The genre of each-style jRPGs is now quite inflated, which means that to stand out in the sea of productions currently available on the Google Play Store, you need to have a truly remarkable product. Alchemy Stars (download) responds precisely to this description, placing itself as an extraordinarily well-finished title in every aspect, made in an excellent way and with great attention to detail.
The protagonists of the game, characterised by an excellent anime design, move within a fantasy world full of pitfalls, to be faced in the context of a turn-based combat system with great strategic depth, enriched by special abilities and devastating spells. The Area that deals damage to multiple enemies at the same time.
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Alto’s Odyssey boasts extraordinary atmospheres.
Alto’s Odyssey (download) proposes the formula that had made the first episode of the series successful, involving us in an exciting free descent from the peak of a mountain while suggestive panoramas alternate in the background.
It is an experience that combines the extraordinary immediacy of a basic touch control system, manageable by pressing a single finger on the screen, and a surprising artistic direction, especially considering the context. The introduction of interesting gameplay innovations refreshed the action just enough to re-engage even those who had spent hours with Alto’s Adventure.
Angry Birds Journey, Bomb prepares for launch.
The great classic from Rovio returns to Android with Angry Birds Journey (download), a reinterpretation of the classical mechanics of the series but also of its protagonists. These angry birds again must chase the green pigs, guilty of stealing their eggs. The formula is always the same: you have to launch the birds with a slingshot and destroy the enemy structures, but the variations on the theme are numerous.
As part of a huge campaign, with hundreds of levels, we will have to face stages divided into three sections and make the most of our allocation of launches, but also the skills of each character, which differ from those we know well and they can make all the difference in delivering master strokes, capable of razing pig fortresses to the ground in a single attempt. The Angry Birds Journey review.
AnimA ARPG combines gothic environments and monstrous enemies
Completely free, AnimA ARPG (download) is undoubtedly one of the most interesting action RPGs available for Android terminals. The game features solid, fast-paced and spectacular hack & slash-style gameplay that will see us face off against hordes of dangerous opponents by tapping into a repertoire of devastating and varied moves.
All while we explore a vast dark fantasy world, made up of over forty increasingly complex stages, full of demons, dark knights and demonic creatures ready to attack us; but also numerous objects to collect and equip, using a multifaceted crafting system to grow our character and change its appearance.
Apex Legends Mobile, a trio of characters
It has been talked about for a long time. Still, in the end, the famous battle royale developed by Respawn Entertainment made its debut also on Android devices, with a mobile reduction that does not give up practically any aspect of the game on PC and console, indeed adds the ability to switch between first-person and third-person views to the package.
Without cross-play functionality for obvious reasons, Apex Legends Mobile (download) is also confirmed in mobility as a frenetic and engaging shooter experience, which performs well both with touch controls and with Bluetooth controllers, thanks to a roster of characters now very rich and with different variations on the theme in terms of maps and modes. The Apex Legends Mobile review.
Arcanium: Rise of Akhan, a clash of cards
Available free to Netflix subscribers, Arcanium: Rise of Akhan (download) is one of the first fruits of the streaming giant’s commitment to mobile. In this case, we are talking about a card battler with RPG and roguelike elements, in some ways similar to Slay the Spire and set in a fascinating but insidious fantasy world.
Moving freely within the map can run into various potential threats. At that point, we will have to pull out the deck and play our game, taking advantage of rather deep mechanics and a precise style, able to strongly characterise the experience and increase our involvement as we try to become increasingly competitive. The Arcanium: Rise of Akhan review.
Asphalt 9: Legends and its spectacular graphics
Undoubtedly a reference in the field of free arcade driving games for Android, Asphalt 9: Legends (download) has been available for some time on the Google Play Store but has not yet been surpassed and continues to receive updates from Gameloft as they go. to further enrich the structure. In addition, the title boasts spectacular graphics, which is a significant advantage.
Driving in a traditional way or through the simplified TouchDrive system, with one hand, we will have to unlock new cars and face increasingly tough races within a long campaign, using the boost to overtake and performing breathtaking acrobatic manoeuvres after having launched into the void. . Will we get to the finish line first? Asphalt 9: Legends review.
