148 Apps on Facebook 148 Apps on Twitter

Tag: Lucasarts »

Going Hands-On With LucasArts-Inspired Adventure, Deponia

Posted by Jennifer Allen on August 24th, 2015

Invoking the memories of classic LucasArts and Sierra games, I’ve got a good feeling about the once PC-only adventure game,Deponia. It’s not out until next month so it’s early days in terms of my time with it, but it offers an appealing return to adventures of old; warts and all.

Star Wars: Commander Reveals Who is Winning the Galactic Civil War

Posted by Jessica Fisher on September 12th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: CLASH OF THE FORCE :: Read Review »

Disney Interactive has released a new infographic detailing the statistics of the Galactic Civil War in Star Wars: Commander.

The Empire has pulled ahead with more than 57% of the player base. Russia, Austria, Germany, Finland and the Ukraine have all joined the Empire (either willingly or unwillingly), but there is some hope. The Rebel Alliance has India, most of South America, and Africa fighting against the empire.

Strangely, North Dakota seems to be the only bastion of Rebel forces amidst the rest of the United States, which has gone full on Dark Side.

You can check out more info on the Disney Interactive blog, and you can download Star Wars: Commander off the App Store for free.

Star Wars: Commander Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on August 26th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: CLASH OF THE FORCE
It's a lot like Clash of Clans, but the use of the Star Wars license means you don't mind so much here.
Read The Full Review »

It Came From Canada: Star Wars: Commander

Posted by Jordan Minor on August 22nd, 2014

With a brand new Star Wars trilogy on the horizon, prepare yourselves for Disney and George Lucas’s space fantasy throwback to be more omnipresent than ever before. So it should come as no surprise that new adventures in that galaxy far, far away are coming to mobile as well. The latest example? Star Wars: Commander. We check to see how strong the Force is with this upcoming strategy game in this edition of It Came From Canada!

As much as its creators try to deny it, Star Wars: Commander is Clash of Clans with the Star Wars license. Players begin as independent Tatooine mercenaries who have unfortunately gotten on the bad side of powerful gangster Jabba the Hutt. So to survive, players can either join the Empire as it continues conquering the galaxy or make friends with the Rebels heroically struggling for freedom. Whatever they choose, players then begin building their base and taking on missions.

At their headquarters, players can upgrade new structures and droids to help bolster their forces. Depending on what faction they choose, hero units like Han Solo or giant death machines like AT-ATs will be at their command. With these units, players take on the light real-time strategy missions that make up the game’s single-player campaign. They can also ally with other players or launch offensives against them. However, that means they must remember to keep their own base safe as well by constructing defensive walls and turrets along with deploying strategic air strikes. The missions themselves are brief, easy, and mostly just focus on destruction, but it’s lame how any units brought in can never be used again even if they survive. It leads to needlessly conservative play.

But again, all of this will be familiar to Clash of Clans players. This is mostly just an elaborate Star Wars skin. However, it is hard to deny how great a skin that is. The character models, sound effects, and musical cues are not only fantastic, but almost overwhelmingly nostalgic for the original trilogy.

If this is all part of the master plan to get people excited about Star Wars again, it’s working. Star Wars: Commander is currently in a soft launch phase and will coming to a galaxy near you very soon.

[gallery size=”thumbnail”]

Star Wars Scene Maker Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Blake Grundman on June 26th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: FREE-ISH
Storytelling at its best. When it comes from your own mind.
Read The Full Review »

GDC 2014 - IF Games Pulls Back the Curtain on Perils of Man

Posted by Rob Rich on March 18th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: QUALITY ADVENTURING :: Read Review »

I know Jen Allen just reviewed Perils of Man: Chapter 1, but that was just the first chapter. I was able to sit down and learn quite a bit more about what's planned for the iPad adventure game, and I have to say it's looking pretty intriguing.

As was pretty obvious at the end of the first chapter, this story is far from over. In fact, it's really just the beginning. Perils of Man will have a total of seven chapters before all is said and done, but unlike many other episodic games they won't be released every few weeks. Instead, all of the chapters will be available at once for a flat fee of $4.99.

The glimpse I was given of the second chapter also revealed an interesting new gameplay mechanic (Spoiler Alert - you have been warned): risk. Long story short, you'll be able to shift into a first-person perspective and see what objects in the world are inherently dangerous. Then do tuff to make these objects less of a threat, of course. Basically it's a system that visually quantifies risk.

