much more.

Study these battle outcomes before you just start dropping heroes all willy-nilly, and you'll be able to coordinate your attacks more efficiently (and mow down your enemies).

5. Keep an eye on special attack counters

Some battlers have special attacks that will activate after a certain number of actions; these are represented by a purple number next to the team member's portrait. Any time a player attacks or is attacked, that number goes down.

Once the counter hits zero, it will turn into a symbol, and your units will have a purple selector around them. The next attack you launch, or that's launched against you, will automatically trigger the special attack.

Most special attacks do bonus damage or are particularly effective against certain enemies, but enemies can have special attacks too. Watch out for those purple numbers when planning your attacks, it can mean the difference between a hero living or dying.

6. Don't be afraid to sacrifice a hero

Unlike most of the games in the series, there is no "permadeath" in Fire Emblem Heroes. When a hero on your team dies, he or she are taken off the map and cannot be used for the rest of the battle, but will be ready to go the next time you enter the battlefield.

While losing a character during a fight is usually never plan A, sometimes in Fire Emblem Heroes, sacrificing a hero can be advantageous.

By moving a hero into harm's way, you can bait the enemy into attacking that unit. This can cause an enemy that's out of reach from your other heroes to move closer, giving you the ability to gang up on him with your other heroes.

While there is some inherent risk to this tactic and it can backfire if you don't plan it out properly, it can be surprisingly effective against some of the Normal difficulty AI. Use with caution.

7. Use Orbs to increase your castle

While summoning heroes is an important use of Orbs, I have found that upgrading your castle early on is an extremely efficient use of your precious orbs.

Why? Because upgrading your castle increases the number of experience points (EXP) you collect, meaning you level up your heroes way faster.

Each upgrade to the castle boosts the amount of EXP you collect by 20%. You can upgrade your castle a total of five times, giving you a 100% bonus to your earned EXP; that's double the experience for every baddie you smack down!

The more you level up your heroes the old-fashioned way, the fewer resources — shards, crystals, and the like — you will have to use.

8. Play Special Maps to unlock new characters

Special Maps give you the chance to collect heroes — both new and duplicates. They function the same as the Story Maps, except for one main difference, none of your heroes can die, or you'll lose the battle.

The Special Maps come in two difficulties — normal and hard — and depending on which one you complete, the hero you receive will be stronger. Plus, the hero available to grab by claiming victory on a special map will change each day, so be sure you're always on the lookout!

It's a great way to get new heroes you have yet to unlock, or duplicates of heroes you already have, which you can use to increase their potential.

9. Create or log in to a My Nintendo account

This is a no-brainer. If you have a My Nintendo account from Miitomo or Super Mario Run, connect Fire Emblem Heroes game, and you'll receive a bunch of free items as a thank you from Nintendo.

If you don't have an account already don't fret — you can sign up for one right in the game, and receive the same bonuses. Linking your account is well worth a couple of extra minutes of your time, so just do it!

Your tips and tricks?

Found anything in Fire Emblem Heroes your fellow readers have to know about? Let us know in the comments!

Who says you always have to play by the rules? In Fire Emblem Heroes, you can bend the rules to your advantage and nab some of the best heroes in the game before you even get started.

If you don't mind spending some time and putting in a little work to give yourself a competitive edge, read on: I'll show you how it's done!

• How it works
• How to start the game with the best characters!

How it works

In Fire Emblem Heroes, the easiest and fastest way to get more powerful heroes is by summoning them; however, summoning heroes costs Orbs and Orbs are the game's premium currency, which means they cost real dollars.

It costs five orbs to summon one hero; continue summoning heroes in succession, however, and that number goes down to four. After a few more summons, it goes down to three. To summon the maximum amount of heroes in one session — five — you'll need a total of 20 Orbs.

That said, right now with all Nintendo's launch promotions, you can get 27 Orbs without spending a dime. Do you see where I'm going with this?

If you haven't installed the game yet, you can nab all the best characters simply by spending your orbs wisely; if you've already started the game, you can delete the app and its data from your phone to give yourself a better shot at a top-tier hero team.

How to start the game with the best characters!

If you've already started playing Fire Emblem Heroes, but want to try this hack, you need to start by deleting your account.

Note: If you haven't started the game yet, you can skip to step 2.

1. Launch Fire Emblem Heroes.
2. Tap Menu.
3. Tap Account Management.

4. Tap Delete All Data.
5. Tap Yes.

6. Delete the Fire Emblem Heroes app on your phone.

Go to the App Store and redownload (or download, if it's your first time) Fire Emblem Heroes and install it on your phone.

You have to play through the tutorial battles before you can collect any bonus goodies from Nintendo. It shouldn't take too long; the enemies don't put up much of a challenge.

After the tutorial, you'll be offered a chance to link Fire Emblem Heroes to your My Nintendo account. Sign into an old account (or create a new one) to snag an extra 10 Orbs.

After the game downloads the rest of its data, you'll receive various pop-up notifications from Nintendo awarding you various items. Claim these gifts from the Owl in your castle.

1. Tap on the Home tab in the bottom left corner of your screen.
2. Tap on the Owl near the top right corner.
3. Tap Accept All.

At this point, you should have up to 27 Orbs: Get readty to summon some sweet heroes, and pray you get some five-star ones in the mix!

1. Tap the Summon tab.
2. Tap the arrow to switch the focus to Deep Devotion. This focus has a slightly better chance of producing 5-star heroes.
3. Tap Summon.

4. Tap Redeem.
5. Tap each summoning stone, one at a time, until you've used them all. You'll need to confirm that each stone will cost you Orbs.
6. Tap Close when all the summoning is done.

If you don't like the assortment of heroes you summon, it's not the end of the world: Go back to step one and do this as many times as you want!

Honestly, if you get a 5-star hero like I did in the picture above, it's probably worth starting the game from there, as they are exceedingly rare and super-powerful.

Did you use this technique?

What heroes were you able to summon? Let me know in the comments below!

Fire Emblem was the first game I ever played on my Game Boy Advance SP (remember that thing?) when the first game in the series was released in North America; I was hooked. Since my teenage years, I have gone out of my way to play every Fire Emblem game possible that I could a hold of, and while not all of them are perfect, the series is near and dear to my heart.

Needless to say, I have been beyond excited to get my hands on Fire Emblem Heroes and dive into the first ever mobile version in the Fire Emblem series.

Play Fire Emblem Heroes today!

Story & Setting

One of the weaker points in the Fire Emblem series is its lack of originality when it comes to the setting in each game; unfortunately, Fire Emblem Heroes suffers this same fate. For those of you who aren't familiar with the series. I will give you a quick crash course. Without using any names, I can give you the backdrop that sets up practically every game in the series.

A prince or princess of one kingdom suddenly becomes the target of another kingdom because of some big event — the death of their parent(s) or a peaceful meeting between the two nations goes awry — which causes an all out war between the two countries. Then once you're about 3/4 through the game, the hero or heroine finds out who is actually behind the whole mess and you proceed to kick bad guy ass.

Fire Emblem Heroes doesn't break the mold when it comes to story — but after all, the game has been like this since 1990. Sticking with what works may not be as exciting as I would hope, but it does bring that classic Fire Emblem charm that I have come to know and love.

A genuine strength of Fire Emblem has always been the dialogue between characters, which although Fire Emblem Heroes has less scripting than the console games that came before it, the characters are brought to life by some stellar writing.

While lots of characters in the game are returning from older games in the series, the new characters — Prince Alfonse and Princess Sharena — really shine through as unique characters that progress the plot forward. In fact, I have enjoyed them so much, that I find it hard to put together a battle team without them, which is an excellent sign for newcomers to the game.

I have to imagine that Fire Emblem Heroes will be the first time a lot of gamers are introduced into this well-established universe and Nintendo has done an excellent job of giving newbies two fantastic brand new characters to gravitate towards right from the get go.

Fear not Fire Emblem diehards, seeing Marth, Roy, Lyn, and other legendary heroes famous in the Fire Emblem universe all in one game will undoubtedly give you the same warm fuzzy feelings of comfort that have been awarded to me throughout playing the game.

Gameplay

As a turn-based strategy RPG, Fire Emblem has long been regarded as one of the best game series to using the tactics style of gameplay, and Fire Emblem Heroes is no different.

Ever since I played Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War on my iPad, I knew that touchscreen controls were optimal for playing on grid-based battle maps. The controls are smooth and effortless to use.

Touch the character you want to move and drag your finger over the enemy you want to attack, and just like that, the game takes care of the rest. It feels so natural It's hard to imagine I ever played Fire Emblem using a directional pad to get around. Even when attacking with a ranged character — meaning you have to be a full square away — the game will move you into the correct position to mount your attack even if it means moving you backward.

The fluidity of the gameplay will make it even more approachable to new players, something that strategy RPGs with this amount of depth can struggle with at times.

The difficulty curve is also a high point in Fire Emblem Heroes. Since the battle system has a tendency to be slightly complicated at times, the game does a good job of easing the player into the game. The tutorial is comprehensive enough for anyone to pick up the game and play, allowing casual gamers to enjoy the experience and be challenged just enough to keep things interesting.

Don't panic. If you're looking for a challenge Fire Emblem Heroes can pack a serious punch, once you increase the difficulty level. So, if you're finding the story chapters too easy, go back and try them again on Hard or Lunatic mode and see how that fits your fancy.

Game Progression

There's no beating around the bush; Fire Emblem Heroes is packed full various items that are either time-gated, hard to receive without paying money, or given to you as gifts when Nintendo holds an event or feels extra charitable, which you will need to get to the deep reaches of the game. While this isn't surprisingly in a mobile game using the freemium model in today's world, I feel like Fire Emblem may have over complicated things by having too many items.

You'll need Stamina points to enter battles (story, training, and special battles), five different kinds of crystals to level up your characters — not to mention Hero Feathers to unlock their true potential — and Dueling Swords to compete in the game's PVP mode. Confused yet? I don't blame you.

Fire Emblem Heroes' saving grace is that most (for some reason not all) of these items can be replenished using the game premium currency known as Orbs. If you are the type of gamer to spend money to become the very best, Orbs are what you will be buying. Personally, I wish Orbs was the only thing I had to worry about, instead of all these other arbitrary items, it just makes the game seem a little disjointed.

There is good news. As far as getting through the actual story mode of Fire Emblem Heroes, you won't need to spend a single dime if you're willing to wait.

As I mentioned before you need stamina points to enter battles, and while stamina points are time-gated, you'll only have to wait five minutes to regenerate one stamina point, and one stamina point can sometimes be the difference between playing and not playing. I was pleasantly surprised that by using the items the game gives to you, and without spending any real cash, I have been able to progress through about half of the story chapters without having to put down my phone to wait.

