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[Tunesmith]

Each month, the iOS GAF community hosts a thread for new game releases, rumors and discussion that define the fast-moving world of iOS gaming.

The OP will contain games that released both towards the end of the previous month and games that have released during the current month.
All the games listed will have been highlighted by the GAF community in one way or another. This way you can keep tabs on the best games and at the same time curate an excellent resource to look back on to find games you may have missed.

Also keep an eye out for the ‘GAF iOS Challenges’; events where GAF battle it out on the Game Center leaderboards of a chosen game for both fame and fortune (prizes donated by members of our community).

If you're a developer who wishes to have your game featured, please talk about your game in the thread and if the GAF community at large likes the game then your wish just might be granted. Please note that there's a difference between posting about a game you made and just advertising your game with no further interaction with the community, this thread is not for the latter and such advertising behavior is frowned upon.

Traps n’ Gemstones was an out-of-the blue surprise for me. I had no idea the game was coming, but once I saw the screenshots and trailer, it was an instant purchase. Traps is a Metroidvania platformer, set in the sprawling hazardous caverns and rooms of an Egyptian temple. Every aspect of the game feels well crafted, from the tight controls and charming visuals to the varied puzzle mechanics. Fight enemies, unlock new gear, descend deeper into new areas and explore places that were previously inaccessible, find relics and treasure. Traps n’ Gemstones is just a fun polished experience, easily worth the price.

Easily my favorite game this week. Excellent game, and it's cool seeing the map fill in as you explore more and more of the temple

Its very metroidvania, with a large map full of dangers and things to collect, places you cant reach without the proper thing needed, weapons, gadgets, so far a good story, DonutGames seal of quality: Controls are spot on, NO IAP,... its fantastic, loving it.

Replaces Bubble Pig (outstanding bouncy platformer with many gameplay mechanics, secret areas, combos,...) as my favorite Donut game.

Finished Traps n Gemstones yesterday. One of the better iOS games I've played. Highly recommended

[Made by GAFer isTomgames]I hope we're not breaking the rules here, but our game, Mad Bullets will be released on the 17th of july! Most importantly the app will be available for download for FREE on the App Store!

As You may know, Mad Bullets is an endless railshooter, placed on western locations, with fully destructible environments and most of all, a very easy controlling and fun gameplay. Mad Bullets will be available on iOS platform (iPhone, iPad) for FREE, with in-app purchases.

And here are some more important informations for the record:
- More than 50 levels, with 200 missions
- Dozens of enemies with various attitudes
- Mini games that will maximize your reflexes
- And an audiovisually thrilling experience!

This is actually a well done shooter so far. Reminds me of a Time Crisis/Virtua Cop type shooter. Graphics are great and cartoony and I really like the color based RED = bad guy/thing, GREEN = good guy/thing. Makes it obvious what I should shoot.

As for IAP, I have only played it for a little bit but mostly it seems like the IAP is only for continuing/boosts? It seems like if I simply want to go through levels shooting things I can do that all I want too. (so no wait timers)

For the limited amount of time I've played it I've enjoyed it a lot!

Yes. I am playing Monster Hunter right now on my iPad Mini and it's, as expected, the best iOS game to date.

- Not counting the upscaled PSP cutscenes, the game looks amazing. Extremely crisp.
- 30 frames per second on my iPad Mini (NON-retina). It never drops below 30 which makes the gameplay true to the original game(s).
- Controls are fucking fantastic, but it will take some time for new players to adapt. I'm currently playing with my right hand using the "claw"-technique.
- Tons and tons of content to be had, but that's expected from a Monster Hunter game.

Buy this. This is literally the best thing you'll be able to buy on iOS if you're even remotely interested in the genre.

At least Monster Hunter is a great port, it actually runs at 60fps with improved visuals, supports controllers, features multiplayer and basically does everything right unlike DQ8. At least I haven't read any real negatives about Monster Hunter while DQ8 had a ton of them (par for the course for a SE port).

Just wanted to leave some impressions after a few hours:

- gameplay is freaking amazing. This is my first MH title and it's awesome.
- touch controls work incredibly well
- game is easy to understand, but features some really great and deep mechanics
- tutorial is quite long but it perfectly explains everything you need to know
- lock-on camera for big monsters is godsend
- graphics are quite nice, specially since this is a port of a PS2/PSP game
- big monster battles are mind blowing and feature some deep strategy
- no IAP whatsoever makes it even better. I'd rather pay $15 for a game than $1-4 a be forced to pay just so I don't have to go through cooldowns and similar shit that some "free" to play games force on you

If you have a supported iDevice (works on unsupported too, but you have to do some editing), buy this game NOW.

