Category: First Looks »

Since its official release, I've had a hard time putting down *Omega Strikers. I'm still very much as high on it as I was when I posted my glowing review, and now there's even more reason for me to play it. This week the game saw its first significant update, which added new characters, a new map, and some other little tweaks to make this already great game even better.

You can check out footage of my time inspecting and trying out the game's new characters (and going through the shop to purchase all the new skins, emotes, etc.) in the video above, and you can read on for some additional impressions and an overall evaluation of the update.

I always get excited to see how certain developers push the envelope when it comes to gaming on iOS. As a result, it should come as no surprise that I was eager to get my hands on War Mongrels from Destructive Creations. This version is a straight port of the PC and console title, and--although it may not be a technical marvel on those platforms--bringing it over in an essentially unchanged state kind of is.

The game came out three weeks ago and I immediately got a code for it, but the hold up on posting impressions was due to the fact that this mobile version had some significant issues running on the devices it says it is compatible on the App Store. And by significant I mean that when trying to play the game on my 3rd generation iPad Pro the game wouldn't even boot to the menu. The only thing I could do was view the production logos before the game hard crashed out to my home screen.

At the end of last year, I had the opportunity to test out Omega Strikers while it was still in beta. Fast forward to now and the game is officially out with some marked improvements and changes. It'll take some time to solidify thoughts on the game into a fully-fledged review, but until then I can share some impressions and recommendations about this exciting new kind of multiplayer game.

If you aren't up-to-date on what Omega Strikers is, it's a 3v3 competitive game about a fake sport that most closely resembles hockey. Teams all control hero characters with special abilities that they can use to hit a puck around (or each other) as they try score goals. In press releases it's commonly described as "Rocket-League-of-Legends," which is accurate enough, though I'd say a more apt comparison would be to games like Windjammers and Pokémon Unite.

Just before Christmas, Odyssey Interactive brough their fast and fun 3v3 knockout striker title, Omega Strikers, to mobile in the form of an open beta. The game had previously been available to play in beta on Steam since September, but when the game was announced the developers were very clear about their intent to bring the game to smaller screens.

I had been previously dabbling with Omega Strikers on PC, but only truly dove in head-first once I could get my hands on it in mobile form. Since release, I've poured a ton of time into it and can shed some insight on future plans for the game in addition to some tips to help you get started if you want to pick it up yourself and try it out.

As part of my job here at 148Apps, I often explore games I have no intention of reviewing or otherwise writing about. Part of being able to offer substantial criticism or perspective on mobile games is to understand a lot of what is out there, even if I don't end up turning those experiences into content or critique.

I went into Chimeraland fully expecting to just dip my toe in to understand what it is before moving on, but it didn't take long to realize this game is... remarkable, to say the least. Although it mostly purports to be an open-world survival rpg (which it mostly is, by the way), it also seem dedicated to being as strange and unwieldy as possible. It's a huge download with an almost minute long initial load (on an iPad Pro, even), and across my first hour with the game I had a hard time making sense of much of what was going on. Check out the video above to see what I'm talking about.

Diablo Immortal only came out a little over a month ago, but it's not the only splashy action rpg making big promises on mobile. Torchlight is a series that has always been an interesting offshoot of Diablo in that it was originally co-designed by the same people who worked on the first two Diablo games, and now it seems to be making its way to smaller screens courtesy of XD Network in the form of Torchlight: Infinite.

I finally got some advance access to the game in its current, early stages and have to say I'm pretty impressed with what I've seen so far. You can check out almost an hour of gameplay in the video above and read on below for some more detailed analysis.

Rocket League Sideswipe continues to be one of our favorite multiplayer games to keep coming back to, and recently Psyonix gave players more of a reason to. With Season 4 launching this week, the game's beloved Hoops mode returns for Ranked and casual play in addition to an entirely different casual mode known as Mutator Madness.

The season also brings some new cosmetics that all seem to be revolving around medieval tropes, but the real new thing to talk about is this new mode and exactly how it works. Read on below to find out more.

It's finally here! Diablo Immortal, the game that made fans ridiculously mad at its existence for reasons that didn't make any sense, released on mobile this week and--as predicted--it seems an awful lot like a Diablo game, if you're into that sort of thing.