As someone who values story campaigns over multiplayer, I'm considering this a win. Far too many games have insane wait times, but after a couple of hours away from Fire Emblem, I'll be ready to tackle a plethora of story battles before being forced to take to take a break.

Design & Sound

In a word: Perfect.

I know I shouldn't be surprised (did you see Super Mario Run?), but I was very fearful that a mobile Fire Emblem would ruin the classic aesthetic that makes the game series stand out.

All the cutscenes and dialogue show all the characters in their full anime illustrated glory and no detail is left out. The brightly colored suits of armor, the impossibly saturated hues of hair, and the insane eye-to-face ratio of each character is present and with abundance. The Japanese anime art style has been a staple in Fire Emblem games since the beginning, and Nintendo spared no expense in bringing that classic look to your phone.

What will be noticeable instantly to Fire Emblem fans is the graphics during battle look fairly different, but in no way are they less awesome. The 16-bit style sprites that populate the battlefield are gorgeous. Each character has a unique sprite, and it's easy to tell which unit is which just by scanning across the map. Even the horses and wyverns that the cavalry units ride are easily distinguishable from each other.

The animations during battle are fluid and stunning, and each unit attacks slightly differently making every battle visually entertaining from beginning to end.

The maps themselves are a tad bland — each one is only an 8x6 grid — but there is enough variety in the scenery that it never feels monotonous.

It's not just the visuals that will keep you invested in the game, Fire Emblem has always had a great soundtrack, and the mobile game follows suit admirably.

You'll get to hear some classic Fire Emblem themes throughout the game, and some new tunes that all help build up the excitement each battle. What impressed me sound-wise was the voice work.

Most of the talking in the game is just in dialogue boxes, during battle you get to hear characters make remarks as they make special attacks and move around the battlefield. Plus, whenever a character is in battle they make various grunts, jeers, and whines as they react to what's going on. All these noises and speaking add to the experience of the game, giving you a sense of being right in the throws of battle with your heroes.

This may sound like a minor detail that I'm highlighting for no reason, but the fact that Nintendo cares enough to include some voice acting I think speaks volumes to the amount they care about this game. Heck, even something as simple as the menus throughout the game looks pristine and carefully crafted. Nintendo made sure Fire Emblem Heroes got the triple-A treatment it deserves.

My Recommendation: 👍

Fire Emblem Heroes is a stellar game through and through. Whether you're a fan of the long-running series or a complete newcomer, Nintendo has beautifully designed a game that keeps both groups happy.

While game progression has all the hallmarks of a typical freemium game, such as needing to spend money to reach the top of the leaderboards or waiting various periods of time to unlock game items, you won't need to shell any money out to enjoy 95% of what Fire Emblem Heroes has to offer.

Fire Emblem Heroes is visually breath-taking, and it's clear to anyone who plays it, that Nintendo put a lot of time and effort into creating this game, which means I'm going to enjoy putting a lot of time and effort into playing it.

Play Fire Emblem Heroes today!

What do you think of Fire Emblem Heroes?

I want to know what you think! Love it or hate it, drop me a line the comments below or hit me up on Twitter!

Update: Fire Emblem Heroes is now available across North America! Download now

If you've been anticipating the launch of Nintendo's free-to-play turn-based RPG Fire Emblem Heroes, your wait is over – at least for those of you in the UK. The game is now live in the UK App Store, as well as Japan and Australia, which means it will be rolling out across the rest of the world over the next few hours and across the world.

Fire Emblem Heroes is based on the Fire Emblem franchise but was made specifically for mobile. Players can summon heroes, develop skill sets, and fight against baddies in turn-based combat not entirely unlike the franchise's console games.

From the app summary:

Just like Super Mario Run, an internet connection is required to play Fire Emblem Heroes. Although the game is free to download, some features will require payment in Orbs, the in-game currency. You may discover that you'll need to buy Orbs with real money in order to make the most out of your adventure.

Fire Emblem Heroes is now available in the U.S. App Store. Download it here.

Keep an eye on iMore. We'll have a full review of Fire Emblem as soon as possible.

Update: Nintendo's Official Twitter account has clarified that Fire Emblem Heroes will launch on iOS and Android on February 2nd this year.

Following up on the record-breaking success of Super Mario Run, Nintendo has released exciting information about their next big iOS game. Are you ready? You sure? Okay, here it is: The hugely popular Fire Emblem series will be making its way to iPhone and iPad as early as next month!

Here's what IGN had to say:

As for the gameplay, IGN is reporting it will be similar, but different from Fire Emblem games in the past.

Players will take on the role of a summoner and summon characters from the Fire Emblem series to build their team. Orbs are used to summon additional characters, and they can be earned through gameplay or purchased within the app."

The part I find most intriguing about this is Nintendo's decision to include in-app purchases, something they seemed unwilling to do for Super Mario Run. No word on the cost (if any) of the initial download.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Fire Emblem series and am super pumped to hear my iPhone will be able to play Fire Emblem Heroes. The trailer on Nintendo Mobile's YouTube account sure has me excited that the classic anime art-style has stayed intact!

Are you excited for Fire Emblem Heroes? Let me know in the comments below!

Are you an expert at taking out the living? If so, how would you fare against undead? Death Valley for Hitman: Sniper lets you really put your skills to the test as you take on zombies. The new game mode should now be available in the latest release for iPhone and iPad players.

You'll be tasked with setting up shop in an abandoned military base to defend the lone survivor Ben from swarms of undead. There are three difficulty levels in the new Death Valley Challenge mode, with more than 30 achievements to unlock and customizations to enjoy. You'll be able to grab the update from the App Store.

• $1.99 - Download Now

Microsoft has slashed the price of Halo: Spartan Strike on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. The title is currently listed for just 99c, allowing fans of the series to pick up this mobile title and head into 30 challenging missions during the events of Halo 2 in Mombasa.

Here are some highlighted features:

• Crush your enemies using the iconic Warthog or sweep them from the battlefield using the all-new Kestrel VTOL.
• Face off against Promethean enemies; deadly mechanical warriors who seek mankind's annihilation.
• Experience an all-new story that will take you from New Mombasa on Earth to the enigmatic Gamma Halo located at the edge of charted space.
• Earn achievements, complete weekly challenges and take the top position against friends in leaderboards that showcase your Halo gaming skills.

You'll be able to download Halo: Spartan Strike from the App Store below. We're unsure as to when this promotion will end, so be sure to act fast if you're interested in grabbing the game.

• 99c - Download Now

If you've been looking for a way to easily jump into the Borderlands series on your PC, Humble Bundle has your back. Everybody's favorite way to pick up games on the cheap is currently offering up Borderlands 2, along with all of the DLC.

As with all Humble Bundles, this one is split into tiers. You can pay whatever you want to pick up Borderlands and its DLC (which, unfortunately, is only available for PC), while Borderlands 2 (available on Mac) and 3 of its DLC packs will cost you more than the average ($4.34 at the time of this writing). As a bonus, in that second tier, Humble Bundle is throwing in a coupon for 75% off of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel at the Humble Store. Finally, if you pay $15 or more, you'll snag all of the previously mentioned Borderlands goodies, along with the following:

• Borderlands 2: Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2
• Borderlands 2: Headhunter 5: Son of Crawmerax
• Borderlands 2: Season Pass
• 2K Store 25% off Merch Coupon

Overall, this is probably the best route to go if you've been itching to jump into the Borderlands series. And honestly, that 75% off coupon for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is probably worth it alone. If you're interested, you can pick up all of the Borderlands mayhem from Humble Bundle at the link below.

Purchase the Borderlands Humble Bundle

We wondered back in 2013 if Halo: Spartan Assault would ever come to iOS, and that answer is now a definitive "yes". In addition to Assault, Spartan Strike has landed at the same time. Both games are top-down shooters in which you take the role of a Spartan soldier fighting the forces of the Covenant.

Each game features 30 missions taking place across a wide variety of environments. In addition to engaging in combat on foot, you'll have access to a number of vehicles like the Warthog and the M808B battle tank to take on enemy forces. Spartan Assault takes place just before the events of Halo 4, while Spartan Strike takes place in a simulation of some of the key events of Halo 2.

The games are available on the App Store separately for $5.99 each, or as a $9.99 bundle. Even if you only download one game at first, you can complete the bundle later without needing to pay full price for the other title.

• $5.99 (Spartan Strike) - Download Now
• $5.99 (Spartan Assault) - Download Now
• $9.99 (Bundle) - Download Now

Neither is exactly the latest and greatest, but classic first-person shooters Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 3 are now finally available for Mac. Both titles have been available on consoles and Windows for some years now, so it's definitely a case of better late than never. But both titles plus all downloadable content are available via Steam and other online game stores. No Mac App Store this time out.

Modern Warfare 2 picks up after the end of the original Modern Warfare title, with the story rounded out in the third game. The fate of the world is in your hands in the story mode, while the online multiplayer aspects were definitely a hit first time around. It's a shame it took so long for these to reach the Mac, but if you've never played them, now's your chance.

Head on over to the Steam links below to pick up a copy of both for yourselves. What other big name titles are you still waiting, hoping will come to Mac?

• $19.99 - Download Now (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)
• $39.99 - Download Now (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3)

Source: Aspyr

2K Games has released LootTheWorld, a new iOS app for players of Borderlands 2, Gearbox Software's enormously popular first-person shooter with role playing game elements. The new app is a free download from the App Store.

LootTheWorld works in conjunction with QR codes. You get a code, your friends get codes. And Gearbox will be posting "Stamp codes" on Twitter and the Borderlands 2 Facebook page in the future. Scan the code, collect stamps, and use the stamps to send your collected loot into the game. What's more, you and your friends' codes identify what kind of "loot you are," as well.

• Free - Download now

If you're looking for a new iPhone or iPad game to play this weekend then the folks at Capcom have a treat for you. The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy for iOS is a whopping 70% off for Thanksgiving. The game is a free download with the first two cases to play, but to unlock all three full titles will usually cost you $16.99. Right now, that's down to just $4.99. Crazy!

The Ace Attorney games have enjoyed great success on Nintendo's handheld consoles, and the iOS port is no less enjoyable if a little frustrating in places. There's still reports of issues running on some devices, and it's definitely better to play on an iPad. It's not often a premium title like this enjoys such massive savings, so if you've ever been put off by the price, there's no need for an "objection!" anymore.

• Free with in-app purchase - Download Now

Aspyr Media has announced the release of new downloadable content for their Mac conversion of BioShock Infinite. Burial at Sea Episode 1 is now available from Steam, the Mac App Store and GameAgent.com. (The Mac App Store version is available as downloadable content available through the app itself).