Astracraft, a click on the editor interface
Taking a cue from classics such as Banjo-Kazooie: Screws and Bolts, Astracraft (download) offers gameplay divided into two distinct phases: in the first, we will have the task of using the resources available to build robots or vehicles as powerful as possible, in the second we will be able to control them inside combat arenas, in the context of highly competitive matches.
Dealing with an editor that is in some ways complex but certainly with great potential, we will be able to try our hand at creation and give life to phenomenal devices, best suit our style of play, and then throw ourselves into the fray and experience its actual characteristics. The freemium format inevitably paves the way for pay-to-win dynamics, but the result is worth a try.
In Banana Kong 2, the protagonist is hooked to a vine.
Several years have passed since the success of the first episode. Therefore Banana Kong 2 (download) comes a little out of time, with some differences not always guessed compared to the franchise’s beginning. However, the incipit is the same: the mountain of bananas of the gorilla protagonist of the game is collapsing, and he is therefore forced to run, avoiding obstacles along the way.
Once again, the variations on the theme are the masters: the character finds himself fleeing between tunnels and underwater sections, for example, but in general, the level of difficulty appears a bit too punitive from the very beginning, and the controls are less precise and reactive compared to the original Banana Kong, creating some nasty episodes of frustration. The Banana Kong 2 review.
Basketball Arena and its formula, in perfect Head Ball style
Developed by the authors of Head Ball 2, Basketball Arena (download) practically applies the same formula to basketball, involving us in fun competitive matches that refer to the rules of action platforms rather than sports, with some elements that undoubtedly squeeze the look at the Super Smash Bros .. series
Within different arenas, more and more famous, we will have to field our team (made up of unlockable and upgradeable characters, a specific aspect of freemium productions) and score more points than our opponents through twos and threes, rebounds and quick discards. Experience adds to the action a strategic substrate represented by the energy available for the various manoeuvres to be spent wisely.
Battle Legion, here are the two factions in the field
The genre of auto battler has experienced great popularity in recent years, and Battle Legion (download) tries to offer it on mobile devices with a couple of effective and interesting solutions, such as the fantasy setting and the possibility of drawing a new opponent. Sliding the right side of the screen a bit like the wheel of fortune.
Our task in the game is to best place units on the battlefield, unlock new ones and upgrade those available to deal more damage and withstand more hits during what looks like a war of attrition, in which whoever wins. Has the best team and has been able to manage its peculiarities well.
Birdie Crush: Fantasy Golf combines anime-style characters with the most classic arcade golf
What happens when golf and anime characters are mixed? Birdie Crush: Fantasy Golf (download) shows it to us, the new Com2uS title, which through a full narrative campaign, almost in a visual novel style, tells the deeds of a group of players determined to make a name for themselves in the most famous sports circuits.
Once on the pitch, the gameplay turns out to be an effective arcade interpretation of Everybody’s Golf, made up of immediate and fun mechanics, characteristic abilities, special powers but also an unexpected thickness that makes the experience more dense and interesting, as well as RPG elements designed for add a pinch of extra flavour to everything.
Blade & Soul: Revolution, the enemies that we will have to face in the game
A mobile adaptation of a rather popular NCSOFT production in South Korea, Blade & Soul: Revolution (download), throws us into a fascinating fantasy world, putting us in the shoes of a student of a martial arts school who one day witnesses helplessly the slaughter of his own. Companions and his teacher at the hands of the ruthless Jinsoyun.
The woman manages to steal the legendary Twilight’s Edge and leaves us dying, but she is determined to recover the sword and avenge our friends. To succeed in the enterprise, we will first have to grow as fighters, level up, unlock increasingly powerful equipment and weapons and complete many more or less simple quests.
Brawlhalla, a detail of the match with two characters fighting
Arrived on mobile devices after having enjoyed great success on PC and console, Brawlhalla (download) can count on something like 40 million players across all versions and on a particularly passionate community. Thanks to a formula that harks back to the classic Super Smash Bros., with four-against-four clashes in which you have to beat your opponents and send them out of the scenario to score the necessary points for victory.
