Joyful Friday, everybody 🙂 And welcome again to my weekly cell sport suggestions thread. These are among the most fascinating video games I performed and that have been coated on MiniReview this week. Hope you may get pleasure from it.
Help these posts (and YouTube content material + growth of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode contains an superior roguelike technique sport ported to cell, a enjoyable journey sport, one other epic roguelike, an informal puzzle sport, and a singular tower rush technique sport.
New to those posts? Try the primary one from 164 weeks in the past right here.
Let’s get to the video games:
Into The Breach [Game Size: 559 MB] (“Free” w. Netflix)
Style: Technique / Roguelike – Offline
Orientation: Panorama
Required Consideration: Full
tl;dr evaluation by JBMessin:
Into the Breach is the port of a implausible sci-fi technique roguelike by the builders of Sooner Than Mild.
On this sport, our objective is to eradicate the aliens attacking us via a collection of quick turn-based battles. However don’t fear – if we fail, we merely get despatched again to an alternate timeline to strive once more.
Earlier than heading into fight, we choose our pilots, mech loadouts, and the island we’ll attempt to defend. Every 8×8 tiled battle map incorporates randomized terrain layouts that match the island. The one consistency is that there are at all times buildings that our mechs obtain energy from, and a bunch of civilians that we shield to attain factors.
If we fail, we get to select one pilot to ship again in time. This resets all progress, however the pilot retains its ranges and any bonuses it has, giving us a little bit of an edge within the subsequent run.
Environmental results play a giant function within the sport’s fight system. For instance, forest tiles can catch hearth after which unfold, rapidly devastating our energy financial institution and civilians. However we’re additionally inspired to make use of the terrain to our benefit by e.g. pushing aliens into the water, hiding behind mountains, and so forth.
Curiously, we are able to additionally at all times see the aliens’ subsequent strikes, which creates a excessive stage of pressure since we all know prematurely what penalties our actions could have.
There are such a lot of completely different weapons, pilots, and techs that it simply takes a number of video games to completely perceive all of them. Particularly since some weapons are ineffective until we’ve a unit that may make the most of them.
Regardless of the steep studying curve and tiny UI, Into the Breach is extremely enjoyable and the port itself is sort of excellent. It’s a premium sport that may solely be performed with a Netflix subscription, although. If you have already got Netflix, it’s a must-try.
NOTE: For those who don’t have Netflix, it is not value shopping for the subscription in the event you solely plan on enjoying Into the Breach.
App Retailer: Right here
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion [Total Game Size: 159 MB] (Free Trial)
Style: Journey / Motion – Offline
Orientation: Panorama
Required Consideration: Full
tl;dr evaluation by AlexSem:
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a 2D Zelda-like journey sport stuffed with merchandise gathering, dungeon crawling, bizarre vegetable humor, and administrative felony.
Enjoying as a younger turnip who’s attempting to amend for his crimes in opposition to society, we should serve our city’s mayor by operating his doubtful errands. In doing so, we find yourself visiting plenty of colourful places, speaking with unusual characters, combating harmful monsters, and gathering numerous helpful objects.
All of the adventuring occurs in a relaxed and lighthearted method, and we’re by no means overloaded with robust challenges corresponding to complicated puzzles or motion sequences based mostly on fast reactions. This enables a really huge number of players to benefit from the course of.
True to the style, we’re offered with a big world map, elements of that are locked till we discover an applicable instrument or full extra of the story. The sport can also be stuffed with secret objects and hidden achievements that we are able to purchase by completely exploring all the map. Doing so isn’t essential to efficiently end the principle story, nevertheless it’s a pleasant addition for many who get pleasure from uncovering secrets and techniques.
I particularly appreciated the sport’s cute visible fashion, bizarre characters, and all of the peculiar occasions that considerably differ from what we normally see in journey video games.
The first challenge some gamers have with the sport is that switching the principle merchandise requires too many faucets, making the controls a bit uncomfortable. In my expertise, this wasn’t a giant deal, however enjoying with a Bluetooth controller undoubtedly makes for a extra nice expertise.
The primary chapter of Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is free to strive, whereas a $3.99 iAP unlocks the remainder of the sport. It’s a simple advice for all followers of humorous journey video games, and I feel lots of people will actually get pleasure from it.
App Retailer: Right here
ScourgeBringer [Game Size: 190 MB] ($5.99)
Style: Motion / Roguelike – Offline
Orientation: Panorama
Required Consideration: Full
tl;dr evaluation by CaptainQQ:
ScourgeBringer is an epic motion roguelike platformer the place we slash and sprint our approach via a floating fortress to save lots of our species.
On the floor, ScourgeBringer looks like a standard motion roguelike the place we clear room after room of monsters whereas gathering upgrades and trying to find the boss so we are able to transfer on to the following stage.
However beneath that lies an fascinating fight system that really units the sport aside. Each assault in ScourgeBringer retains our character within the air for a short time, and we’ve to consistently air-dash between enemies to smash them and interrupt their highly effective telegraphed assaults. Mixed with the necessity to dodge bullets and keep away from flooring hazards, this mechanic means we’re nearly at all times flying round.