[Impressions from:] http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=815854

Important Civ question - how big is the install? Space is at a premium.

945 MB

Played the first 10 minutes of civ rev 2, it's definitely civ rev that's for sure. Feels like a simpler and more streamlined version of civ 3. Graphics are cleaner than the pictures made them seem though.

I'll post more impressions tomorrow once I have more time.

Early impression of Civ Rev 2 is much like that above. It looks nicer, especially on the ipad and the interface is solid and tutorials/civ pedia are there. But other than that it seems to be pretty much the same as the first game.

So early call is if you don't have either? It'll be the one to get and should be a great ios strategy game. But the $15 ($18.50 for me) price tag might be too high for what seems pretty incremental.

I'll dig in a bit more.

The buyer's remorse is strong I'm afraid.

Not that it is all that bad, but Civ Rev 1 is fine at this point.

Finished a game of Civ Rev 2 on King difficulty. I would consider this more a "2.0" than a full fledged sequel. There are some tweaks/new things but nothing that really effects your strategies from the first game. Basically things that were DLC in the first game are the new things in this (Wonders, new technology). At least it's nice to have a graphics engine now that is based on the PS3/360 version instead of the DS version.

Made by GAF's own revenantkioku, you can also find the game's OT here!

This game is seriously great. I'm not huge on sliding puzzle games, but the timer element fills my twitch gaming need perfectly and it really is one of those games where you want to keep going back for a better high score.

Best $0.99 I've spent in a long time.

And the music!

This game needs more love.
It took me a while to get into it, but the music is so laid back it just makes you want to keep playing, and once the game system clicks, it's really easy to get hooked.

Ad-supported so worth a download, at least — what have you got to lose?

Hello guys, second post. I want to talk about a game that is giving me tons of fun, called 99 Bricks Wizard Academy from WeirdBeard. It is a tower physics strategic building game with NO IAP that shares some similarities with Jenga -tower equilibrium, but instead of removing pieces, you have to add them- and with Knightmare Tower -the thrill of the ascent-.

There are different classes to play with -each one adding some story bits to the game new tutorials-, many upgrades like new robes, magic wands or your power ups. The power ups -and the physics engine- adds a strategic element to the game and used wisely can save your tower from falling down. These include lightning to remove unwanted blocks or concrete, to make them sticky to each other and many more. And to top it, there are evil rival wizards that are trying to crush your creation, like speeding up the blocks or making giang blocks.

Seriously, I didn't have this much fun since a long time. Its 2.99$ and so worth it.

Yeah, I've been hooked on 99 Bricks since I got it yesterday. Almost four hours and I rarely put that much time into a single IOS game in one day. This game is really addictive

The last building/balancing game I played was the Perfect Balance Collection. Besides Perfect and Imperfect Balance, I hadn't found any other similar games that really held my interest. 99 Bricks is my favorite in a long time.

When I first saw the game, I was curious if the magic and abilities would be gimmicky or not, but they add a cool strategic element to the tower building. Besides figuring out where you want to place blocks and dealing with evil wizard curses, you have to be think about other factors as well. Each height interval freezes the current state of your tower so you need to always be thinking ahead and not only keeping your tower steady, but also creating a solid foundation in the process. Using your limited abilities at the right time, on the right blocks, can be a lifesaver. And carelessly placing a block, only for it be frozen in an awkward position, can ruin a great run

And it's 100% premium, no IAP. You have to respect a developer who switches his game from F2P to premium/ (Originally the game soft launched as F2P, but the devs felt that format hurt the game so they switched to premium with no IAP and focused on making the game fun rather than focusing on monetization

I love how physics don't always apply here, compared to other tower building games. It's always cool when you finally fail and then the camera zooms out and you see how insane your tower looks.

This game is pure genius, and the happiest $3 I've spent in a long time.

This game is like crack. I cannot stop playing it!

Sometimes I focus on creating a very wide tower using the petrify block, and end up with a short tower. I once filled up the entire width of the screen.

It's such a great game though

 

[Tunesmith]

This website keeps track of all the controller enabled games. It gets updated regularly.

A better, yet more cumbersome iOS 7 gamepad: hands-on with the MOGA Ace Power - Engadget
MOGA Ace Power Gamepad Review - 148Apps
Hands-on with the MOGA Ace Power - the first MFi iPhone controller for iOS 7 - Pocket Gamer

Here are a few video reviews of iCade supported titles (thanks Alextended!)

iCade hardware

Blazing Star
Shogun: Rise of the Renegade
Gridrunner
ElectroMaster
Enborn-X
Midway Arcade
Vectrex Regeneration
Temple Run

Here is a summary of other iOS game/iOS device related threads!

