The more I face the harsh reality the more I get scared in that games I spend 70p-£5.99 on are more fun than the £20 Mario Kart 7.
But something about the App Store (well, not in my case) keeps drawing me back and making tiny purchases. They're about 10% the price, and like, 1-5% the memory-size of your big console games, and yet, simply for the fact that I can sit on the train and bust these out makes their replay value much higher than CoD or whatever.
So, I thought I would throw out the little bits and things that I use on a near-constant basis, for other iDevice owners so that they too can be immersed. I'll also try to update this thread every three weeks with anything new that I find. It'll be mainly games (sorry if your taste isn't like mine), but I'll add a few utilities now and again.
Oh, and of course, by all means feel free to share your own!
Firstly, my all-time favourites:
Infinity Blade II
AUSAR!!! AAAUUUSAAAARRR!!!
No seriously, the graphics on this game fucking blew. my. mind. I get that we're at the peak of technology nowadays, but I remember when graphics these good on a PS2 were revolutionary. And now I'm carrying that in my pocket. As well as this, the gameplay might be repetitive, but it's a far cry better than the first one. It's not just all dodge, block, parry, swipe swipe swipe anymore, the new weapons you can get, combined with slightly new stab mechanics means if you get bored of the "block block swipe" of a two-handed heavy weapon, you can go "dodge dodge, swipeswipeswipeswipe" with dual-wielded blades. And it's not just the same castle over and over again. Each rebirth you go through, there are subtle little changes. Like that chest in the corner you never noticed. Or that doorway that's now opened up. Or that staircase you can't go up anymore. Even though you know it's the same old game, the game tries to break templates. You don't get bored often, because if those goddamn Pierced Wretches aren't breaking all your blocks, then it'll be "why can't i fucking dodge this MX-Enforcer". And yet you keep playing, because you want to know what happens. You want to kill one more enemy to get a little more gold so you can buy one more item. It seems repetitive and boring, but while you're in there, it's so gripping you don't realize you're repeating actions.
10/10
Aqueduct
At a glance, your typical puzzle game. A little deeper and it's a slightly more complex sliding-tile puzzle. When you get into the heart of it, it becomes the simplest of concepts exploded into the greatest wonders. I don't know what it is that makes me come back for more. Sometimes I break through after hours of work, sometimes the game kicks me in the ass and says "gbck2skl, nub". The progress I make is slow and steady, but I'm grateful for the fact that this isn't a game that tries to add bells and whistles to everything. I can think of about 6 different things that affect the gameplay. It doesn't revolutionize the genre. It's just moving blocks to create and unbroken path. And yet, it's harder than that. It's logical architecture on a small scale. It makes you stop and think about how your solution is obviously correct, but you're missing a block? It's a "fuck this is impossible". It's a "how the hell do I do thi-OH". It's a "why didn't i see that before". The response it provokes is exactly the sort of response every puzzle game should provoke. The best thing is, the difficulty curve (provided you stay away from The Rat's level pack) is just right. Nothing too extreme, nothing too easy. It settles you into new features, and the solutions slowly get more complex, but everything is manageable with a level head and some outside-the-box thinking.
9/10. There just aren't enough levels. It comes with 8 level packs, each of around 21-29 puzzles. I've completed about 6 (albeit, after many many many many hours).
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery
This game is everything I look for in a small package. The art-style is captivating. It's no Infinity Blade, but the greatest thing is that it doesn't need to be. The soundtrack is exquisite. It's no Final Fantasy, but it doesn't need to be. The gameplay is simple yet brilliant. We seem to be so obsessed with "new, more, faster, better, etc." and all that, yet we forget that sometimes the best gems just come from simplicity done right. This is like why I love Aqueduct - it isn't ridiculously everything like Prototype or Portal, and yet it feels new, and enjoyable. An outside eye would think this is terrible quality in every aspect, and that's simply because it's a game that's happy to break away from accepted standards, just to deliver something that could be amazing. In nearly every aspect, if you put it one-on-one against major names such as Zelda, Skyrim, Portal 2, and what have you, there's no way this can compete. But it still earns a place in your heart, because it may not be the best, but it's got something you just can't put your finger on. The storyline isn't amazing, but it's heart-warming and keeps you interested. The gameplay isn't groundbreaking, but it's not unwieldy. It's the kind of game that seems subpar from its elements, but as a product, is something truly great.
9/10 Again, length and replayability. Tad short, but trust me, by the time you finish I bet you'll be satisfied.