BioShock Infinite is the third installment of the popular first person action game; this one took a very different approach, returning you in time to the early 20th century in an alternate Steampunk Earth where a giant floating city called Columbia holds a secret that you, a Pinkerton detective, must unravel. But all that's behind you now - Burial at Sea moves you forward in time and revisits the scene of the first two games.

This new DLC brings Booker and Elizabeth, the two main characters from Infinite, to the underwater city of Rapture. Rapture has been rebuilt using the BioShock Infinite engine, and the game includes a new weapon, new Plasmid, new Gear and Tears. What's more, this is Rapture at the height of its glory, before the city falls to ruin. What are Booker and Elizabeth doing in Rapture? Find out by playing this new installment!

Are you a fan of BioShock games? Have you been looking forward to new DLC for BioShock Infinite? Let me know in the comments.

• $14.99 - Download now via Steam

Activision has released a new Call of Duty app for iOS, made to be used alongside the latest game in the series, Call of Duty: Ghosts. IGN has a video walkthrough from the developer, as seen above. The app interacts with the game's multiplayer mode, and helps you personalize and track your experience within the game. You can sync your device while the app is open to get the most out of the app.

There is a lot of functionality in the app for clans, groups of Call of Duty players that play together. Clan leaders can manage the group, and do things like change and upload new emblems, check the clan roster, and more.

You can make changes to your loadouts, selecting new guns for your soldiers to carry and which perks they use, right in the app. After you make these selections, you can then push them back to the game. Additionally, you can customize the look of your soldier, from what helmets they wear to their gender.

The second screen functionality lets you sync to the game and use your device as you play. You can switch loadouts from the app, which will then change in the game right after you die. You'll be able to view post-match stats after every game to analyze your performance and the performance of others.

The Call of Duty app is available as a free, universal download right now on the App Store. For a full walk through of the app with the developers, check out the video below courtesy of IGN

• Free - Download Now

via IGN

After plenty of teasing, the folks at Madfinger Games have announced that Dead Trigger 2 will be hitting the App Store on October 23. If the screenshot above is any indication, the game is retaining its tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, though there's a lot of new stuff happening. 

For one, premium currency and weapons are being ditched in favor of a crafting system. You have your own hideout now where supporting NPCs will hang out. Players worldwide combine efforts for shared missions and rewards. We can expect weekly missions and monthly content updates that take players to new locations all over the world.

If nothing else, the graphics look fantastic and it's still free-to-play. Dead Trigger 2 looks like it's going to take shootin' zombies to the next level -  I mean, c'mon, if rocket chickens isn't innovation, I don't know what is. Any one still chewing on Dead Trigger 1? What would you like to see changed in the sequel?

Source: Madfinger Games

The fact that Madfinger Games is talking up Dead Trigger 2 is no surprise, we've known of it's existence for some time now. But, without specifically revealing a release date for the hotly anticipated title, they have announced they'll be showing it off once more at E3 where of course Mobile Nations will have a team on the ground all week.

The original Dead Trigger is a pretty impressive FPS, but the aspirations for the new title go even further. Instead of playing as a single player playing through the game, you're one of a number of survivors in a parallel universe fighting to take back control of the Earth.

And of course, we should take note of the astonishingly good looking graphics. Our buddies over at Android Central have already played Dead Trigger 2 on the new NVIDIA Shield, and assure us it's a whole lot of fun. Originally the title was slated for a June launch, but this has been put back until such a time the developers are 100% satisfied. It will be coming to iOS as a free-to-play title with in-app purchases, but the developers haven't yet ruled out an appearance on the Mac either. It's tough waiting, but it's sure to be worth it. Check out the full details below, and be sure to drop into the comments and let us know; Who's excited for this one?

The folks at Chillingo were showing off Icycle 2 at GDC 2013, and it broke my brain just a little. The game mechanics themselves are very simple; the controls are ultimately the most basic ones you could have for a platformer game. The real trip is in the art style and storyline.

Players control the chilly and lovelorn Dennis, who, for whatever reason, is chasing the woman of his dreams naked on a bicycle. Eventually, her head turns into that of a fish, but I'm not quite sure why. My demo of the game ended with Dennis mere millimeters away from smooching this aquatic goddess. Players are ranked out of three stars for each of the positively surreal levels based on how many little icicle pellets they pick up along their twisted route. Over time, players can unlock new and ridicuclous outfits to make sure Dennis doesn't have to do all of his chasing in the nude.

Those of you that have played Wonderputt will be familiar with the level of graphical polish and left-field thinking that the developer, Damp Gnat, is capable of. I'll go so far as to say that Icycle 2 is the most interesting and refreshing mobile game that I've seen between GDC and PAX East. The Chillingo folks are being coy about a release date, opting for a "it'll be ready when it's ready" approach, but expect it to cost about a buck in the App Store.

We swung by the Glu offices while prepping for GDC 2013 today to check out their next Frontline Commando game, due to launch this Thursday. You'll find a lot of the same third-person, duck-and-cover action of the franchise, along with a few new elements that really sets it apart.

Obviously since this Frontline is all D-Day themed, you'll have to blow up plenty of tanks, as well as play wave defense stages where you man an anti-air flak gun and shoot down enemy aircraft. While on foot, there's a new sprinting mechanic. If you don't time your leaps right, you may trip and take a hit to your health. Players explore a variety of different locales across Europe, and are ranked out of three stars for each mission's performance. Over time, they earn cash and currency to acquire and upgrade new equipment. The primary consumable you'll be relying on are grenades; they're scarce, but handy.

For a free-to-play title, the graphics are great, and the authentic World War 2 weapons and history tidbits between levels really set the mood. Since the Call of Duty games have long since left the World War 2 theme behind, it's nice to have something new in the genre. To keep an eye on what's happening with FrontLine Commando: D-Day, hit up Glu's Facebook page.

Cyto is a fun, new little game by Chillingo, the makers of Cut the Rope, and is about a little blob named Cyto who's forgotten who he is. It is your job to fling Cyto through space-like levels to collect memory fragments and piece together his story.

In Cyto, you control a little bubble-enclosed creature named Cyto. He lives in a dreamlike world filled with various organisms. In each level, he is sitting on one of the organisms and it is your job to get him to the portal while collecting memories on your way. There are three memories available in each level, though just getting to the portal will complete the level (think of the memories as stars).

To control Cyto, you catapult him around. Simply pull back and his bubble will stretch and act as a slingshot. Aim to the exact location you want him to go (there is no gravity to consider), and let go.

The other organisms in the level have little sprout-looking things growing on the outside of the bubble that are sticky. If Cyto lands on these spots, he will stick to the organism. Aiming for these spots is the only way to help Cyto move around the level. Some of these sticky spots interact differently with Cyto's bubble, but can always be used to your advantage.

One of my biggest complaints about similar games that are universal for iPhone and iPad is that your progress isn't normally synced between devices, but I'm happy to report that Cyto does! Cyto has an option to use iCloud to sync your progress -- and that's just awesome!

The good

• 81 Levels of puzzling fun
• Cute character with a great story
• Stunning sound and artistic design
• Great fun for gamers of all ages and abilities
• Universal for iPhone and iPad
• Sync progress between devices

The bad

• Some of the text is very small and difficult to read

The bottom line

Cyto is a great, fun, and addicting game. I didn't realize it was made by Chillingo when I bought it, yet my first thoughts was that it was like a cross between Angry Birds and Cut the Rope. If you're a fan of those type of casual games, you'll love Cyto.

• $0.99 - Download now

The Respawnables was enjoying a limited release in Canada leading up to its global roll-out this weekend. I’ve been playing for the last week or two, and have really enjoyed the third-person-shooter's cartoony style, straightforward controls, and rich selection of unlockables.

The controls are extremely simple and easy to to use. There’s a standard dual-joystick set-up, where the left-side joystick moves the player and panning anywhere on the right side changes the camera angle. The firing button can be moved while being held down to adjust aim, though there are two alternative controls schemes available in the options, including a Y axis inversion toggle and a sensitivity slider. Aside from that, the only other distractions are the reload and grenade buttons - no jump, no duck, no iron sights. For the third-person shooter style, this is perfectly fine, though there are on occasions where you'll be frustrated by very small ledges that seem like you should be able to hop over.

The single-player game is currently not much more than a three-minute deathmatch where players try to fulfill up to three challenges. There are longer-term achievements to earn as well. Of course, you also earn experience points and cash along the way, which allow you to kit out your character with new pants, tops, hairdos, perks, and weapons. Those first three might sound like complete vanity items, but not so - a little known fact of modern warfare is that a flat-top cut can actually improve your accuracy. There are also consumables, such as explosives and boosts to cash and experience point gain.

My only serious complaint about progression is that many of the unlockables are hidden behind the premium gold currency. It’s not that this isn’t unexpected (especially from a Zynga game), it’s just that the push towards in-app purchases is a little more steep than I would like. Some of the perks are unlocked exclusively through the premium currency, which give those that pay a decided advantage online. Many of the higher-powered pieces of equipment also require premium currency, with no option to buy them with the regularly-earned in-game cash.

It’s generally easy enough to find multiplayer games (despite my poor luck in the video). Even with the fairly simple controls, there’s a significant amount of challenge. Sniper rifles feel a tad on the overpowered side right now, though it’s still early in the game’s launch and I suspect plenty of tweaks will be made in short order. By the same token, I’m sure sooner than later we’ll see more than free-for-all and team battle game modes. One vital feature that The Respawnables will need to stay viable is social tools, even if they’re just Game Center plug-ins. Friending other players and chatting with them privately is hugely important to multiplayer gaming on mobile and elsewhere.

The visuals in The Respawnables are flawless. Players are exaggerated, animated, full of character and color, and despite the violent nature of the game, there’s no gore anywhere. On the audio side, I felt the sound effects were a little muffled and repetitive, but the music is top-notch and gets you right into the action movie feeling.

The good

• Simple, streamlined controls
• Tons of style
• Plenty of unlockables

The bad

• Aggressive push towards in-app purchases
• Lack of multiplayer game modes and friending options

The bottom line

The Respawnables is a colorful, accessible, action-packed romp. The simple controls, bright style, and wide array of unlockable items makes for a really enjoyable experience, though the balance feels a little too heavily tilted towards getting people to make in-app purchases. I trust that a wider range of items that you can buy with in-game cash rather than premium gold will make things a little bit easier (even if the cash item equivalents aren’t unlocked until later). I’m looking forward to more multiplayer game modes and social options once The Respawnables hits the U.S., but even until then, I’ve got a really nice laid-back alternative to Modern Combat 4.

Free - Download now

Modern Combat 4 made its big debut on iOS today following a series of teasers over the last couple of months. Gameloft’s military first-person shooter franchise has for years been providing unabashed mobile knock-offs of recognizable console and PC equivalents. At this point, Gameloft has finely tuned the formula, and with each iteration, they’re ramping up the graphical capabilities with gusto.

