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Ghost Recon Breakpoint saves are working again on Stadia, and Ubisoft is very, very sorry
A six-day turnaround time over a holiday weekend
This past Friday, we reported on an issue with Ghost Recon Breakpoint on Stadia, where many players lost their saves. Gone, into the aether. At the time, Google was aware of the bug and working on the problem, though Ubisoft was silent. Well, it would appear that after six days of lost saves on Stadia, not only has Ubisoft fixed the issue, it has apologized for the downtime of those affected, so it's looking like Stadia has clean hands.
Square Enix is bringing a classic PS2-era JRPG to Android with a slick-looking refresh
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is arriving this winter
Square Enix has been on a tear lately, releasing new premium games on mobile at a breakneck pace, and next up is another Romancing SaGa title, and this time it's Minstrel Song, a PS2 remake of the original Romancing SaGa game released in 1992. Well, Square Enix has seen fit to remaster the PS2 game, revealed during a SaGa livestream in Japan. Thankfully the developer has released an English trailer, so it would appear that a global release is planned across Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam, with an expected release sometime this winter.
Delete After Reading is a new text adventure from Unmemory's developer, and it's coming to mobile
Shape your destiny by stealing a highly-coveted video game
Unmemory is a delightful text-based adventure game from Patrones & Escondites that landed on Android in 2020, and the developer has a new title in the works called Delete After Reading. Much like Unmemory, Delete After Reading is an indie text adventure, and this time around, you'll solve puzzles while escaping rooms, all in an effort to steal a coveted video game, though unintended consequences may unfold. Basically, Patrones & Escondites has a fresh adventure game in the works, and there's a trailer available if you'd like to take your first look.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint saves have gone missing on Stadia
Here's hoping Google or Ubisoft have backed up the save files somewhere
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It's no secret Stadia has been struggling this year, with hardly any AAA game releases to be seen. But the one thing users could take solace in is that the existing library is available, with games like Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Breakpoint offering the AAA gameplay many are looking for. As it would turn out, the Stadia save files for this shooter have disappeared in the last few days. While it's unclear whether Stadia or Ubisoft is the culprit, the fact remains many Stadia users have lost hundreds of hours of playtime. The good news is that Google is looking into the disappearance; the bad is that it's already been several days without a fix, let alone an answer to what went wrong.
Dragon Quest Builders lands on Android as a surprise release
It's $22, and that's 20% off the retail price
It would appear that Square Enix has managed to do it again. The developer has released yet another hobbled port on mobile, this time for Dragon Quest Builders. It's a surprise release launched in celebration of Dragon Quest's 36th anniversary, and despite the high asking price of $21.99 (that's with a current 20% discount, by the way), controller support was removed, and DLC was added. Yep, $21.99 doesn't even get you the whole game. If you'd like to unlock the new free play build mode exclusive to the mobile release, you'll have to spend more money. Gee, thanks, Square Enix.
Jurassic World Primal Ops looks like it should have stayed extinct
Behaviour Interactive was so preoccupied with whether it could, it didn't stop to think if it should
Behaviour Interactive is a developer known for its asymmetric horror game Dead by Daylight, and the studio just announced it's working on a free-to-play mobile Jurassic World game, with a fresh trailer and a website that already offers the ability to pre-register. It's called Jurassic World Primal Ops, and it will offer collection-based play where you'll capture dinosaurs to build a team. While there's still no release date, the game is expected to arrive soon, possibly in time for the release of the latest movie in the series, Jurassic World Dominion. Talk about incredible timing.
Catalyst Black is a polished competitive shooter from the team behind Vainglory
Will it be the next mobile hero shooter to sweep the nation?
Super Evil Megacorp has been working on a follow-up to Vainglory for some time now. Known as Catalyst Black, Super Evil Megacorp has taken many of the lessons learned from Vainglory to create something new and addictive. Gone are the towers, lanes, and mid-level upgrades popular in MOBAs, replaced with fast-paced real-time multiplayer shooting action, offering something a lot closer to a typical hero shooter, all within Super Evil Megacorp's in-house engine, bringing a fresh game to the table that performs well on any device. So if you're itching to get in early on a game that may very well blow up in popularity, today's the day.
Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds goes global, bringing its Studio Ghibli design to an MMORPG world
There's even a PC version in beta, complete with cross play
Earlier this month, we learned that Netmarble would be bringing Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds to a broader audience on May 25th. Well, that's today, and as promised, the MMORPG's global servers have gone live. This is a game that's proven to be incredibly popular in the East, having earned $100 Million in its first 11 Days (with Japan contributing to the largest chunk), as this is a collection-based autoplay gacha game. At the very least, the Studio Ghibli art direction and audio design should appeal to fans of the animation studio, as there's no arguing that the presentation is on point.
Netflix Games launches Townsmen and Dragon Up, as another expected game goes MIA
More games from Netflix, oh boy
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At the beginning of the month, Relic Hunters brought its looter-shooter gameplay to Netflix Games, and today subscribers are treated to two new titles to check out. Townsmen and Dragon Up have all launched today as Netflix titles on the Play Store, with a third title, Moonlighter, suspiciously absent from today's lineup despite being listed on Netflix's site with today's date.
Take-Two Interactive officially buys Zynga in massive gaming deal
The purchase is complete — the gaming industry shrinks further
This past January, Take-Two Interactive announced a partnership with Zynga (of FarmVille fame), where Take-Two would purchase Zynga at a $12.7 billion valuation. At the time, the deal was still in motion, one of the largest in the gaming industry, and as of Monday, Take-Two has announced the completion of its combination with Zynga, where Zynga stockholders received $3.50 in cash and 0.0406 shares of Take-Two common stock per share of Zynga common stock.
