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iOS Gaming September 2016 | I don't have unlimited money

Jamesways

Member
I just got an email telling me, that I have been chosen for the Street Kart Beta Round 2 which starts later this week.

i've been playing it through Test Flight, it's pretty rough tbh. should probably go back and give the latest build a go.

We should also add each other as friends when I get access later in the week. Although, they still haven't accepted my request to join their Facebook page, as they suggest we do.
I'm in as well. Really looking forward to it. In the same boat, waiting on them to accept my request to join the group.
I'd love to race against you guys, I'm sure I'm going to be fairly bad at it to start from the sounds of it though.

Loved that "this isn't Real Racing 3 or even Project CARS".
Sounds hardcore.
 

awp69

Member

Pachimari

Member
I'm in as well. Really looking forward to it. In the same boat, waiting on them to accept my request to join the group.
I'd love to race against you guys, I'm sure I'm going to be fairly bad at it to start from the sounds of it though.

Loved that "this isn't Real Racing 3 or even Project CARS".
Sounds hardcore.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. And that we won't be that good at it until we get a lot of practice in it.
 

nampad

Member
Really? I felt that at least Asphalt 8 had some of the best arcade racing on the platform. Solid tracks, good sense of speed, good controls, aggressive racing, a ton of post-release support, and you aren't limited by energy or fuel or any kind of timers

I think I have posted my opinion of it in detail in one of the former threads.

The gameplay feels off for me. The physics are bad and the game does not control like a good arcade racer for me. The rubber banding is horrible and overall the game looks bland, even if it has every nice new graphics feature in it.

Overall, it does exactly what many other mobile rip offs of popular games do wrong. It feels like a cheap version of the console game it wants to be, just way worse. I love console gaming on the go but the Gameloft games just feel lifeless.

My favorite racing game on mobile so far is Horizon Chase. Was close on pulling the trigger on AG Drive but heart some bad things about it. Rush Rally 2 also interests me. From what I have read, it does not seem as soulless as Asphalt etc.
 

Pachimari

Member
Horizon Chase is the best racer on mobile. I could never get into Asphalt. It just didn't feel good. Although I don't think I have played A8.
 

awp69

Member
Horizon Chase is the best racer on mobile. I could never get into Asphalt. It just didn't feel good. Although I don't think I have played A8.

Although I have a different opinion, I think you should still give A8 a try. Still my personal favorite even with all the F2P garbage (but no timers).

I agree that Horizon Chase is fantastic. But Asphalt 8 is probably up there with the games I've sunk the most hours into on iOS, which is saying a lot.

I'm also a HUGE fan of the Burnout console games so that may be part of it since takedowns are a big part of A8.
 

Pachimari

Member
I'm also a HUGE fan of the Burnout console games so that may be part of it since takedowns are a big part of A8.
Burnout are cool racing games. Especially Burnout 2 I think it was.

[edit] Circa Infinity and Power Hover are on sale. Power Hover is on 99c.
 

PittaGAF

Member
Nice! Thanks for the heads-up. I couldn't play it on my aging iPad 3 unfortunately because that swirling animation when running low on health was a performance hog lol.

I don't know if you tried lately, but that was a known bug (you can even disable the effect).
I had the same on an iPad Air (before it got patched).
 
Are they working on it do you know? Just so well suited to the iPad... so much so I can't really be bothered playing it on OSX.
They are, as of last year. They said they planned to release the Vita and iPad versions this year, and the Vita version is coming this month. So I hope the iPad version isn't far behind
 

RustyO

Member
Are they working on it do you know? Just so well suited to the iPad... so much so I can't really be bothered playing it on OSX.
They are, as of last year. They said they planned to release the Vita and iPad versions this year, and the Vita version is coming this month. So I hope the iPad version isn't far behind

Sweet. I'll double dip on that. After cutting code all day on the Mac, last thing I want to do is sit in front of it even more to play a game... that and I'm confident I'll cane it on the iPad, so don't want to burn out on it yet.
 
Painful memories of Curiosity and Godus aside, a new Molyneux game is on the App Store. Only available on the Philippines store atm

The Trail, Free
Take in the view as you walk The Trail through different landscapes and fantastic vistas.
Travel to the new world to make your fortune! Learn to craft and trade.
screen696x696.jpeg
screen696x696.jpeg
 
Some important things to know about Submerged from the TA forums:

1) Game is a battery vampire
...that first 45-min video took my battery from about 80% to 20%. So probably best played near a power source.
2) Game is graphics-intensive, so be wary if you're on the lower end of recommended devices
It's pushing iOS to its limits. Even my 6S is hurting a bit. I now see why very few devs try to bring us fully open worlds in Unreal!
 

awp69

Member
Some important things to know about Submerged from the TA forums:

1) Game is a battery vampire

2) Game is graphics-intensive, so be wary if you're on the lower end of recommended devices

Yeah, I'm not sure if it's worth it considering the reviews and not running that great even on a 6S.