Rules

• Send Dash Kappei or Tunesmith a PM if you want to be added or taken off the list, following this text formatting:
  
  GAF Name = Game Center Name / iOS Device(s)

• When adding someone, add From GAF to the friend request and your NeoGAF name as to easily tell who's who.
• Send Dash Kappei or Tunesmith a PM if you are already on the list but want to update your profile with more info like iOS devices(s) owned, or to just change your existing GC profile.
• We are on the list and, if you are too, it's OK to add us even if we're not best buddies; don't be shy: we enjoy having more GAFers challenging us on the friends leaderboards.
• Don't just wait for others to add you first you should at least add some of the profiles posted above yours if you want to get the ball rolling... It's really up to you. Ideally the last member of the list will be the one to add the profiles above his, and so on and on with each new member. Or maybe just add whoever you like, that's also an option.
• Remember: Your real name will be visible to your GC friends.
• You can add everyone on the list at once; click the second sheet on the iOS Membership list and read the instructions, works on iOS and Macs

###
The form to enter yourself to the list is here: quote to see
###

How do I back up my game saves for games that do not support iCloud save games?

Use a file manager program such as i-FunBox (PC/Mac) - It's free and requires no jailbreak.
i-FunBox has many different features, but to back up save games you would just want to do the following:

• Click the iFunBox Classic tab
• Connect your iOS device, via WiFi or USB, it should then appear in the Connected Devices list on the left side of the UI.
• Under User Applications, navigate to the game you want to back up save games for.
• Select the Documents and Library folders and copy them one at a time to your PC/Mac - this will copy the folders and all their contents. They contains your save files and settings for the game. Some games only use Documents, some use both.

To restore a backed up save game do the reverse.

• Under User Applications, navigate to the game you want to restore save games for.
• Select the Documents and/or Library folders and choose to copy from PC/Mac.
• Navigate to where you saved the backed up Documents and/or Library folders on your PC/Mac, open them and select all the files within it and open them. This will copy the folder contents back onto your iOS device.
• Restart/fully close the game itself and your saves should be back!

Check that the file structure of the game is retained, e.g. GameName > Documents > files after you're done (no Documents folder within the Documents folder!), otherwise the game will not recognize your restored saves!

How do I hide my Real Name on Game Center?

Your real first and last name (taken from your Apple ID) will be shown to your GC friends. If you value that information and want GAF's leaderboards to show your GAF nickname instead, here's how you do it:

• Go to http://appleid.apple.com and log in with your Apple ID details via "Manage your Apple ID".
• In the "Name, ID and Email Addresses" section, click Edit on the Your Name field at the top.
• Change you First and Last name (you must enter both) to whatever you like (e.g. First Name: Tunesmith, Last Name: GAF)

Done, now that's who you're going to be listed as on your friend's Game Center leaderboards. This will affect Game Center *and* your Apple ID. If it's the same account you use for App Store/iTunes, you will still be able to use it for iTunes/App Store's purchases (you can still buy whatever you want like you could before) *BUT* in the receipt it'll show your nickname or whatever you chose as First Name and Last Name when you changed those fields. The first time you will use the modified account on App Store/iTunes, you will be asked to verify the account by re-entering the 3 digits code of the credit card's CCV security code (if you make your purchases using a credit card).

Should I buy this new high-priced game or wait for a sale?

Maybe! Just be aware that iOS games have a tendency to go on sale frequently and unpredictably, even recent games can be a dollar rather than premium $4-5. Spend your pack of gum money wisely.
As a recommendation, set up a RSS feed for the price changes on http://appshopper.com/ which will then notify you of any price fluctuations for old and new games alike.

I just got an iPhone/iPad. What are the best games?

In addition to checking out the past month's iOS Gaming threads, visit Best iOS Games Ever v1 / Best iOS Games Ever v2 / iOS Hidden Gems. You're welcome.

For gaming, should I get the iPad Mini 2, or iPad Air?

Both have their pros and cons. The Mini 2 is cheaper and smaller but there is a slight difference between the Air's A7 chip and the mini's A7: the mini's is around 100MHz slower -- 1.3GHz compared to the Air's 1.4GHz. Other than that they're both identical in spec. It's very much a coin toss between if you want a 9.7" or a 7.9" screen.

I'm a new iOS user, what non-gaming apps should I get ASAP?

This thread would be a great place to start. Asking here wouldn't hurt either!

Thanks to Fuu & Dash Kappei for handling the community list's past/present duties, Dash Kappei for running the iOS Challenges, past OT hosts for having done a wonderful job and finally to our iOS Gaming community for keeping these threads alive!