There’s going to be a lot of familiar elements here for those that have played AAA FPS games elsewhere. There’s a campaign mode, where players bounce between good guy and bad guy perspective, gradually piecing together a the story of a terrorist organization that figures out how to turn America’s own advanced warfare technology against them. Hackneyed as the dialog may be, the graphics are outstanding, and played very smoothly on the iPad 2. The only performance hiccup I’ve encountered is an occasional crash after I take a screenshot. Some of the enemy models are lacking in detail, but the textures are rich, light effects varied, and a few full-screen effects such as motion blur, depth of field, smoke, and others create a visual powerhouse among iOS games. Even the menu system is well laid-out and sharp.

The visuals are equally complemented by the game’s soundtrack. The strong background music mains your forward momentum when the storyline fails you, and sound effects, particularly for weapons, are believable and sharp. Voice acting across all of the characters,  AI bots included, are polished and high quality. Occasionally it felt like characters would be talking over one another, but on the whole, the audio was just as impressive as the graphics. The language gets a little salty at points, for those concerned about that kind of thing. Also keep in mind that the high-grade assets contribute to the game’s hefty 1.5 GB storage demand.

The controls haven’t changed much since previous games. All UI elements are repositionable, which I felt necessary for the grenade button. Sprint now automatically vaults you over terrain, and if you duck while sprinting, players execute a stylish ground slide. I’ve been trying to get the hang of the accelerometer controls, but even with a sensitivity adjuster, it’s hard to find a set-up that works better than the good old dual-stick layout.

I’m never particularly happy when premium games also employ in-app purchases, which Gameloft has done here. You earn two types of currencies: one for the single-player campaign, and another for the multiplayer game. The Blue chips from the campaign can be spent on single-use boosts, permanent upgrades, and weapon attachments. $1.99 will buy you 10,000 Gold chips, which is almost enough for the entry-level shotgun, which is currently half-off at 12,500 Gold Chips. Meanwhile, you can get 5,000 Blue chips for $1.99, which is enough to get the 4,000-chip Adrenaline boost to improve combat skills across the board. Permanent upgrades and attachments start at 10,000, which is high enough for me to just suck it up and save up for the stuff I want. Also, it would have been really nice if there was some overlap between single-player and multiplayer unlockables, but with them separated, I think a lot of players will just dive right into the multiplayer.  

Most of the AI that I’ve encountered don’t really exceed Goldeneye-grade complexity, but the sheer volume of bad guys mixed with sprawling, rich maps make for a challenging single-player game nonetheless. The standard run, duck, and shoot gameplay is peppered with some light vehicular combat and gesture-based reflex tests. Overall, the single-player campaign isn't particularly challenging and only 12 missions long, but that's okay because odds are you'll spend most of your time in multiplayer. 

Modern Combat is an old enough franchise at this point that there are a lot of veteran players out there. Even giving it a shot the morning of launch, it was clear that my PC shooting game skills weren’t going to transfer over particularly well, though those with some console experience might have an easier time. Multiplayer matches contribute to ranking up and reward players with Gold chips, which can unlock killstreak-style support, buy new attachments for your favorite weapons, or vanity items such as titles, badges, and badge backgrounds. My favorite among those are the cat’s meow you get right off the bat, which triggers the sound effect every time you’re killed in game.

There are a lot of excellent game modes available in multiplayer, including the classic free-for-all deathmatch and capture-the-flag, but also a few more interesting ones, including zone control, where owning a particular point will bestow a team with specific bonuses, manhunt, where a single player has to survive as long as possible with a flag, and barebone, which strips away perks and support for the purists.The usual achievement and statistic trappings are included in Modern Combat 4. Accuracy, win/loss ratio, kill/death ratio, and extensive match history are all there. Gameloft’s Live social service is baked in, and though it’s mostly bare-bones, the party system is particularly interesting. Players can get together into parties, ensure that they move from server to server together and stay on the same team. 

The good

• Top-notch graphics and audio
• Solid, honed gameplay
• Challenging multiplayer with long progression

The bad

• Stale premise and flavor
• In-app purchases on top of premium pricetag
• Easy AI opponents

The bottom line

For first-person shooter fans, this is a no-brainer; Modern Combat 4 is the top FPS on iOS today. You’ll be hard-pressed to find any surprises at all, but every element of the game is well-polished, particularly the visuals and audio. I’m still not entirely convinced that a tablet can enjoyably replicate the console and PC shooter experience, but that’s namely because of ergonomics; if you’re willing to stream the game out to a bigger screen and get a dedicated hardware controller (like Gameloft’s Duo), Modern Combat 4 could very easily sub in for any other console game out there. 

As for price, $6.99 feels like a lot for a title that pushes in-app purchases, but if you’re willing to accept IAPs as an inevitability and are comfortable slogging it through the progression path at a regular pace, you’ll likely have a good time. Those picky about IAPs may want to hold off until it goes on sale for a buck, but I doubt we’ll be seeing savings like that this year. 

$6.99 - Download Now

Arc Squadron launched on the App Store today, summoning many memories for old-school Star Fox players. The on-rails space-themed shooter game takes players through a variety of treacherous interstellar scenarios, who must guide a variety of ships through obstacles with smooth and natural-feeling swipe-gestures, while unloading advanced weaponry and technology against the foes they encounter.

Steering your ship is as easy as dragging your finger around the screen. As your ship moves, so do the crosshairs, and if they rest on top of an enemy, you'll automatically start shooting. Secondary weapons and equipment are activated through taps, while you can get an extra bit of maneuverability with sideways swipes to execute barrel rolls. I was really impressed with the implementation of touch controls here, and was extremely happy that there wasn't some bastardized version of joystick controls. Controls are simple, intuitive, and allow players to focus on the challenging gameplay. 

Each level is scored out of four stars, depending on how many of the level's enemies you blow up, how much damage you take, and how many of the bonus cubes you pick up. Currency is earned for destroying alien ships or bought through in-app purchases. Those Arcbucks are used to buy new ships and secondary weapons, upgrade existing ones, or get one of the many different paint jobs available. The upgrade structure is really nicely streamlined and not too complicated while still offering a solid amount of tactical variety. Though level progression is fairly linear, there are a handful of branching bonus missions that aren't required in order to move along in the storyline. As linear as the gameplay may be, there's an obscene amount of levels to chew through - don't count on finishing this game any time soon. The game's replay value is stunted a little bit by the scripted nature of the combat encounters, but if you're the type of player that loves really digging in on a level and memorizing each tiny little detail of a stage and meeting those challenges flawlessly, there's definitely plenty of opportunity in Arc Squadron.

Game Center support extends as far as leaderboards among your buddies and tracking various achievements, though Arc Squadron itself keeps close tabs on specific stats, like how many of the total stars you've collected, how many enemies you've killed, and even how many barrel rolls you've made. No love on cloud saving unfortunately, so be sure to pick iPad or iPhone before you get started. The graphics and audio are both top-notch, and well-suited for the arcade feel the devs are going for. The soundtrack has an amply sci-fi feel, while effects are well-timed, electric, and diverse. The voice acting, though a bit hammed-up, is well done. UI elements are all large, bold, and readable. The wide range of fantastic weaponry and settings produce a bunch of exciting lighting effects, but by far the most impressive part of the game's graphics are the stages. They're all crafted with a rich amount of detail, and despite it all happening in space-themed regions, there's ample visual variety.

All in all, Arc Squadron has excellent graphics, smooth controls, tight, twitch-based challenges, and heaps of compelling upgrades. Pick this up for $0.99 before the price goes up to a regular $4.99.

$0.99 (on sale) - Download Now

If you're tired of waiting for Infinity Blade: Dungeons to come out and have already played the snot out of Dungeon Hunter 3, I've got a great fantasy hack-and-slash game for you. ORC: Vengeance will be released soon by Chillingo and Big Cave Games, a new developer with some extensive experience from the PC and console gaming world. ORC: Vengeance features gesture-based combat, highly polished graphics, a novel equipment upgrade system and a unique angle on the usual goody-two-shoes fantasy plotline.

ORC: Vengeance follows Rok, a green-skinned warlord that has been captured by the undead hordes that have taken over the lands of Argon. Human empires fell long ago, but there is still an orc resistance, faltering as it may be. Rok has to return to his clan, rescue his fellow banished warlords, and take the fight to The Dark One. The usual RPG elements are here: kill bad guys, earn experience points, level up, choose abilities to improve, and pick up new gear along the way. New equipment can be purchased between levels with the coins players pick up throughout battle or acquired through in-app purchases. Weapons and shields will also occasionally drop, though duplicate items are automatically translated into coin, cutting down on inventory clutter.

Gameplay and controls

ORC: Vengeance breaks the traditional joystick mold for iOS action games. Players tap where they want to move, long press to initiate autorun, and tap on enemies once to start automatically attacking them. Instead of relying on an action bar for special abilities, they can be assigned to gestures such as double-tap, swipe, circle, and zigzag. This added level of complexity is key to making the game more than just tapping on bad guys until they die, but they can sometimes be a little too tricky to execute properly and quickly. It would be nice to be able to remap long-press along with the others, since for whatever reason I find myself double-tapping when I want to run. Auto-run also seems to automatically quit a little sooner than I would like.

Progression is more or less standard, with a circular experience graph letting you know how close you are to levelling up. Once full, players get four ability points to spend on attack, defense, greed, and vengeance attributes - wait, greed and vengeance? Yup, greed affects how much gold is dropped by enemies as well as the prices offered by the inter-level vendor. Vengeance determines how often Rok can use special abilities; it's expended when he uses an ability, and regained for killing enemies. Mana is for wussy humans. New powers are discovered in chests throughout gameplay, and can be upgraded the same way as weapons - spend some coin and go up a level, though upgrades are capped based on your level. My only qualm about progression is that it feels kind of lame when after levelling up for kicking open a barrel - should I really be getting experience points for that?

There's a particularly great equipment system in place.  Every single piece of gear can be upgraded at any time with gold acquired from adventuring or through in-app purchase. There are five upgrade tiers for each weapon, with costs and level requirements increasing with every upgrade. Skills can be upgraded in a similar way, though they aren't limited to five levels. Between stages, players can visit the shop to offload excess loot and pick up new weapons and armor. ORC: Vengeance really cuts down on inventory clutter by automatically selling anything picked up that's already owned. Approaching items on the ground pops up a window that shows how it compares to what's currently equipped, and buttons to toss it in the backpack or start using it right away. 

