GameLight - Solstice Arena (Steam)

Official Site: http://www.solsticearena.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/240380/
Source: Youtube Channel SolsticeArena

Five months ago, I mentioned a new MOBA in the making that was releasing on mobile devices such as iPhone and iPad.  It was a bit of a surprise to see it on Steam yesterday and I decided to try it out.  I was a bit hesitant about the decision since it's published and seemingly developed by Zynga who are known for questionable practices in the Videogame industry.  What gave me some hope was that the game was being developed by "A Bit Lucky" studios before they joined Zynga in finishing the product before putting it out in the market.  Solstice Arena boasts itself for being the first Speed-MOBA in the market which delivers fast and exciting PvP matches.  It takes out minions to farm, lanes to gank and focuses on positioning and utilizing the abilities of all the characters in the team.  What's left is a bare-bones PvP action that, surprisingly, was a lot of fun.

Some Pros:
+ Eased into the game: tutorial isn't long and the game has the player play at least one bot match and one co-op match before they're thrust into a real match between players so that they can familiarize themselves with the characters, items, mechanics and map.
+ Matches are short: You don't have to invest a lot of time to get the excitement and action of player vs. player.  Even if you lose, it was a short duration and you can jump right back in for another match.
+ Various characters and skills: The characters are rather distinguished and fun, though missing a bit of personality with the lack of story.  Each match is dynamic and different as each player will have their own playstyle and different composition of characters brings something new to the game.
+ Intense PvP: A lot of abilities are skill shots which requires aiming and timing
+ Super easy account creation: I've played dozens of Online games and it's quite frustrating when creating an account is a hassle.  The account can be created in-game with a display name, email, username, and password.  The game can also be played as a guest before you decide you want to stick with the game and create an account to carry over what you progressed.
+ No chat: Why is this a plus?  Because if you've played enough online games, you might be familiar with people who consistently argue, yell, and rage throughout a match and ruin the experience for everyone else.  There are in-game pings which is more than enough to communicate with the team and a button to say "GG" (Good Game" to everyone at the end of the match.
+ Fast loading: Get into the game quicker.  The game isn't very big and loading is very short.  Shorter load times = more play time.

Some Cons:
- Imbalanced characters: Some matches can work against you and you won't be able to do a thing when characters leap towards you, slow, stun, knock up, and burst you down perhaps across the map.  It can be a bit depressing, but it reminds me of DotA where characters are balanced by fighting broken with broken.  It's not a very balanced game, but it sure makes it fun (so it can be seen as a plus).
- Terrible interface: The game is essentially a straight port of the iPad version.  Buttons will even have the words "Tap here" on it.  It works well for touch screen, but the interface isn't designed very well or elegantly for PC.
- Graphics aren't very good: The game is a straight port of the iOS version which has a lot of blocky lookin' characters.  I actually think the graphics are pretty nice for a game that originated from a mobile device, but there will be players that will be turned off by its presentation.
- No chat: Some people want to yell or maybe playfully jeer at the enemy, and not having any form of communication with the enemy other than saying "GG" at the end of the match might not be what some players want.  I have met those who enjoy bullying other players in online games and play those games to feel superior.  It's rather depressing...
- The meta-game: Players can level up a character that they play often to make their abilities even stronger.  This is an interesting meta-game that's a nice incentive to keep playing a single character and have an advantage over players, but players of all levels are matched up against each other which puts lower solstice level players at an immediate disadvantage.
- Everything is incredibly expensive: If you play League of Legends, 6300 IP already sounds like a lot just to earn enough to buy a new character.  Characters can get up to 30,000 points before you can get them unless you use real money to purchase them which might be the whole point.  This is Zynga we're talking about, the business portion won't be handled by the developers and you can expect some shenanigans coming from Zynga here.
- Cross-Platform Multiplayer: If I understand this correctly, players on Steam/PC will be playing with players on iPads and iPhones.  The controls do look pretty good on iPad, but the fact that the player's hand gets in the way of the display already puts a disadvantage on them.  Players on PC will be able to kite, react and cycle through their skills much faster than those on touch screen in general.  This isn't much a con for PC players, but I find this really unfair to iPad users who have been supporting them for the past 5 months.

To put it simply, the game isn't perfect but is a whole lot of fun.  The action is pretty consistent and the experience isn't ruined by other player's complaints and whining.  I'm actually very impressed that the developers found a way to give the player the means to communicate within the game without having to add text/voice chat.  The game isn't too hard to learn compared to most MOBAs, but has enough customization and depth to keep it interesting.  If anything, it's a fun game to mess around in.  Solstice Arena can be downloaded through Steam up on the link above.