 

[More_Badass]

That new thread smell...

 

[Saucycarpdog]

 

[Tunesmith]

)


As mentioned in the June thread, I'll update the July OP casually with June stragglers/July games shortly.

I think World of Tanks should be up there personally, I've only just tested it and it seems solid, any longer impressions (I have countless friends that are hopelessly addicted to the PC version)?

Speaking of impressions, any for Epix's game? mrklaw? Always cool to feature more GAFer-made iOS games in the OPs.

Hey GAF!

Just released my first game for the iPhone and iPad. It's called Overlap Tap and it's a game of concentration, dexterity and stamina. It's designed to be simple to play but challenging to master, and great for killing some time throughout the day. It supports social media so you can share your scores with the world. Please give it a try and if you like it please give it a review on the Appstore, it helps tremendously.

BONUS - I'm giving away a $10 iTunes giftcard to the first person in the world to get 5000 points! I designed the game and the best I've managed so far is 3200. Good luck!!

Store link.

Here's a video.

 

[More_Badass]

I got to ask, do you guys find my long impressions annoying or anything? I tend to just copy and paste from my blog

 

[Dog Problems]

I got to ask, do you guys find my long impressions annoying or anything? I tend to just copy and paste from my blog

I'm actually curious if you have kept up with Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake and how that designer claimed he was being copied. Did SleepNinja ever respond to that anywhere?

 

[More_Badass]

I'm actually curious if you have kept up with Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake and how that designer claimed he was being copied. Did SleepNinja ever respond to that anywhere?

Last I read was from this Joystiq article
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/06/27/monsters-ate-my-birthday-cake-accused-of-stealing-another-artist/

Sounas said he contacted both SleepNinja and publisher Cartoon Network regarding the allegations and "their replies are pending." Likewise, Cartoon Network replied to an inquiry from Joystiq, noting the publisher is "looking into this" and "will be in touch with a response."

 

[Dog Problems]

Last I read was from this Joystiq article
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/06/27/monsters-ate-my-birthday-cake-accused-of-stealing-another-artist/

I see, thanks. I'm just now getting caught up with all of that as before I just skimmed through that link you previously provided.

 

[PFD]

I got to ask, do you guys find my long impressions annoying or anything? I tend to just copy and paste from my blog

Not at all, I enjoy reading your comments

Is Broken Age OP-worthy? It's pretty fun based on what I've played so far (about 2 hrs into the game), and it looks absolutely gorgeous on the retina ipad, though I'm not a big fan of its humor.

 

[More_Badass]

Impressions of the two games I recommended at the end of last thread

Cally's Caves 2

Almost eight months ago, I wrote about the first Cally's Caves. It was a game I considered to be a great hidden gem, with a cute visual style and fun gameplay. Now the sequel was just released and it improved on everything that made the first game so fun, bigger and better in every way.

I can't really talk about Cally's Caves 2 without first commenting on the visuals. This is what the first game looked like, compared to the sequel

It was certainly a game that put gameplay first, although I did find the art style quite charming. Cally's Caves 2 is a huge upgrade over the first game in terms of visuals, with a great pixel art style, a vibrant color scheme, and numerous enemies and weapons. Gameplay-wise, Cally's Caves 2 retains the same fun platformer-shooter action of the original, with a bigger emphasis on RPG elements and just more content.

Wielding an array of powerful weapons and your trusty sword, you journey through the caverns below your home to rescue your kidnapped parents. Make no mistake; Cally's Caves 2 is a difficult game. You'll need quick reflexes and a quick finger to evade enemies and projectiles and deliver your own firepower. From charging wolves and spiders to gun-wielding foes and tanks, the variety in enemies is pretty impressive. RPG elements such upgrades and leveling up add to the mechanics in cool ways; using a weapon upgrades that gun, which not only grows more powerful but also changes appearance. Collecting coins and gems from defeated enemies and chests allows you to purchase sword upgrades, increased your chance to dodge attacks, unlock a triple jump, and more.

Cally's Caves 2 takes what worked in the original - the challenging gameplay, the fun weapons and upgrades, the varied enemies - and makes a bigger and better sequel, with an new art style, more levels, and new secrets to uncover. And incredibly, the game is free to download, with the only IAP being a single $0.99 purchase to remove ads, equip poison bullets, and make enemies drop gems.

super ccatch

Another week, another minimalist twitch game. And that's not a bad thing; I love the genre and the varied games it offers. super ccatch is my newest addiction, thanks to its great soundtrack and hectic gameplay.

