148 Apps on Facebook 148 Apps on Twitter

Tag: Heavenstrike Rivals »

The 5 best CCG's for serious competitors

Posted by Jessica Famularo on July 31st, 2017

CCGs, or collectible card games, have become a fixture in the mobile space with the massive success of games like Hearthstone. They feature addictive, fast-paced gameplay and in-depth strategy that can take months, if not years, to master. They're a blast despite your skill level.

Perhaps you're looking to branch out from the usual suspects, though. Hearthstone is good fun, but there are a lot of other options out there for you to master and enjoy. Here are five of the best hardcore mobile CCGs on the market right now. Each of these games are addictive and complex, and they have a robust competitive community.

This Week at 148Apps: March 2-6, 2015

Posted by Chris Kirby on March 9th, 2015

Your App News and Reviews Source


How do you know what apps are worth your time and money? Just look to the review team at 148Apps. We sort through the chaos and find the apps you're looking for. The ones we love become Editor’s Choice, standing out above the many good apps and games with something just a little bit more to offer. Take a look at what we've been up to this week, and find even more in our Reviews Archive.

AG Drive

Wondered what futuristic street-racing looks like? Check out AG Drive. It’s the future — 2260 to be more exact — and “anti-gravity” drive-powered machines are all the rage. Fantastic spacecraft fill the air, interstellar travel is commonplace, and everything is done at a brisk pace. Racing has also evolved, and as to be expected, the new drives are at the root of it. Spurred on by the craziest, windiest race tracks imaginable, we get the backing story for AG Drive. And the environments in the game help define it a great deal. The graphics are slick, but stop short of being pretentious, and the vehicles characterized therein look realistically futuristic. The animations are vivid, and the laws of physics are not overly disrespected in the name of action. --Tre Lawrence


Overkill 3

Craneballs is back. With Overkill 3. It’s a gritty affair, with a plot line that yanks the player into a dystopian future that lacks hope or societal order. Our main character is someone who is willing to unite the resistance against the evil Faction, and bring hope to mankind — all while sporting the tightest digital haircut, like, ever. Overkill 3 is in the same vein as the previous two titles: cover system rules the roost. One big change from the earlier iterations is the fact that the player perspective is shifted from first to third person. This does make for some subtle changes, but the action is definitely not in short supply. --Tre Lawrence


Meteorz

It sounds crazy, but the App Store really does feel like the true successor to arcades. It’s full of tiny, extremely varied games still figuring out just what to do with a new entertainment technology and the new audience that comes along with it. Plus, lots of those games are trying to infinitely steal your money. Games like Meteorz make this metaphor even easier, in a good way. In Meteorz players work to protect planets each going through their own personal Armageddon, as in the Bruce Willis movie. Meteors hurtling towards the planets threaten to destroy them, so players hop between worlds to defend them. If the minimal, angular, crystalline sci-fi visuals and haunting spacey synth songs weren’t enough of a throwback, each round plays something like a modern version of arcade classic Asteroids. However, instead of piloting a spaceship, players rotate armed defense satellites around the fixed planet to target obstacles. --Jordan Minor


Heavenstrike Rivals

Heavenstrike Rivals is a free-to-play strategy game by Square Enix. In it, players duke it out against each other or AI in the quest to prove the supremacy of their squad. With some unique gameplay systems and some new twists on familiar ideas, Heavenstrike Rivals is really fun, though a little bit intimidating. Part of Heavenstrike Rivals‘s promotion on the App Store mentions that the game is a trading card game (TCG), though it doesn’t look like one. Much like some card games, like Magic: the Gathering and SolForge, players do construct armies of creatures and send them down one of three lanes with the ultimate goal of bringing the opposite players’ life score to 0. However, most presentations of the creatures in the game are fully animated and move around the game like some kind of papercraft puppets, which makes the whole thing looks really sharp. Players that are particularly fond of the steampunk aesthetic, anime, or both should be pleased with the work that has gone into making Heavenstrike Rivals look the way it does. --Campbell Bird