Kitting out Rok is perhaps a little oversimplified. There are only two slots that can be equipped with gear (shield and weapon), which is a huge step down for people that are used to other fantasy games where it's the norm to equip boots, leggings, body armor, helm, two rings, gauntlets, and either weapon and shield, dual weapons, or two-handed weapons. I've only played through until level 7, so more options may open up down the line, but nothing beyond the two slots so far. Axes, swords, and maces are the three weapon types, each with their own balance between speed and power. Though weapons don't have a laundry list of bonuses like many RPGs, some will provide a bonus to one of Rok's four stats. 

The storyline deserves a shoutout. I have a soft spot for orcs, so maybe putting them front and center already engenders me to the concept of the game, but it's refreshing to have a party that's normally the villain taking up the protaganist's role while still maintaining a level of badassery. While exploring dungeons, players will find lore books with bits and pieces of the story that gradually paint a larger picture beyond the intro video. The action isn't bogged down with an excess of story, though - so far one level has moved on to the next without any cutscenes.

ORC: Vengeance is universal and has iCloud sync enabled for those of you that want to pick up where you left off between iOS devices. Game Center is enabled for leaderboards and achievements, but no multiplayer just yet unfortunately. 

Graphics and audio

I was really, really impressed with the graphics in ORC: Vengeance. The environments are gritty, detailed, and full of dynamic lighting effects. Character animations are convincing and show a ton of personality. Environmental effects like weather and camera shake really set the mood. All gear is faithfully reproduced on Rok, which makes your loadout all the more personal. Many of you will be happy to hear that the visuals are optimized for the new iPad's Retina display. 

The soundtrack is high-grade, and matches the dark, gritty atmosphere of an orc laying waste to the undead. Sound effects and the few bits of voice acting are equally awesome.  There are lots of rain effects in the early levels, and aside from the continual pitter-patter, Rok's footsteps also have their own distinct splashing sound effects. 

Pros

• Excellent graphics
• Fresh take on classic fantasy storylines

Cons

• No multiplayer
• Few equipment slots

Conclusion

ORC: Vengenace manages to deliver all of the action and fun of a classic dungeon romp game on PC, while paring down just enough to keep things optimized for a touch interface. There's also a few new spins on the classic fantasy action game, such as new attributes, gesture-based attacks, a focus on orcs (traditionally the bad guys) and simplified equipment upgrades that make ORC: Vengeance a truly fresh experience even for grizzled gaming veterans. Multiplayer would be nice to have down the line, but as it is this game is great. I'd love to see the developers stick with the engine and expand with new episodes made available through in-app purchases. Microtransactions are done in a classy way - that is, buying coins with IAPs is entirely optional and not remotely required to succeed or have fun playing the game. 

ORC: Vengeance comes out July 26 for $2.99. Get it! I double-dog dare you. 

$2.99 - Download Now

Dead Trigger lurched its way into the App Store yesterday, boasting run-and-gun zombie apocalypse action on your iPhone and iPad. The first person shooter is unabashedly cheesy, chock-full of snappy one-liners after recorpsifying the odd shambler, and over-the-top non-player characters that prod the plot forward. The graphics are the real showstopper though - you will be hard-pressed to find more disgusting walking dead anywhere else on a phone or tablet.

It should be said right out of the gate that the graphics are awesome. Lighting is rich and dynamic, 3D models are stunning, and there are plenty of graphical effects like water droplets complete with visual distortion, lens flare, and fog. Though the graphics are admittedly gorgeous, there are a few misgivings. For one, headshots with larger guns result in zombie heads that simply disappear, with nary a morsel of skull shrapnel or withered brain matter to be seen. For a game that thrives on horror, that level of gore is really important. Basic glass shattering isn't present in the game, which would have been a really nice addition and showcase the game's graphical prowess. The zombies have glowing eyes which certainly adds to the atmosphere, but can make it hard to suspend disbelief when you see these goofy green cones coming out of their eye sockets from the profile. The sound effects get top marks, and the soundtrack sets a grim, gritty, breakneck pace as you tear through levels to avoid those that want to gnaw on your frontal lobe.

There's a linear progression of levels and story, though there are plenty of optional missions that pop up along the way. Mission objectives tend to be fairly straightforward: defend an objective for a set amount of time, acquire an object and return it to a location, or simply clear an area of all zombies are just some examples. Levels are rated in difficulty up to three stars, and you're scored out of five stars based on speed, kills, and accuracy. The zombies themselves are brainless and predictable, which is fitting, but makes the game a little too easy if you can find a comfortable corner away from major spawn points. The challenge of Dead Trigger lies more in situation awareness than deking out AI drones or testing your marksmanship skills. A wider variety of zombies (like those in the Left 4 Dead series) could make combat considerably more interesting. Apparently running zombies pop up later in the game, but I haven't seen them yet.

You get five health to start, with bandages available to keep you alive. If a zombie sneaks up on you, then you have to wrestle free in a pretty frightening minigame. Occasionally zombies will drop ammo and cash along the way which can be spent on a variety of weapons and equipment. You can bypass all the hard work with in-app purchases or go for the premium currency for the real high-shelf stuff. You only get one weapon and one item slot to start, but eventually expand to get four of each. There are 14 weapons and 14 equipment items to chose from after they're all unlocked. That isn't that many as is, and the selection is further limited by the fact that you need premium currency for six of the guns and three of the items. Modern Combat 3, by comparison, has 13 primary weapons, 8 secondary weapons, plus attachments and six equipment options.

Gameplay in Dead Trigger is a mixed bag. The core dual-stick controls are fine, with the standard one thumb for moving, and the other for changing facing, shooting, reloading, and healing, but there are a lot of important facets to an FPS that just aren't there. Running, jumping, ducking, and aiming directly down the sights are some of the more basic things you would expect to see but don't. You can't even see a mission map beyond a mini radar display to gather your bearings. More advanced gameplay options, such as unique skills or talents when leveling up, custom weapon attachments, and online multiplayer are also absent. Even Shadowgun is still waiting on a multiplayer update.

 The good

• Stellar graphics
• Classic zombie action

The bad

• Lacking key FPS features
• Many unlockable weapons limited by premium currency

The bottom line

Much like Madfinger's previous game, Shadowgun, Dead Trigger feels more like an Nvidia tech demo than a game you could pour a lot of time into. Of course the graphics in Dead Trigger are absolutely amazing and among the very best you will find in an iOS game. If you're looking to put some undead back in the grave, you'll find no gorier way to do it than Dead Trigger, but if you want something more than eye candy, there are first-person shooters available for iPhone and iPad with better gameplay depth. I wouldn't bat an eyelash about spending a buck on Dead Trigger, even if it's only to have something to show your friends just how graphically powerful a new iPad is, but I could only see myself spending more than that if I was really itching for a zombie game.

$0.99 - Download Now

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A 3D dual-stick shooting game called Darkside by Clockwork Pixels recently launched for iOS, putting players in charge of defending mankind's asteroid mining operations from alien threats and rogue space debris. Not only do you bust up asteroids and avoid the fractured remains, but you'll also get caught up in dogfights with enemy ships.

The 3D element extends beyond just the graphics. Since you're defending a large asteroid, you're looping around the same rock and perpetually keeping an eye on the radar for obstacles and enemies swooping in from any direction. That said, I got some serious Mario Galaxy flashbacks playing Darkside. As you destroy enemies and asteroids, power-ups quickly litter the field, which offer new weapons, extra health, and score bonuses. New weapons have limited ammo, so if you want to play smart, you'll need to conserve shots, though given the pace of the action that tends to be tricky.

There are three game modes: a story-based campaign that spans 100 missions, arcade mode that gives you three lives to last as long as possible, and a hardcore survival mode which only gives you one life, no shield power-ups and endless waves of enemies. There are four different types of campaign missions: asteroid clearing, power station defense, evacuation pad defense, and crate defense. There are three difficulty levels available for when things start getting too easy, and three player profile slots if you've got friends or family that want to progress on the same iPhone or iPad.

The controls are dead simple and use the standard dual-stick layout: the left virtual joystick moves your ship, the right one determines firing direction. There's also a button just above the aim stick which fires off limited-use smart bombs. The control options are limited to changing the scale and relative X/Y locations of the joysticks. Personally, I wouldn't mind a bit of accelerometer control in this style of game. Between the weird perspective, distracting visual effects, and the continual drifting as a result of being in zero-g, moving around can be really challenging in Darkside. If not careful, you can be bounced around like a pinball between stray asteroids, which can quickly ruin a ship's shields.

The shooting controls require a bit of getting used to for the same reason; in most dual-stick games, it's natural to steer the firing stick towards enemies that are visible on screen, but in Darkside you'll often have to be using the radar to aim, since energy blasts slingshot over the horizon. When enemies are actually on the same screen, it's often too close for comfort.

There's Game Center support for leaderboards and achievements, if you're into that kind of thing. Besides getting to the next level, there's not much of a sense of progression or persistent rewards. After playing Battleloot Adventures, I found myself looking for new ships to buy, upgrades, or leveling up, but on the other hand, it's nice to play the game just to play the game rather than hunting after the next unlock. Aside from the upgrade from the free version (which only includes the arcade mode) to the paid version (with challenges and mission modes), there aren't any in-app purchases for extra power-ups or lives, which will be a welcome sight for many

The story's pretty shallow, not that anyone's looking for gripping dialog in this kind of game. Having played a fair bit of EVE Online, I already had a soft spot for asteroid mining, which made the premise easy to swallow.

The major feature of Darkside is the graphics. The game is jam-packed with futuristic lighting effects from ship weapons, mining colony outposts, nearby suns, and enemy ships. Models are very high detailed and a joy to see in action. Even playing on the iPhone 4, there were no hiccups in framerate, and Darkside scales up nicely to the new iPad's Retina display. Unfortunately, despite being universal, there's no option to restore the in-app purchase from one device on the other, and there's no syncing progress over the cloud. Though the in-game graphics are stellar, the menu interfaces feel a little blocky and bare-bones. The soundtrack has an easy listening elevator muzak of AD 2172 thing going on, which oddly isn't a bad thing. Meanwhile, the sound effects are all standard sci-fi whizz-pow fare.

The good

• Incredible lighting effects
• Fast, challenging action

The bad

• Few persistent rewards
• Disorienting 3D gameplay
• No iCloud sync or purchase restore

The bottom line

At its core, Darkside is a visually-polished, high-octane arcade shooter. The lighting effects are particularly great, and though the 3D gameplay takes awhile to get used to, it's a nice change to standard top-down dual-stick games. Even the free version offers exceptionally high-quality action, even if it's only through the arcade mode. Overall, Darkside is a gorgeous and thrilling sci-fi ride - well worth a buck if you're prone to putting a lot of time action games, and a great free option if you're just looking for a casual (and very pretty) fling.