Although not very inspired on the graphic level and still afflicted by some balance problem, which materialises in a sometimes somewhat particular rendering of collisions, Brawlhalla can boast of a wide roster of different characters and scenarios that emphasise the peculiarities of its gameplay, which improves dramatically if you use a Bluetooth controller instead of touch controls.
Brawl Stars, a fighting sequence
The latest Supercell title after the extraordinary success of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, Brawl Stars (download) is a curious mix between a double-stick shooter and a brawler, featuring cartoon characters that we can unlock by playing and fun, competitive modes in which to make the most of the abilities of each fighter, also making use of upgrades.
Whether it’s three-on-three based on the collection of precious gems or an all-against-all in full battle royale style, classic elimination deathmatches or variations on the sports theme, the stipulations available can count on touch controls solid and precise, as well as on a very fast matchmaking thanks to the large user base. The Brawl Stars review.
Botworld Adventure, a fight between bots
Inspired by the Pokémon series, Bot world Adventure (download) replaces monsters with robots and trainers with botmasters, projecting us into a large open world divided into twelve different areas, to be explored accompanied by a party gradually. Rich and varied. In addition to the bot delivered to us at the start, we will be able to build new companions I travel with the resources gathered.
Of course, there will be clashes with robotic opponents, which take place in the context of a curious mix between strategy and real-time: the bots face each other within the boundaries of an arena, acting automatically. At the same time, we, from the outside, can support them by activating spectacular special manoeuvres, as we wrote in the review of Bot world Adventure, a system with a surprising strategic depth.
Bullet Echo and its distinctive top view graphics
The battle royale genre has dominated the free-to-play production market for several years. Still, Bullet Echo (download) tries to provide an alternative interpretation of this competitive trend, characterised by a top-down view of style mechanics. Twin stick shooter and an unprecedented strategic component consist of procedural scenarios, strictly in the dark.
After selecting their unit among the classes unlocked up to that moment, which can be upgraded thanks to the credits obtained with each victory, the players must therefore move within intricate settings, collecting weapons, armour and ammunition along the way but without the ability to spot their opponents except when they make noise or end up under a beam of light.
Call of Duty: Mobile, one of the many firefights in the game
Call of Duty: Mobile (download) is the amazing shooter produced by Activision, available for free on Android and updated continuously through the introduction of new events and content, the latest of which sees the debut of robotic systems and armour along the lines of episodes of the series set soon.
The developers intend to make the most of the franchise and its iconic moments to enrich this excellent mobile reduction, characterised, among other things, by excellent graphics and support for Bluetooth controllers.
Catalyst Black, the battle is raging.
After revolutionising MOBAs on mobile devices with Vainglory, Super Evil Megacorp has seen fit to do the same with the twin-stick shooters with a competitive base, giving us an experience of total production value with great graphics and almost perfect touch controls. But also a controversial approach to the characters.
There are no heroes to choose from and unlock in Catalyst Black (download). Still, we can differentiate a single customisable model by equipping it with weapons and skills with different prerogatives to compete in team deathmatch, PvE mode, capture the flag and the huge Eventide with its ever-changing cycles of events. We talked about this and more in the Catalyst Black review.
Copia: Rush
The charm of kittens is undeniable, and the developers of Catopia: Rush (download) has seen fit to exploit it for their new title, a mix between action RPG and twin-stick shooter with a fantasy setting in which we will have to lead a small group of cats fighters within increasingly complex missions to eliminate the threat looming over the world.
Each stage is a small arena in which we will have to move to avoid the shots of the enemies and counterattack automatically or load a devastating rain of directional fire to get the better of the toughest opponents, especially the bosses. All are accompanied by varied graphics, colourful and very cute in the design of the characters.
Cobra Kai: Card Game, two characters from the show engaged in a fight
Directly from the television series available on Netflix, Cobra Kai: Card Game (download) takes the characters we know well and follows their stories faithfully, with the aim, however, of transforming their fights into strategic clashes based on collectable cards. That takes place exclusively online.
