Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Harry Slater'
It turns out that smash hit mobile FPS Guns of Boom was almost a PC game
You've probably heard of Guns of Boom. It's one of the most exciting FPS games available from the App Store, and sees teams of players trying to take and hold objectives in fast-paced and super fun battles. Interestingly though, things could have been very different. In a case study just released by Unity. Game Insight, the dev behind Guns of Boom, explains that at the start of the game's life, it was actually being built for PC. As recently as 2015, there was a playable version of Guns of Boom, designed and built for computers rather than mobiles and tablets. The change over to mobile was made much easier by the fact that the game had been developed in Unity. That meant that when Game Ins…
Our pick of the top iPhone and iPad game of the week - Tacticool
Every Thursday here at AppSpy we like to make sure that you know what the most exciting game that's come out over the past seven days. And today is no different. This week's game of the week is the awesome Tacticool, a top-down multiplayer shooter that's just landed on the App Store. The game sees you taking control of a soldier, teaming up with friends or strangers, and taking on another team in fast-paced military shooting action. And while that blasting core is solid, it's the other little layers that Tacticool puts down that make this such an interesting prospect. For one thing there are vehicles you can jump in. Grab a friend and they can man the gun on the back of a truck while you d…
game of the weekWhat a Netflix-style streaming service might mean for mobile gaming
The big news in the mobile gaming world this week surrounds rumours that Apple might be interested in creating a Netflix-for-gaming style subscription service on the App Store. It's certainly an interesting idea, and if there's any store that's position to deliver on such a scheme, it feels like it could be the App Store. There have been plenty of attempts to make streaming games more mainstream - most of the major consoles have some form of streaming option, and then there was OnLive, and the other services that have tried to capitalise on the desire for speedily delivered digital entertainment. But mobile gaming feels like it's already dealt with a lot of the problems that are inherent i…
Everything you need to know about Angry Birds Dream Blast for mobile
Angry Birds Dream Blast is the latest game starring the furious avians to make it to mobile. It's a bit different from what's come before though, so we thought it'd be a good idea to break down exactly what it is, and exactly what it isn't. That's where this story comes in. We've played the game, we're pretty smart, and we want to share our findings with you, the good readers of AppSpy. If you've got your own questions about the game don't hesitate to drop them in the comments section at the bottom of the article and we'll do our utmost to answer them. What sort of game is it? It's a bubble popper. You need to match coloured blobs together in order to clear them from the screen. There isn…
One to watch - Spirit Roots is coming to iOS next week
When Friday rolls around we like to stop thinking about the past and start looking to the future. No, we're not talking about all the lovely things we're going to do over the weekend (and trust us, they're going to be lovely), we're talking about the games you're going to be playing next week. Or more specifically, our pick of the best of them. This week we've chosen Spirit Roots. It's an action platformer that looks like it's going to blend together two of our favourite things - the past and the present. There's a retro vibe to the game, but it's counterpointed by some smart mobile ideas that make the game feel fresher than it has any right to be. For one thing it looks lovely, and for…
Our pick of the top iPhone and iPad game of the week - Alien: Blackout
Every week here at AppSpy we like to pick one game that's come out over the past seven days that we think you should be playing. And that's exactly what we're doing here - telling you that if you're only going to play one game this week you should probably make it Alien: Blackout. The game is set in the same universe as all of the other Alien games, and sees you playing Ripley's daughter. This time you're trapped on a terrifying space station that's been overrun by the awful xenomorphs. You need to guide a team through the corridors and keep them safe. It's sort of like Five Nights at Freddy's, but instead of horrifying animatronic animals, sleak extraterrestrial killing machines are the o…
One to watch - Alien: Blackout is coming out for iPhone and iPad next week
Next week we're going to see one of the biggest mobile games of the year coming out for iPhone and iPad. If you've not heard about it, Alien: Blackout is a sort-of-sequel to the console and PC horror survival game Alien: Isolation. It sees you reprising the role of Ripley's daughter, who's trying yet again to survive the unwanted attentions of an alien killing machine. The game is premium, and it's split up into seven different chapters. It's made by D3 GO!, a developer that's also worked on the Puzzle Quest series of games. Blackout looks like it's going to be a strategic take on the Five Nights at Freddy's template, with you controlling doors and security cameras to keep a rescue crew saf…
Our pick of the top iPhone and iPad game of the week - Forged Fantasy