Free ($0.99 upgrade) - Download Now

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Catapult King by Wicked Witch Software launched onto iOS today, offering Angry Birds-style destruction with 3D models and a medieval twist. Your goal is to knock down castles that stand between you and a princess that has been captured by a dragon. You change lateral angle, elevation, and force of the catapult, and can get a bit of extra guidance thanks to magic potions that you earn over the course of gameplay or through in-app purchases.

To beat each level, you need to take out all of the guards on a castle, but earn bonus points based on how much destruction you cause, how few boulders you fire from the catapult, and whether your attacks touch the three special gems peppered throughout the map. You can easily survey the whole 3D area simply by tapping and panning about, which is usually necessary for far-away targets and to find hidden objectives.  There are a ton of secondary bonuses you can earn from direct hits on soldiers, knocking them out with ricochets, and eliminating targets speedily. Much like Angry Birds, there are also a variety of shots available, such as bombs, splitters, and even lunar storms. Though there are 64 levels to chew through and the unending obsession to three-star all of them, the level scenery doesn't change too much; by and large, you're always doing your catapulting on rolling hills of green at different times of the day, even though the targets change.

The graphics are very sharp - to the point where I actually found the framerate choppy on the iPhone 4 at times. Still, the models and textures blew Seigecraft, a similar title, right out of the water. The bobble-head art style aims to be cute, but there's just something about those extra-bulgy eyes that's just creepy. The UI was surprisingly efficient, though; upon launching the game, you're just launched right into your most recent level after getting through loading and a short splash screen. You actually have to back out in order to get to stage selection, which is a nice change of pace from having to deal with the usual title screen. Additionally, the restart level button is in the exact same spot as the pause button, making resets kick in with a quick double-tap.  I was really impressed with the audio, right from the sound of the crank when change your catapult's angle to the squeaky jeers of the guards.

Catapult King is universal, so no worries about transferring purchases. Unfortunately, cloud syncing doesn't seem to work either through iCloud or Chillingo's Crystal social network, so you might have a rough time keeping progress . Game Center is there at least to keep tabs on achievements and leaderboards.

The good

• Great physics gameplay
• Sharp, high-quality graphics
• Varied and interesting challenges

The bad

• Graphics a bit too demanding for older devices
• Bulgy eyes are creepy
• Lack of setting variety

The bottom line

I would go so far as to say that I have a lot more fun playing Catapult King than Angry Birds. The same kind of appeal is there, except the 3D element adds a ton more strategic depth and visual appeal. The reward system has more layers, plus you're not continuously nagged to buy the other games in the series or cough up more dough for in-app purchases. Catapult King offers a really great variety of challenges to complete in each level, which translates to a goodly amount of replay value. The guards might get on your nerves after awhile, but I'm pretty sure that's the general idea.

$0.99 - Download Now

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A flight game called Air Mail landed on iPhone and iPad last week, carrying cargo of sharp visuals, smooth controls, and a whole lot of charm. You control an old-school pontoon plane through a series of story missions, delivery challenges, and exploratory expeditions around the fantasy island kingdom of Domeeka and its environs. Even as a grown-up, it's hard to play this and not get a little taste of child-like wonder.

Game types are pretty standard, and include pick-up, drop-off, and flying through target rings. These are often framed as interesting and diverse tasks, like dusting fields, or scaring off pigeons. Through each level, you're scored out of five stars based on accuracy, speed, and how banged up your plane gets. Finding objectives is generally pretty easy, as there are beams of light landing directly where you need go next. Even if you're dealing with really cramped field of vision, there's an overview map on the pause screen to get you situated, plus there's an in-game indicator arrow that pops up if you're just flying around aimlessly.

The core tilt controls are very good, but Air Mail tries to get a little too fancy with an advanced control set, which includes manual pitch, tilt, yaw, and throttle control. This advanced control scheme isn't particularly great, despite the extended handling; the two tilt control sliders on the side also act as throttle up and down if you tap on them, which not only means you can accidentally crank up or down your speed when you're trying to do a barrell roll, but the function is also redundant with the throttle slider along the bottom. Beyond that, the sliders don't coincide with the standard inverted layout for flying controls, as sliding both controls down points your ship to the ground; usually that action should pull you upwards, and unfortunately, there's nothing in settings to set invert those controls. Stick with the standard tilt controls and you'll be fine, though I wouldn't mind a setting option to adjust the sensitivity. There's also touch controls if you prefer something more traditional.

Throughout the single-player game, you're taken to a variety of fantastic settings, all with distinctive flavors and great visuals which are optimized for the new iPad's Retina display. Cutscenes between missions use little more than 2D cut-outs, which is a pretty sharp contrast to the excellent in-game graphics. The audio in Air Mail is wonderful, and features full Disney-style orchestral adventure music. The voice acting of your piloting mentor is a bit grating in his pleasantness, but other chapters aren't that bad at all.

I don't see a whole lot of replay value in the game once you've plowed through the single-player campaign, unfortunately. The desire to five-star every mission is only vaguely present, since there isn't anything in the way of unlockables for getting those achievements. Luckily, Air Mail is geared towards kids, who probably won't be interested in the game long enough for that to become an issue.

Air Mail is universal, so you only have to buy it once to play across iPhone and iPad, but unfortunately saved games don't sync over the cloud. Game Center is enabled for leaderboard tracking on the handful of challenges included in the game, as well as keeping tabs on achievements.

The good

• Fluid, sensitive gyro controls
• Eye-popping Retina-optimzed graphics
• Distinctive childlike charm

The bad

• Little appeal to adults
• Mediocre cutscenes
• Limited replay value

The bottom line

Air Mail is a great game for kids who are into wide-eyed, Disney-esque adventure, and even adults who are young at heart, but older children and serious grown-ups might think they're too cool for this kind of thing. All in all, Air Mail for the iPhone and iPad delivers a top-notch flying experience full of whimsy.

$4.99 - Download Now

We all know what to expect in the western genre - cowboys, shootouts, bar brawls... Sometimes a slight twist is needed to keep things fresh. Two iPhone games, Death Call and Warm Gun, take the classic western feel and throw in a bit of sci-fi charm.

Add an unnecessary cog here, a tesla generator there, some ostentatious goggles, and blammo, you've got a steampunk game in the old west. Despite it being a pretty small niche, each title tackles the challenge very differently. Which is better? Which is most shiny? We loaded them both up on the iPhone for an old-fashioned, new-fangled shootout, and you better believe we aimed to misbehave -- iMore style.

Warm Gun

Warm Gun is a 3D shooter built on the Unreal Engine with a single game mode - deathmatch. The first player to hit a certain number of kills wins. If you're looking to mix it up, there's a free single-player version called Carnival of Bullets which offers simple (but fun) target practice, and gives you a feel for the controls. There are four characters to chose from, each with their own selection of weapons. The 49'er is a miner with a robot leg who packs a pistol, lever-action shotgun, and a bottle of hooch with a lighter at the ready. The Blacksmith has a rusty, decrepit minigun that never seems to run out of bullets. The creepy shaman runs around in a gas mask and a tribal stuff that doubles as a cattle prod. Lastly, the preacher stoically bears twin pistols and lays down some fire and brimstone justice like a boss. Battles take place on one of six maps which are each replete with hazards (like barrels of TNT) and interactive elements (namely shooting targets to open gates). There's offline and online modes, but online is done through a clunky GameSpy partnership, and not Game Center.

Is it any good? Well, I'm not a fan of mobile games that try too hard to be console games to begin with, even if a recognized 3D engine has been shoehorned into the mobile platform. The texture details in Warm Gun are pretty good, but there are a lot of UI elements that feel out of place, like the respawn timer and the player names when hovering the crosshairs over others. The controls could be a big bigger, especially the reload and firing button, but I do like that the fire button lets you adjust aim while shooting nonstop. Warm Gun's strongest suit is its flavour - although it's distinctly within the western genre, the game takes place in a gritty post-apocalypse setting shortly after World War III. Warm Gun will also available on PC, which means there are still a few more levels, characters, and game modes which might make the leap to iPhone at some point.

Death Call

Death Call is more of a classic target range style game with a few tweaks. Enemies pop out from behind cover, and you have to shoot them down before they start shooting at you. The controls are very straightforward: pan the crosshairs with your left thumb, and fire with your right. They've included a really nice implementation of the accelerometer for reloading. Popping your iPhone to one side definitely feels like you're opening up the cylinders of a six-shooter in the heat of a firefight.  There are different types of enemies with varying attributes, but those aren't the only things that pop up on screen. Sometimes there are bombs that you have to destroy by shooting at them (?!) before they blow up, and there are also power ups for cash and health that show up randomly.

Every level consists of several waves, between which you heal up, and have a chance to buy some more bullets. If you're running low on health, the protagonist has this totally sweet extendo-shield that gives him a few moments of respite to catch his breath - just make sure you pop it when you really need it, because you'll have to weather another minute of bullets before using it again. Every time you kill a bad guy, you get some cash which you can spend on various types of weapons and upgrades. There are also weapon licenses which can be subbed in for cash when buying guns. You get those through standard gameplay, but you can also spend real dollars to acquire them through in-app purchases. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, you can also earn weapon permits by reviewing the game, sharing it on Twitter and Facebook, or through the randomized daily draw. Finally, every level has a little puzzle game, which you play through to get another piece of the ongoing storyline.

I can safely say that I had a lot of fun playing Death Call, even if it isn't quite as aggressive with the steampunk styling as Warm Gun. The shield is pretty cool, and there are some tesla-themed weapons available to unlock, but not until later in the game.

DRAW!

How do the two compete? Well, they both don't do particularly well on the multiplayer front, simply by virtue of there being nearly nobody to play with. Death Call wins by a hair for implementing multiplayer through Game Center and providing some interesting multiplayer-only unlockables and perks. Overall, I had more fun playing Death Call for sheer simplicity of play. I'm sure if Warm Gun tidied up their control scheme, it would feel more natural, but for now it's obvious that it's being built for PC first and foremost, while the iPhone version feels like an afterthought. Not only did Death Call have more fluid shooting action, there was a much wider array of gameplay involved. Many levels in the single player campaign were interspersed with puzzles, and there were a ton of unlockable weapons which could be subsequently be upgraded. The in-app purchasing was also very compelling; you could buy in-game cash with which you could unlock and buy more weapons. There was also the odd opt-in video ad where you could earn some more coin just for sitting through a spiel for another app. One weapon could be unlocked if you convinced a friend to download the game and you get them to give you a code.

