Home » Articles and Reviews by 'James Gilmour'
Mobile MOBA The Witcher Battle Arena gets release date, out sooner than you think
We've played the soft-launch version, but the real thing is nearly here: The Witcher Battle Arena is coming to iOS and Android this week. Based on the highly regarded RPG series - which was itself inspired by a series of novels - The Witcher Battle Arena pushes the popular franchise into a new multiplayer arena. To discover the exact release date and see the game in action, check out the video above.…
Hands-on with Fugl, a soaringly beautiful flight game
I don't think it's unfair to say that Fugl is a gorgeous looking game. Everything here is created using voxels for a pixel-y look that's super striking. We saw Fugl at the Very Big Indie Pitch during Pocket Gamer Connects, and were so blown away by its beauty that we just had to grab a video of it to show you fine people. And here is that video.…
FuglHands-on with Magic Flute by Mozart, the reality-bending puzzle game based on an opera
The latest Hollywood blockbuster? Definitely. Important figures from history? Sure. Actual real world conflicts? Of course. But operas? Nope, not many video games based on those. So it was with great interest that we checked out Magic Flute by Mozart - currently being made by LabLike - during the Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects in London, as that's exactly where the inspiration for this work came from.…
AppSpy's Best Games of 2014 - James's Top 5
With Glen's top picks and Peter's favourite games out of the way, it's time to share my prime gaming slices of 2014. These are the games which, for a variety of reason, I couldn't put down over the past 12 months. Add them all to your wishlist, and give me a huge kiss of slobbering gratitude when you next see me. FTL For me, few games have ever truly captured the spirit of space travel better than FTL. The isolation, the claustraphobia - the infinite dark filled peppered with glimmering wonders and invisible threats. Yet somehow, despite it's lo-fi 2D visuals and complete lack of explosive cutscenes and shots of the Millenium Falcon doing barrel rolls, FTL totally nails space. Th…
Hands on with Ruben is Sleepy, the game where TV powers your nightmares, and your nightmares are filled with dumb cats
Ruben is Sleepy has something in common with bullet-hell shmup Ikaruga: it has a polarity shifting mechanic which forces you to switch the coloured charge of the hero to stay alive. However, as Ikaruga doesn't have you tumbling ever downwards through a nightmarish world of TV sets sporting pictures of cats, or sunsets, or whatever else you fevered brain cooks up, that's where the similarities end. What the hell am I talking about? Check out the video above to find out.…
Hands-on with Galcon 2, the planet swarming strategy sequel where triangles conquer the universe
Galcon was a smart and sexy little strategy game. The simple premise (conquer all the planets onscreen before your opponent ) and intuitive tap-to-attack controls made it a perfect fit for short bursts of touchscreen gaming. The sequel, Galcon 2, is set to hit the App Store later tonight. There have a been a few changes, both to the multiplayer aspect and the payment model. Do these tweaks improve the experience? Check out the video above to learn more.…
Hands-on with Dead Run, the game which lets you hit home runs with zombie skulls
Yes, it's a game with running and zombies in it. We know, okay.We don't make the damn things, we just cover them. Stop looking at us like that. Look, it exists, and there's nothing we can do about it now. Best we all just watch the video above, and then move on with our lives. …
Hands-on with Yellow House, the point-and-click adventure which lets you put rats on the heads of old men
I'm not sure how to describe Yellow House. In the simplest terms, it's a point-and-click adventure about memory - specifically, one man's ability to recall his past In practical terms, it's a game about dragging men off the ceiling, turning mutant rats into house cats, and transforming a hotel patron into a hat stand. You'd best watch the video above. It'll make things much clearer.…
Hands-on with Polyform, the game which lets you grope a Rubiks cube in space
Okay, so that title may not be entirely accurate. Polyform is a game about cubes - specifically, a cluster of multi-coloured cubes floating in the cosmos. It's your job to add similarly coloured cubes to this weightless congregation of angles, and vapourise segments of the structure block by block. So yeah, it's a colour-matching puzzler. However, the 3D twist turns it into something a little different, and kinda cool. Check out the video above to see what I mean.…
Hands-on with Papers, Please, the excellent and sobering border control nightmare
You probably already know about Papers, Please. Critics and players alike gave been singing the game's praises ever since it arrived on PCs late last year. Thankfully for iOS players, this fascinating and troubling glimpse into the life of a border control officer located on the perimiter of a fictional, totalitarian state is now live on the App Store. I went hands-on with the iPad build to see whether the mobile version has crossed the App Store borders in tact.…
Hands-on with Tales from the Borderlands, the sassy, tappy Telltale adventure series
There's no escaping Telltale at the moment. With the debut episode of its new Game of Thrones series hitting iOS last week, you'd think they'd let iPhone and iPad owners catch their breath before unleashing another IP onto the mobile platform. Instead, the team barely paused to sip a martini and light a cigar with a $100 bill before unleashing Tales from the Borderlands onto the App Store. For those not in the know, the game is a narrative-driven take on Gearbox's hugely successful shooter franchise. To see what such a thing might look like, just check out the video above.…
Hands-on with Snowboard Party, the thrill-seeking stunt racer which is all about the XP
I'm in two minds about Snowboard Party. On the one hand, the game is a surprisingly slick mobile interpretation of the SSX-style stunt racers popularised on consoles during the last decade. However, given the emphasis the game places on earning XP to unlock everything from tracks to characters to boards, I'm a little concerned about how long it takes to progress, and how obviously the IAPs are pushed - especially considering this is a premium release. Check out my hands-on to see what I'm talking about. …
Hands-on with Sneaky Sneaky, the utterly gorgeous top-down stealth-'em-up
I love a bit of stealth. I often answer the doorbell by climbing out my bedroom window, repelling down the side of the house, then choking the postman out and recovering my Tesco clubcard vouchers before anyone knows I was even there. So what better game to start my day with than Sneaky Sneaky, an utterly gorgeous and extremely charming stealth game which is primed to hit the App Store at midnight tonight. Check out my hands-on video to see why you should add this one to your wishlist. [App Store link]…
Hands-on with Storm Rush, the super glowy, super twitchy racer
Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping quite like a twitch racer. You've no time to think, no time to plan ahead - you rely entirely on instinct, like a frightened doormouse fleeing an alpha predator. In the case of Storm Rush you're not a doormouse, but a non-specific floating entity trying to avoid glowing towers of energy falling from the top of the screen. Not quite as threatening as a chasing cheetah, perhaps, but it got my pulse up nonetheless. See me playing Storm Rush - which is out right now for iPhone and iPad - in the video above.…
The Banner Saga 2 will be coming to mobile, hopefully next year
More vikings! More snow! Even bigger beards! These are just three of the things we're hoping will feature in the upcoming sequel to wintery RPG The Banner Saga, which has just been confirmed for mobile devices. If you want to see the first footage of The Banner Saga 2 in action, and hear quotes from the developer, check out the video above.…
