The Portable Podcast, Episode 114
On This Episode:
Who We Are:
Music:
How to Listen:
Apps Mentioned on This Episode:
On This Episode:
Who We Are:
Music:
How to Listen:
Apps Mentioned on This Episode:
This week at 148Apps.com, writer Carter Dotson reviewed one of the most anticipated iOS games in recent memory - Infinity Blade II. Dotson writes, "Most of what is new here is a modified and extended progression structure. Instead of one path leading to a final boss, where failure means starting over, there are now several of them, with more branching paths to explore. There are 3 different weapon types now: the traditional swords, slow and heavy axes that deal more damage, and speedy dual swords that deal less base damage, but can do double damage once combos are started. The story is more fleshed out, with actual speaking dialogue from characters besides the God King."
Read the full review at 148Apps.com.
Meanwhile, our attention was turned to more artistic matters at GiggleApps, as Amy Solomon reviewed Auryn – Van Gogh and the Sunflowers. Solomon says, "The look of this app is terrific, with illustrations evoking the style that Van Gogh is known for, complete with bold color choices and noticeable use of brush strokes, but maintains a childlike quality that fits well within this storybook. The jazzy music used is also wonderful, relaxing as well as engaging and very enjoyable to listen to even for long periods of time. The narration used here is also quite good. Parents will also like that each spoken word is highlighted red to aid the young children new to the world of reading."
Read more about our take on Auryn – Van Gogh and the Sunflowers at GiggleApps.
Finally, 148Apps.biz site editor Rob Lefebvre reported on tablet users and their media consumption. LeFebvre writes, "In a study put out by comScore and reported by Fierce Mobile Content and the appside, interested parties can see that the number one use of tablet devices is games, with 67% of surveyed tablet users saying they’ve played a game at least once in the past month, as compared to 49% of smartphone users surveyed. 23% of those surveyed said they’d played a game on their tablet EVERY DAY. That’s a good number."
Dig deeper into this study and read the full report on 148Apps.biz.
That's our wrap-up for this week. While you're out getting all of your holiday shopping done, don't forget to check us out on our Facebook and Twitter feeds to find out the latest and greatest news, reviews and contests. Feliz Navidad!
Infinity Blade 2 will make its way into gamers' hands starting next Thursday, as ChAIR Entertainment has confirmed the December 1st release date, and a price of $6.99 for the universal app. Those looking to get into the series before the highly-anticipated sequel releases can check out the original Infinity Blade at a sale price of $2.99, and read Infinity Blade: Awakening for $2.99 on the iBooks Store.
Infinity Blade's soundtrack has just been released on iTunes, allowing fans to relive those epic one-on-one battles with gods, monsters and god-kings whenever they please. Without the threat of bodily harm brought about by aimlessly wandering into traffic, no less (folks, please don't stare at that screen while walking on the street as it's legitimately dangerous). The album, by veteran ChAIR composer Josh Aker, includes 25 tracks from both the original and the upcoming sequel, adding up to just under an hour's worth of playtime.
It's the perfect way to get psyched up for Infinity Blade 2's release, which is just around the corner. The individual tracks are available at the standard $0.99 a pop, but all 25 can be purchased together for a much more reasonable $9.99. Either way, it's an essential addition to any fan's music library.
It's safe to say that Infinity Blade was awesome in every sense of the word. It set a benchmark for many other games thanks to its truly impressive use of Unreal Engine 3 to give iOS gamers graphics like they've never seen before. A plethora of updates adding the likes of new armor, an increased level cap, new areas to explore and even multiplayer has kept Infinity Blade feeling fresh over the past year.
Now, it's been announced that Infinity Blade 2 is set for release on December 1st, less than two months away! Few details have been released as of yet but the news is that the game world will be filled with new types of rewards and treasures, plus plenty of new powerful enemies and bosses. New fighting styles and weapon classes will also be provided along with deep role-playing elements to spice things up. Extra online functionality will also be included such as Clash Mob, enabling players to participate in 'massively social' challenges to unlock new items and weapons.
Pretty cool, huh?
We'll be sure to keep up to date on Infinity Blade 2's development but for now, check out the teaser trailer.