The flexibility to run on partitions and air-dash between assaults makes the combo-driven fight tremendous satisfying. This gameplay expertise solely will get higher with extra upgrades, however since most powerups price blood or well being, we should additionally rigorously handle these assets.
The sport options attractive pixel artwork, an intense soundtrack, and it runs phenomenally with each contact controls and a Bluetooth controller.
The largest downside some might need with the sport – and plenty of others in the identical style – is that it sucks to die within the final stage after which need to undergo all the simple ranges again and again. The powerups additionally don’t give an enormous enhance in energy, so we’ve to depend on enhancing our expertise to win.
ScourgeBringer prices $5.99 on iOS. The shortage of adverts or iAPs for boosts or revives makes it an amazing and really difficult expertise. It’s a refined sport with hours of content material that may be a must-try for followers of the style.
App Retailer: Right here
Linelight [Game Size: 126 MB] ($1.99)
Style: Puzzle / Informal – Offline
Orientation: Portrait
Required Consideration: Some
tl;dr evaluation by Jurij:
Linelight is a minimalistic summary puzzle sport the place we transfer a brief white bar round on a protracted line to resolve puzzles by activating platforms, switches, and different mechanics.
The sport is as simplistic as might be. As we are able to solely transfer on the road, we all know precisely the place we are able to go. And since we instantly see the instruments and mechanics every stage options, it typically takes only a few seconds to get an thought of what have to be achieved to resolve the puzzle. The sport is break up into six worlds, every of which is a set of puzzles which can be all linked on a single lengthy line.
The simplicity makes the puzzles intuitive, and we’re seldom caught. But no resolution is just too straightforward. Every puzzle additionally contains numerous buttons and different mechanisms that work together in sophisticated methods. It’s straightforward to see what these do, however typically tough to determine how they’re all linked with out simply attempting them out.
One other plus is that the sport makes use of a single digital joystick, so it may be performed with one hand.
The one slight downsides are that the graphics are so minimalistic that they could appear lazy, there’s no total theme, and some of the puzzles are bugged. The ray results can also frustrate some gamers. Nevertheless, it’s arduous to discover a puzzle sport the place the puzzles are so cleverly designed and constant, and that’s the explanation Linelight is a fan favourite of many that’s typically thought-about a small murals.
Fortunately, the sport is fairly lengthy and nonetheless receives updates. As of penning this evaluation, there are over 200 distinctive ranges.
Linelight is a $1.99 premium sport. For such a low worth, it’s truthfully a steal for any puzzle fan.
App Retailer: Right here
Magic vs. Steel (Recreation Dimension: 660 MB] (Free)
Style: Tower Rush / Motion / Technique – Offline
Orientation: Panorama + Portrait
Required Consideration: Full
tl;dr evaluation by NimbleThor:
Magic vs. Steel is a singular and enjoyable third-person motion sport the place we use mage and mech characters to guard our fort in opposition to waves of incoming enemies.
The sport is structured as a level-based marketing campaign the place we defend a fort wall utilizing our hero’s normal assault and its eight outfitted skills that spawn helper items, hearth spells, place turrets, and extra.
For each accomplished stage, we earn a forex used to improve our hero’s HP, weapon, and talent stage, the latter of which upgrades all skills and unlocks new ones. We will additionally improve our fort wall’s HP, craft new weapons and runes for our hero, and use analysis scrolls. There actually is so much to improve and unlock.
Whereas we are able to swap between heroes all through the marketing campaign, they’re upgraded individually, which implies we must always give attention to one to not waste assets. On the brilliant facet, replaying ranges with new heroes offers further rewards.
Some ranges get fairly difficult, however I actually loved that we don’t have to achieve a sure rating to win. So long as we cope with all enemies with out dying, we are able to proceed to the following stage.
The art-style is much like different Foursaken Media video games, however the animations are far much less clunky, and the sport simply runs and performs far more easily than their earlier titles. The largest draw back is that the swipe gesture used to navigate the menu is just too delicate.
Curiously, the sport might be performed each in a panorama third-person mode, or a portrait top-down mode. I discovered the panorama mode to offer the perfect expertise.
Magic vs. Steel monetizes through a battle move, adverts for further assets, and iAPs to progress quicker. The sport might be loved as a free participant, so long as you don’t thoughts often replaying older ranges to earn extra forex.
App Retailer: Right here
Particular due to the Patreon Producers “marquisdan”, “Misplaced Vault”, “Farm RPG”, and “Mohaimen” who assist make these posts attainable via their Patreon help <3
Google Sheet of all video games I’ve performed to this point (searchable and filter-able): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bf0OxtVxrboZqyEh01AxJYUUqHm8tEfh-Lx-SugcrzY/edit?usp=sharing
TL;DR Video Abstract (with gameplay) of final week’s video games: https://youtu.be/t2Bwy9A6fIM
Episode 150 Episode 151 Episode 152 Episode 153 Episode 154 Episode 155 Episode 156 Episode 157 Episode 158 Episode 159 Episode 160 Episode 161 Episode 162 Episode 163