Home » Articles and Reviews by 'James Gilmour'
Ambitious sci-fi MMO Universe Rush materialises on Kickstarter
If like me you're a little weary of the Kickstarter model - perhaps you've been burned by unfulfilled promises or disappointing products - then you might find it tough to drum up enthusiasm for yet another video pleading for the contents of your bank account. However, if you only watch one iOS-related Kickstarter video today, we suggest you pick the one promoting intergalactic MMO Universe Rush. It's this one, incidentally: There's no denying that $100,000 is a lot of cash to ask for, especially for a something as difficult to start-up and sustain as a massively-multiplayer online game. However, it's equally impossible to ignore that fact that Universe Rush's sci-…
Teaser trailer for cave-based shooter Heavy Rockets surfaces
There was a time when all a gamer needed to have fun was a small arrow and some flying pixels. It seems that the team behind minimalist shooter Heavy Rockets remembers those halcyon days, too. Don't believe me? Have a glance at the clean lines and low-fi Asteroid-aping avatar presented in the teaser trailer below, and tell me you don't detect the faintest whiff of nostalgia. According to the Markus and Jukka, the two man crew behind Heavy Rockets, the game will feature two modes of play. Race mode has you guiding your rocket through a series of subterranean levels in as quick a time as possible. However, if you're in the mood for a bit of ship-to-ship combat, then the "last man fly…
Miniature sequel Joe Danger Infinity racing onto the App Store this Thursday
Fearless stuntman Joe Danger is set to return to the App Store in pint-sized form this week, courtesy of Hello Games's new stunt racer Joe Danger Infinity. According to a report on sister site Pocket Gamer, the dev team behind the acclaimed motorbike racer Joe Danger has revealed that the follow up, which sees stunt rider Joe being shrunk down to toy-like proportions, is to come careening onto iOS on Thursday. The game will have you guiding teeny-tiny Joe across kitchen tables, over toy trucks, and through stacks of dice in his ongoing mission to do the best stunts that a small man in a helmet and goggles can do. Rather than offering a selection of short levels, Joe Danger Infinity…
simian.interface | Hands-On
Tilt-based puzzler simian.interface is a game with blocks and no tutorial. While that sentence might not sound like a shining recommendation, I consider both of these things to be a plus when it comes to games. You see, when a developer can eschew a hold-up-to-look-up text tutorial in favour allowing players to learn through exploration, it's generally a sign that somebody on the team has their head screwed on right. Also, blocks are cool. Obviously. I went hands-on with simian.interface earlier today. You can't see me doing any actual tilting in the video below, so just picture a bald guy handing upside-down from a bannister waving an iPhone around like he's trying to swat a…
Jet Car Stunts 2 Review
While there's no shortage of racers on the App Store, there aren't many which can claim to be as downright brutal as Jet Car Stunts 2. Like its 2009 predecessor, it's a game about precision. In fact, almost every other aspect of Jet Car Stunts 2 seems to have been streamlined to force players to zero-in on the game's unapologetically raw racing core. The visuals are clean, crisp, and simple, serving only to give you a strip of virtual tarmac to aim for. There is no background music, j…
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Splash of clans: Seabound RTS Plunder Pirates heading to iPhone and iPad this year
Game-ho! The first trailer for start-up studio Midoki's debut iOS offering Plunder Pirates, an "epic online multiplayer strategy game," has just hoved into view over the horizon. Comprised of a number of console developers who have decided to take a swim in mobile waters, the developer claims Plunder Pirates will allow you to build your very own pirate island, and then do battle on at least seven seas with other online skallywags. Apparently inspired by the "fair" free-to-play structure of games like Tiny Tower, the team has opted to make the game a freemium experience, much like comparable multiplayer base-battler Clash of Clans. Though you can sail solo if you choose, the game wi…
Alien race The Lanius coming to FLT: Advanced Edition on an iPad near you soon
Subset Games has just revealed The Lanius, a brand new race of aliens set to appear in the iOS version of FTL: Advanced Edition. The creatures are characterised as scavengers, and survive by consuming minerals found in metal. Much like the metal that makes up the hull of your spaceship, in fact. I think we can see where this is going. In addition to this new alien race, FTL: Advanced Edition will contain never-before seen shield and anti-combat drones. Players will also gain the ability to man sensors and doors manually. What's more, you'll be able to select the spikey-looking Lanius ship as your own starter vessel. It even comes complete with its own unique (and possibly spikey)…
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project | Hands-On
