Not to be lost amongst the craziness that has ensued with the ending of E3 last week – with a hectic travel schedule, a major California freeway being shut down for an entire day, and preparing for WWDC in San Francisco this week – I was able to spend some time with a demo version of Infinity Blade: Dungeons at Epic’s E3 booth. And I’ve got to say that it was probably my favorite iOS title at the entire show.
Epic announced Dungeons at GDC earlier this year, and released a pretty sweet trailer for the game last month. Just to refresh your memory in case you forgot, Infinity Blade Dungeons takes place in the Infinity Blade universe and is more of a Diablo-style hack ‘n slash RPG rather than a guided sword fighting game. Epic isn’t commenting on how the new game will intertwine with the original Infinity Blade games, but it sounds like it takes place many, many years before the events in Infinity Blade 1 & 2 and will likely set up the events in some way for those games.
On Friday we posted a hands-on of the upcoming Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013. It was great. Really great, actually:
Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 for the iPad is the full experience. I'd argue it's the best way I've played a Duels of the Planeswalkers game so far. The touch controls work exactly as you'd expect them to. Playing cards from your hand is as simple as dragging them on to the play field, targeting is done by tapping, and a few on-screen buttons control the rest of the things you need to do to advance the game. It feels so much better than playing with a controller.
As promised, here are a whole load of screenshots of the game. They're available in full iPad Retina Display resolution, which you can see by clicking (or tapping) on any of them. Take a look at how good the card text looks, it's night and day from the console version.
Yesterday we learned that Capcom had an iOS version of their recent console release Street Fighter X Tekken hiding somewhere in their massive E3 booth. Eli and myself searched it out and dove right in to see how it played, and we're happy to report that so far it gets the big thumbs up. The controls feel identical to previous Capcom fighters, that is they're actually pretty darn good. The option to move them around the screen wasn't present in this demo, so it did feel a bit awkward playing on the iPad, but it still felt good nonetheless.
The big news is that for the first time Capcom is actually using 3D character models in the game. You can tell the level of detail has been toned down quite a bit, but with the stylized visuals it still holds up really well. Also worth noting is that the backgrounds are no longer static, and while they don't seem to be bursting with activity, there is a neat parallax scrolling effect going on which gives the backgrounds some depth, along with some minute animated details.
Check it out for yourself in the following videos of the game on both the iPhone and the iPad:
Unfortunately, there's no concrete information on when (or if for that matter) Street Fighter X Tekken will be hitting the App Store. It was made clear that the limited E3 demo was just that, a demo, and no plans have been formally announced for a release. However, given the positive response by everyone who happened upon the demo, I can't imagine Capcom not bringing the game over, and hopefully we'll be hearing news on a definite release in the near future.
Last month we learned that Subatomic Studios was in the midst of working on a sequel to their iOS classic Fieldrunners [$0.99 / $2.99 (HD)], one of the early App Store success stories and likely the game that had the biggest hand in sparking off the explosion of games in the tower defense genre. A couple of days following that announcement we talked with them on our bonus podcast where they gave us additional insight into the new game.
Now, at E3 this week, one of the leads on Fieldrunners 2 at Subatomic, Jamie Gotch, was gracious enough to sit down with me and discuss the game at length despite being completely wiped out from travel and convention fatigue. Check out this in-depth video overview where Jamie goes over many of the new features in Fieldrunners 2 and talks about the thought process behind some its new designs and mechanics.
Fieldrunners 2 was looking fantastic in this nearly final state, and looks to do exactly what you want a sequel to a successful title to do. It keeps the things that made the original so great while simultaneously expanding upon them in new ways that won't alienate the core fan base. Also, it introduces new elements that they made sure fit in line with what you would expect from a Fieldrunners sequel, and at the same time the entire experience scales well to a hardcore and casual audience, making it much more approachable to a wider group of players.
Fieldrunners 2 is very close to submission, and if all goes according to plan you'll be able to get your hands on the game by the end of this month or very shortly thereafter. It'll be hitting the iPhone first, with an iPad version planned for sometime later this year.
Square Enix had a number of new mobile titles on display tucked away in the corner of their massive E3 booth this year, as well as some that are already released. We briefly checked out all of them, and took some video of the ones that caught our attention the most. Check 'em out:
Capcom has seen a great response to the portable iOS versions of their big name fighting franchises like Street Fighter IV Volt [$4.99], Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 [$4.99], and Street Fighter II Collection [$3.99]. So it’s not really surprising that their latest fighting epic, Street Fighter X Tekken, which pits two rosters full of long-time franchise rivals against each other, might be making its way to iOS.
As noted by Famitsu, at the Capcom booth here at E3 there is a curious demo of Street Fighter X Tekken running on iOS devices. Apparently there aren’t solid plans to bring the game to the iOS platform just yet, and instead they’re just gauging the interest of such an endeavor. If you ask me, I think it’s pretty certain we’ll be seeing the title sometime down the road.