The remaining chapters of Perils of Man should be available in early April for a grand total of $4.99.

Perils of Man: Chapter 1 Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on March 17th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: QUALITY ADVENTURING
Ignore the dodgy voice acting and enjoy the entertaining adventuring that can be experienced here.
Read The Full Review »

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star Updated - Adds Over 100 New Missions, New Events System, and Rewards

Posted by Andrew Stevens on February 7th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: FULLY ARMED AND OPERATIONAL :: Read Review »

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star comes marching in with an imperial update that reworks the Imperial Assignments system to provide players with over 100 new missions. There is also a new events system in place to handle the number of different types of events that arrive weekly. Users can even enjoy new rewards like VIPs, Imperial Bux, Costumes, Levels, and Characters. Now go continue the Imperial march!

This Week at 148Apps: November 4-8, 2013

Posted by Chris Kirby on November 9th, 2013

Shiny Happy App Reviews


The App Store can be a daunting place. What to try? What to buy? How do you know? Thank goodness the review team at 148Apps is here to save the day. 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.

Sid Meier's Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies

The great strategy of Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol returns with Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies. It’s set during World War II; where players have the choice to play as the US Navy, US Army, Imperial Japanese Navy, and Imperial Japanese Army. It certainly has a familiar presentation for those who played the original, but it’s also more polished and enhanced. The mission set-up is different as players are given one mission instead of a choice between three. I also find the visuals to be more polished and likable, but that’s probably because I love the old warbirds. --Andrew Stevens


Rayman Fiesta Run

Rayman Fiesta Run is the sequel to Rayman Jungle Run, Ubisoft’s mobile version of their Rayman revival series, taking the form of a level-based auto-runner. Rayman Fiesta Run really only serves as an iteration on the previous one, but more of the familiar excellent gameplay and an improved level structure make this a better game. Players control the jumps and punches of Rayman, who can’t stop running for reasons both justified and unjustified depending on the level, trying to collect Lums and just get to the end of each level in however many pieces is optimal for Rayman because he has invisible limbs. Levels, which take on many forms from horizontal platforming to back-and-forth ascents – with the occasional wall-running and jumping, too – are challenging due to the timing needed to succeed and survive the various hazards. --Carter Dotson


Tiny Death Star

Tiny Death Star is one of those ideas that’s absolutely brilliant: take Tiny Tower and put it in the Star Wars universe, having players build a Death Star instead of a non-descript tower. Oh, and the bitizens are all Star Wars characters. If that sounds appealing, then go download Tiny Death Star. It really isn’t too much different from the original Tiny Tower, the game where players earn money by stocking floors of a tower that sell different items, building new stores and residential floors for new people to move in to. Managing where bitizens work is important because they’re more efficient at certain floor types. This whole process continues until one’s tower is as high as players want it to be. It’s just all decked out with Star Wars characters and themes this time. --Carter Dotson


Hipster CEO

Let’s get this reviewing cliche out of the way: Hipster CEO is an acquired taste. It sounds like an excuse to basically say “Some will like it, some will hate it,” but it’s remarkably true in the case of this game. Unlike so many other titles on the App Store, Hipster CEO doesn’t mollycoddle its players. There’s a gameplay guide rather than a comprehensive tutorial, but even that isn’t as useful as simply giving the game a shot and gradually figuring things out. It’ll be rewarding, but it will take patience for those who want to succeed. Occasional moments of being crash-prone can irritate, too. --Jennifer Allen


Sorcery! 2

Bigger, better, stronger. That sums up Sorcery! 2, the sequel to the rather great Sorcery!. Feeling substantially weightier than its predecessor, much like the book it’s based on, Sorcery! 2 is a veritable bargain even despite its premium price tag. It’s been promised that there are over 300,000 words to it with more than 10,000 choices. I have no reason to doubt such a claim as there are plenty of hours of content here. Continuing from its predecessor, it’s not essential to have a save file at the ready but I’d recommend it, purely to carry on the storyline. Players explore Khare: the Cityport of Traps, and it’s a huge city indeed, as they attempt to move forward in their quest, potentially overthrow the city port’s council, and more. I’m grateful that Sorcery! 2 has such an extensive backtracking feature as there really is a lot that can be done here. --Jennifer Allen