GameLight - Final Fantasy All The Bravest

Official Site: Final Fantasy All The Bravest on iOS
Source: Youtube Channel squareenix

I saw this little game 2 days ago on Joystiq and thought "wow, what a quirky little game that looks fast-paced and instantaneously satisfying!"  Final Fantasy All The Bravest is an iOS downloadable game for iPod/iPhones and iPad where the player controls up to 40 characters on screen by swiping and poking to fight off enemies.  The game looks ridiculous, but also entertaining at the same time.  For $3.99, this game looked great!  Then today, I found out there was a catch.  The game is centered around micro-transactions.  You want a new map?  $3.99.  You want another character?  $.99 but you can't choose who you get, it's entirely random.  Your party members have fallen and you can choose to wait 3 minutes to 2 hours or you can pay to have them revived.  A game shouldn't revolve around paying just to progress through a game.  It's like paying a whole line of tolls on a highway just to get to the beach.  The player is paying so much just to be able to have a few minutes of fun before having to pay more.  It reminds me of the comic Penny Arcade drew back in 2005 (which btw the guys over there hated this game too).  I'd love to try out Final Fantasy All The Bravest, but it's certainly not something I'd put money into.  Does Square-Enix really care that little about their fans now?  If you're willing to take the risk and give the game a shot, click on the top link and pick it up for $3.99.  I'd recommend playing on an iPad rather than a iPod touch/iPhone seeing how much area space is needed.


Source:
-Joystiq: Final Fantasy All The Bravest hits iOS tomorrow
-Kotaku: The Slow, Excruciating Death Of Final Fantasy

GameLight - Recent PC games

I have so many topics on hand right now that I'm going to have to talk about a handful of them in one post.  These following games are for mostly for PC (some available on consoles).

[The Walking Dead] - PC/MAC, PS3, Xbox 360, iPhone/iPad
Official Site: http://www.telltalegames.com/walkingdead/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/207610/
Source: Youtube Channel IGNentertainment

The series started as a graphic novel that launched in 2003 and was adapted into a live-action TV series in 2010.  An adventure game was launched this year and is split into 5 parts (2 are out so far) and the player only needs to buy the game once and will automatically receive the other parts when they're out.  It's much like other Adventure games where you point-n-click objects, make decisions, and added quick-time events for a bit of Action.  It is described to be like an interactive-movie with a great story, well written dialogues, and some pretty crazy moments that keep the player on their toes.

[Bullet Run] - PC
Official Site: http://www.bulletrunthegame.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/211880/
Source: Youtube Channel machinima

You're a contestant on a violent reality show where you kill other people for fame and fortune.  The premise of the game totally reminded me of Super Smash TV back in the old Arcade/SNES days.  Anyways, Bullet Run is a Free-to-Play First-Person Shooter published by Sony Online Entertainment.  On Steam, there are 3 available DLCs, each costing $9.99.  I'm not sure how "free" the game is.  That is, I'm not sure how balanced it is between those who play for free and how much of an advantage those who pay money for the game have.  I'll be trying it out when I get my new computer in.

[Awesomenauts] - PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Official Site: http://www.awesomenauts.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/204300/
Source: Youtube Channel ronimogames

As far as I can tell, Awesomenauts is a 2D Action-Platformer Tower Defense Game.  Perhaps an easier way to grasp it is to call it a 2D DotA?  I hear nothing but great things about this game and it seems a lot of people enjoy it.  It seems that on PC, players will have the advantage of a reticle to aim more precisely.  Also, if you get the game on Steam before September 5th, you get 3 exclusive Team Fortress 2 items based off the Awesomenauts universe.

[The eXceed Collection] - PC
Official Site: http://exceedseries.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/sub/15960/
Source: Youtube Channel Throneful

The eXceed Series ranges releases from 2005-2009 and was just released this year in English for the Western market.  eXceed is a doujin (indie) Shoot-em-up, Bullet hell (Danmaku) for the PC featuring Vampires.  Those who play the Touhou series may find the gameplay to be very familiar.  This is the first game that Nyu Media Ltd has brought over to Steam while I (and possibly many others) patiently wait for the release of Cherry Tree High: Comedy Club on Steam.

[Dark Blood] - PC
Official Site: http://darkblood.outspark.com/
Source: Youtube Channel loadstart

Dark Blood is a free-to-play Action Beat-em-up Online game with RPG elements.  Those who have played Dungeon Fighter Online from Nexon's site will be familiar with Dark Blood's gameplay.  Dark Blood looks a lot more gritty, violent and mature themed compared to the other online beat-em-ups.  Those who enjoy classic beat-em-ups will probably enjoy this game.  Those unfamiliar with the genre but have played other online games before might also take interest in this game.