As you can see in the screens, the demo uses a similar virtual controls setup like those used in previous Capcom fighters on iOS, which have proven to be quite capable. The demo is limited to just four characters: Ryu and Kazuya on one team with Chun-Li and Nina on the other. We’ll be heading to Capcom’s booth later today to see if we can track down the demo of Street Fighter X Tekken for ourselves for some hands-on time, so stay tuned.
Need for Speed Most Wanted - At the beginning of the week, EA announced a reboot of their beloved racer Need for Speed: Most Wanted, which launched on the last generation of consoles as well as the Xbox 360 back in 2005. The console version looked fantastic, but EA is also releasing a mobile version which we had a chance to check out at a hands-on event here at E3.
The iOS version of Most Wanted looks simply stunning, and features some advanced graphical effects like real-time lighting and reflections, vehicle damage, particle effects, and highly detailed environments. Most impressive was that the version we played was running on an iPhone 4S connected to a large flat screen, and it upscaled beautifully. At a glance I wouldn’t have thought twice if the EA rep told me it was the console version. It looks that good.
Pretty graphics are all well and good, but Most Wanted is also a ton of fun to play. There was just a single track for us to try built specifically for E3, but it appears the mobile version of the game will be a more traditional racing game structure rather than the open world style of the console game. Check out our hands-on video of Most Wanted from the press event.
Our build used tilt for steering and simple gestures for braking and boosting, and as a testament to how well the game controlled I literally forgot I was controlling the game on the TV using an iPhone, and didn’t glance down a single time to check on what my hands were doing. It just felt incredibly natural. I'm really excited for a new high quality arcade racer for my favorite device, and Need for Speed Most Wanted for iOS is scheduled to hit the App Store sometime this fall.
Fifa Soccer 13 - While Most Wanted was definitely the star of the show, there were a number of other titles on display from EA and Chillingo. Fifa 13 is on the horizon and as with most sports titles looks to be an improved iteration of last year’s game of footy. There are several new features in the game like a clever "flick" mechanic that allows for more advanced moves with your player using the touch screen. But the biggest improvement is in the visuals, and the mobile Fifa 13, much like Most Wanted, practically looks like it could pass for a console title. Expect the new Fifa 13 to hit App Store shelves later this year.
Chillingo had a bunch of games on display too, and two of those have already arrived on the App Store: Catapult King [$0.99], the gorgeous 3D iteration of the Angry Birds launch stuff to knock over structures formula, and Tiny Troopers [$0.99], a 3D overhead action title with the soul of the classic Cannon Fodder. Be sure to check out those titles, and we’ll be putting them through the wringer for reviews in the near future.
Bop It! Smash - Chillingo is also partnering with Hasbro to bring a new iOS version of the popular Bop It! toy that we all remember annoying our parents with when we were younger. The new toy is called Bop It! Smash, and is a barbell-shaped type of deal with a row of lights running across the middle of the unit. The lights move back and forth, and when they’re in the middle you “bash” the ends of the toy in, trying to capture the light right in the dead center for the best score.
As you progress, the lights move at an increasingly rapid pace, testing the merits of your reflexes. The iOS version emulates this basic gameplay, and adds in some new graphical effects and features. The best part is that it will be free to download, and should be hitting the App Store this weekend.
Knights of the Round Cable - Finally, we checked out Knights of the Round Cable, a game I felt has some serious "sleeper hit" potential. Sometimes games just need one really fun and unique mechanic to stand out, and that describes Knights of the Round Cable to a T. You play as a variety of different knights who can grapple onto anchor points set around each level, and then swing around from them collecting groups of gems.
The game uses just 2 buttons, one to launch your grappling rope and one to change the direction of your rotation. After a mild learning curve you’ll be flinging your knight across the screen like a pro, and it’s seriously fun. Knights also comes equipped with a huge store of bonus items, a mission structure like Jetpack Joyride, and a ton of different knights to unlock and use in the game, each with their own unique attributes. Knights of the Round Cable is set to hit this summer, and based on my time with the game it can't come soon enough.
Looking back at E3 last year we got a first look at the OnLive client for the iPad. It was an impressive demo, and a few months later OnLive was going full steam ahead with the launch of the app. They even went as far as to send me the actual Bluetooth controller and a build to play on my iPad, and I'd say it worked even better than the E3 demo, as my home WiFi was substantially more reliable.
What happened next was a little confusing, OnLive basically went dark on promoting the OnLive app. We weren't able to get any substantial updates on the project, and it seemed like everything was in a massive holding pattern. Well, running into the OnLive guys again at E3 this year shed some light on the matter. It turns out they're still hard at work on getting the app approved, and don't show any signs of giving up on the project.
It's not much of a surprise that Apple might have issues with the OnLive app, as it's offering a complete platform that Apple doesn't have control over, promotes a gamepad, and provides content purchased outside of the App Store ecosystem. So, here's to keeping our fingers crossed to OnLive and Apple coming to some sort of middle ground to get the app out.