Having developed a competitive deck consisting of different types of moves and bonuses, we will be able to face opponents from all over the world using mechanics that refer to the classic rock-scissor-paper to understand from turn to turn who will win and be able to score their shots. Nice to see and play; Cobra Kai: Card Game undoubtedly stands as a must-download for show fans.
Contra Returns is one of the boss fights you will have to face in the game.
A few decades after the series debut in arcades, Contra Returns (download) puts us under the command of Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, the videogame emulators of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, for a new battle against the alien forces that want to invade the Land. Between frantic fights, spectacular boss fights and different variations on the theme, the spirit of Contra seems intact!
The game is equipped with a long single-player campaign but also a rich outline consisting of an online cooperative mode, special challenges and even a competitive versus that leaves some time it finds. Much better to stay focused on the core of the experience, which can give satisfaction even and above all when using a Bluetooth controller instead of touch controls, discreet but not too precise.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run !, the official artwork of the game
The funny preamble created by Naughty Dog lands on Android devices with Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! (download), a running game inspired by the great classics of the endless run genre, from Temple Run to Subway Surfers, offers us a rich campaign with levels with a beginning and an end, traps to avoid and even bosses to defeat.
The structure takes up the canons of the most famous freemium productions, forcing us to wait too long to produce and collect the necessary resources. Still, it is played for free without problems and the rhythm of the race, well cadenced, gives life to an enjoyable experience, which does not become hectic after a few seconds and can count on excellent graphics and sound.
Cyberika boasts a well-done technical sector.
In a dark and disturbing future, full of references to the cyberpunk genre, Cyberika (download) is undoubtedly an ambitious title with great potential, which catapults us into an action RPG adventure in the role of a protagonist who finds himself at deal with the artificial intelligence that has been installed in his head and which thinks independently. But why?
Finding out will lead us to visit different scenarios within the futuristic metropolis of Bradbury Complex, interacting with other players almost as if we were in an MMO and inserting shooter elements into the mix to increase involvement. Too bad that even in this case, the freemium model and the microtransactions make themselves felt, greatly limiting the enjoyment of the experience.
Darkfire Heroes
The latest title developed by Rovio, the author of the famous Angry Birds series, has all the credentials to do well. Darkfire Heroes (download) takes the mechanics of Clash Royale and expands them substantially, giving life to an action RPG experience with a fantasy background of great strategic depth.
Diablo Immortal, a fight
Able to divide the user since the time of the announcement, Diablo Immortal (download) has finally made its debut on Android, immediately placing itself as the best action RPG currently available on Google Play. There is no story: the great experience of Blizzard, the enormous resources available to the team, extraordinary graphics and an extremely solid system accompany our expeditions in the Sanctuarium in search of gold, loot and mysteries to discover.
Once the class is selected from the six available, we can access a server and try our free thirty-hour campaign that includes many PvE elements. At the same time, our character grows, develops his skills and conquers new weapons and armour. Arriving at the endgame, however, we will have to deal with a monetization system that influences PvP modes with pay-to-win dynamics and which has been designed to make the most of microtransactions: we talked about this and more in the Diablo Immortal review.
Dino Squad, here’s our armoured dinosaur in the middle of the battle
Bringing together dinosaurs and high-tech weapons, Dino Squad (download) gives it a try to intercept the tastes of many fans to propose a strictly multiplayer-based third-person shooter experience, with online games that start within seconds and that allow you to access different scenarios and competitive modes in which you have to eliminate the other competitors but also conquer specific points on the map.
The game’s strength lies in the discreet variety of reptiles available, currently seventeen, unlockable by collecting credits or using real money: each has different characteristics in terms of speed, resistance, attack and manoeuvres. Specials radically change the approach in battle.
Disney Mirrorverse, some of the protagonists of the game
The new freemium title by Kabam catapulted us into an alternate universe, in which characters like Rapunzel, Scrooge Scrooge, Buzz Lightyear and of course Mickey Mouse live action-based adventures, bravely facing a threat posed by a dark crystal coming from another dimension, which has created evil copies of the various heroes.
The formula behind Disney Mirrorverse (download) is typical of the gacha, even if the experience gives something more than the average of the genre in practice. The clashes occur in real-time, with an automatic attack system that can be managed through our intervention, not only for the execution of the spectacular specials but also for the movement of the characters and the focus on a specific target.
