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iOS premium gaming thread

At the moment, I've gone back for yet another play through XCOM. On hard mode (although not that insane mode that doesn't allow you to cheat-save. Fuck that.) with random stats and skills. There are some well OP skill sets that can turn up at random... which is necessary when facing hard mode.
 
I found out that the guy who wrote Dungeon Raid - probably the game responsible for the most time wasted on my phone apart from Drop7, but both of those not updated for latest iOS - did another one called “I Keep Having This Dream”. It’s another roguelike, similar in some ways - the varied “boss” enemies, collecting special abilities and items - but less match-x-puzzly and with more areas of strategy, as well as with some of the more annoying aspects of the previous one fixed (for example you can change out your abilities rather than being locked into the first four you pick for the rest of the game). It’s themed around dreams, so all of the bosses are neuroses or dream elements, and the ultimate threat is your Nemesis which powers up and/or catches up to you when you get “killed” or make a dead end, but that can sometimes be beneficial.

It got mixed reviews when it came out but I think it’s better than Dungeon Raid tbh.
 
Buddy Bradley said:
What's a good RPG I could get that will run okay on my 5s? Looking for something that's more RP than combat.
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What do you mean by RPG? Open world classic type first person? Top down Uber classic type role play? JRPG?

There are excellent examples of all - the whole FF series is on iOS (and will inevitably be discounted come Christmas), Baldur’s Gate (and a couple of others by the same dev, eg Icewind Dale) are Uber classics, and. Erm. Thinking of 5s here, there were definitely open worlds released a few years back that were iOS genre defining classics. Can dig up. Certainly played a couple to completion. Oh - Jade Empire. There’s a classic. If it’ll run.

Templar Battleforce and Strike Team Hydra are also by a couple of batshit deep top downs. But they’re probably more tbs than RPG.
 
FridgeMagnet said:
Jade Empire is 99p at the moment!
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A brand new 256gb iPhone plus arrived about 7hrs ago.

In consequence, I have been reinstalling a half tonne of games that had to be sacrificed for reasons of 64gb.

Jade empire is among these. Thanks to kabbes, XCom is now, too.

(Have also DLed Grid Autosport, which was the first nail in the “fuck I can’t play new releases any more I need a new phone” coffin. Which is proving very acceptable. Though a bit chuffing easy so far. I need to find how to turn of brake and steering assist, and precisely what gyro setups work for me. It’s all a quite new tinkering experience.)
 
I have bought Bridge Constructor Portal today, too.

A mash up of bridge constructors and, er.

Portal.

There seems to be a decent amount of steam IP in there. And promising early levels!
 
mrs quoad said:
What do you mean by RPG? Open world classic type first person? Top down Uber classic type role play? JRPG?

There are excellent examples of all - the whole FF series is on iOS (and will inevitably be discounted come Christmas), Baldur’s Gate (and a couple of others by the same dev, eg Icewind Dale) are Uber classics, and. Erm. Thinking of 5s here, there were definitely open worlds released a few years back that were iOS genre defining classics. Can dig up. Certainly played a couple to completion. Oh - Jade Empire. There’s a classic. If it’ll run.

Templar Battleforce and Strike Team Hydra are also by a couple of batshit deep top downs. But they’re probably more tbs than RPG.
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I got SW:KotOR in the end, should keep me busy for a while. :)
 
mrs quoad said:
Yeah. Same as pc full price.

Which. You know.

May not go down so well on mobile.

I’m in favour of them trying it, tho. (Particularly if they do their regular thing of abundant sales, and “a tenner within three years”)
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It’s not as if Civ has actually changed radically over the last 20 years anyway. I wouldn’t pay that on any platform. I should be paying update prices tbh.

I do also think that mobile games emphasise how extra dev time and resources hit diminishing returns in terms of user experience much quicker. Dozens of artists doing detailed research and carefully building styles of rope (I went to a talk by the art director for Horizon: Zero Dawn and this is the level they went down to, how people tied stuff together and with what and how this tied into broader cultural issues) is even less significant on mobile than it would be on console or PC because you can’t see it and don’t have the time to look.
 
List of top iOS titles currently on sale: The Big 2017 App Store Holiday Sales List - All the Best iOS Games on Sale

Errrr, of those IME...

Atomine - genuinely fucking lovely roguelike twin stick. Recent. Love it. Wouldn’t bother with anything less recent than an iPhone 6, probably 6s. (It was sketchy - but just ok - ok my 6+). £1

Bastion - omg. £1

Cat quest - see this thread - omg. £1.

Don’t starve - Shipwrecked. £1

Final Fantasy by the fucking tonne (Buddy Bradley)

Iron marines. I am less convinced than someone else upthread. Makers of Kingdom Rush. £3.

Motorsport Manager 2. Most exciting 2017 mobile release for a long time, until WH Quest 2. Errr, bit mechanistic, but pretty fucking good for an hour or 12. £1

Sunless Sea - fucking love that game. But £7.

Titan Quest. £4. Buddy Bradley

Transistor - see Bastion. £2

Warhammer Quest 1 - to my mind, this remains the finest game ever released on mobile. £1. Buddy Bradley

OMG and Strain Tactics. Totally batshit hypercomplex rts batshit mashup. £3.
 
Oh I’m so in the market for a new iOS game. Been ages.

Are real time strategy games still a thing? Any recommendations?