In May, Subatomic Studios unveiled that it was in active development on Fieldrunners 2, the sequel to its original genre-defining tower defense game. What's had us so excited about the upcoming project is its guts. Subatomic isn't just adding new modes, new maps, and generally updating the original game and slapping a "2" on it. Instead, it's introducing new mechanics and concepts that will radically change up the core experience. AI has soul and brains now, terrain has actual depth, and the game's systems will freely interact with each other. It sounds like a much more emergent game.
A new engine is allowing all of this new stuff to become a reality, and you can get your first taste of the game's new planes, choppers, and ground vehicles below. At E3 this week, Subatomic is showing off concept images of several new vehicles, all of which will have a part to play in Fieldrunners 2.
Fieldrunners 2 is due out later this June on iPad and iPhone. You can check out our past coverage of the title here and a bonus interview podcast here.
What happens when two publishers work together? You get social games. GREE and 2K Games have announced a new partnership that will see the release of at least two new social, and presumably free-to-play, twists on Sid Meier's Civilization and Sid Meier's Pirates in "select global social gaming markets," and more specifically, Japan.
This new Civilization is described, foremost, as a social empire-building game that'll have the usual Civilization stuff: diplomacy, famous leaders, technology races, and a touch of war if you're the killing type.
The new Pirates game, Pirates Legends, is also being described as a pretty faithful take on the existing franchise, as it'll have you sailing around the high seas in a quest to become the world's most notorious pirate. The word "social" has been floated, but as with Civilization, there's no hard information on what sort of mechanics will be implemented on this front.
It'll be interesting to see if these games can take off with GREE's injection of social hooks and free-to-play mechanics. Civilization is probably better suited, since a lot of its action is timer-based. We guess Pirates will roll out with a new economy for bullets and bombs, but that's just our speculation.
Regardless, both of these games have already seen specialized platform-specific releases on the App Store, and they're both pretty good. You have to wonder if GREE is going to be able to make them better.
It's official: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013, the third entry in the annualized Magic: The Gathering digital series, will hit this June 20 across Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, iPad, and PC. It'll ship with new decks, some finer points of customization, new puzzles, and new cards from Magic: The Gathering's 2013 core set.
A debut teaser trailer for Duels 2013 is available below. Don't mind all the fancy 3D work and animation because you won't be seeing any of that in the actual game.
Global mobile and social publisher GREE is showing at E3 in Los Angeles this week, and it has at least 20 new games to unveil to the world. One of them is a new tentatively titled Resident Evil VS game dubbed, for now, Resident Evil VS.
If you've been playing Resident Evil Mercenaries VS, you'll probably feel at home with this upcoming iteration. It's a third-person shooter, too, that puts you in the shoes of a Resident Evil character and pits you against others online. GREE is adding a brand new and vague "social element" into the mix, and probably some hefty free-to-play mechanics.
At E3 in Los Angeles, Disney Mobile unveiled its Next Big Thing. This June will see the release of Where's My Perry, a spiritual successor to puzzle game phenomenon Where's My Water. It'll use similar water mechanics, but also provide at least one twist -- the new game's Crazy-inators turn water into steam or ice and complicate puzzle solutions.
Where's My Perry leverages Disney's "Phineas and Ferb" brand, which explains the game's funky name. You'll play as "Agent" Perry and apparently meet several of the cartoon's characters. Neat. We guess.
PlayStation Suite, Sony's mobile initiative that is putting PlayStation Classic games and other PlayStation titles on "PlayStation Certified" devices, has received a name change. At Sony's E3 briefing this afternoon, SCEE president Andrew House announced that PlayStation Suite is now called PlayStation Mobile. House also unveiled the initiative's first third-party hardware partner: HTC. Cool! Maybe.
We thought it appropriate to bring you this in an effort to keep following up with Suite, considering our extensive coverage when it was first announced. As the initiative exits its open beta, it's becoming increasingly more plain that an iOS version isn't in the cards as we've speculated in the past, but here's to hoping the name change indicates more than Sony's desire for a snappier name.
The next iteration in the Skylanders franchise, Skylanders Giants, is coming to mobile platforms in addition to the Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, and Wii, publisher Activision has confirmed at E3, according to a Pocket Gamer post.
Giants is a pure follow-up to its groundbreaking predecessor, offering similar play with one ... big twist. Eight of its twenty new figures will be larger than the others, which explains whole "giant" part of the game's name. New modes and challenges are also being promised, in addition to light-up figures.
Not to be lost amongst the craziness that has ensued with the ending of E3 last week – with a hectic travel schedule, a major California freeway being shut down for an entire day, and preparing for WWDC in San Francisco this week – I was able to spend some time with a demo version of Infinity Blade: Dungeons at Epic’s E3 booth. And I’ve got to say that it was probably my favorite iOS title at the entire show.
Yesterday we learned that Capcom had an iOS version of their recent console release Street Fighter X Tekken hiding somewhere in their massive E3 booth. Eli and myself searched it out and dove right in to see how it played, and we're happy to report that so far it gets the big thumbs up. The controls feel identical to previous Capcom fighters, that is they're actually pretty darn good. The option to move them around the screen wasn't present in this demo, so it did feel a bit awkward playing on the iPad, but it still felt good nonetheless.