The IOS version of Anton's original browser game, super ccatch feels right at home on mobile. Your goal is drag your platform across the screen to catch like-colored shapes while evading shapes of different colors. This task starts out simple enough, but soon that beginning sprinkle becomes a geometric deluge, as shapes pour down from above. It's at the moment that super ccatch sunk its hooks into me, delivering a lightning-fast challenge as you weave between shapes to intercept the ones you want, with mere moments to react. As you catch shapes, the screens fills up, reducing the space and time you have to maneuver. Catch the wrong shape and your platform switches to that shape's color, forcing you to adapt in an instant. It's just an addictive frantic experience, and the game's minimalist style keeps the screen uncluttered from any distractions. The touch controls are responsive; your reactions may fail you, not the controls.

super ccatch delivers a fun frantic high-scoring experience, bolstered by a slick minimalist presentation and an awesome chiptune soundtrack.

 

[CornBurrito]

Rainblocks is a cute little time waster. Music is very chill. And I think they were wise to make it free with a small purchase to remove ads. Had they charged anything I bet we'd have seen a flood of rainblocks clones just like what happened with Threes.

 

[Vomiaouaf]

Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake is cute. Shame about the stolen art part. Curious to see how that ends and gets resolved or not.

Random thought, but I've been growing reeaaaallly tired of pixel-art games lately. Seems like a lazy attempt at looking indie, usually ends being just an uninspired shortcut for release.

 

[More_Badass]

Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake is cute. Shame about the stolen art part. Curious to see how that ends and gets resolved or not.

Random thought, but I've been growing reeaaaallly tired of pixel-art games lately. Seems like a lazy attempt at looking indie, usually ends being just an uninspired shortcut for release.

I guess this ties in with that other thread, but what does looking "indie" even mean?
Really, I'm sorry, but that statement doesn't make any sense

Pixel art is just an art style. An artistic choice. Would you question an artist for choosing pastels over paints? It is true that sometimes pixel art is chosen because it is less time consuming than other art styles (i.e. the devs of Broforce switched to pixel art because their drawn style was taking too long and negatively affecting development) but that doesn't make using pixel art for a game a sign of a developer being lazy or rushing.

If you're saying that in relation to Cally's Cave, I've been chatting with the dev. It's a two man team, the dev meet up with an artist on TIGForum. It's a labor of love, and yes a product of nostalgia for them

We tried to make it as close to the SNES experiences we had as kids, that seem so epic now in our memories.

But I don't think pixel art should be thought of as a shortcut or lazy

 

[Vomiaouaf]

I guess this ties in with that other thread, but what does looking "indie" even mean?
Really, I'm sorry, but that statement doesn't make any sense

Pixel art is just an art style. An artistic choice. Would you question an artist for choosing pastels over paints? It is true that sometimes pixel art is chosen because it is less time consuming than other art styles (i.e. the devs of Broforce switched to pixel art because their drawn style was taking too long and negatively affecting development) but that doesn't make using pixel art for a game a sign of a developer being lazy or rushing.

If you're saying that in relation to Cally's Cave, I've been chatting with the dev. It's a two man team, the dev meet up with an artist on TIGForum. It's a labor of love, and yes a product of nostalgia for them

But I don't think pixel art should be thought of as a shortcut or lazy

Totally didn't mean it for Cally's Cave. And agree with your post.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Rainblocks is a cute little time waster. Music is very chill. And I think they were wise to make it free with a small purchase to remove ads. Had they charged anything I bet we'd have seen a flood of rainblocks clones just like what happened with Threes.

Thanks for playing!

And yeah, you read my mind.

Since I have nothing in the ways of marketing budget, I decided to go free for the people who don't like paying for games and IAP for the people who don't like ads and want to pay for games. It's imperfect, but the best solution I could find given all the constraints.

I am working on additional content to add to the game (for free, no more IAPs) and I'll be checking around for thoughts and opinions. Happy with how the game is now but looking to improve it.

 

[okno]

The anti-pixel art backlash is picking up steam and I think it's important that people begin to distinguish that they are talking specifically about 8-bit pixel art and not pixel art as a whole. Many, many indie developers are using 8-bit graphics because it is easy, inexpensive and quick. It takes a very small team to develop an 8-bit game, but to do 16+bit requires a larger team and more resources. I am definitely with those who are becoming exhausted by 8-bit graphics, but what I appreciate are the studios who are now beginning to push the boundaries of 8-bit artwork, e.g. Shovel Knight. However, developers are going to need to act soon and begin pushing themselves to go further, because otherwise gamers will just begin to burnout and start judging the games based solely on their graphics, thus beginning a new "graphics war," although on a much different scale from the next-gen level. Right now, the 8-bit thing works because it's cute and simple and aesthetically pleasing, but it's getting to be so boring and predictable. Considering we are now using these devices that can push intense 3D graphics, people are soon to begin to expect more from the 2D side of things.