Almost thought about trying just because it did (at least before the reviews) look pretty cool.
 

Pachimari

Member
I think I'm gonna skip Submerged for now.

Instead I gave Asphalt 8 a chance, and it is pretty cool. The first thing I noticed were the spotty framerate, even on an iPad Pro which is unfortunate but besides that, the gmae plays well, and is an adrenaline rush with nitro boosts, shortcuts and Burnout-like takedowns which surprised me. There seems to be lots of IAP and microtransactions but those things don't bother me. The interface is also busy and it takes some time getting used to. I'll try it out some more today.
 

awp69

Member
I think I'm gonna skip Submerged for now.

Instead I gave Asphalt 8 a chance, and it is pretty cool. The first thing I noticed were the spotty framerate, even on an iPad Pro which is unfortunate but besides that, the gmae plays well, and is an adrenaline rush with nitro boosts, shortcuts and Burnout-like takedowns which surprised me. There seems to be lots of IAP and microtransactions but those things don't bother me. The interface is also busy and it takes some time getting used to. I'll try it out some more today.

No doubt about it. Gameloft pushes those IAPs heavily. But you can play a tremendous amount of content without spending a dime. You'll have to grind to continue to get cars to play further and further (also need stars to unlock new seasons). But I found it enjoyable enough to not mind the grind. Thankfully, at least for the huge single player campaign, there are no timers.

I'd love a premium game but I suspect even without timers Gameloft is making tons off the game with as many new environments and races they've added. Hard to believe it's been out three years.

I just hope even if the next one is F2P (which I have little doubt that it will be) that they keep the formula for this one with no timers/energy.
 

Pachimari

Member
Peter Molyneux and 22cans have soft-launched their next project, The Trail, in the Philippines. You have to craft and trade to make a fortune. I'm actually quite interested in this one now.

Here's a gameplay video.

*Solitaire* has also released and is free but comes with video ads. If you want to get rid of them you have to pay $5. It have a simple tap gameplay. So far I wouldn't recommend it, but that's because the video ads that pops up when you want to start a new game of solitaire are annoying, and I would have preferred to slide the cards, instead of tapping, as that can make you "cheat", as the cards will automatically go to the right place when you tap them. Nah, so far I won't recommend it.

World of Warcraft: Legion have gotten itself a companion app, which is also free and works together with the game.

Touch Arcade also has new details about the upcoming FIFA Mobile.
 
Submerged looks like a prime Apple TV game. But then I suppose I can just get it on Steam.

Asphalt 8 is really fun. I'm not sure why people give it a hard time. I don't think I've ever seen the frame rate totally stable on any device though.
 

PittaGAF

Member
I doubt that, since the iPad Pro 9.7" is more powerful than the 6S Plus and it does not have a stable framerate.

It has to drive a ton more pixels tough.
I don't know if that's the case here, but it's why generally the 6 and the 6S are, gaming wise, faster than the plus counterparts (the added processor MHz in the Plus don't compensate the added pixels to be driven).
This is valid only for gaming; video processing, cpu benchmarks or other tasks are different.
 

killercow

Member
It has to drive a ton more pixels tough.
I don't know if that's the case here, but it's why generally the 6 and the 6S are, gaming wise, faster than the plus counterparts (the added processor MHz in the Plus don't compensate the added pixels to be driven).
This is valid only for gaming; video processing, cpu benchmarks or other tasks are different.

In the case of A8 it's more that Gameloft doesn't know how to optimize games properly. A8 doesn't run buttery-smooth, 60fps on any device that I've tested. It's playable but it's not always great and it comes from the game's engine rather than the device you're playing on.

The metal update helped but it's far from perfect.
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Sent a tweet to Darkest Dungeon devs - asking if it's iPad only or iPhone as well.

Need to know if I'll be playing it on my PS4 or waiting for the iPhone version.
 

awp69

Member
In the case of A8 it's more that Gameloft doesn't know how to optimize games properly. A8 doesn't run buttery-smooth, 60fps on any device that I've tested. It's playable but it's not always great and it comes from the game's engine rather than the device you're playing on.

The metal update helped but it's far from perfect.

That's strange though because it does seem buttery smooth on my 6S Plus. Never notice any chugging or frame rate dips. It seems pretty consistent to me.

I should add that I had A8 on my Shield Tablet and despite being more powerful than any of the current iOS devices, it had frame rate issues clearly caused by it not being optimized. So I definitely know Gameloft is not great with optimization.

But runs wonderfully on my 6S Plus.
 
