Light Racer 3D Review 2015

When it comes to racing games there is a good selection to choose from and while everyone will have their favorite, for overall enjoyment, Light Racer 3D by Battery Powered Games still stands out as one of the best. While other games such as Asphalt 5, Speed Forge 3D and Raging Thunder 2 all offer up some stellar gameplay and will probably be hotly debated as one of the best, Light Racer 3D keeps it simple, fun and gives you a dose of Tron in 3D.
Some features of Light Racer 3D:

• High frame rate 3D graphics
• 4 user-selectable perspectives ranging from first-person to bird's eye third
• 3 difficulties for the AI (Easy, Medium and Hard)
• Up to 3 players in Real-time multiplayer mode via WiFi
• Power-ups, achievements and online leaderboard
• Full music and sound
• Custom game mode allowing you to choose difficulty, level and opponents

With smooth controls, easy to pick up gameplay, great 3D graphics and multiplayer, Light Racer 3D offers a wide range of racing enjoyment while keeping things straightforward. As with most 3D games, you will see better gameplay on newer devices then 1st gen ones but don’t let that stop you from installing it on your G1 as it is supported! While not as graphically intense as the other racing games available, the fun/replay value whether in single or multiplayer mode is what this game is all about. A great addition to any racing game collection and only for a $2.49 price.

Mystique Chapter 3: Obitus Review 2015

If you are into the mystery/puzzle style of games like Silent Hill then this is pretty much a no brainer when looking for a 3D game to buy that fits into that genre. While not recently new, the Mystique series of games by Bendroid have been the mainstay for the scary puzzle enthusiast with the third chapter being the biggest and best so far.
Mystique Chapter 3 features include:

• Two worlds – Hospital and Hell
• Fully animated characters
• Action mode
• More puzzles and rooms then the first two chapters
• Dynamic puzzle solutions – not a single solutions for puzzles, each will be generated on each device

While definitely a dark and evil game, it offers a lot of challenge which most users will have difficulty getting through and completing the game in a short amount of time. You will not be able to sit down and just finish this chapter in an hour but also does not make it seem dull either thanks to the storyline and action scenes which keep this game both fun and eerie.
There should not really be any issues with this game running on 1st Gen devices either and Bendroid has also been very diligent in adding support for some custom ROMs as well. For the $2.99 price tag this game will make sure you get your mystery/puzzle fix for quite some time.

Dungeon Hunter Review 2015

While Gameloft recently received a lot of grief over their DRM policy and ended up changing it to allow for re-downloading of purchased games, the fact remains is that they have produced some great 3D games. While some look like knock-offs of other games (Gangstar looks surprisingly similar to GTA), two stand out from the list with one being Dungeon Hunter. This game will appeal to anyone who likes the top-down action gaming style as found in other games like Diablo 2.
Features you will find in Dungeon Hunter:

• Various different styles of quests ranging from killing, protecting, object finding and more.
• 5 different faeries with different personalities and abilities
• 3 Classes to choose from, each with their own skill trees to put points into as you gain levels
• Tons of items and weapons to find or purchase using the merchants in-game
• Great controls and 3D graphics

Setting you back with a price tag of $6.99 this game does offer a lot although being one of the more higher priced 3D games for Android. You will definitely want to play this on a higher end device only for the fact that at some points there are a lot of monsters on the screen and when using an AOE (Area of Effect) spell or attack you might experience some chopping or lagging on an older 1st Gen device. If you want a more in-your-face hack n’ slash game you can always check out their other title, Hero of Sparta.
You can only purchase these games through Gameloft’s website however.