This is My Weather-Meteorology for Kids

Like much of the country, we are experiencing a rough winter this year, oftentimes with days too cold and snowy to spend a lot of time outside. During these times of difficult weather, I have enjoyed testing the new app This is My Weather – Meteorology for Kids – a content-rich interactive application that thoughtfully uses a child narrator to explain different weather topics. First, children will have a chance to dress a character of their choice in weather-appropriate gear. This app may generate a temperature to dress for as well as allow parents to change up the need for different outdoor apparel and to dress for local weather. I enjoy this section, especially as one can choose a boy or girl of many different skin tones to dress, but I would love to be able to pre-select what is considered an appropriate outfit for my child’s specific needs the way one can adjust the temperature itself as here the character will announce that he is too cold, hot, or just right. --Amy Solomon


Other 148Apps Network Sites

If you are looking for the best reviews of Android apps, just head right over to AndroidRundown. Here are just some of the reviews served up this week:


AndroidRundown

Misfit Shine

The new Misfit Shine is hardly new, but it shouldn’t be a surprise that plenty of people still consider it a piece worth at least trying out. We were eager to get the review unit Misfit sent us. The unit itself is tiny, barely bigger than a quarter in circumference; the unit contains a battery, and fits into a watch-like band. It’s quite light, almost slender on the wrist, but reasonably nondescript for something crafted from aircraft grade aluminum. It is waterproof, and grayish in color (there are other color choices), which mostly hides the series of LEDs when they are not lighted.. --Tre Lawrence


Runes of Camelot

Camelot (of course) is our location and, of course, there ain’t no Camelot without Arthur. Amelia and Merlin are out to help the noble monarch save Camelot by thwarting the evil Morgana’s plans, and they do this with runes or special potions. To begin the game, one gets to choose a character, and each is said to have a unique storyline. At its core, Runes of Camelot is a match-3 puzzle game. As such, the idea is to get a line of three or runes of the same color, horizontally or vertically. Getting three straight (via gesture swipe) dissolves the matched set, and they are replaced by pieces that fall from the top. The pieces are randomized, but any triples created from swaps also dissolve and are replaced. When a set of four pieces are formed, a diamond-looking rune with special powers is formed. These runes can be manipulated to create column shattering reactions that help finish levels. Regular matches yield special powers that are diverse and helpful in time crunches. --Tre Lawrence

Heavenstrike Rivals: Beginners's Tips, Tricks, and Strategies

Posted by Campbell Bird on March 6th, 2015

Dig this:
Would you like to know what we thought of this steampunk strategy game? Check out our Heavenstrike Rivals review!

The Basics


  • Use Your Captain's Powers: As part of the game, each player's captain gets a special power. This can heal units, damage others, or cast other status effects. These powers refresh after a certain amount of turns. Players that use and time their powers according to a timeframe that aids their overall strategy will go far.

  • Use All The Lanes: When starting out, you may be tempted to plop units into a lane and then forget about them. However, changing lanes is key to Heavenstrike Rivals's strategy. As long as your units are taunted or blocked by another unit, feel free to switch around units willy nilly to keep opponents guessing. Also, when playing on maps with power up tiles, units can lane change onto the tile to receive the power up, and then can be moved back to their original spot. How cool is that?

  • Keep Your Units Alive: Even the strongest units in the game can't do much to help you if they don't stay on the battlefield long enough to fulfill their intended purpose. Additionally, some units and unit types get stronger the longer they are in play, so it's worth putting in the effort.

Squad Building


  • Don't Underestimate Basic Units: When players start out in the game, they may want to start getting as many high powered units as possible in their squads, but this would be a mistake. The beginner units in Heavenstrike Rivals have low mana costs so they can get on the battlefield quickly. Considering the ultimate goal of the game demands players get within striking distance of their opponent, speed can be useful.

  • Build Squads With Balance and Purpose: As much as it might seem like a good idea to build a squad full of brawlers, defenders, or other units to max out bonuses afforded by special units, doing this is a lot like putting all of your eggs in one basket. For any one viable strategy in Heavenstrike Rivals, there is a super-effective counter strategy. Players that do not take this into account may stomp all over some opponents that are equally unbalanced, but struggle against thoughtful foes.

  • Build a Deck that Feels Comfortable: I know, this sounds almost overly basic, but it's important. As much as Heavenstrike Rivals doesn't look like a card game, it still operates like one. Putting in crazy new units that you aren't familiar with can cause a lack of synergy or introduce elements of randomness into your strategy, both of which are things you want to avoid.