SomaSim (1849) is thinking about porting Project Highrise, a game in the vein of SimTower to iOS:
https://twitter.com/somasim_games/status/773521178875035649

Considering the positive word of mouth around the game's release tomorrow on Steam, that'd be a great title to have on the go. It's also a game that would be perfect with touch.
Yeah, it's been in the cards for a while. I had asked them about an iPad version last August

Back then, they said they were developing with iPad in mind and hoped to release the game on mobile about 6 months after the PC release
 

killercow

Member
What are people's thoughts if Apple discontinues the iPad Mini?

While the iPad Mini's size was a great fit for gaming it seemed like the addition of the iPhone Plus and iPad Pro* left it in an awkward place. Or is it a case of Goldilocks where it's "just right"?

*I don't think the Mini supports multi-tasking / split-view, right?

The iPad Mini 4 absolutely supports multi-tasking / Split-View but seeing how cramped it already feels on my Air 2, I don't know if it's worth mentioning.
 
What are people's thoughts if Apple discontinues the iPad Mini?

While the iPad Mini's size was a great fit for gaming it seemed like the addition of the iPhone Plus and iPad Pro* left it in an awkward place. Or is it a case of Goldilocks where it's "just right"?

*I don't think the Mini supports multi-tasking / split-view, right?
I would hate that. The iPad Mini is the perfect size for me. Bigger than an iPhone, while more portable and not as big as a regular iPad or Pro.
 
That's strange though because it does seem buttery smooth on my 6S Plus. Never notice any chugging or frame rate dips. It seems pretty consistent to me.

I should add that I had A8 on my Shield Tablet and despite being more powerful than any of the current iOS devices, it had frame rate issues clearly caused by it not being optimized. So I definitely know Gameloft is not great with optimization.

But runs wonderfully on my 6S Plus.

Stutters a bunch on my 6S. It's not bad, but it's doesn't run wonderfully or buttery smooth by any measure.

The Apple TV version is much, much worse though which was a big disappoint to me.

What are people's thoughts if Apple discontinues the iPad Mini?

While the iPad Mini's size was a great fit for gaming it seemed like the addition of the iPhone Plus and iPad Pro* left it in an awkward place. Or is it a case of Goldilocks where it's "just right"?

*I don't think the Mini supports multi-tasking / split-view, right?

I don't really care about the Mini and I've long gotten the sense that Apple doesn't either. When I had one for development I barely used it, whereas any 10" tablet we get I use constantly.

I would feel sorry for those who like where it sits in the product line though. I'm no phablet phan.
 

awp69

Member
Stutters a bunch on my 6S. It's not bad, but it's doesn't run wonderfully or buttery smooth by any measure.

I still don't understand this. Is there a particular track or something where you get the stuttering? Because I'm being perfectly honest about having no frame rate issues at all on my 6S Plus.

I absolutely did on my Shield Tablet.

Maybe I can take a video to show what it looks like on my device (never messed with game recording on iOS though).
 
I still don't understand this. Is there a particular track or something where you get the stuttering? Because I'm being perfectly honest about having no frame rate issues at all on my 6S Plus.

I absolutely did on my Shield Tablet.

Maybe I can take a video to show what it looks like on my device (never messed with game recording on iOS though).

Literally the opening video on the tutorial course, you can clearly see some frame rate stuttering. There's just a little bit of frame pacing issues when you're driving as well.

You don't have to prove anything to me though. I'm not a developer of the game, showing me a recording of your game won't make my experience any different.
 

awp69

Member
Literally the opening video on the tutorial course, you can clearly see some frame rate stuttering. There's just a little bit of frame pacing issues when you're driving as well.

You don't have to prove anything to me though. I'm not a developer of the game, showing me a recording of your game won't make my experience any different.

Sorry. Not trying to argue. Just seemed odd to me.
 

awp69

Member
Even with the poor reviews, bad battery consumption, etc., I don't know why but I still am considering getting Submerged. I had been intriqued with it since it was announced and then was disappointed when the console/PC reviews hammered it (for the most part).

Guess for $5 it wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't like it.
 

Pachimari

Member
Even with the poor reviews, bad battery consumption, etc., I don't know why but I still am considering getting Submerged. I had been intriqued with it since it was announced and then was disappointed when the console/PC reviews hammered it (for the most part).

Lol, I'm in the same boat. I really want it, but haven't bought it because of the mixed to poor reception of the Steam version. ^_^
 
Even with the poor reviews, bad battery consumption, etc., I don't know why but I still am considering getting Submerged. I had been intriqued with it since it was announced and then was disappointed when the console/PC reviews hammered it (for the most part).

Guess for $5 it wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't like it.

Lol, I'm in the same boat. I really want it, but haven't bought it because of the mixed to poor reception of the Steam version. ^_^
I'm kind of curious of the poor reception is because it was a bad game or because it's a game that was better suited for mobile than PC/consoles.

Like their previous game Epoch is going to seem lacking on PC but is just fine on mobile
 
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