Enviro-Bear 2010: Operation Hibernation
i am a bear and i dirve a car and this is what my life is like
50/10
But something about the App Store (well, not in my case) keeps drawing me back and making tiny purchases. They're about 10% the price, and like, 1-5% the memory-size of your big console games, and yet, simply for the fact that I can sit on the train and bust these out makes their replay value much higher than CoD or whatever.
So, I thought I would throw out the little bits and things that I use on a near-constant basis, for other iDevice owners so that they too can be immersed. I'll also try to update this thread every three weeks with anything new that I find. It'll be mainly games (sorry if your taste isn't like mine), but I'll add a few utilities now and again.
Oh, and of course, by all means feel free to share your own!
Firstly, my all-time favourites:
Infinity Blade II
AUSAR!!! AAAUUUSAAAARRR!!!
No seriously, the graphics on this game fucking blew. my. mind. I get that we're at the peak of technology nowadays, but I remember when graphics these good on a PS2 were revolutionary. And now I'm carrying that in my pocket. As well as this, the gameplay might be repetitive, but it's a far cry better than the first one. It's not just all dodge, block, parry, swipe swipe swipe anymore, the new weapons you can get, combined with slightly new stab mechanics means if you get bored of the "block block swipe" of a two-handed heavy weapon, you can go "dodge dodge, swipeswipeswipeswipe" with dual-wielded blades. And it's not just the same castle over and over again. Each rebirth you go through, there are subtle little changes. Like that chest in the corner you never noticed. Or that doorway that's now opened up. Or that staircase you can't go up anymore. Even though you know it's the same old game, the game tries to break templates. You don't get bored often, because if those goddamn Pierced Wretches aren't breaking all your blocks, then it'll be "why can't i fucking dodge this MX-Enforcer". And yet you keep playing, because you want to know what happens. You want to kill one more enemy to get a little more gold so you can buy one more item. It seems repetitive and boring, but while you're in there, it's so gripping you don't realize you're repeating actions.
10/10
Aqueduct
At a glance, your typical puzzle game. A little deeper and it's a slightly more complex sliding-tile puzzle. When you get into the heart of it, it becomes the simplest of concepts exploded into the greatest wonders. I don't know what it is that makes me come back for more. Sometimes I break through after hours of work, sometimes the game kicks me in the ass and says "gbck2skl, nub". The progress I make is slow and steady, but I'm grateful for the fact that this isn't a game that tries to add bells and whistles to everything. I can think of about 6 different things that affect the gameplay. It doesn't revolutionize the genre. It's just moving blocks to create and unbroken path. And yet, it's harder than that. It's logical architecture on a small scale. It makes you stop and think about how your solution is obviously correct, but you're missing a block? It's a "fuck this is impossible". It's a "how the hell do I do thi-OH". It's a "why didn't i see that before". The response it provokes is exactly the sort of response every puzzle game should provoke. The best thing is, the difficulty curve (provided you stay away from The Rat's level pack) is just right. Nothing too extreme, nothing too easy. It settles you into new features, and the solutions slowly get more complex, but everything is manageable with a level head and some outside-the-box thinking.
9/10. There just aren't enough levels. It comes with 8 level packs, each of around 21-29 puzzles. I've completed about 6 (albeit, after many many many many hours).
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery
This game is everything I look for in a small package. The art-style is captivating. It's no Infinity Blade, but the greatest thing is that it doesn't need to be. The soundtrack is exquisite. It's no Final Fantasy, but it doesn't need to be. The gameplay is simple yet brilliant. We seem to be so obsessed with "new, more, faster, better, etc." and all that, yet we forget that sometimes the best gems just come from simplicity done right. This is like why I love Aqueduct - it isn't ridiculously everything like Prototype or Portal, and yet it feels new, and enjoyable. An outside eye would think this is terrible quality in every aspect, and that's simply because it's a game that's happy to break away from accepted standards, just to deliver something that could be amazing. In nearly every aspect, if you put it one-on-one against major names such as Zelda, Skyrim, Portal 2, and what have you, there's no way this can compete. But it still earns a place in your heart, because it may not be the best, but it's got something you just can't put your finger on. The storyline isn't amazing, but it's heart-warming and keeps you interested. The gameplay isn't groundbreaking, but it's not unwieldy. It's the kind of game that seems subpar from its elements, but as a product, is something truly great.
9/10 Again, length and replayability. Tad short, but trust me, by the time you finish I bet you'll be satisfied.
Enviro-Bear 2010: Operation Hibernation
i am a bear and i dirve a car and this is what my life is like
50/10