It seems that no matter how misogynistic or crass they may appear to modern eyes and ears, you just can't keep an old pop culture icon down. Following the unqualified disaster that was Duke Nukem Forever, we haven't heard much from the blonde haired, quip-spouting lady repellent. The most recent Duke-related activity took place on Xbox Live, where he appeared in a 2.5D retooling of 2002's PC-based side-scroller Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project. As it happens, we have just learned that Spawn Studios has ported this interactive exercise in nostalgia to iOS. It's due to hit the App Store next week, and will cost £1.49 / $1.99. I went hands-on with Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project earli…
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed | Hands-on
Before Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing arrived on iOS back in 2011, the App Store had been lacking a decent mobile kart racer. However, with its intuitive controls and broad cast of characters plucked from Sega vast library of games, this light-hearted racer did a fantastic job of filling the App Store's Mario Kart-shaped void. Today see the release of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, the shape-shifting sequel to the abovementioned iOS and console hit. The star-studded character roster of the previous game returns, including Sega celebrities like Sonic's fox pal Tails, Ulala from Space Channel 5, and Ryo from Shenmue. While the faces may be familiar, the karts themselves have un…
Download gorgeous auto-runner Rayman Jungle Run for free right now
Christmas may have come and gone, but Ubisoft has produced a final gift for iOS gamers from beneath its virtual tree. Provided you head over to the App Store pronto, you can download the excellent auto-runner Rayman Jungle Run without having to spend a single one of those delicious chocolate coins Santa gave you. Which is good, as Apple doesn't accept confection as currency. The game itself is a clever little level-based auto-runner which manages to bring the beautful art style of console release Rayman Origins to mobile, and marry it with smart and intuitive touchscreen controls. If you haven't played Rayman Jungle Run - or its equally entertaining sequel Rayman Fiesta Run - then you owe…
AppSpy's video wrap-up - The Walking Dead, Cut the Rope 2, Ridge Racer Slipstream
We know that you're a busy person. You probably shouldn't even be reading this article, what with all the jobs / tasks / children / tax returns / online RPGs competing for your love, time, and attention. We also understand that you may not have the inclination to click through pages and pages of links looking for the AppSpy videos that matter to you. So, to save you the hassle of browser tab management, we've put all the best AppSpy video previews and reviews of the week in a single place. This place, to be precise. Here is this week's AppSpy video wrap-up: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas review Rating: 4/5 We said: "Though the controls are never going to match those of the console ver…
Ridge Racer Slipstream Hands-On
Though developer Namco Bandai decided not to release its customary Ridge Racer title to accompany the launch of the PlayStation 4, that doesn't mean the team has been dozing off behind the wheel. You see, Ridge Racer Slipstream, a premium mobile instalment of the drift-based racing series, has just appeared on the App Store. Despite the fact it's only been out for around 24 hours, there have already been negative rumblings about the game's potentially restrictive in-app purchase system. You'll have to wait for the AppSpy review to get our considered take on Ridge Race Slipstream's driving and IAP shenanigans. However, if you want to see what the game looking like in motion, you ca…
Walking Dead: The Game - Season 2 Review
The first episode of The Walking Dead: Season 2 pulls no punches. If you hoped there would be any light at the end of season one's dark and mouldering tunnel, then this short, sharp establishing act will brutally bash those hopes to death with a bloody rock. After former protagonist Lee's unfortunate exit from the series, his once ward Clementine has become something of a lone wolf. In this new episode, you control Clementine directly, helping her face everything from imminent starvat…
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Colossatron: Massive World Threat Hands-On
Colossatron: Massive World Threat, Halfbrick's monstrous take on the match-three genre, will go live on the App Store at midnight tonight. Match-three games are big business nowadays, with the like of Candy Crush Saga reaping millions of dollars on a monthly basis. However, Australian developer Halfbrick has approached the genre from a drastically different - and rather ingenious - angle. You have to monitor the progress of a giant snake-like robot which comes crashing down to earth with the intention of destroying everything in its path. Your specific job is to bolt coloured modules onto the body of the snake as and when they appear. Snap on three matching modules in a row, and your su…
Cut the Rope 2 Hands-On
Candy-catching sequel Cut the Rope 2 has just appeared on the New Zealand App Store. It'll be heading to the UK and US at midnight tonight, and will cost 69p / 99c. This time around, developer Zeptolab has freed loveable green monster Om Nom from his boxy prison. Turns out he's been abducted by spiders, and must munch his way through a variety of outdoor environments in order to get home. Beyond the visual changes, Cut the Rope 2 features a couple of new gamplay mechanics, and some extra characters. To help Om Nom on his quest, you'll need to take control of 5 Nommines, each of whom have a special ability. For example, in the hands-on video above, you'll see me interact with a Nom…