Dragon Raja, our character struggling with the scenario
Produced by Tencent, Dragon Raja (download) presents itself from the very beginning as a particularly ambitious MMORPG, driven by the powerful Unreal Engine and characterized by a technical sector of excellence, with decidedly wide scenarios but a set of well-made characters, even if a little too stereotyped. Young warriors who have acquired special powers thanks to the dragon’s blood will have to vote their lives to face these terrible creatures.
We will be able to choose our character among ten different classes, each characterised by a particular fighting style, and then dedicate ourselves to the many quests of a huge campaign, which as usual, also allows autoplay and includes gacha elements. The many elements to consider make the interface a little too crowded, but the experience, in general, remains enjoyable: all the details in the Dragon Raja review.
Dragon Quest Tact is the funny enemy that we will have to face.
The famous Dragon Quest series returns to Android devices with Dragon Quest Tact (download), a turn-based strategy that on the one hand can count on the tried and tested Akira Toriyama-style character design, on the other, it introduces mechanics typical of Pokémon episodes since we can train monsters to add them to our roster.
The creatures represent the main strength of the game, which can count on completely crazy characters, each with unique abilities that we can use in battle to achieve victory and add additional fighters to our team. Net of an essential story and the usual gacha elements, Dragon Quest Tact, is, in short, a great spin-off!
Dungeons of Dreadlock, one of the maps
The new work by Christoph Minnameier fascinates us from the very beginning, involving us in an RPG experience that is based on the one hand on the classic The Legend of Zelda, on the other hand, the more recent Legend of Grimrock. The end result is Dungeons of Dreadlock (download), an intriguing dungeon crawler packed with puzzle elements and even an unexpected storyline.
The protagonist of the adventure is the boy’s sister chosen to overcome difficult tests within a series of dungeons: it turns out that she is the person who will have to complete this challenge, facing different types of enemies or evading their guard and fleeing. After retrieving the key needed to move on to the next scene. The Dungeons of Dreadrock review.
EA Sports UFC Mobile 2, a fighter lands a flying knee
EA Sports UFC Mobile 2 (download) tries to improve the combat experience compared to the first episode, once again focusing on a touch control system that is sufficiently simple and immediate but at the same time allows you to perform a large number of attacks and moves inside the octagon for transposition as realistic as possible of the matches.
The result is interesting gameplay with some good ideas, but often slow and spoiled by a bit of latency, which nevertheless can count on the many facets of a complete campaign. As we wrote in the review of EA Sports UFC Mobile 2, the game can certainly give satisfaction with calm and patience. Still, at the moment, it suffers from a progression system that rewards are grinding and not the ability in an attempt to monetise.
EDENS ZERO Pocket Galaxy, some of the protagonists of the game
Based on the manga EDENS ZERO by Hiro Mashima, from which a successful anime was also based, available in Italy on Netflix, EDENS ZERO Pocket Galaxy (download) brings the situations and characters of the series to the screen in the form of a simple action RPG and immediate but at the same time full-bodied and very well done especially the excellent cel-shading graphics.
The combat system includes combos, spectacular special manoeuvres, and evasive movements, allowing you to escape the attack of standard enemies and the many bosses we will have to face during the campaign to smooth out any mechanisms devoted to monetization through an increase. Contrived of the difficulty. The EDENS ZERO Pocket Galaxy review.
eFootball PES 2021 Mobile, spectacular goal finalisation.
Konami’s football was still missing from this list, so here it is with the latest edition, football PES 2021 Mobile. It is a simple update in terms of roses and options, which can count on the solidity of the touch controls (available in two variants, classic or gestural) and several modes that, over time, have become quite large.
In addition to the MyPES-style career, which also, in this case, is characterised by a very low level of challenge, we will be able to try our hand at numerous events with variable difficulty and with a competitive online multiplayer without latency problems, fast and reactive in matchmaking. All this is accompanied by improved graphics compared to the 2020 edition, although not extraordinary.
EVE Echoes and its great sci-fi atmospheres.