Every week here at AppSpy we like to choose one game that we think stands head and shoulders above all the others that have come out over the past seven days. Sometimes it's difficult to pick just one, since there are so many awesome games regularly coming out on the App Store. Not so this week - this week Forged Fantasy was always going to be the winner. The game is a super polished, cinematic action RPG that sees you building up a team of heroes. There are magic using nymphs, sword wielding warriors, bow-blasting samurai, giant rock monsters, and more. It's up to you to train them up, smash down the bad guys, and grab the loot. Forged Fantasy is a midcore game through and through though.…
The top 3 best ARPGs for iPhone and iPad
ARPGs, or action role-playing games, seem to be pretty omnipresent on other gaming platforms. Not so on mobile, thanks to the limited control systems and short-play times that the platform offers. But there are some really great examples of the genre on the App Store, you just need to know where to look. And that's where this list comes in. We've scoured iTunes to discover what we think are the finest ARPG experiences that you can currently have on mobile. There's something for everyone here, whether you're after a more old-fashioned game, one with a bewitching story, or a game that's going to delight in killing you over and over. Obviously this is a pretty short list, so there's a chance…
Everything you need to know about Forged Fantasy for mobile
Forged Fantasy is looking set to be one of the most interesting midcore ARPGs that we've seen on the App Store. It's set to come out this week, so we thought it was a good idea to make sure you knew what to expect before the game hits the App Store. We've already spent a good few hours on the game, so you can rest assured that we know what we're talking about. By the same token, if you've got some questions you want answering, we're in a good position to answer them, so make sure you chuck them in the comments section at the bottom of the article. What sort of game is Forged Fantasy? It's a free to play ARPG that sees you building up a team of warriors, ranged attackers, and magic users i…
One to watch - Galaxy Stack is out for iPhone and iPad next week
There aren't that many publishers working in the mobile gaming industry that we respect more than Crescent Moon Games. Here's a studio working with some of the most interesting talent going, that's always releasing really good new games. And next week could see another one of those, with the release of Galaxy Stack. It's a game that mixes together two of the most popular genres on the App Store - the shooter, and the stacker. You're not just blasting alien invaders out of the sky in order to win, you need to make giant piles of their corpses too - just in case they weren't clear after you'd shot them down who was in charge around here. Intriguingly this one is a premium game - it's going…
The top 3 best top down shooters for iPhone and iPad
Welcome to the third part of our round up of the best of the different styles of shooter that you can grab from the App Store. We've already covered the top 3 arcade shooters as well as the top 3 platform shooters. Today, we're going to look at what we think are the three best top-down shooters that you can pick up from the App Store at this very second. Since it's such a short list, there's a good chance we've missed out one of your favourites. We've not done it on purpose, and we'd love to hear your suggestions - and the reasons you think they should be included - in the comments section down there at the bottom of the list. For now though, let's get on with the games we've chosen. Neon…
The top 3 platform shooters for iPhone and iPad
We've already told you what the best arcade shooters on the App Store are (you can click that link to find out if you missed the article), and now it's time for the next addition to our list - the best platform shooters. It's almost a side-genre from the arcade shooter, but there are so many games that could fit in, we thought it was best to give it a list all of its own. Since we've only picked three games, there's a chance that we've missed out your favourite. If that's the case, do let us know the games you think should be included, and let us know why as well, in the comments section down at the bottom of all of these words. Right then, on with our picks. Downwell This one would mak…
The top 3 arcade shooters for iPhone and iPad
It's hard to think of a less specific genre than the shooter. So we thought we'd break it down a little bit, giving you a series of lists about the different types of blaster you can download from the App Store. With this one, we're going to look at the top 3 arcade shooters you can grab for your iPhone or iPad right now. Of course there are loads of arcade-style shooters on the App Store, so there's a very good chance that we've missed out on one of your favourites. If that's the case, make sure you let us know about it in the comments section down at the bottom of the article. Steredenn We'll start off the list with one of the best shooters in recent memory. There are plenty of good p…
The top 3 iPhone games that will help you keep your new year's resolutions
It's the time of the year when you're going to be making a lot of resolutions, and here at AppSpy we thought we should give you a helping hand, by letting you know about some games that could help you get fit in the new year. Exercising is pretty dull after all, so if you can find a way to make it more interesting that's okay with us. We've picked what we think are the three best games that are going to help you get more fresh air this year, but if you've got your own suggestions, especially if they've helped you out, do let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the article. Zombies, Run! Running is boring, right? What about running away from a pack of rabid zombies who want…
