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Penumbear Review
Penumbear by Taco Graveyard and Bulkypix doesn't pull any punches. All too often the App Store finds itself burdened with titles that evoke the likeness of games we know and love, but so few go as far as to understand what made them great and come up with something entirely new in the process. With nothing more than the ability to run back and forth, jump, and activate various switches in the world, you'll need to solve a complex series of stages that beg you to scratch a little deepe…
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Purple Cape Review
There's something almost sacred about the platformer. There's a formula in place that seems almost immutable: The character runs around the screen (automatically in the case of some) and the player can jump (all the better to reach new areas and avoid or crush enemies). Purple Cape by Lastmoon Games and Forest Moon Games throws out such old-fashioned ideas and tries something entirely new - you don't move at all unless you're jumping. In a way this is the kind of concept that only wor…
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Real Racing 3 (Worldwide Release) Review
Editor's Note: As of the 28th of February the game is live across the world. Updates to the game have resolved minor bugs, however most importantly at the time of this writing 'repairs' no longer take time to complete. You'll still be considerably out of pocket, but it will put you back on the road sooner after taking unavoidable damage (such as from a TSM-controlled AI driver). Despite this the core problem afflicting RR3's playability remains in-tact; the game is devoid of meaningful…
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The Gods: Rebellion Review
Brawlers of various incarnations have always found a home on the App Store. Their charm is simple: You get to punch/stab or otherwise beat up a near endless variety of foes over and over again. It's immediate and it's effective, and barring horrible controls you're going to get some sort of enjoyment out of it. The Gods: Rebellion follows the God of War formula, almost to the letter (albeit with a Chinese mythos instead of a Greek one) making it a familiar - if uninspired - experience…
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Hell Yeah! Pocket Inferno Review
At times I wonder if the incomplete release of a game is the result of hubris on the part of the developer, or a genuine lack of time to bring the pieces together. In any case, no matter how intriguing your idea may be, if it can't stand on its own two feet it's going to have a rough time in the hands of even the most casual of gamers. Hell Yeah! Pocket Inferno is SEGA and Polm Studio's attempt at boiling down the Console and PC release of 'Wrath of the Dead Rabbit', but instead of a g…
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Cyto Review
Editor's Note: While playing Cyto for the video record I noticed the iPhone 5 build did indeed have an aiming arc - it's quite possible older generation iOS devices may not be displaying the arc as either a bug or due to performance issues. Ah, the amnesiac; a video game trope that has lasted the ages and no doubt will be with us until the end of the art form. Cyto is a weird little rubber ball or cell looking creature that wakes up in a strange world not knowing who he is. Not only d…
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Sporos Review
Infection as a puzzle mechanic; that's what I think of when I play Sporos. This isn't a new concept mind you. Last year's Tentacle Wars comes to mind, but there's something about covering cells using the microscopic entity known as the sporos that I find equally parts engaging and creepy. To extend that factor, this game both contains a laboratory for essential infection and experimental. Now that game never actually states what the sporos is or what you're doing, so I'll stick with my…
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Bipolar Review
Now now, before anyone gets into an uproar, this is not a puzzle game based around the medical disorder. It's more like... well, do you know those chess puzzles in the newspaper that have a pre-set amount of pieces and you have to figure out how to checkmate in a certain number of moves? This is like that with the board game Othello... only not really. Each horizontal row needs to be the same color, and to make that happen, you draw a line across tiles with your finger so that when you…
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Worm Run Review
You are Zeke Tallahassee, space janitor. It's depressing how many space janitors are lost trying to emulate the exploits of the famed Roger Wilco, but Zeke finds himself fleeing for his life from a gigantic space worm. These are the risks that come with the territory however. Worm Run is an endless runner based around a swiping mechanic, leading Zeke through all manner of twisting cavern full on nooks and crevices. Unfortunately, things are not as smooth as you might think. Swipes are…
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DIE HARD Review
Editor's Note: I should have picked up on the incorrect movie title; apologies! Freemium design around the in-app purchase model can be excused. Freemium design around the in-app purchase model of a premium title is pretty abominable, but OK. Freemium design around the in-app purchase model of a premium title that is a movie licensed game, well that's reaching new heights of unbelievability. That's what we have here with Die Hard however. Don't be confused though, it's not based on th…
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Krashlander Review
So apparently evil robots from another planet have destroyed our world (again), and humanity's defense in this game's case is to don a suit so you can ski down slopes, crashing into the robots, and destroying them. Their one weakness! Krashlander has you traversing hazardous mountain paths with the end goal of smacking into these robots, before moving onto the next mission. It's a physics based arcade game in bite sized levels, but there is one crucial difference here, the control sche…
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Wide Sky (UPDATED: Ver. 1.3) Review
Review Update (21 Feb, 2013): Let it not be said that Marcus Eckert isn't listening to his audience. A recent update has overhauled Wide Sky with a seemingly minor, but drastically helpful quality-of-life update to the interface that proves to be the difference between sheer frustration and casual, mindless fun. An indicator on your hedgehog lets you keep track of where the rope will appear, and once latched on to a cloud you'll also receive a handy arrow pointing you in the direction…
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Year Walk Review
Isolation, loneliness, darkness, despair, and fear - such are the emotions exploited by thrillers and horror based titles, and Year Walk by Simogo is no exception. However, instead of relying on cheap thrills and spills or obscene violence like a teen-slasher, this title gently pushes you in to a world dripping with macabre portents, leading you deeper and deeper in to its dark and disturbing story. For a developer known for their upbeat titles, Year Walk makes for a surprising change…
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Finding Teddy Review
The little girl sleeps soundly in her bed, unaware that out of her closet, the spidery leg of a monster has stolen her precious teddy bear. Waking up to find it missing, she explores her closet only to find it transports her to a magical world full of magic, music, and danger. Finding Teddy is an adventure game that's streamlined for the iOS platform. Tapping will move the little girl to new screens, tapping will pick up objects, and tapping will open your inventory to use these items…
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JOOL Review
Finding an endless runner these days with a unique spin on the genre is harder than you might think. With Jool, that last sentence was actually a bit of clever wordplay because what this game offers is an escape from the death that is inevitable in the genre. That's right, did your weird bird character fall from the platforms into oblivion? It's not game over, just flip your device around and continue the game playing as his malicious ego heading in the other direction. Oh, the ego fel…
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