CCP Games’ famous MMO is also available on Android in freemium format with EVE Echoes (download), a particularly ambitious title that involves us in a wide-ranging space adventure. At the command of a pilot selectable between different races, we will have the opportunity to explore a virtually infinite setting, trying out different tasks to gain the experience necessary for developing our character.
Compared to the original EVE Online, the mechanics of Echoes are necessarily simplified, so much so that it is also possible to take advantage of a series of automatisms to carry on the progression without any intervention. The fights, however, are fun and spectacular, as is the technology sector of a production that is undoubtedly endowed with great depth.
Fruit Ninja 2, a shot of the heroes slicing fruit.
Sequel to one of the first mobile blockbusters ever, published in the now distant 2010, Fruit Ninja 2 tries to re-propose the formula that made the title of Halfbrick Studios famous without bothering to modify it in any way and rather limiting itself to enrich the gameplay of some small facet, as well as to season the action with a nice and nice graphics.
The deja-vu effect is therefore inevitable: you take your hand back in a few minutes, and then you are ready to break your records, slicing tons of fruit thrown strictly in mid-air using a very sharp blade that we can move simply by drawing some lines on the screen with the index. This time, however, we will be able to take advantage of different methods and related variations on the theme.
Gun & Dungeons, a firefight
If it is true that the twin-stick shooter genre is also strong on mobile, Gun & Dungeons (download) tries to introduce a different and even more immediate concept, that of … single-stick shooters. We can control our character by using only a thumb to move him around the scenario, and once stopped, and we will see him automatically attack the closest enemy.
Accompanied by minimal but fascinating voxel-style graphics, we will face ever more consistent waves of opponents and huge bosses, all within stages with progressively higher degrees of difficulty. The result is immediate and fun, even if the paywalls are around the corner and the use of activation energy is required for each new attempt. The Gun & Dungeons review.
Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage !, a game sequence
The famous virtual idol Hatsune Miku returns to mobile devices with a fun rhythm game, Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! (download). Full of interesting characters, whose stories we will be able to deepen thanks to sequences in visual novel style, the game tells the stories of the members of some musical groups and how they overcome their difficulties thanks to friendship and performances on stage.
The latter represents the core of the experience, with many unlockable songs and the ability to tackle the sequences by selecting different difficulty levels to obtain a more or less accessible experience. As per tradition, the goal is to touch the notes on the screen and perform the movements indicated from time to time to the rhythm of the music. The review of Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!
Hitman Sniper: The Shadows, our assassin prepares to strike
Agent 47 is missing, but otherwise, Hitman Sniper: The Shadows (download) has many of the features that made the IO Interactive action stealth series famous. Under the command of one of six professional assassins, we will have to hit our targets from a distance and ensure that their deaths go unnoticed from time to time or are attributed to a ghastly accident.
Each character has special problem-solving abilities, especially in the most hectic phases. Still, it is above all, the abundance of situations to start that makes the difference, increasing the variety of the experience and making the inevitable grinding that peeps out more bearable. Rather quickly, asking us to increase the power of our snipers to continue with the missions. Hitman Sniper: The Shadows review.
Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall is one of the game’s cutscenes.
For those who appreciate the strategy and fantasy scenarios, Game of Thrones: Beyond the Barrier (download) involves us in an adventure that takes place almost fifty years before the events of the famous television series and the novels from which it is based, introducing an unpublished protagonist, an officer of the Night’s Watch, engaged in the search for the missing Lord Commander.
Interspersed with cinematic sequences stylistically very close to those of the Telltale adventures, the gameplay offers challenging turn-based combat in which we will have to move, attack and take advantage of the special abilities of each character, developing their characteristics between missions or dedicating ourselves to alternative assignments that call into question the most famous figures of Game of Thrones.
League of Stickman combines essential graphics and action.
League of Stickman (download) is an interesting side-scrolling action RPG characterized by noir-style graphics, so to speak: characters and enemies are represented as simple shadows within different scenarios, and this certainly contributes to creating a certain type of atmosphere.