[Born to Fire] - PC
Official Site: http://borntofire.aeriagames.com/
Source: Youtube Channel Funtree Main

This team-based First-Person Shooter has been talked about for quite a while now, and it looks like it's about to launch on Aeriagame's site.  In Born to Fire, you have your Shotgun-Man, Rifleman, Sniper, Heavyfire, and Dual-Gunner.  Sign up for beta is currently available.

[DayZ] - PC
Official Site: http://dayzmod.com/
Source: Youtube Channel icemotoboy

Those who are familiar with the ArmA 2 mod DayZ will be happy to hear that a stand-alone version of DayZ is currently in development.  This means that the limitations within the ArmA 2 engine will be lifted, no need to get an entire game just to play the mod (Counter-Strike was like that), and hopefully a more polished game will come out of it.  DayZ is a more realistic take on Zombie survival horror with real-time solar clock (it's bright out when you play in the day time and super dark playing at night time), perma-death, and real human interaction (you can betray each other, so that mentality causes paranoia).  It has already attracted over 1 million players to the addictive mod and hopefully will attract even more with a stand-alone version.


That's it for now.  My next line of action is getting through a lot of reviews.  More is on its the way!

GameLight - Angry Birds Space

Official Site: http://space.angrybirds.com/announcement/

Source: Youtube Channel RovioMobile

With the announcement of "The New iPad" (iPad 3), it's no surprise that it would be backed up by killer apps from developers of the market.  Today, Rovio Entertainment uploaded a video of its new game Angry Birds Space.  The game is introduced and talked about by NASA astronaut Don Pettit and how the game's mechanic will work as gravity plays a different part in the game's system.  Sure, this theme and idea has been done many times before by flash game developers for years, but so was the original concept for Angry Birds.  It's sad but true that many popular games on the mobile or social platforms are copies of other existing games, but there's nothing we can really do about it (at the very least know about it).

I'm not entirely against mobile, social, and casual games as some of them actually turn out to be pretty innovative or fun.  Although I'm not a huge fan of the Angry Birds series, I do like the aesthetic and character it gives that has seeped into pop culture.  I also enjoyed the video uploaded and especially enjoyed the demonstration by Mr. Pettit at 1:52.  I'm not sure if other people had the same dreams but as a kid I dreamed of what it would be like in space and do all sorts of crazy zero-gravity activities and so seeing that Angry Bird plush get shot off in zero-gravity made me all giddy inside.  There's no doubt that Rovio Entertainment will find its success once again on Apple products and mobile devices everywhere, especially with "The New iPad's" release on March 14th and its own launch on the market on March 22nd.

VGCulture - iPad 3 announcement at GDC 2012

Official Site: http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Source: Youtube Channel OGBProduction

Today at Game Developers Conference 2012, Apple announced "The New iPad" as they would like to put it rather than the iPad 3.  Here is a run down of specs:

-9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 screen (iPad 2's display was 1024×768)
-A5X quad-core graphics chip
-5-megapixel rear camera
-10 hour battery life (9 hours with 4G LTE turned on)
-More memory and [a] higher screen resolution than an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3
-Weighing in at 1.4 lbs

Prices for WiFi-only model:
  -16GB for $499
  -32GB for $599
  -64GB for $699
Prices for the WiFi & 4G-enabled editions:
  -16GB for $629.00
  -32GB for $729.00
  -64GB for $829.00

I find it sad that the "tablet" has become stronger than my own laptop (faster processor and higher resolution).  I have avoided the device for a really long time now, but I'm now considering of maybe getting the 3rd of its iteration.  This "tablet" will eventually take over laptops as its use and convenience far surpasses those of notebooks and laptops for its size, speed, and not having to turn on/off (hibernation is still slower than that of an iPad).  However, I don't see it replacing PC gaming anytime soon.  I still much prefer my computer for PC gaming and will most likely use the iPad for playing short time-passing games to wait for load times on my laptop or look up gamefaqs when I'm playing PS3 or Wii so I don't have to keep running back to my room to check.  The New iPad will be available next Wednesday March 14th and is already taking orders now.

Source:
-Gamasutra: New iPad announced with high-resolution screen, quad-core graphics chip

GameOn - Free Games - App Store/Android Shop (Mobile Devices)

The concept of free mobile games directly from the network providers is new to me, but I already find it to be the easiest place to find free quality games.  When waiting for an appointment, the bus, or stuck somewhere with nothing to do, having an ipod touch, iphone, ipad, android, and other mobile devices can be pretty handy for keeping one entertained.  With a simple registration for an account and a quick download, a number of free games are accessible to anyone with a modern mobile device.

Source: Youtube Channel squareenix

Mobile games have become a billion dollar industry and continues to expand further into our modern day society.  They may not necessarily take over traditional games and consoles, but they're convenient, accessible where ever there's Wi-Fi (or literally anywhere for those with data plans), and does its job of keeping us entertained for the short durations we're stuck waiting somewhere away from our consoles and computers.  But know now that a large portion of the free games in the app store and android shop are demos to actual games.