Field Tactics


  • Mana Is A Limited Resource. Use It Wisely: All units cost a certain amount of mana, but all players can only have ten mana's worth of units out on the field at any given time. With this being the case, players should be careful about what they summon early on and what foes they decide to defeat. After all, there's no reason to kill a unit if it's handily tied up and you have the upper hand.

  • Time Summons Carefully: At first blush, it may look like a good idea to send out all of your units at once. However, if you are too careless and lose a lot of quickly summoned units early though, you may find themselves with a hand so empty they can't properly defend themselves.

  • Shut Down Gimmicks Early: As game that encourages players to incorporate unit synergy, players should be on the lookout for the key units their opponents are using in an attempt to tie their strategy together. For example, there are some units in the game that grant bonuses to every unit in play of a certain type, so taking out that unit as quickly as possible will minimize the impact of your opponent's strategy.

Heavenstrike Rivals Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Campbell Bird on March 2nd, 2015
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: HEAVENLY STRATEGIC
Despite a few flaws, this free-to-play strategy game is a fun mix of new and old strategy formulas.
Read The Full Review »

It Came From Canada: Heavenstrike Rivals

Posted by Jordan Minor on December 11th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: HEAVENLY STRATEGIC :: Read Review »

Over their long history, Square Enix has become synonymous with big, epic, blockbuster Japanese RPGs. But while mobile may be a great place for ports of classics like Chrono Trigger, when crafting a new game the company has to make something a little more modest than Final Fantasy XII 3. Heavenstrike Rivals is that new game, and we see how well it lives up to its pedigree in this edition of It Came From Canada!

While the game was made in collaboration with English studio Mediatonic, it’s hard not to notice the Final Fantasy style all over it. From the exciting but ultimately nonsensical name, to the plot involving brave youths rescuing a quaint and vaguely European world from a rising darkness, it’s pretty obvious where this game comes from. Fortunately it also has production values that rival its AAA cousins. The illustrated artwork is luscious and detailed, battle animations for the chibi characters are a delight, and the jaunty music sets the mood for adventure.

And players will need to be in the mood because Heavenstrike Rivals' strategic gameplay will demand a lot of their time, even if it is broken up into chunks via energy meters. Using units they’ve gathered, players face off against opponents on a board game-like grid. The goal is to have their army reach the end and begin attacking the other player directly. However, this requires fighting through the enemy units coming after them. It’s a straightforward idea, and the compact arena limits more extravagant strategies, but the game does offer depth through its unit variety.

Players gain access to more of their forces over the course of the round, and knowing all their quirks is where the fun begins. From the fighters’ increasing strength, to the scouts’ multiple hits, to the defenders’ shields, to the gunners’ range, effectively combining these abilities is the key to an effective squad. Plus it’s just satisfying to watch an enemy fall for your carefully planned trap. Outside of battle players can improve their squad even more by leveling-up stats, modifying magic users, and recruiting special vanguards to lead the assault.

A few years ago, Square Enix released a little strategy game for DSiWare called Dragon Quest Wars that entertained in a way similar to Heavenstrike Rivals. We’ll see if the larger App Store audience will be as receptive when the new game launches worldwide soon.

Heavenstrike Rivals - An Interview with the Makers of Square Enix’s Latest Strategy RPG

Posted by Jordan Minor on December 10th, 2014

We recently got our hands on Heavenstrike Rivals, an intriguing upcoming strategy game from Square Enix and Mediatonic that's currently in a soft launch phase. To learn more about the game and the East/West collaboration that created it, we spoke with Masanori Ichikawa, a game producer at Square Enix, and Paul Croft, Director of Games at Mediatonic.

148Apps: First, could you give a brief overview of Heavenstrike Rivals?
Masanori Ichikawa (MI): Heavenstrike Rivals was created as a joint effort between Square Enix and Mediatonic, a studio in England. It’s a brand new tactical RPG. One of the game’s key features is the real-time PvP multiplayer.

148Apps: You described the game as a tactical RPG with PvP combat. What does that mean exactly? What would you compare it to?
MI: It means that you can battle in real-time, like if you were playing chess, over the internet with other players.

Paul Croft (PC): I would compare it to many multiplayer games you might find on PC. We have multiple types of leagues and tournaments, similar in structure to those in Starcraft 2 or League of Legends. Players can compete directly with others across the world for the top places and earn promotions into new divisions if they perform well.