Streets of Rage 4 is now available on Android — here's what to expect from the brawler
Mr. X's Nightmare DLC is also available, but it's an added cost
The Streets of Rage series offers side-scrolling beat 'em ups, initially developed by Sega for its consoles back in the 90s. As you can imagine, many 90s gamers grew up playing the first three titles, with the fourth title released in 2020. Amazingly Streets of Rage 4 somehow surpasses the initial three offerings from Sega, thanks to its challenging beat 'em up gameplay, slick graphics that can swap to pixel-based or hand-drawn, not to mention the game's kicking soundtrack. It's a perfect interpretation of an aging series recreated for the modern-day, and it just launched on Android, with optional Mr. X's Nightmare DLC in tow. So now that the game has landed on mobile, possibly as one of the best Android games on the platform, let's take a look and see how this particular port stacks up.
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is an adorable Zelda-like, now available on Android
Erase your paper trail in this indie adventure game by ripping up all of the tax documents you can find
At the end of April, we learned that Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion would be making its way from consoles and PC to mobile. This is an adventure game that plays similarly to classic Zelda titles, with a heavy dose of humor slapped on top, and it just launched on the Play Store this morning. So if you've been itching to get your hands on a quality Zelda-like on mobile or are simply keen to topple the government by tearing up endless tax forms, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is here, and it offers a boatload of fun.
Warcraft Arclight Rumble hands-on: Annoying and unbalanced
The beta is just as bad as the alpha — grind walls ruin the pacing
At the beginning of the month, Blizzard provided me with access to the alpha for Warcraft Arclight Rumble, and I can't say I came away impressed. The balance was way off, forcing unwanted grinding, and the level-based gacha design is pretty dated at this point. More or less, the game felt like it was about six years late to the party, but that was an alpha, so unpolished gameplay was expected. Well, development is moving quickly, so I've had a chance to test the recent beta over the last few days. So let's dig in and see how things are shaping up now that beta access is here.
Marvel Snap is a new card game from Hearthstone's former director
There's a new collectable card gaming ramping up to snap the competition away
There's a new Marvel title coming to mobile, and it's a collectible card game from Nuverse and Second Dinner. Second Dinner is a notable name as it's headed by the former Hearthstone game director, ideally adding up to a studio that knows a thing or two about CCGs. This game is called Marvel Snap, and unsurprisingly you'll collect hero cards to build a team to battle friends and foes. So far, details are light, though there is already an announcement trailer that offers a first look, which you can watch below.
PUBG: New State has been on a roll since its release offering monthly updates, and today marks the launch of New State's May patch. Fans can expect the new Round Deathmatch map Underbridge, along with a level system added to Deathmatch. Fresh weapons and customizations are also in the mix, with control improvements that offer new in-game settings. Of course, Season 3 is here bringing new rewards. So strap in; it's time to dig through May's patch notes.
Fortnite's going mobile on GeForce Now with touch controls and fancy graphics
Game streaming keeps growing more and more viable
Nvidia has been offering limited access in GeForce Now for a closed beta of a mobile-specific version of Fortnite that includes touch controls, and on this GFN Thursday, the game is finally going live for the masses. Seeing that I've been testing this title for the last few days, I figured it's prudent to write up my thoughts while also covering what's to be expected with today's GFN Thursday drop. So strap in, as Fortnite is back on the Play Store, sort of, but you'll have to stream it through the GeForce Now app.
Apex Legends hands-on: Awful controls, fun gameplay
Surprise, the latest shooter on mobile falters with its controls
Now that Apex Legends Mobile is officially available on Android, it's time to dive into the minutiae to see how this mobile interpretation stacks up. This is precisely why I've recorded a 30-minute gameplay video to illustrate what my experience has been, all while detailing mechanics and features in today's hands-on, ensuring everyone will understand what the mobile game offers. As it stands, Tencent's Lightspeed & Quantum Studios had its work cut out for itself, having to reimagine Respawn Entertainment's tightly polished battle royale as a ground-up mobile release. So let's dig in and see how well things stack up to the original.
Cities: Skylines is now out for Stadia to just utterly eat up all your free time
Claim it free with Stadia Pro
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Don't count Stadia out just yet. Even in the face of constant criticism, new games keep on coming out, and back in March we learned about a trio of incoming titles from Paradox Interactive and Team 17. The latter brought us Overcooked! All You Can Eat and Golf With Your Friends last month, and now it's time for them to be joined by Cities: Skylines — all told, a breath of fresh air after a stale start to the year.
Analogue Pocket review: Get in line now
It's the best way to play classic handheld games, but the waiting list is no joke
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I’ve been a fan of handheld gaming ever since my first taste of Tetris on an original Game Boy, all the way back in 1989. While I now spend my days writing about the best Android games, I still carry great affection for a wide range of classic titles across handhelds like Lynx, Game Gear, and of course, Game boy. This obsession has resulted in an extensive collection of modded Game Boys in my never-ending search for the perfect portable. So when Analogue announced the Pocket in 2019, I knew I had to have one, seeing that this is a company well-known for re-recreating classic consoles using FPGA hardware emulation.
Apex Legends Mobile is here, warts and all
Electronic arts brings its battle royale hero shooter to Android as a bite-sized offering
We've known since April 2021 that Apex Legends would be going mobile, with the release date finally revealed last week, set for May 17th. Well, that's today, and so the game is officially available. While it took its time coming, now that Apex Legends Mobile is here, it's time to see exactly how the mobile offering stacks up to its console and PC brethren.