Heavy Gunner Review 2015

While only 1 of 2 Mech type 3D games currently available right now for Android, Heavy Gunner offers up a good dose of 3D with a side of Mech gameplay. Developed by Com2Us, this is a Mech 3D FPS (First person shooter) game features a large amount of weapons for you to use in slaughtering aliens as they attack.
Some features in Heavy Gunner:

• Campaign and Challenge (Infinite Survival) Mode
• Global online rankings
• Upgradable weapons with various types and levels allowing more than 120 combinations
• 35 Missions with 3 levels of difficulty
• 50 achievements to be awarded with special medals

A game like this offers a large amount of replay value along with its dynamic gameplay. While not optimized for 1st Gen Android devices, most should still be able to play this decently while higher end devices will see smooth and enjoyable gameplay and awesome graphics. The controls are smooth allowing you to concentrate on your task at hand, alien destruction. For $2.99 you pretty much can not go wrong with this title should you need a little Mech FPS in your life.

Crusade of Destiny Review 2015

Crusade of Destiny is developed by DvideArts who made the jump recently to Android. Originally iPhone game developers, DvideArts has released two 3D games for Android, the other being Welcome to Hell. Crusade of Destiny is Android’s first full scale 3D RPG game and was created using the ShiVa3D engine and comes packed with a ridiculous amount of features. Anyone who has played any major MMORPGs, like World of Warcraft, will already be semi-familiar with the interface the game uses.
Some of the features this game offers:

• Multitude of side quests
• Fishing/swimming/horse riding
• 3D Sound effect positioning
• Original music and sounds
• 3D Special effects
• Day/Night events and 24hour cycle in-game of day and night
• Multiple lands and caverns
• Balanced economy system
• Customizable Hotkeys
• Automatic POV system, your POV rotates as needed with 360degree camera panning
• Great 3D graphics
• Optimized to run even on 1st Gen Android phones
• and a whole lot more..

Crusade of Destiny provides countless hours of gaming fun in great 3D worlds right on your phone. For $5.99 it offers a whole lot for a mobile game. Even though this is optimized to run even on 1st Gen phones it is recommended to have a newer Android device. On the Nexus One this game runs perfectly with smooth on-screen controls and rendering. Definitely a must if you are an RPG fan.

Riptide GP 2 Review 2015

I've never been a huge fan of racing games, but there's always been something about Hydro Thunder that captivated me. As a teen, it was one of my favorite games, and I've kept up with the franchise as much as possible over the last several years. Naturally, this means I've spent a more-than-ample amount of time playing Riptide GP, the mobile-equivalent to Hydro Thunder.
The first Riptide was one of my favorite games to emerge from the Tegra 2 era, and Vector Unit maintained fantastic support over the past two years, even updating it to support enhanced graphics on the Tegra 3 chip. Riptide's sequel is now available (as of today), and it doesn't just build upon what the original started, it also brings an incredible amount of new customizations, tricks, tracks, racing types, and more.

Graphics and Gameplay

I was able to test Riptide GP 2 on multiple devices: non-Tegra (ASUS Memo Pad 7), Tegra 3 (Nexus 7), and Tegra 4 (SHIELD). I'm happy to report that the graphics are absolutely stunning on all three devices (especially when compared to the original Riptide), though the Tegra 3/4 optimizations definitely stand out when compared to the non-Tegra version.

When it comes to graphics – and for that matter, gameplay – GP 2 is familiar, but also a whole new experience. With the original Riptide, you raced, earned new hydro skis, and raced some more. It was quite simple. With GP2, it's a whole new world – there are more types of races, loads of customizations, new jetskis, and paint choices. There are three types of races in GP 2: standard race, which is exactly what it sounds like; elimination, where the racer in last place gets eliminated every 15 seconds; and hot lap, a solo race where you have to complete a single lap as quickly as possible. Each one is fun on its own merits, and the changeup adds a bit of flavor over race-after-race-after-race. There's also all-new online play, but since I was testing a pre-release version of the game I wasn't able to give it a try (because there was no one to play with!).