Or just brilliant ‘puzzle’ games? (with enough levels not to burn it all too quickly)
 
paolo said:
Are real time strategy games still a thing? Any recommendations?
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Strain tactics reviews on steam.

^^^properly nuts, but properly deep.

Top of my head, would also cheerily recommend Red Conquest (which has been on my phone constantly since c.2009 and remains a standout rts, IMO), and Ultimate General (which is a fantastic / painfully deep US war rts. With Steam reviews).

Edit: and wrt puzzles Crispy recently posted this: Gorogoa - Gorgeous hand-drawn puzzle story

Would also give a double thumbs to Bridge Constructor: Portal Version (linked above).

Many many many other puzzle games around, mind!
 
mrs quoad said:
Latest Michael Brough roguelite has been released.

He’s decided all significant text should be in Portuguese. And randomised each game.

#verybrough

'Cinco Paus' Review - A Rosa By Any Other Name

Also, FridgeMagnet
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yeah, I was playing it on the tube just now

It's, er. Well, it might be some sort of meta-commentary about the fact that regardless of help text, powers in a roguelike only make sense in strategic context and you only learn that through play, but it's just a little confusing. I don't think he really writes games for mass market appeal these days. I worked out a few of the icons, but I shall be reading the spoilers. Or maybe I'll learn Portuguese, I dunno.

It does seem pretty good - the wand mechanic combines discovery and randomisation - and it would be even better if it was in fucking English.
 
I have pre-ordered a game for the first time ever. Jydge. By the makers of Neon Chrome and Time Recoil - both eminently decent twin sticks, also available (at least in one case) on Steam. Not as good as Hand of Fate (IMO), which slaughters the genre wholesale; but still pretty darned decent nimble efforts.

Also bought Let Them Come last week. Which is a proper oddball of a game. Aliens themed (sort of), sort of shooter, mass death and you die hundreds of times, but level progress is always saved. I’m completely unconvinced that my “skill” has anything to do with my progress, but it’s still quite rewarding to play.

And got game dev tycoon, which I literally have not had three seconds to play; and Animus, which is a beyond brutal / hardcore top-end battler; and Ashworld, which is a tremendously good little open world mission based post apocalyptic pixel graphics survival crafter; errrrr, and Antihero, which looks like an outstanding board game conversion, but (again) which I’m literally struggling to find 30s to play. (For which, thank you, puppy.)
 
Jydge is very, very good. As a twin stick shooter.

I think it’s only 20-ish levels, but each had 3 achievements * 3 levels of difficulty.

There’s also a tonne of customisation options - see below. Up to 4 enhancements for your character, 3 for your weapon, a choice of weapon types, and a choice of special weapons. All of them with genuinely absurd levels of choice. And some of which (eg weapon type) can be levelled up, sth like ten times.

I am currently rolling with a l10 shotgun, murderous lead (+50% damage on lead-based weapons), a rapid reload, and a rapid fire / slower reload weapon mods. And with personal mods that allow some frontal damage to be absorbed (a riot shield), hacking, invisibility when static and, er... sth else. You can save 3 loadouts; so I have an additional two saved, one for hostage rescue, and another for melee (which includes 300% melee damage, explosions on contact, and sth else.)

Very smooth, lovely gameplay, unusual degree of depth. And cracking gfx, to boot.

A real gem!

664AF257-2222-4F6E-BB59-34241DF3DF1B.png 46038808-566D-4BE6-A23F-E718096DA1B0.png FE2E6A5C-C33D-41EE-A105-C4E2375174E8.png 1B4ACBCF-6460-4DAC-8C78-13525AFC0029.png
 
I have to say that the Switch is kind of damaging my iOS game playing. Basically as long as it’s charged I will be playing Mario Odyssey or Stardew Valley on train journeys of any length, so phone games are limited to fag break/loo/three tube stops.

With that in mind I’ve started up Fallout Shelter again. It’s got better since I last played it though that was a year or two ago.
 
FridgeMagnet said:
I have to say that the Switch is kind of damaging my iOS game playing. Basically as long as it’s charged I will be playing Mario Odyssey or Stardew Valley on train journeys of any length, so phone games are limited to fag break/loo/three tube stops.

With that in mind I’ve started up Fallout Shelter again. It’s got better since I last played it though that was a year or two ago.
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Well, then. Let me recommend to you Jydge on Nintendo Switch :thumbs:
 
Thumper is out today. Well, yesterday.
kabbes said:
I enjoyed The Room and its sequels, although they are pretty short.
Click to expand...
One for you, kabbes: 'The Room: Old Sins' Review: 'The Room' Series Continues to Amaze

Thumper: Rhythm Violence is also out. I hadn’t heard of it, but it turns out to have a robust steam (and switch?) pedigree. First rhythm game I’ve properly chuffing enjoyed - rayt dirty quick gameplay, and not too obviously rhythm based, at first.

It has great steam reviews: Thumper on Steam

Will try to dig up a video l8r.
 
Dandara is also out today. Out on steam, too.

I’m sort of intrigued, bc it’s £15, and is a multi platform release. But, idk. Is it really £15 of good, on iOS scales?

(Reported to have about 10hrs of campaign :hmm: )

And WHQ2 has an update. Lots of new iap. New chars. Including a white wizard. New world. Chaos. Idk. I sort of wish I cared enough to spend the money I can’t really afford on it. Iykwim. Woulda been a no-browner on whq1.

As it is, feels a bit like £14 for four more bowls ofnubflacoured porridge.
 
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