 

[chickdigger802]

Civ rev 2 is out.
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=864880531&mt=8

 

[Jarsonot]

Civ rev 2 is out.
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=864880531&mt=8

Ooh, is it any good? And that's a weird link, what's up with that?

 

[toddhunter]

Ooh, is it any good? And that's a weird link, what's up with that?

Downloading now... I'd assume so given it doesn't look like much has changed beyond a graphical upgrade and some new units and research options.

It is universal at least, which I think the original was not?

Will check it out.

 

[Emarv]

Yeah, would love Civ Rev 2 impressions from courageous Gaffers. Go forth iOS frontiersmen!

 

[Mobius 1]

Civ rev 2 is out.
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=864880531&mt=8

For 15 Washingtons, I will wait for reviews or at least impressions.

 

[Katori]

Jeez, for $15 it'd be nice to have iCloud support, but the graphics do look nice (well, Civ IV level at least ) and it has no IAP/micro which is a good thing in my book. Will probably wait for the price drop though, $15 is pretty steep.

Anyone still into World of Tanks Blitz? The fact that there's only one game type is kinda lame but yet I still keep coming back, it's the first game that's grabbed me in a while.

 

[CornBurrito]

Jeez, for $15 it'd be nice to have iCloud support, but the graphics do look nice (well, Civ IV level at least ) and it has no IAP/micro which is a good thing in my book. Will probably wait for the price drop though, $15 is pretty steep.

Anyone still into World of Tanks Blitz? The fact that there's only one game type is kinda lame but yet I still keep coming back, it's the first game that's grabbed me in a while.

At 15 dollars it better have no IAP.

Speaking of which, I noticed a few Sonic games on IOS which cost money, but then seem to have IAP for levels. So is it basically paying for a demo?

 

[graywolf323]

Jeez, for $15 it'd be nice to have iCloud support, but the graphics do look nice (well, Civ IV level at least ) and it has no IAP/micro which is a good thing in my book. Will probably wait for the price drop though, $15 is pretty steep.

while I am happy it's an universal app the lack of iCloud support means I'll wait

also being more than $10 sorta surprised me

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Played the first 10 minutes of civ rev 2, it's definitely civ rev that's for sure. Feels like a simpler and more streamlined version of civ 3. Graphics are cleaner than the pictures made them seem though.

I'll post more impressions tomorrow once I have more time.

 

[toddhunter]

Early impression of Civ Rev 2 is much like that above. It looks nicer, especially on the ipad and the interface is solid and tutorials/civ pedia are there. But other than that it seems to be pretty much the same as the first game.

So early call is if you don't have either? It'll be the one to get and should be a great ios strategy game. But the $15 ($18.50 for me) price tag might be too high for what seems pretty incremental.

I'll dig in a bit more.

 

[biocat]

Early impression of Civ Rev 2 is much like that above. It looks nicer, especially on the ipad. But other than that it seems to be pretty much the same as the first game.

So early call is if you don't have either? It'll be the one to get and should be a great ios strategy game. But the $15 ($18.50 for me) price tag might be too high for what seems pretty incremental.

I'll dig in a bit more.

I'm excited about a new Civ game, but was really hoping they'd add a little complexity. Rev is like the short bus of the series.

 

[toddhunter]

I'm excited about a new Civ game, but was really hoping they'd add a little complexity. Rev is like the short bus of the series.

Yeah after playing a bit of Civ 5 it all seems a bit limited.

All nicely done of course, but it feels like something you play only because you can't play the other games, not because you particularly want to.

 

[Heel]

Whoops, wrong thread!

 

[PittaGAF]

Speaking about Hitman GO (which deserves really a lot of love) a new expansion/boards just hit the AppStore.
Unlock it for free mastering previous levels (can't check how many stars) or unlock it immediately for 1 dollar.

EDIT: According to Pocket Tactics it will be available later today.

 

[colinp]

Speaking about Hitman GO (which deserves really a lot of love) a new expansion/boards just hit the AppStore.
Unlock it for free mastering previous levels (can't check how many stars) or unlock it immediately for 1 dollar.

EDIT: According to Pocket Tactics it will be available later today.

Wow, awesome! Thanks for the heads up, Pitta.

 

[pdk27]

Early impression of Civ Rev 2 is much like that above. It looks nicer, especially on the ipad and the interface is solid and tutorials/civ pedia are there. But other than that it seems to be pretty much the same as the first game.