While the graphics are fantastic and the features a-plenty, there's one more thing about GP 2 that is immediately noticeable: it's far more difficult. That's actually a breath of fresh air, as it was almost nothing to get first place on every race in the first GP. Even the "hard" tracks were pretty easy. That's not the case with GP 2, as the computer racers actually offer a challenge, the skis start off with less-than-spectacular specs (which is why you upgrade them – more on that below), and each track offers something new. I love it.
Like the original, GP 2 has three different control schemes: tilt, on-screen buttons, and game controller. Tilt is the default option, but if you have a controller connected (or are using SHIELD), it automatically detects that and switches schemes. If you prefer touch controls, there are two to choose from: A, where you touch the sides of the screen to steer; or B, where virtual controls are placed at the bottom. All the control schemes work well, so just go with what feels the most natural to you.
GP 2 also features Google Games integration, so you'll be able to pick up where you left off regardless of how many devices you have.

Upgrades, Customizations, and IAPs

Unlike with its predecessor, you don't just earn new jet skis in GP 2, you must buy them with money that you earn from racing. Like with most games of this nature, the higher you place, the more dough you make. You can also do the same races multiple times to get more money and experience. Speaking of, did I mention that you can level up in this one? Yep, and each level gets you one skill point so you can "learn" new tricks – the more difficult the trick is to land, the more boost it gets you.

And there's your jet ski. Naturally, you start off with the worst possible piece of kit and you have to place in races to get money and upgrade it. The upgrade process isn't unreasonable – you can start enhancing top speed, handling, acceleration, and boost almost immediately. Given how terrible the hydrocraft handles right out of the gate, I opted to improve in that area first, but you could always just go for pure speed and hope for the best.

It's not just about practical upgrades, however – you can also define the color scheme if your ski. This feature is actually free of both in-game and physical currency, so feel free to change it often. It's a rather basic setup: you select three different colors for accent, primary, and secondary colors, and it changes everything automatically. Overall, that's just a really nice touch that I'm glad Vector Unit decided to toss in. Everyone loves customization!
Of course, you don't have to keep the same jet ski the entire game – there are seven others to choose from, ranging from $25k to $300k of in-game currency. The latter will take a lot of first-place races to get, so naturally, there's an easy way out: in-app purchases. You can buy different levels of in-game currency for real money; packages range from $50k for $1.99 to $5m for $99. If you're willing to spend nearly $100 for in-game currency, however, you have entirely too much money and we should become friends.

Honestly, I found the IAPs to be extremely reasonable. After three days of casual play, I'm a level six, have been upgrading my initial ski along the way, and have still managed to collect another $21k in winnings. Let me put it this way: if you actually enjoy playing the game, then there should be absolutely no reason to ever buy any additional in-game currency (unless you just want to), because it can easily be earned by racing. At no point have I felt like I need to spend real money to upgrade my ski (or buy a new one), because the game itself provides a very reasonable amount of funds, and the races, while challenging, aren't so difficult that there's a need to pay real money to upgrade.

Conclusion

I've been excited for Riptide GP 2 since we first heard about it back at CES this year, and it easily surpassed my every expectation. The gameplay is faster and more challenging, a slew of new features and goals have been added, and it's just overall more fun than its predecessor. My final verdict is this: if you love the original, then this GP 2 is a no-brainer. If you like racing games with a good challenge and no over-the-top IAPs, then GP 2 fits the bill perfectly. If you just happen to like fun, then GP 2 delivers.

TurtleStrike Review 2015

Turn-based strategy is a classic style of gameplay, but it's still pretty big these days with titles like Frozen Synapse hitting Android. But sometimes these games can be a little slow, or even tedious if a not designed well. The developers of TurtleStrike are trying to combine real-time with turn-based gaming in what they call "live turn-based" gameplay. This approach has the potential to make matches proceed quickly, but still allow careful tactical planning. If it's done well, this could be very cool, but is it?

Gameplay And Controls

TurtleStrike is an online combat title that's a little reminiscent of the Worms games – except with turtles. You and your opponent both have three clusters of turtles, each of which act as a single unit. Along the left side of the screen are the various actions you can take.

