Home » Articles and Reviews by 'James Gilmour'
EA is developing a mobile version of Battlefield
Get ready to step back into the line of fire, military shooter fans: EA is currently is working on a mobile version of its Battlefield series. During an interview with the New York Times, head of EA's mobile development Frank Gibeau revealed that his team is in the process of bringing the console shooter franchise to smartphones and tablets. "We are working on a mobile game of Battlefield that will be high-end and high-performance," Gibeau said. Having pointed out that Battlefield's Commander Mode also supports tablet-based play, Gibeau touched on another aspiration for the Battlefield series: cross-platform play. "We're embarking on something no one has ever done before - to get these g…
Papa Sangre II lets you put Boromir in your ears
The sequel to sound-based horror game Papa Sangre is hoping to make a big bang when it manifests on the App Store this Halloween. Like its predecessor, Papa Sangre II lets you step into the afterlife, and challenges you to escape using only one of your five senses: sound. Using your thumbs to tap out your character's footsteps, you must guide yourself around the Land of the Dead in complete darkness. To help you work out where you are, the game pipes 3D-emulating binaural sound through your headphones, allowing you to orient yourself by judging the distance and direction of objects in the environment. If that wasn't spine-tingling enough, developer Something Else has enlisted the vocal t…
The blue blur is back in Sonic 2 Remastered next month
SEGA is porting a couple of its better Sonic games over to iOS this winter - namely Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sega All-Stars Racing: Transformed. Fans of the spikey-haired rodent may already own the first mobile version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which appeared on the App Store back in 2010. However, if the revamped version of Sonic the Hedgehog is anything to go by, this enhanced edition of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will bring some control improvements, and iron out a few performance-related creases. If racing is more your bag, then you'll be pleased to hear that the sequel to the refreshingly decent Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing will also be gracing the App Store in December. We pra…
Neurokult Review
Playing Neurokult is a stressful experience. Not stressful in a bad, 'the kids need new shoes and I spent my last paycheck fixing that leaky pipe in the water closet' way. The good kind of the stressful, where you're trying to keep 20 neon plates spinning as you dash barefooted between them on a moving electrified conveyor belt. Behind its computer chip aesthetic and hacker terminology, Neurokult is colour-matching puzzler. Each level presents you with a wall of coloured discs travell…
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The LEGO Star Wars series coming to iOS in 2014
Mobile gamers are no strangers to the charms of the LEGO games. Both the LEGO Harry Potter and LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes franchises found their way onto the App Store, and did a pretty good job of recreating the humour and action of the console games. However, if you've been itching for developer Traveller's Tales to port the LEGO Star Wars titles over to your iPhone, then prepare to have your itch well and truly scratched. According to a report from Star Wars fan site Jedi News, Disney has given the go-ahead to bring the plastic adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Obi-Wan Kenobi to Apple phones and tablets, with iOS versions of the original LEGO Star Wars games set to appear ne…
Batman: Arkham Origins Review
The Batman found in NetherRealm's latest iOS brawler Batman: Arkham Origins is not the Batman with which you might be familiar. Sure, he's got his flying fists of vengeance, and a utility belt packed with batarangs and gadgets. And yes, he dishes out violent justice to a neverending procession of Gotham's most sociopathic. However, this Batman has limits - limits placed upon him by Arkham Origin's freemium structure. Unlike the driven, relentless crime fighter depicted in DC's comics…
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Dead Trigger 2 | Hands-On
Dead Trigger, developer Madfinger's visually arresting entry into the zombie-shooter sub genre, was one of the surprise hits of 2012. As anyone who has ever typed the letter 'z' into the App Store's search bar will know, zombie games are ten-a-penny on iOS. Like the undead hordes that they portray, these games continue to shamble relentlessly towards us, with every fallen, bullet-ridden carcass immediately replaced by five more. There was something about Dead Trigger, however, that managed to cut through the swathe of deadite-blasters and plunge a pipe wrench into the heart of mobile gamers everywhere. On October 23rd, Madfinger will release Dead Trigger 2. We've just got our hands…
Get Machinarium: Pocket Edition for your iPhone now
