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Google Play Games' new friend list lets you play with others and compare achievements
Helping you show off your gaming chops
Play Games' turn-based multiplayer capabilities were only shut down a few days ago, but Google is adding a set of new social features to the app instead. As we already suspected due to some strings found in Play Games' source code, a server-side update has brought a new social section with a friends list to the app, making it easier to compare your achievements and which games you play.
When Google rolled out Stadia Pro in November, it quickly became obvious that the service was still partly a glorified beta. Many features that were promised to be ready at launch only slowly trickled into the platform, like Google Assistant support, Stream Connect, Buddy Pass, and family sharing. Now, Google has announced that achievements are also finally available on Stadia.
Google Play Games is officially going dark. Well, the latest update is making its dark theme accessible to everyone. But that's not the only thing this update brings, there are now app shortcuts and a new sorting feature for achievements coming soon. A teardown also shows the team is preparing to add Minesweeper to the built-in games repertoire. Oh, and we're heard from the dev team, and we've got a hunch they're having a good time.
The Play Games app went through a major visual refresh just a little less than a year ago, but an update from today is taking that work and refining it further through almost every corner of the app. A teardown also reveals some interesting new things are coming, including achievement rarities, notations for the rarity of achievements, a home screen widget, and more. And best of all, the previously spotted Boingo game easter egg is now operational, but it's hidden.
I feel like it has been a long time coming, but it's finally here. Oddworld New 'n' Tasty has officially launched on Android, and you can pick it up today for $7.99. For some odd reason, Oddworld Inhabitants Inc. had only released two of their later Oddworld games (Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee) on the Play Store despite the fact that the first title in the series has had an HD port on PC and consoles since 2015. So while the discombobulated release order of these games on Android is questionable, nevertheless, we can all now finally enjoy the first title in HD glory.
Portal Knights is an adorable looking 3D sandbox action-RPG developed by Keen Games and published by 505 Games. It was initially released on PC and consoles back in May of this year and has only recently been ported to Android and published on the Play Store. Its design is obviously very reminiscent of Minecraft, but it differentiates itself by including a few RPG character classes, a wide range of random instanced events, and plenty of epic boss battles.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD is without a doubt my favorite Metal Gear title, so you can imagine how elated I was to see that Konami has finally released it for the Nvidia Shield TV. Currently, it's on sale for $9.99 (regular $14.99) on the Google Play Store, but that's only for a limited time.
You will notice right away that White Night uses a black and white color palette that clearly offers a very stylized look. While we have all seen this style used many times before, what can't be gleaned from a quick glance is the fact that this game uses its minimal color choice to its advantage by implementing plenty of mechanics that are dependent on the way light is shone in your immediate environment. So instead of jumping on the bandwagon and using a black and white theme for what is now considered an easily created look that covers up imperfections, OSome Studio has chosen to build their game around this color choice and in doing so has the clear advantage of being able to use it in a unique way that presents some very clever puzzles to the player.
Nitrome has published some fantastic pixel-based games in the past with their releases of Gunbrick, Rust Bucket, Redungeon, and 8bit Doves. That's why it is no surprise to see that their latest release Turn Undead: Monster Hunter is also pretty great. This time around the gameplay focuses on turn-based puzzle platforming in a darkly themed Dracula inhabited world. It is your job to take on an army of the undead in order to defeat Dracula once and for all.
Ketchapp has taken their popular casual tower building game The Tower and has slightly tweaked it for Assassin's Creed's 10th anniversary with the release of an all-new yet familiar title. This new game is known simply as The Tower Assassin's Creed, and you can expect all of the same tower building goodness of the original with the added benefit of having an Assasin's Creed character jumping off of these towers.
[Hands-on] Into the Dead 2, a well made auto-runner that leans heavily on its free-to-play mechanics
Into the Dead 2 is the sequel to PIKPOK's original zombie auto-runner Into the Dead. It takes everything you enjoyed about the first title and adds a ton of polish and a new overarching story that ties together the game's 7 chapters, 60 stages, and hundreds of challenges. And to top it off, you can now equip a canine companion to join you along your journey through a zombie-filled world.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War has been in beta for what seems like forever, but in reality, it has only been a few months. In that time I wrote about the ability to pre-register for the game as well as did a hands-on with the beta to find out how it played. Suffice to say, despite Middle-earth: Shadow of War existing as a promotional title to Warner Bros. upcoming AAA console and PC release, it's undoubtedly a free-to-play gacha RPG filled with all of the usual trappings.
Earlier this month Sega released their classic platformer Ristar on the Play Store as part of their SEGA Forever classic games collection program. Today they have released the traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up Golden Axe as part of the same program. You can grab the advertisement supported title for free or pay $1.99 to remove those ads and enjoy the game as it was intended.
At first glance, Lucky Kat Studios's Road Warriors may look like yet another 2D pixel racing game on Android, but the truth is that it offers a fresh new take on the genre that keeps the player coming back for more. So if you love racing at breakneck speeds while performing flips and mowing down your opponents in extreme detail within bullet-time events, then you are going to want to check out this new addition to the Play Store today.
Warner Bros. International Enterprises has a mobile version of Middle-earth: Shadow of War that is currently available on the Play Store for pre-registration. Luckily I have gotten my hands on an APK and have sideloaded the game in order to let all of you know how it plays in advance of the title's release.
Rovio Entertainment has been keeping themselves quite busy. Hot off the heels of last month's release of Battle Bay, Rovio has delivered on their promise of a June release for their newest take on the Angry Birds franchise. It is titled Angry Birds Evolution, and this time around you are tasked with collecting over 100 different birds in order to evolve your favorites into the strongest pig crushing team around.
Pixelbite, the creators of the Reckless Racing 1-3 and Reckless Getaway, have just released Reckless Getaway 2 onto the Play Store. If you are unfamiliar with the first title in the series, this sequel is more of the same, a getaway racing experience where your goal is to run from the cops as long as you can survive. Utilizing simple left and right controls and fancy graphics, Reckless Getaway 2 is a great convergence of casual and core gaming.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is no stranger to the mobile gaming scene. Two years ago he starred in a Super Bowl commercial for the now popular strategy game Mobile Strike. Schwarzenegger also had his likeness appear in a Glu developed movie tie-in game. Disappointingly, these experiences must have been just the taste he needed of our sweet, sweet in-app purchase fueled market, as there is now a new mobile game bearing his likeness. It is titled Terminator Genisys: Future War, and it is the latest stab at cashing in on the Terminator franchise.
People Magazine and Zynga have teamed up to create the next "with friends" game. It is titled Crosswords With Friends and it is clearly a crossword game that focuses on People Magazine's bread and butter of entertainment, celebrity, and sports news. Each day a different puzzle with a new theme will be pushed to the app. That means you will receive 365 crossword puzzles a year. A lofty challenge indeed!
It was only a few months ago that Noodlecake Studios Inc released a remastered version of realMyst. Today they are following up that release with a remastered version of Riven: The Sequel To Myst. As you would expect, Riven is a continuation of the storyline found in Myst. You will pick up exactly where you last left off in order to help free your friend's wife from captivity.