To set up the actions for each turn, you can choose from move, projectile, torpedo, shield, and super weapon. Each cluster of turtles can execute only one action each turn. So if you want one of them to move, it can't also fire a torpedo, for example. This game is a top down affair, so you can usually select your turtles fairly easily. A two-finger twist lets you rotate the battlefield, but zooming doesn’t seem to be included, or it just doesn’t work. This is bizarre.
The key to this into a live turn-based deal is that both parties queue up their moves in the same 30 second window, then everything plays out simultaneously. At first blush this sounds all well and good. You essentially only have to wait through a single turn instead of two. However, because both sides get to move at the same time, it becomes incredibly hard to actually hit anything.

When you’re set up, you can press the end turn button. When the time limit is up, or both players have signaled their readiness, the turn starts. It only takes a few seconds to play out, after which the game will flash up alerts describing what went down. Then, there is a long, ponderous pause before the next planning phase. I don’t know what this 5-10 second break is, but it happens every time.
You have to predict where the enemy turtles are going to move, if they are moving that is. If they’re attacking, you might want to move or throw up a shield. Your shots will miss a frustrating amount of the time. So it might take a long time for one team to wipe out the other. Often the party that is more impatient will lose.

When you start playing TurtleStrike, your team is equipped with basic materials like catapults, wooden torpedoes, and other unimpressive gear. As you play matches, you’ll earn in-game currency that can be used to upgrade to better stuff.

The key to whether or not this game will even be playable is the quality of the online matchmaking. If you’re just as likely to get an opponent with a boatload of upgrades as a first-time player, it’s going to be annoying. I've been seeing some questionable opponents come up in my testing, but the game is still new. Your milage may vary here.

Graphics And Performance

For a kinda-sorta turn-based strategy game, TurtleStrike looks pretty good. The water is well-animated, and the turtle models have a neat blocky appearance. You can also upgrade to different skins for the turtles to (presumably) strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. The game relies on outlandish proportions and solid textures, so it looks a bit like a 3D animation playing out in front of you. It’s a nice overall look.

However, performance leaves something to be desired. There are some random slowdowns while planning turns, and some hiccups in touch detection. While the game looks nice, it seems more taxing on the system than it should be. The N4, N7, and Galaxy Tab 3 all get strangely hot and burn through battery at a noticeably accelerated rate. The game has improved since the pre-release version I first tested, but it could still use some polishing.

Is It For You?

The idea of tightening up the turn-based game mechanic is intriguing, but I think this style of gameplay has survived so long exactly because it works so well. The gameplay in TurtleStrike feels a little awkward as you try to launch projectiles blindly, hoping the enemy turtle will move in the right direction. I don't think I'd call it bad, but the strange pauses also don’t do much to speed things along, which is supposed to be the point.

In-app purchases are always going to be contentious, but most games don’t abuse them. I don’t think the developers have done anything devious with the upsells in this title, but the default weapons have been nerfed pretty hard. You really have to upgrade to do any damage, and that means winning matches, or buying things with real money.
I feel like there is potential here. I'm going to keep poking around with the game, myself. TurtleStrike is free to try, so it’s not like you have to drop any cash to see if you dig it. It's worth trying, or at least keeping an eye on.

Bounty Arms Review 2015

Bounty Arms is a moving experience, but not because the game itself is any good. It hints at what the future holds for mobile gaming. This game looks every bit as good as a current generation console title, and on a high-end device, it runs quite well. But there is more to quality gaming than pretty looks, and Bounty Arms falls flat in just about every other area. At the very least, this five dollar game is free of both ads and IAPs. That's worth something - just not enough.

The Gameplay

This is a side-scroller where players have full 3D range of movement. Despite the appearance of complexity, levels still largely consist of running from left to right. In the meantime, you will swing at nearby enemies and fire at other foes that hover just out of arm's reach. The controls are handled - and I use this term loosely - by a virtual thumbstick, a jump button, and an attack button. There is no gamepad support.