So early call is if you don't have either? It'll be the one to get and should be a great ios strategy game. But the $15 ($18.50 for me) price tag might be too high for what seems pretty incremental.

I'll dig in a bit more.

Yeah played a little bit this morning and it's pretty much the same game. The only thing different I've seen so far is one of the advisors ask what are you going to do for the citizens and gives 4 choices. I picked "defeat two barbarians" when I did it my troops got upgraded .

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Important Civ question - how big is the install? Space is at a premium.

 

[pdk27]

Important Civ question - how big is the install? Space is at a premium.

945 MB

 

[SmokyDave]

Woah, totally forgot Civ Rev 2 was today. Sweet. Feels good to buy an iOS title for over a tenner.

I've been playing Plague Inc. lately. I missed it first time around. It's pretty fucking cool, although all the viruses seem to 'play' more or less the same. It's good fun trying to turn the whole world into zombies though.

 

[Minsc]

Woah, totally forgot Civ Rev 2 was today. Sweet. Feels good to buy an iOS title for over a tenner.

Shame impressions are saying the AI is as dumb as a rock, and basically non-existant. Apparently the first one suffered from this problem too, and no improvements were made here, "The AI is unfortunately not smarter. It seems like playing on Deity is still watching the AI derp around while they research modern era tech by the end of the middle ages due to their bonuses. "

Gameplay is also largely identical to the first game too it sounds, spare for UI and graphic improvements.

 

[pdk27]

Shame impressions are saying the AI is as dumb as a rock, and basically non-existant. Apparently the first one suffered from this problem too, and no improvements were made here, "The AI is unfortunately not smarter. It seems like playing on Deity is still watching the AI derp around while they research modern era tech by the end of the middle ages due to their bonuses. "

Gameplay is also largely identical to the first game too it sounds, spare for UI and graphic improvements.

The only other new thing I've seen so far is the Live Events mode where they can push scenarios to the game. I haven't completed a full game yet but....yeah if the AI is exactly the same as before that's highly disappointing.

 

[SmokyDave]

Shame impressions are saying the AI is as dumb as a rock, and basically non-existant. Apparently the first one suffered from this problem too, and no improvements were made here, "The AI is unfortunately not smarter. It seems like playing on Deity is still watching the AI derp around while they research modern era tech by the end of the middle ages due to their bonuses. "

Gameplay is also largely identical to the first game too it sounds, spare for UI and graphic improvements.

I'm OK with that. Much as I love Civ, I'm not all that good at it. I'm quite happy to have the opportunity to stomp my opponents into the floor, relatively unchallenged.

I was still enjoying the first Civ Rev up until yesterday so if it's just a graphical overhaul and a handful of new units, that's fine.

Edit: although the controls for moving units are already getting on my tits. You used to be able to 'drag' a path, now you select a unit and then select the square to move them to. It's a lot harder to move around on my iPhone than the first game was, let's hope it's better on iPad.

 

[toddhunter]

Shame impressions are saying the AI is as dumb as a rock, and basically non-existant. Apparently the first one suffered from this problem too, and no improvements were made here, "The AI is unfortunately not smarter. It seems like playing on Deity is still watching the AI derp around while they research modern era tech by the end of the middle ages due to their bonuses. "

Gameplay is also largely identical to the first game too it sounds, spare for UI and graphic improvements.

The buyer's remorse is strong I'm afraid.

Not that it is all that bad, but Civ Rev 1 is fine at this point.

 

[biocat]

Shame impressions are saying the AI is as dumb as a rock, and basically non-existant. Apparently the first one suffered from this problem too, and no improvements were made here, "The AI is unfortunately not smarter. It seems like playing on Deity is still watching the AI derp around while they research modern era tech by the end of the middle ages due to their bonuses. "

Gameplay is also largely identical to the first game too it sounds, spare for UI and graphic improvements.

That's too bad. The AI was pitiful in the first game.

 

[chickdigger802]

yep passing on rev 2 for now. its not like 2k is shy about doing sales.

 

[Keasar]

Third round lost in Desert Fox.

I never get these Crisis in Command games. Battle of the Bulge, Drive on Moscow, Desert Fox, I have yet to win a single game in any of them no matter how many times I try, even on their basic campaigns. They are supposed to be easy to grasp yet I feel like a complete idiot every time the germans/russians/americans/commonwealth just steamrolls my troops. At best Ive managed to get a draw but nothing more.

Maybe I am just too stupid for them.

 

[Heel]

Third round lost in Desert Fox.