On the gameplay front, then, the presence of different protagonists, each with a set of moves and special abilities, provides the variety necessary to enhance the fights and make them spectacular, in combination with a good impact performance: an element that in fighting games it never hurts, indeed.
Legends of Runeterra, here is the deck.
The latest card game from Riot Games, Legends of Runeterra (download), is set in the world of League of Legends, with cards that reproduce the features of classic champions as well as various new entries: we will have to create a deck that is as balanced as possible, which allows us to face various situations and emerge as winners.
Intelligence and cunning are the keys to success in an experience characterized by a great rhythm, with an excellent technical and match sector that can change at any moment, giving rise to unexpected reversals in the face. Finally, the approach to the freemium model is very interesting. Although it is possible to buy cards by putting your wallet in your hand, the game does not obsessively push in this direction.
Lineage 2M, the main characters of the game
After the success of Lineage 2: Revolution, NCSOFT’s MMORPG returns to Android with a new episode, Lineage 2M (download), which tries, on the one hand, to respect the traditional mechanics of a genre that is popular in Asia and not. Seems to know crisis; on the other hand, it introduces some small but important innovations to refresh a now rather inflated formula, such as a redesigned interface and an improved combat system.
The result is a product that does not differ much from the most classic exponents of the genre and, in some ways, seems to abuse questionable features such as the now ubiquitous car. Play, but simultaneously, can count on spectacular graphics and fights that are made quite spectacular by the ability to perform many special moves. The Lineage 2M review.
Marvel Future Revolution
Marvel Future Revolution, Iron Man prepares to emit a repulsor beam
If you enjoyed Marvel’s Avengers (review here), get ready: Marvel Future Revolution (download) is Netmarble’s new online action RPG and can count on incredible quality by mobile standards, with highly spectacular graphics and rather large and detailed, although far from the concept of a real open world that the authors advertised.
Using the narrative expedient of the multiverse, the game puts us in command of some of the most famous Marvel characters, grappling with the many missions of a rather long and full-bodied campaign, in MMORPG style, in which we will be able to unlock objects that will not only change. The aesthetic aspect of our hero, but they will give him additional abilities.
Metal Slug: Commander, a clash between two teams
SNK’s famous action platform series returns to Android devices in the form of a turn-based strategy certainly not original but with the characters and scenarios typical of the franchise. Metal Slug: Commander (download) is this and more, with mostly automated clashes between two teams of fighters where the strongest wins, with very few exceptions.
The roster is really wide and draws from the entire series of Metal Slug, with each fighter characterised by different abilities that push him to position him differently on the battlefield, as well as special moves that we can use to change the tide of the fight: an important element tactic, but which alone does not completely lift the experience. We talked about it in the Metal Slug: Commander review.
Motorsport Manager Online, an image shows the game interface.
Mobile reduction of a series now quite known among fans. Motorsport Manager Online tries to bring the same formula to Android, preserving its central elements and general solidity to offer gameplay up to expectations. Some simplifications, however, were inevitable and at some point, ended up weighing a little.
Do not be fooled, however: car races are represented in the game in all their facets, from the management of the team to the development of the car, to arrive at the simulation of the race and the interventions that we can carry out from time to time to change strategies and gain an advantage over your opponents.
Murderous Pursuits are two characters intent on facing each other.
Arrived on mobile several months after its debut on PC, Murderous Pursuits (download) is a fascinating multiplayer experience. Aboard a huge colonial ship of the 1800s, we will have to control a killer hiding among the guests of a gala ceremony. From time to time, it receives information on the prey that it will have to identify and eliminate.
However, this is not the only hitman in circulation. Among the guests at the party, other very dangerous men will look suspiciously at any behaviour outside the lines and chase us to put us out of action. Who will have scored the most kills at the end of the match?
PUBG: New State, our character explores the map in search of weapons
PUBG: New State (download) throws us into the future, but the rules of experience are the ones we already know: parachuting on a huge desert island together with ninety-nine other players, we will have to quickly procure weapons, armour, accessories and ammunition to become competitive enough to be able to face all the other users and eliminate them, remaining the only ones alive at the end of the match.