I know we gave you a heads-up about the iPhone version of Machinarium last week, but if any game deserves to be repeatedly pushed to the front of your mind, it's this one. Machinarium: Pocket Edition is an iPhone-optimised version of Amanita Design's beautiful point-and-click adventure. Released on PC in 2009, it tells the story of a young robot who must travel across a wasteland to the strange city beyond in search of his girlfriend. Packed with brain-testing puzzles, an collection of eccentric robot characters, and gorgeous, rust-addled environments, Machinarium is a genuine delight, and one of the best point-and-click adventures in recent memory. If you already have Machinarium on i…
Step into Dungeons & Dragons: Arena of War now
Free-to-play specialist DeNA has just brought classic RPG property Dungeons & Dragons to iOS. You can leave your character record sheets and d20s where they are, though. This particular journey into The Forgotten Realms is less involved than your average D&D campaign, focusing less on character development, and more on the clanging of steel-on-steel. Arena of War is a top-down "battle roleplaying game" which puts players in charge of a small group of adventurers who are just itching for a fight. There are quests to tackle, powers to unlock and equip, and massive monsters to defeat. Your average Saturday evening in Krynn, then. Also, if you're an ardent fan of D&D mythos, yo…
FIST OF AWESOME Review
Ever had one of those days where your hand suddenly grows to twice its usual size, develops the power of speech, and goads you into fist-fighting an army of bears? Well, unsuspecting lumberjack Tim Burr (I see what you did there) is having one of those days. Luckily, the star of nostalgia- powered pixel-art beat-'em-up First of Awesome is taking this development on the chin, still managing to crack wise while he punches the suddenly enormous bear population of earth into submission.…
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Profitable match-3 hit Puzzle & Dragons out in the UK
It's one of the most profitable games Japan has ever produced. It features cute monsters battling one another in colourful explosions of violence, and it's become this year's interactive obsession for many handheld gamers. Believe it or not, we're not talking about Pokemon X & Y. The creature battler in question is none other than match-three hit Puzzle & Dragons. After a lengthy wait, it has finally come to the UK App Store, thereby giving us western-types a chance to see what all the fuss is about. Developed by GungHo, this colour-matching cash cow charges you with gathering a team of collectible beasties together, before heading into a dungeon and facing the nasties insi…
Rabbids Big Bang Review
In Rabbids Big Bang, your rabbid astronaut spends an awful lot of time drifting through space hoping to bump into something interesting. Though we're actually talking about the mechanics of this space-based physics puzzler, this description neatly sums up our state of mind as we coasted through level after level, waiting for something exciting to happen. You take control of two rabbids. One of the floppy-eared psychos has a baseball bat, the other a spacesuit. The batter's sole purpos…
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The Junk Jack X Files: Case 4
Once again, AppSpy editor James Gilmour (@Metal_Slag) and Pocket Gamer handheld editor Peter Willington (@xeroxeroxero) continue their adventures into the world of 2D craft-'em-up Junk Jack X. This week, James gets bored of waiting for Peter to return to homebase, and decides to lead a rescue party of one to recover him. Will Peter and James be reunited? Can the pair survive another night without bedding or shelter? Will they actually achieve a single worthwhile goal in this entire series? Find out in The Junk Jack X-Files: Case 4. Previous episodes of The Junk Jack X Files: Case 1Case 2Case 3…
Batman: Arkham Origins | Hands-On
With the Caped Crusader polishing his baterangs in preparation for his big console comeback Batman: Arkham Origins, developer NetherRealm has been hard at work creating the obligatory iOS tie-in. As it turns out, this iOS version of Batman: Arkham Origins actually has more in common with Injustice: Gods Among Us than its console cousin. It's a one-on-one brawler which puts the Dark Knight centre stage, and then chucks an assortment of Gotham's most sociopathic at his predictably scowling face. As it's only just arrived on the App Store, I thought I'd show you the first few levels to give you an idea of what to expect. Check back soon for the full review. …
Real Racing 3 update adds new track and Ferraris
They're fast, they're red (or sometimes yellow), and they're now available to drive in Real Racing 3. No, we're not talking about the go-karts from '90s TV show Fun House. We're talking about Ferraris, three varieties of which have just been added to EA's free-to-play racer. Update your iOS app, and you'll be able to get behind the wheel of the FF, the F12belinetta, and the 458 Italia. Mama mia. To accompany these blistering new rides, developer Firemonkeys has thrown in a brand new track: Spain's Circuit de Catalunya. The update feature list also includes the addition of Time Trial Ghost Challenges, and the option to "personalise your racing experience" by customising your HUD. You can…