Advantages:
-Easy to find, download, and start playing right away
-Most games are short, to the point and good for killing time
-All the games are accessible from the device through the network's shop

Disadvantages:
-Eats up the battery to the owner's mobile device that might be needed for calls
-A lot of games are demos or short versions of the actual game
-Terrible controls for a lot of games imitating controls to handheld games like DS or PSP

It's really easy to find free games to try out or play with no charge, but finding the right game can be a bit more difficult.  A lot of games look good, but play badly because of the limitation of touch screen only controls which don't do very well when one needs that tactile feeling when playing an action or fighting game.  The best way to find a good game is looking for those that have the touch screen controls in mind.  Does it utilize it successfully and make it easy for the player to understand and play?  I'll try my best to list some games, but I can't ensure all of them are that great since I don't play too much on my ipod touch and I don't have an android...yet.

App Store for Apple Products (iPod, iPhone, iPad):

Note: To download these games, go to the app store of your device, open "games", choose a "category" and look under "top free".  Yes, it's that easy.  Log-in to your account, download, let it install and start playing.

-rRootage - Remember the game rRootage I talked about yesterday?  It's free in the app store too!
-Call of Duty World at War: Zombies LITE - If you've played it on console/PC, then you'll know what it'll look like.  The controls are a little tricky, and the LITE version is only about 3 rounds; however, it's a pretty good time killer if it's only going to be 5-10 minutes.

Source: Youtube Channel bael99x
-7Swords - This game is amazing, and entirely free (not a demo).  It's essentially Fantasy Earth Zero for the iPod touch/iPhone where you create a character and play online with other live players.  There are 2 factions to choose from to fight for when on the battlefield.  You fight other players and the faction that reaches 0 points first loses.  There isn't even registration needed.  Just start the game, log-in, create a character, and start playing.  Speaking of Fantasy Earth Zero, Gamepot will no longer be hosting servers anymore.
-Tune Runner - Not so much a rhythm game as it is a touch screen game where you match the symbol that's heading toward the little robot thing.  At least it's a game you can play your music to.
-Angry Birds LITE - This game had the attention of the media, game industry and the population of mobile device players everywhere.  I finally tried it out and thought it was a nicely designed game, but did it seriously cause that much attention to the media?  It's fun, but not groundbreaking (maybe the sales were, but meh...).
-Coast Defense: Reloaded Free - If you've ever played Beach Head 2000 at the arcades, it's a lot like that game.  The controls are decent and gives the player a lot of control.  I don't know how far the free version goes, but I've already played so many levels and am still going that it feels like a full game.  This is one of my favorites that I've played in the past thus far.

Source: Youtube Channel TheGameTrail
-Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus FREE - Remember I did a review on Modern Combat Domination last week?  This is that same company: Gameloft.  I actually haven't tried this game yet (since I don't have enough space on my iPod to download), but it looks so amazing!  There's not harm in downloading a FREE game and trying it out.  The most  you'll lose is a few minutes of your time if you end up hating it, but I heard it was a very affordable price if you end up buying it.  This is definitely a game I want to download once I get an iPad (or a new iPod touch with higher data capacity).

There is so much more at the app store.  Just check it out.  If my iPod weren't full of music, I'd get so much more games than I do now.  If I ever get an iPad, it's going to be filled with games on it.

Android Market:

Note: I'm going to have to say right now that I've never played on an android before, so I'm not very knowledgeable about the device; however, I've been looking for games for it anyways just in case I do get one in the future.


Source: Youtube Channel KongregateArcade
-Kongregate Arcade - I talked a bit about Kongregate on Monday and how they had a lot of games.  Well, if you download their application for your Android, you will have access to 300+ games that's compatible with the touch screen, record all your progress and badges to your Kongregate account, and be able to play any of these games for free like on their official website.  This is the first application I am getting the second I get an android phone.
-Android Market Free Games - Free games right from the android market.  It's very similar to the Apple App store where a lot of developers will create games compatible with both Apple products and Android phones.  From the official market though, Apple has more quality free games.
-Appbrain - I just looked up "Android Games" on google and found this site.  There are tons of sites with free applications and games, just search it up.  These games are free through advertisements within the game or sponsors that support the developers to release a new game each week.  Take advantage of it and have fun.

That's it for now.  It makes me really jealous that I don't have an (up to date) iPod Touch with enough data capacity to play those awesome free games and don't have an android to check out the hundreds (thousands by now) of free games for the device.  I'm going to have to charge my battery a lot once I get an android.  Have fun, and remember to charge your batteries so you don't miss important calls or miss an appointment.