I never get these Crisis in Command games. Battle of the Bulge, Drive on Moscow, Desert Fox, I have yet to win a single game in any of them no matter how many times I try, even on their basic campaigns. They are supposed to be easy to grasp yet I feel like a complete idiot every time the germans/russians/americans/commonwealth just steamrolls my troops. At best Ive managed to get a draw but nothing more.

Maybe I am just too stupid for them.

I bought the first two when they were on sale like a crazy hoarder person, but the potential learning curve has kept me from actually playing them, haha. Just played the Lite version of Battle of the Bulge and though "I could see myself getting into this...". I seriously need to get around to it.

 

[PittaGAF]

Third round lost in Desert Fox.

I never get these Crisis in Command games. Battle of the Bulge, Drive on Moscow, Desert Fox, I have yet to win a single game in any of them no matter how many times I try, even on their basic campaigns. They are supposed to be easy to grasp yet I feel like a complete idiot every time the germans/russians/americans/commonwealth just steamrolls my troops. At best Ive managed to get a draw but nothing more.

Maybe I am just too stupid for them.

As I LOVE the games, let me throw some ideas about BotB to give you a head start...as you already bought all 3 games (they are pretty different) so I guess you had some fun even if you didn't win.

Play the Race to the Meuse short scenario first as Axis.
The key of the scenario as Axis is getting NEAR (not crossing) the Meuse by the 19 December.
Assuming your opponent doesn't sleep (the provided AI do not) one possibile strategy is getting by the 18 December a mighty 3 panzer-divisions group attacking 2 tiles far from the Meuse a weak spot, and taking advantage of the breakthrough.
It's a consistent strategy that win almost always....the 18 December Allied forces aren't yet organized and if you play wisely the 17 December, you should thin their lines spread across the border.
When you breakthrough, pay attention not to leave a region to the mercy of your opponent, in case they will try to cut off your supply line (they will).

Try it and let me know...I guess that once you achieve your first victory....you will start to appreciate all the subtlies of the game and become unstoppable.

See you on the fields!!!

As for the other games...I have still to launch Desert Fox, but Drive on Moscow is pretty different (imho more suited to single player than multiplayer, due to the large map).
In DoW you aren't pressed as much as in BotB, and different strategies are possibile (trying to occupy the key +1 VP spots is very different from trying to capture Moscow, and yet different than trying to encircle it).
I suggest you stick with BotB before trying the others.

 

[pdk27]

Finished a game of Civ Rev 2 on King difficulty. I would consider this more a "2.0" than a full fledged sequel. There are some tweaks/new things but nothing that really effects your strategies from the first game. Basically things that were DLC in the first game are the new things in this (Wonders, new technology). At least it's nice to have a graphics engine now that is based on the PS3/360 version instead of the DS version.

 

[Abandond]

I was kind of excited about Civ Rev 2 but these impressions aren't the best, and a lack of cloud saves really makes it harder to want to buy the game..

Anyway, has anyone played XCOM on both PC and iOS? I was about to buy the game on Steam but figured a mobile version would be just as good. Should I pick it up on iOS for $10 or wait for it to go on sale again on Steam?

I'm really hyped for Monster Hunter, wish it would just come out already.

 

[Heel]

Blood Bowl coming in early July

The digital version is being produced by Cyanide Studio, which made the original PC version back in 2009 and is releasing an updated version “soon” called Blood Bowl 2. It appears that the tablet version will be based off of this new, updated version.

Blood Bowl will have single player matches vs. AI as well as a solo campaign, but the meat of the game is in its multiplayer options. You can play hotseat matches on one iPad, or go cross-platform and play in a permanent online league.

 

[chickdigger802]

I was kind of excited about Civ Rev 2 but these impressions aren't the best, and a lack of cloud saves really makes it harder to want to buy the game..

Anyway, has anyone played XCOM on both PC and iOS? I was about to buy the game on Steam but figured a mobile version would be just as good. Should I pick it up on iOS for $10 or wait for it to go on sale again on Steam?

I'm really hyped for Monster Hunter, wish it would just come out already.

depends. xcom is fine on pc and ios, although i find it way better to play on ipad vs iphone.

 

[PFD]

I was kind of excited about Civ Rev 2 but these impressions aren't the best, and a lack of cloud saves really makes it harder to want to buy the game..

Anyway, has anyone played XCOM on both PC and iOS? I was about to buy the game on Steam but figured a mobile version would be just as good. Should I pick it up on iOS for $10 or wait for it to go on sale again on Steam?

I'm really hyped for Monster Hunter, wish it would just come out already.

The only bad thing about XCOM on iOS is that it didn't get the expansion (Enemy Within), and doesn't seem like it will (max file size)