With solo or team modes, the new Krafton title introduces some new gameplay features, such as the commands to lean out, roll and use an in-game shop that allows you to receive extra items via drone using the credits collected around. Without being too different from PUBG Mobile, the game can count on a formula that still works well and is fun. PUBG: New State review.
Punishing: Gray Raven, one of the protagonists in the plastic pose
Extremely close to the atmosphere and setting of NieR: Automata, Punishing: Gray Raven (download) tells of a world devastated by the invasion of biomechanical creatures called Corrupt, which only a special team of warriors can face: the Constructs, extraordinary fighters. Whose skills have been surgically improved, and who responds to the orders of a brave Commander?
As these characters are unlockable as you progress through the campaign, we will have to try our hand at spectacular combos, perfect dodges and special moves with great visual impact, all accompanied by beautiful cel-shaded graphics that bring a well-done anime-style character design.
Puzzle Quest 3, the traditional board on which the battle is consummated
The last episode of a historical series, Puzzle Quest 3 (download), proposes the formula that has determined the great success of the franchise over the years and which mixes match-3-style puzzle mechanics with RPG elements, involving us in spectacular fights whose outcome is precisely determined by the combinations that we can make by moving the coloured gems on the board.
Between one clash and the other, we will have the opportunity to deepen the role-playing aspect of the game by using the loot obtained up to that moment to enhance our character and his equipment, but at the same time, we will have to deal with a couple of new features. Exciting: the separate scoreboard for our opponent on duty and a marked incidence of freemium dynamics. The Puzzle Quest 3 review.
This is a True Story, the protagonist during his journey
Developed by Frosty Pop in collaboration with charity: water, This is a True Story (download) is a narrative experience that aims to raise awareness of a theme that is often ignored, namely the difficulties that some African populations have to face every day to get simple access to clean water.
So we follow the protagonist of the story, Bontu, who every day undertakes a long journey to search for a source that is not too contaminated, fill her tank and go back. A journey that we will have to try to make less difficult by solving some simple puzzles and limiting ourselves for the rest to act as spectators concerning the anecdotes that the character tells from time to time. The review of This is a True Story.
RACE: Rocket Arena Car Extreme, our monster truck in pursuit
The combat racer genre begins to mesh also on mobile, and RACE: Rocket Arena Car Extreme (download) represents it convincingly, thanks to a very solid progression system, which unlocks new content as we play, and to immediate gameplay and fun, which allows, among other things, to use a Bluetooth controller instead of touch controls.
Driving fully armed monster trucks, our goal will be to complete a long career by crossing the finish line first in the various races, throwing missiles at our opponents to slow them down and trying to defend ourselves from their attacks. At the same time, we take advantage of special boosts able to inspire us necessary to score that last overtaking. The review of RACE: Rocket Arena Car Extreme.
Raziel: Dungeon Arena combines atmospheres and action RPG mechanics.
Undoubtedly, one of the best Diablo-style action RPGs currently available on Android, Raziel: Dungeon Arena (download), takes up a lot of space on the device (over 7 GB!) But not surprisingly: the graphics of the game are extraordinary and the long campaign will bring us to explore different and unique scenarios in our relentless battle against the army of evil.
Selecting a warrior among the three classes initially available, we will be able to try our hand at relatively short missions designed for mobility and collect from time to time the necessary resources to enhance our character and equip him with the best weapons and armour. We will also be able to try our hand at a cooperative mode to fight together with other users and complete the most complex and insidious dungeons.
Retro Goal boasts retro graphics that pay homage to the great classics.
Almost free, in the sense that it is possible to play ten games without spending anything and then decide whether to unlock the complete experience with just over a euro, Retro Goal (download) pays homage to the great football classics of the 90s thanks to its graphic style retro and a chiptune soundtrack that will not fail to awaken nostalgic memories in older users.
The formula is a bit like that of Subbuteo, including the slingshot effect, with the salient actions of each match that must be played live to determine the final result, using gestural touch controls that are somewhat reminiscent of those of football PES 2021 Mobile. Between one match and another, we will also be able to embrace the rich management outline of the experience between structures to be strengthened, training and choices necessary to keep up the morale of the group.
