News

‘Implosion – Never Lose Hope’ Updated with Modern Device Support, a New Chapter, and More, and is Currently FREE on iOS

TouchArcade Rating:

It’s been quite a while since we’ve had reason to talk about Rayark’s Implosion – Never Lose Hope ($1.99), but more than 4 years after its last update a new update has arrived today adding support for all the newer mobile device screen sizes and resolutions as well as a few other goodies. Implosion has been near and dear to my heart ever since I first laid eyes on it way back in September of 2013. Implosion was a character action game with a sci-fi motif and bad ass mech-based combat, and it really looked to buck the trends that the App Store and mobile gaming were heading towards at the time. This was a full-blown, high production value affair designed explicitly for mobile, and it was aimed at a more hardcore gaming audience as opposed to the more casual mainstream. Tt was also selling for a one-time purchase price of $9.99, which was (and still is) considered on the high side in the world of mobile. It was the type of game I always envisioned being made for mobile devices had the “race to the bottom" mentality and free to play monetization strategy not strangled the entire industry.

I digress. Hype for Implosion was through the roof following that 2013 announcement, and that hype only grew as the game was delayed a few different times, missing its intended 2014 release window and finally arriving on iOS in April of 2015. And boy was the wait worth it. Implosion was everything I had hoped it would be and more, and it earned an easy 5 star recommendation in our original review. Two good sized updates followed that initial release. The version 1.1 update arrived in September of 2015 and added a Boss Rush mode, some new VR side missions, new enemies, and leaderboard support. Then the version 1.2 update arrived in February of 2016 and really upped the ante with an entirely new chapter called “Last Man Standing" and a brand new playable character named Jonathan who piloted a mech that featured dual-wielding firearms and was the ranged attack counterpart to the original and more melee-focused Avalon and Crimson mechs.

All was quite rosy in the world of Implosion up to that point, but sadly, despite how well-received the game was and how well it sold, the updates dried up after version 1.2. It’s not totally surprising as Rayark is a fairly small studio who manages a ton of different gaming projects, and they did launch Implosion on the Nintendo Switch not long after that system debuted in 2017. Their hands were in a lot of different pots, and I get it. But I’ve never lost hope (see what I did there?) that one day they would issue an update to the mobile version of Implosion that at the very least would offer full screen support. It’s taken a darn long time but that day has finally come. It’s not just full screen support though, as there’s definitely been a resolution bump from where the game was at previously, and it’s hard to believe this is a 5 year old game given how darn nice it looks by today’s standards.

Additionally, a new chapter called “Iron Will" has been added to the campaign, and the game now features full Japanese voice acting. Sadly this new version 1.5 update breaks compatibility with game saves, and trying to read a translation of Rayark’s tweet about the matter suggests there’s a way around that as long as you update the game first before firing it up? I think? I don’t quite understand, and my own personal experience is that my save progress is gonzo, but honestly I don’t mind in the least as I’m already having a major blast playing through the game from the beginning all over again. However if your previous save progress is important to you this is something to be aware of.

Perhaps the biggest news out of all this is that Implosion on iOS is currently FREE for only the second time ever, and the Android version, which is free to download anyway with a one-time full game unlock IAP, is also at a very steep discount of just $1.99. Whether you’re an existing fan or brand new to the game, now is an excellent time to dive into the world of Implosion and experience one of the best mobile-original games around.

  • Implosion - Never Lose Hope

    Bringing AAA console gaming experience to mobile devices. Twenty years after the fall of Earth, the remnants of the Hu…
    TA Rating:
    $1.99
    Buy Now