The developers, Toy Chest Games and Emotional Robots, are both smaller companies, so I've been willing to cut them a bit of slack on the production values when it comes to graphics. I definitely wasn't expecting anything Infinity Blade-quality when getting into them. That being said, I found Death Call did a better job of punching their weight by going with a simple 2D game and good art direction given the format. Meanwhile, Warm Gun showed more ambition trying to tackle the Unreal Engine for iOS. The gun models and reload animations are really, really good, but it's hard to make out much of the fine character and level detail when moving around. There were also the few interface irregularities I had mentioned earier.

As far as sound goes, Warm Gun has excellent music. Some of the sound effects are a little low-fidelity and repetitive, but overall, I was impressed. Death Call doesn't fare quite as well on audio. There are cutscenes between each level explaining a long, winding plotline, and though the dialogue is purposefully cheesy, it's also painfully cheesy. The quality of the voice recordings weren't particularly great; it sounded like it was just the devs using their iPhones to record dialogue. During gameplay, enemies in Death Call make this really gross, wet sound as their various entrails hit the ground. Not  particularly appetizing hearing that time and again - bring on the Wilhelm screams instead.

The bottom line

If I had to give it to one or the other, I would side with Death Call. Not only is it free (versus $1.99 for Warm Gun), the gameplay is much smoother, and the progression with unlockables is way more rewarding. Warm Gun definitely gets points for creativity, both in terms of level design and setting. There is also a lot of potential in working with the Unreal Engine, but for now its performance is stunted by cumbersome controls.

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The mighty Man of Steel, the Last Son of Krypton, the Tomorrow Man himself has finally landed in the App Store with the official release of Superman for iPhone and iPod touch by Chillingo Ltd. This isn't a movie tie-in or flashy 3D flyer/fighter, this is a fun, casual, decidedly 2D adventure with an almost old school, retro platform feel to it. Check out the video above and the details below.

• Soar across the Metropolis skyline and use all of Superman’s most iconic powers, including heat vision, super-breath, super-strength, and super-speed. When the threat is a little further from home, fly into outer space to stop meteors and falling satellites in their path.
• The 18 levels of superpowered action offer a perfect playground for putting Superman’s abilities to the test. Save Metropolis from the villainous mastermind Lex Luthor and his army of thugs, mechs, choppers and even more menacing enemies.
• Beat score challenges on each level to earn bronze, silver and gold achievements. Bronze is a piece of cake, but do you have the power to claim gold?
• Original story and comic book panels give you the authentic Superman experience.

Note: Chillingo states that the game works on the iPad too. This is true however it is not a universal binary so you will have to run it in 2X mode which is never a great experience. Let's hope they get an HD version into the App Store soon.

$0.99 - App Store link

UPDATE: Superman HD for iPad is now available as well! $2.99 - [App Stor

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Everyone has been eagerly awaiting Infinity Blade's introduction to the App Store, and with it, a promised new era of iOS gaming. Listening to the hype around this game, one would think you would stop playing other games altogether. Does Infinity Blade live up to the hype? Let's take a look at this game a little more in-depth to find out.

Infinity Blade is the first game for iOS that used the Unreal Engine 3 to bring to life the story of a lonesome hero bent on destroying the God King (for reason's unknown other than, presumably, the God King is a bad dude); alas, your story begins.

You start off the game as our hero and his approach to the castle where the God King resides. To reach the God King, you will need to destroy many of his minions. They range in shape and size. After you defeat several minions, you reach the God King. If you defeat him, you have won. If you fail, you die and the journey or "bloodline" begins again with your son, avenging your death.

The time of this game is set in a castle with magic and knight folklore which will appeal to many people. The story for this game is not very deep, but with this game it is all about the gameplay and overall mechanics that make the title shine. Before you enter a battle you have an opportunity to scope the environment. This is a good thing as often you will find health, chests (they may contain an item) and bags of money. You can also see the properties of an enemy before you face them. This is useful because some enemies, especially once you get further in the game, are immune to certain attacks. So, prior to battle you can adjust your armor and weapons to the maximum benefit.

Once the battle begins, you have essentially three things you can do: block an attack, dodge an enemy attack by tapping the left or right corners of the screen or you can parry an attack by swiping in the same direction on screen as an incoming attack with your preferred weapon (sword, mace, axe, etc.) You can also use a special skill such as magic to perform a special attack. That's it folks (well, occasionally you get an opening where you can stab your enemy).

So, though this may not seem incredibly deep on the surface, the controls are very satisfying; it is not simple to just arbitrarily parry and block, there is some skill and technique involved. If you block attacks, your shield becomes weaker and will eventually break, adding even more challenge since you can't just block every incoming attack. There is a fair amount of variety in enemies too. They attack from different angles and are not standardized. Using magic strategically helps as well (heal your self, add additional hits to your shield, use an elemental attack against a weaker enemy) adding even more depth to the game. Some items even have magical endowments, a fire branded sword or a shield immune to ice attacks.

Overall, I enjoyed this game. Is it the most amazing game ever? Of course not, but it does offer a fun diversion and foretells the possibilities of gaming on iOS. There is currently enough content to keep you coming back for more. Dozens of weapons, helmets, shields, armor,etc. all have different attributes and is worth your time to master them. The most recent update added a max level for the player, a new enemy and additional items to buy and collect. Future updates will unlock even more of the castle, new monsters, multiplayer and more. If you have not downloaded this game yet, go do it now.

[$5.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Beautiful graphics
• Challenging gameplay with each new bloodline
• Game Center support
• Plenty of planned updates for the future (including Multiplayer)
• Universal App

Cons

• Framerate can be a little jerky- even on iPhone 4 and iPad
• Battles can get repetitive after a while (parry, parry, block, dodge, repeat)

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Gameloft has just released N.O.V.A. 2 for iPhone and iPod touch, the sequel to it's smash hit first-person shooter (FPS) N.O.V.A. If you are unfamiliar with the N.O.V.A. game it is Gameloft's take on the ever popular HALO genre. You play as an elite military soldier who is responsible for fending off an alien invasion. N.O.V.A. 2 is set 6 years after the ending of the original N.O.V.A.. The game includes an intense single player campaign as well as multiplayer brawls for you to eliminate opposing players.

N.O.V.A. 2 has some very welcomed updates which include:

• Meet new enemies with improved AI! Volterites’ new tactics make the gyroscope controls ideal
• Master a larger range of weapons & powers
• Much more diversified gameplay: run, shoot, fall, drive a motorbike, pilot a giant mech, and blast a laser
• The more, the merrier, now with up to 10 players in 10 multiplayer maps
• Build a career and rise through the multiplayer leaderboard
• Explore new locations, offering amazing graphics, fully optimized for the Retina display
• Enjoyed the first N.O.V.A. – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance? Be rewarded with extra bonuses.

If you are like many of us and played the original N.O.V.A. you will start N.O.V.A. 2 multiplayer with advanced XP which allow you access to advanced weapons and an unlocked special achievement on Gameloft Live! This seems to be a nice little bonus for those hardcore players that spent a lot of their time playing the original game.

So if you are a diehard N.O.V.A. player go grab the next episode and get your game on! If you are new to this series and decide to see what all the fuss is about let us know what you think.

[ $9.99 - iTunes Link ]

YouTube Link

When I saw John Carmack show off Rage on the iPhone a few months back, I was rather excited. The promise of real console-like graphics were in our grasp. Then, the game finally came out and I was initially blown away, but then...

Rage HD on iPad is set in a post-apocalyptic future. Typical of these types of games where you play a contestant out to earn money by defeating mutants. The game is set in a first-person shooter (FPS) perspective, but it is on rails. This means the game "moves" for you and you are only allowed to maneuver the cursor on screen at any given time. This is okay, as the games visuals are amazing and this style of game worked really well for Doom Resurrection on iPhone.

The screen is comprised of only a few buttons. The left side is meant solely to move the cursor, target enemies, etc. The right side has the action button (to shoot and pick up items like health, ammo, etc), dodge button (the enemy throws bricks at you), reload weapon and select weapon. If the touch screen modality does not work for you, there is a tilt option as well as lefty mode and other configurable choices such as inverted axis and more.

As you start a level, you immediately notice there are several bulls-eyes scattered among the levels. By shooting them, you increase your score. As enemy mutants appear, you target and shoot them. You can often get a one-shot fill if you time your shots appropriately; you get a special reticule when you in the correct area to pull it off.

As you maneuver your cursor around the screen trying to take out bulls-eyes and mutants, you will notice you can also pick up money, health and ammo bonuses; your cursor turns into a green hand. The ammo comes in particularly handy as I found I ran out of ammo a little too fast. The good news is that you have a pistol with unlimited ammo, but takes forever to reload. However, I have played entire levels with just the pistol with no problem. The additional weapons that you can find ammo for are the shotgun and automatic weapon.

The games graphics are really, really good. I mean, really good. It is a testament to iOS's capabilities. No slowdown, plenty of particles flying at you and a ton of action. But this is where the problems begin for this game. It's gorgeous. But that is all it's got. You only have three levels of play, you fight the same enemies over and over. Rage HD is literally a $2.00 technology demo. It wouldn't be so bad (since the game is clearly score based) if you had Game Center support to see where you rank on the leaderboards and add some challenges with achievements. Alas, none of these options exist.

I am impressed with id's effort in this title to bring an amazing console experience to our beloved iOS devices. I am not impressed with the paltry three stages and lack of Game Center support. Should you get this game? It's hard to tell. It is only $2.00, and will hardly break the bank. You will enjoy it till you beat the three levels and you will be left with the insatiable need for more. I am happy to have played it, but after 30 minutes (that is how long it takes to beat all of the levels) you are left with a very, very, very empty feeling.

[$1.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Amazing graphics
• Fun to play
• Varying levels of difficulty
• Different versions of the game for newer/older hardware
• Universal app for iPhone/iPad

Cons

• Only three levels
• Only two types of enemies (really only one type if you want to get picky)
• You are playing for what amounts to a tech demo
• No Game Center support (missing leader boards, achievements, etc)

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Street Fighter IV for iPhone has been out for a little while now. Capcom just can't sit still and they have released another update to the best fighter on iPhone. What makes this game so awesome? Let's check it out.

Street Fighter IV is a faithful conversion to the arcade hit Street Fighter IV. Street Fighter has been around for years in many iterations and I am quite pleased with the iPhone version. Right out of the gate you are immediately blown away by the video opening. Very nicely done. Next you have an opportunity to tweak some settings, etc, but for now, let's just jump right into the game. First words; wow. I mean, this game is absolutely gorgeous (even if it doesn't currently take advantage of the retina display). The animation, scrolling foreground and background, this game is hot. But of course, a game can be pretty but if the controls are poor, forget about it. I am here to say that even the most seasoned and stubborn Street Fighter player will find some joy in the this game. Capcom has done a fantastic job of using the touch screen for controls.