There are three characters to choose from. Unfortunately, players don't have much control over any of them. The controls feel somewhat responsive, but this feeling fades as soon as there is more than a single enemy on screen. There is no way to switch between targets, nor is there a dodge button to avoid enemy attacks. Regardless of which character you select, gameplay will consist predominantly of firing at targets you will most likely miss and taking shots from enemies with much better aim. It's a good thing continues are unlimited, because I don't see how it would be possible to complete the latter levels otherwise. Then again, the necessity for unlimited continues in a game that isn't at all based on trial and error does not suggest good game design. Also, the game restarts whenever you press the home or back button to check on something else, and don't even think of locking your device. I lost far too much game progress due to the precariously placed buttons on my HTC One.

There are some additions that hint at more in-depth gameplay than what's on the surface. There are two meters visible on screen, a health bar and an energy bar. The former will deplete rather quickly despite your best efforts, so don't bother with it. The latter, though, shows how long until you can launch a special attack when full. Each character's attack is unique and actually makes the gameplay more interesting. The problem is that this bar fills up far too slowly. Alternatively, players can purchase ammo for more powerful weapons, but these amount to little more than marginally enhanced versions of your usual long-range attacks. They hardly seem worth the in-game currency.

In an attempt to spice things up, there are pets that offer varying benefits to your character. The most affordable pet replenishes your character's health, while the next one recharges your energy. They almost add much-needed diversity to the gameplay, but they have to be summoned using special items that are even more expensive than ammo. There are hidden chests and doorways sprinkled through each level that packed with goodies, usually money and health, but guess what? These also cost money to open. Frankly, earning money is too difficult and tedious a task, and the tools that would make doing so easier are too expensive to help. It's a catch-22, and it may leave you wanting your $4.99 back.

The Other Stuff

Even if Bounty Arms had shallow gameplay, I expected it to nail presentation. No dice. The game is gorgeous, no doubt about it, but the attention to detail given to its graphics only draws extra attention to the things that did not get that same focus. There are no introductory cutscenes of any kind for each level. If an animated sequence is too much to ask, just a visual of each character landing on a planet or entering a room would do wonders to set the mood. Instead, each level just begins with a static loading screen that then transitions to one of the protagonists standing in the middle of a barren landscape.

To make things worse - levels end just as abruptly. There's no cutscene, no tacky congratulations banner, nor even a simple door to walk through. Once you hit a certain point in space, the screen simply fades to black, and you're presented with a report tallying up your score. Dying from gunfire results in a very brief animation that isn't accompanied by any distinct sound or indication of your death other than a jarring return to the previous checkpoint. The screen doesn't fade, nor does the level reset itself in any way. Slipping off of high ledges isn't any better. It leads to a long fall into a deep, dark abyss that looks like the level designers simply couldn't be bothered.

The plot, if we can call it that, only makes things worse. I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but it's all conveyed through static text boxes displaying dialogue that doesn't take itself too seriously. Honestly, I wish it at least made the effort. The gameplay isn't good enough on its own, and an engaging plot could motivate me to complete each level in ways that the urge to make money or get a high score simply doesn't.

Should You Play This Game?

Bounty Arms feels like a tech demo, no, a series of tech demos. Each is largely the same as the one before. All are masked in just enough functionality to constitute a game and held together by enough menus to make it playable. There's no extra flare that takes a game from good to great (or from bad to passable). This feels like a launch title rushed to meet a console's release date, but that isn't the case here, and it's a shame. The levels look beautiful, the character designs are worthy of a Pixar film, and the entire experience just hints at greatness. Bounty Arms could have been a showcase of a console experience built natively for mobile, but instead it just provides more evidence for those who feel such experiences were never meant to be. If you just want something pretty to justify that ridiculously high resolution screen, you will get that here. Otherwise, save your five dollars.