I've got a full play session recording in the video above showing what the first hour or so of the game looks like. For the first 30 minutes or so, it looks and feels almost exactly like a regular old Diablo game. But--since this is a free-to-play title--there comes a point where you clear the introductory quest and from there you are showered with in-game mail, welcome banners, daily quests, shop menus, and more.

The next big battle royale game on mobile is finally here. Yesterday, Apex Legends Mobile dropped onto iOS and serves up a modified version of Respawn Entertainment's smash multiplayer hit that is custom tuned for touch and mobile play. I have not played a lot of the console and PC version of this game, but in my limited time with Apex Legends Mobile so far it does, in fact, seem to capture a lot of the original game's spirit, tension, and flow.

To check out the game in action from the initial boot, through the tutorial, and on to real matches, check out the video above. For some more detailed impressions, read on below.

One of the top ten games I played last year just recently released a new expansion. Hundred Days, the winery management simulator, now has a new set of challenges and wine varieties to represent California's wine landscape, and it's a welcome addition to an already great game.

Back in November of 2020, I reviewed Space Marshals 3, concluding that it feels a lot like the same old Space Marshals, but in the sense that all of the games in the series are great. Now, with the game's third and final chapter in place, I can't really say that anymore. In its finished state Space Marshals 3 is now the definitive stealth action game on the App Store and the sheer amount and variety of ways it mixes up its gameplay through its add-on content is second to none.

Rocket League Sideswipe's second season just came out today and we're pretty excited. In case you missed it, Psyonix's ground-up reimagining of Rocket League for mobile was our top pick for Game of the Year in 2021, and as time has worn on, we're event more convinced it was the right call.

Just like many other service-oriented multiplayer games, Rocket League Sideswipe's new season is all about switching things up a bit and giving you new rewards for your committed play. As was the case with season one, all of this new stuff is available completely free of charge, so although there is a battle pass and currency to grind out, there is no way to pay your way around it (and hopefully this continues to be the case moving forward).

Feral Interactive's next ambitious mobile port is 2014's Alien: Isolation, a survival horror game where you play as Amanda Ripley (Ellen Ripley's daughter), developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. We got some advance access to the mobile version of the game and have been working our way through it. See the video above for a healthy chunk of the game in action, as well as some additional impressions below.

The first thing to note about this game is that it is pretty technically demanding. If players want to experience Alien: Isolation on iOS, they will need the following:

• A supported device running iOS 14.8 or later

• At least 11GB of free space to install the game (though it is recommended to have 22GB available)
  Continue reading Everything you need to know about Alien: Isolation on iOS »

Rocket League has finally made its way to mobile, albeit in a slightly modified form. Rocket League Sideswipe pits teams of two against each other in a sport where the object is to use cars to knock a gigantic ball into a goal point. Since its launch earlier this week, we dove into the game to get a sense of how it stands in comparison to the original Rocket League as well as a standalone mobile experience. Watch the video above to view some extended gameplay of it and read on below for our thoughts on our time with it so far.

It seems the primary goal for the creators of Rocket League Sideswipe was to make an experience that feels as frenetic and tense as traditional matches of Rocket League but in a streamlined format that is easier to play in bursts and while using touch controls. For the most part, it seems developers Psyonix nailed this goal. By making the playing field a flat, 2D space and shortening matches to 2 minutes, Rocket League Sideswipe feels super satisfying to control and easy to play on-the-go whenever you have a few minutes.

This week, one of the absolute best real-time strategy games for mobile got a big new update. Kingdom Two Crowns now offers a new campaign type for purchase, and it puts you in the saddle of ruling over a Norse kingdom. I spent quite a bit of time with this new expansion, entitled Norse Lands, to see what kinds of things it offers beyond the base game. For the most part, it gives a new coat of paint to what is already a fantastic game, but there are a few twists it puts on the base game to make it a worthy pickup for anyone who enjoyed it.

The first thing to note about Norse Lands is it isn't free. This expansion is the first paid add-on for the game and it costs $ 3. For that price, you unlock access to start a new kingdom inspired by Viking culture and lore. A couple of things to note about this unlock before you even start playing it: This introduction of a fourth biome to the game doesn't coincide with expanded save slots, so if you've been managing kingdoms in all three of the base game's modes, you'll have to get rid of one to start Norse Lands. Secondly, the minimal UI in Kingdom Two Crowns might make it difficult to understand how to start a game using the new expansion. To access it, make sure to swipe over to Norse Lands when you see the new game title card to make the switch official.