When you boot up the game the first time, it asks you to configure the controls. You have complete dynamic control over where your buttons are located and how the d-pad looks. Without this, the game would not be as great as it is for some players. To be honest, I have gone back and forth with some of the control setups, but I always can get by on the defaults. If you are worried about control, don't, it is just like any console version less a few buttons.

Due to the limited screen real estate, Capcom has given you only four buttons; punch, kick, SP and Focus. To execute a light, medium or strong attack, it is all about positioning and Capcom has nailed it. For example: if you crouch and attack with a kick, you get a medium crouched kick. If you forward crouch and press kick, you get a sweep kick. See, it's not so bad is it?

You can choose from 12 of the world warriors with the latest additions being E. Honda and C. Viper. Every character has two colors available to choose from and currently you can download additional alternative colors for Chun-Li and Ryu for $0.99 each.

Even though this game has some omissions, namely the online multiplayer, I still play this game a couple times a week against the computer. For this reason alone, it clearly has value. 5.0 stars.

[$9.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Fantastic graphics
• Awesome controls
• Great selection of Street Fighter characters
• Wide array of individual player games (tourney, sparring, practice, dojo, etc)

Cons

• No retina display for iPhone/iPod Touch :-(
• No online multiplayer
• Maybe a few more characters... where's T-Hawk!

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One of the highlights of today's Apple special music event was Epic who showed off their first iOS game. The game, an action-packed, sword-fighting, RPG adventure looked beyond gorgeous (it's from the people who made Gears of War, what do you expect?) and it's coming later this year.

But you can snag a copy of the demo in the iTunes App Store now.

Drool.

[iTunes link, via @chartier]

Do you like old-school shooters? If so, Dodonpachi Resurrection is the game for you! Cave has brought out another awesome shooter on the iPhone (the first being Espgaluda II).

There are two game modes in DoDonPachi. The first is iPhone mode which is a great way to jump in and play. It uses a hit variable to determine the strength of your weapons (the slider is indicated in the top right) and has an interactive hypermode to unleash the ultimate destruction on your enemies. The other mode is Arcade. This mode has you pick the fighter style you want and requires a bit more strategy while playing since you don't have the freedom you have in iPhone mode. You can also configure how much screen is displayed while playing (I am partial to large so I see as much of the screen as I can) as well as button placement for attacking enemy ships.

You start the game as you do in any shooter of this type as a lonesome ship against an onslaught enemy armada bent on destruction. Fortunately, you have technology on your side and you are packing enough firepower to send the enemy back where they came from. One of the things I like about iPhone mode is that when you die, you automatically drop a bomb and become invincible for a short while. Little details like this make the game more accessible to the casual shooter fan. However, Arcade mode is where it's at if you need a true challenge. Of course the OpenFeint integration keeps it old school allowing you to compete with friends and strangers for the highest score possible.

I was looking forward to this game's release and especially having the sharp graphics that are in on the iPhone 4's retina display. Sadly, this is not the case. So as awesome as this game is, it ends up being a tad fuzzy on the iPhone 4 but looks great on the latest generation of iPod Touch devices and iPhone 3GS. Make no mistake that the graphics are great and there is no slowdown. All of the ships and terrain have tons of detail and move effortlessly around the screen.

I can't recommend this game enough for shooter fans. It is hands down the best offering in the App Store. I am hopeful that Cave will create iPad specific versions of their games for the masses to take advantage of the full screen real estate that device has to offer. For now, you can't go wrong with this title. I am still giddy about it.

[$8.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• More bullets than you can shake a stick at!
• OpenFient leaderboards and achievements
• Works great on iPad. Looks awesome!
• Fun and frantic
• No noticeable slow-down

Cons

• No retina support
• Only works well on current-gen devices
• Larger file size (around 500MB)

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Ngmoco has just brought out the ultimate game/tech-demo (to show your friends) for the iPhone 4 -- Eliminate GunRange. It's a virtual gun range game where you use real weapons to shoot targets. The concept is not entirely engrossing as there are plenty of other top-notch shooting games out there (ngmoco's own Eliminate comes to mind). What makes this game fun and special is that it is the first game to take full use of the new iPhone 4 gyroscope. How does it work? Continue reading to find out!

The game starts out simple enough; you are presented with a single weapon, an M60. There are numerous other weapons to choose from, but you have to score well to unlock additional weapons with credits. After you select your weapon, you then can begin the " Challenges" for your selected weapon. When the level begins you have a pre- determined set of targets to destroy. That is where the fun begins.

The enjoyment factor of GunRange does not stem from the fact that you are destroying targets, it comes form the amazing control offered by the iPhone 4 gyroscope. It literally "feels" like you are holding the weapon in your hands and where ever you aim your iPhone, the cursor hovers over the target. This level of control is unprecedented in previous iPhone efforts till now. It is simply a tease of what is to come.

What could be hum-drum central, ngmoco has attempted to make levels as interesting as possible, however there are only three ranges. For example, the first level is a basic shooting range. As you progress you being to shoot targets outside in a different locale. What makes the level and challenge enticing is that targets appear "off screen" and you have to use the gyroscope to quickly turn left and right. Speaking of turning left and right, you don't have to rotate your whole body like Steve Jobs did in his WWDC 2010 keynote. Rather, I was able to successfully turn by simply lowering one side or the other to turn. This is also effective in racing games too, I have found.

For $.99 this is an easy pick up title. Will it keep you engaged for months to come, unlikely. But is it fun and cool to show off? Definitely.

[$0.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Awesome use of the iPhone 4 gyroscope Graphics are sharp and look good on the retina display
• Multiple guns and shooting ranges

Cons

• A bit repetitive
• Only three gun ranges, more variety would have been nice

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Brothers in Arms 2: Global Front has is now available in the App store [$7.99 - iTunes link]. This is the sequel to 2008's Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes, one of the first 3D shooters on the iPhone. The above screen shot was taken in-game and it looks amazing. There is a smooth framerate and uses Gameloft's successful control schemes for FPSs. This is a big improvement over the first game in the series and has been well worth the wait. Some highlights include:

• Battle across 5 locations: Pacific, Normandy, North Africa, Germany, Sicily.
• Challenge up to 5 friends on five multiplayer maps online
• Pilot 3 vehicles including the tank, off-road vehicle or glider, or gun down enemies from the vehicle or tank turret
• A wide range of realistic weapons: machine guns, bazookas, sniper rifles, flamethrowers and more.
• Compelling cinematic moments with more interaction between you and your squad members
• Stunning graphics and authentic settings inspired by real life battlefields from WWII.

I have been waiting for this game for some time, now march out there and defeat the enemy solider!

Call of Duty is a monster franchise, and what better way to expand that franchise then to unleash it, World of War style, on the iPhone and iPod touch -- and add Zombies. Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies [$9.99 - iTunes link] contains only one map right now, "Nacht der Untoten" (Night of the undead) but allows 4 player multiplay via WiFi/internet, and 2 over Bluetooth. There are three control schemes, achievements, leader-boards, and the promise of in-app purchases (map expansions?) later.

So, Call of Duty fans and Zombie fanatics, how're you liking your first iPhone experience?

Brother’s In Arms: Hour of Heroes Forum Review by msbaylor. (Visit the thread for video and more pics. For more Forum Reviews, see the TiPb iPhone App Store Forum!

This new game from Gameloft has raised the bar yet again on their games. After finding out that this game has in the App Store I immediately downloaded it and started to play it. The graphics are that of Nintendo64, but the detection, Audio and AI are better than that of the N64. For those of you that remember the ‘ol N64, do you remember shooting the wall and the bullet holes didn’t show up? Or when you would attempt to run over someone with a tank and they wouldn’t die? Well unlike the N64, you can do that in this game, as well as get run over, bombed, shot, or punched in the face.

After having played Brother In Arms I found that this game really sets it own standard. There is nothing like it in the app store.

There are 4 operations from which there are 5 missions in each. I think there is a fair amount of game play, not necessarily a great amount, but a fair amount. Now to leverage that, I found that if I replayed a mission, I played a different soldier in that mission. I've also found that the outcome in not always played out the same way each time. So on that note, the game play can seen as quite significant (the video does not explain this)

The controls in this game are my main complaint. But let's face it, these controls are for the most part the best and really the only way to control the type of game.

First to control your direction, you place your thumb on the yellow dot in the bottom right corner and slide your thumb in the direction that you want to go. This is basically the same as ASDWZ on a keyboard for a PC game.

To face a certain direction and ultimately where you aim, you use your right thumb, and move your line of sight around on the screen. To shoot, you press the button in the bottom right corner.

To throw a grenade, you press the grenade image in the upper right-hand corner, then you tilt you iPhone in the direction that you want to toss the grenade. Finally you press the "shoot" button to throw the grenade.

To operate one of the guns on the ground, you press the usual fire button, but you use the control in the bottom-left corner to control your aim. This control I’ve found ultimately difficult to operate.

To control a tank, you use the same controls as if you were walking. The direction you go and the direction you fire can be controlled independently.

Finally to drive a jeep, a steering wheel will appear in the bottom left corner and a forward and reverse buttons in the bottom right corner. I found driving the jeep extremely difficult. Having bought Asphalt 4 from Gameloft, I am hoping they can implement the same controls for the jeep as are effective in Asphalt 4.

This game uses more methods of control than I have ever seen in any app. While at first you might find it hard to control the game, but as you continue to play, you’ll get used to the controls.

Like Asphalt 4, there are a few (3) control schemes - the one mentioned above, another that is like using two "virtual" joysticks, and another in which the direction you move is the same but to control your sight, you tap in the direction that you want to view. I recommend control scheme 1 or 2.

As for shooting the enemy, your gun sight will turn red when you get near an enemy. The gun-sight utilizes snapping so that it is easier to hit your targets. However this is not true (snapping) if you are using a sniper rifle.

You have the ability to hold up to 3 weapons (from what I've done so far) and by tapping on the current gun icon in the top left-hand corner you can change your weapon as well as numerous other options.

Price: This game only came out a few days ago and if you love FPS shooters or a fan of the Brothers In Arms series, then you shouldn't wait to buy this game. However, if you are a little hesitant in buying this game, then wait a week or two as the price tends to drop on Gameloft games after about two weeks

• Awesome graphics
• Unique controls offer unique game play
• First-person shooter
• Multiple mission roles
• Audio is awesome (including the ringing-ear effect when a bomb explodes nearby)

• Controls can seem awkward or hindering during game play as it might block your line of sight.
• Small amount of missions.

Overall I definitely recommend this application. I would like to see some better handling of some of the vehicle controls and like some of the other popular Gameloft games, Wifi connectivity...maybe a co-op or a death-match of some sort.... well maybe not a death-match, that would make another good game altogether... I'd also like to see some more missions added (or the multi-player)

[Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes is available from the iTunes App Store]