ProCam 2

ProCam 2 is the kind of photography app that should, theoretically, mean that no other photography app is really needed. While some might find themselves keen to stick to an app they’re more used to, or with a slightly different look, ProCam 2 covers all the bases meaning that there really isn’t a need to do so. I’m assuming the developers wrote up a list of requirements for a good quality photography app, then kept working until every single one had been included. I’m struggling to think of anything that could have been missed. --Jennifer Allen


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

Dot.Stop.Run

Dot.Stop.Run is a pretty eye-catching runner, but how does it play? Players control Dot, an enigmatic female as she runs along a landscape littered with hazards, such as pits, falling blocks and moving platforms. Using well timed jumps, the player must guide Dot through each level. Dot.Stop.Run has the bare vestiges of a story. Dot has escaped from the unseen system and now runs through an endless binary domain that changes constantly to recapture her. Only by making her way safely through the binary domain can the true power of Dot be unleashed. This story doesn’t really make an appearance in game, but at least it sets the tone for the trippy gameplay to follow. --Allan Curtis


Lost Chapters HD

There has to be some science behind the way certain games force you to stop playing and instead ‘come back later’. I’ll happily admit I’m no expert in the economics of designing free-to-play games, but I always thought turning people away was a dangerous idea. They just might not come back. It’s with this in mind that we talk about Lost Chapters HD. It’s a game all about exploration of an island, completing tasks to unlock new buildings and discovering treasure along the way. --Matt Parker


Wake the Cat

Cats. Lovable bundles of fur or feline freeloaders? How you feel about cats will determine how you want to look at this game. LIKE CATS: Wake the Cat is a puzzle game where you gently roll a ball of yarn towards a sleeping kitty so that you may wake them from their peaceful slumber and play with them. HATE CATS: Wake the Cat is a puzzle game where you launch a ball of yarn (maybe with a rock in the middle of it) so that you stir the cat from its unearned slumber. Maybe to then throw the cat out of the house. I don’t know. --Matt Parker

And finally, this week Pocket Gamer picked the best iOS and Android games of October, reviewed Rayman Fiesta Run, provided some top tips for Tiny Death Star, and followed the saga of an indie developer who got rejected from the App Store... twice. Check out the Pocket Gamer weekly wrap-up right now!

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Carter Dotson on November 7th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: FULLY ARMED AND OPERATIONAL
Tiny Death Star is Tiny Tower but all decked out with Star Wars. The Star Wars parts are great, but those who got their fill of Tiny Tower already might not find much else new here to get hooked to again.
Read The Full Review »

Angry Birds Star Wars II Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Blake Grundman on September 19th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: FORCE WIELDING FUN
The force is strong with this one.
Read The Full Review »

Fester Mudd: Curse Of The Gold Episode 1 Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on April 9th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: OLD SCHOOL DELIGHTS
Invoking classic adventure games of old, Fester Mudd is both a homage to those greats and its own master in demonstrating what's so memorable about the genre.
Read The Full Review »

Star Wars Pit Droids Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jason Wadsworth on March 27th, 2012
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: THESE ARE THE DROIDS
Not all droids are created equal and these ones need a little help getting where they need to be.
Read The Full Review »

Become a Sith Lord With Darth Maul Me

Posted by Carter Dotson on February 3rd, 2012
iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad

With Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace being re-released in theaters with post-processed 3D, LucasArts has released an app called Darth Maul Me. Do note that the name is not an invitation for a Sith Lord to come and maul the user, but an app for turning the user into Darth Maul, Sith apprentice in the first prequel episode of the Star Wars series. Users can either import or take a photo of their face, zoom in and out to line up the eyes and get their head in frame. Then, they adjust the area of their face, and select from one of three Darth Maul effects, from the full-on makeup and horns look to just the crazy Sith eyes. Then, the image processes and the user is ready to go out and share to the world that they are a Sith, and proud of it, and there's Facebook connectivity to help prove it. The Dark Side will only truly win if they receive enough likes on Facebook.

Tales of Monkey Island - Episode 3: Lair of the Leviathan Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Blake Grundman on December 23rd, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: RETRO REBORN
It may be over two years old, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth playing.
Read The Full Review »