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New graphics are coming to Old School RuneScape
The new HD mode will offer better visuals, lighting, textures, and effects
RuneScape has become a beloved classic since it debuted back in 2001, and while its heyday may be behind it, many people are still avid players. Whether you still boot it up regularly or you have a nostalgia craving, the team at Jagex Games — the group behind RuneScape — has been hard at work. Now, gamers are going to be getting a major update that could change the way they play on mobile and PC.
I suffered through Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat so you don't have to
The Devil May Cry game that no one asked for is now out on mobile
Devil May Cry has been one of the most beloved franchises in the video gaming world since it first landed on the PlayStation 2 back in 2001. Its mix of fast action and stylish combat was an instant hit, and the series has gone on to generate millions of dollars for Capcom over the last 20 years. The last Devil May Cry game to launch was back in 2020, but we finally have a new game in our hands in the form of Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat.
Google and Apple share the blame for mobile gaming's awful reputation
These companies share responsibility for the rise in microtransactions and gambling
Mobile gamers aren't gamers. This is a phrase you'll find many people repeating on the internet, and while it isn't true, it's not surprising that people feel this way. Gaming on phones and tablets often carries a bad reputation thanks to the prevalence of free-to-play titles that bombard users with mechanics that often mimic outright gambling, complete with aggressive micro-transactions and heaps of FOMO (the fear of missing out). The question is, how did all of this start, and who shoulders the blame?
Goat Simulator 3 is finally available on Android and iOS
Your favorite farm-animal-themed video game is now on mobile
Coffee Stain Studios, the creative minds behind your favorite farm-animal-themed video games, has just unveiled Goat Simulator 3 on mobile. The popular simulation game is coming to Android and iOS more than a year after its first appearance on consoles. Now, you can travel the unique landscape of San Angora with your favorite mischievous goat, Pilgor, right from the palm of your hand. The well-timed premium release of Goat Simulator 3 provides the perfect escape on one of those gaming phones you may have picked up during the holiday season.
Silent Hill takes a haunting step onto Android — pre-register now
Horror enthusiasts gear up, the Silent Hill series is coming to Android
For aficionados of horror titles like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, they are lauded for being delightfully eerie. Silent Hill, a franchise that has resonated with gamers worldwide, is making its anticipated arrival on Android with an entirely new immersive twist, as revealed by its recent listing on the Google Play Store. This unveiling can be seen as an embodiment of a broader trend where major console publishers, including Konami, have been gravitating towards mobile-first strategies.
Apex Legends Mobile continues its success, with plenty of updates frequently adding new maps and features to play with. Season one added Loba, one of the main games' most famous legends, into the mobile port. Now, season two promises to be an even more significant update offering several new maps, two new game modes, and a brand-new legend that has never been seen before.
Apex Legends Mobile, compared: How does Respawn's battle royale stack up?
Is Apex Legends as legendary as Respawn says?
Apex Legends Mobile has been widely available on Android since May, and it faces some intense competition with PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, and Fortnite, as they have been playable on our phones for years. Amazingly, it manages to compete thanks to a high level of polish. As a matter of fact, Apex Legends Mobile is shaping up to be one of the best Android games on the Play Store. So let's see how it compares to the competition.
Alchemy Stars celebrates its first anniversary with tons of free content
This post is sponsored by Alchemy Stars
Mobile gacha RPG, Alchemy Stars, is one year old, so with the birthday party in full swing, it is throwing out freebies like you've never seen. As you might guess, there’s some pretty cool stuff up for grabs.
Netflix adds a third game studio to its growing roster
This is the streamer's second game-related acquisition in a month
As subscription prices keep rising, Netflix continues its expansion into gaming. After acquiring Night School Studio late last year and Finland-based Next Games earlier this month, the company has announced a deal with a third studio. This time, Netflix has partnered with an independent mobile game studio in what it says is an effort to make sure the company can give gamers what they want wherever they want it.
Modded mobile games could go mainstream with the latest BlueStacks feature
Why let the pirates have all the fun?
BlueStacks offers virtualization software, so those on Windows and MacOS can utilize Android apps and games on their systems. At the tail end of last year, BlueStacks X landed in beta, a cloud-based platform that's powered by now.gg and its NFG platform. This platform allows for the separation of game code, game events, and game art, which is why BlueStacks has officially announced Creator Studio & Creator Hub, brand new tools that allow users to create and share modded mobile games. BlueStacks has set its sights on bringing modded mobile gaming to the mainstream through Creator Studio & Creator Hub, available today.
SNK just launched 3 new Neo Geo classics on mobile, with more coming soon
Samurai Shodown IV, Metal Slug 5, and Alpha Mission II are now available on Android and iOS
Arcade Archives is a series of classic games from yesteryear republished and emulated on modern hardware, such as the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. These games are published by an entity known as Hamster Corporation, with a subseries of games under the ACA Neo Geo label. Well, the first wave of ACA Neo Geo games have landed on mobile, bringing modern ports of Samurai Shodown IV, Metal Slug 5, and Alpha Mission II to Android and iOS through emulation.
14 new (and 1 WTF) Android games from the last week: The best, worst, and everything in between (8/29/21 - 9/5/21)
KonMari Spark Joy, Murders on Budapest, Impossible Isles, plus more
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today's list is broken up into several segments, ranging from best, average, to mediocre. So whether you're looking for the best games of quality or are simply looking for the latest free-to-play gacha titles, you're covered. This week I have a fantastic story-based puzzle game that offers enjoyable puzzles and a quality story, a new murder-mystery point-and-click adventure from Buff Studio, and a unique map-based puzzler that offers a new puzzle every day. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the last week.
The latest attempt to build an Android gaming console has one big problem
There's a freaking pinhole camera in the screen and the corners are rounded. Why?
GPD has been making waves over the last few years manufacturing dedicated handheld gaming devices, and so it has made a name for itself with products like the GPD WIN. Typically these handhelds are Windows-based, but thanks to a recent channel addition on GPD's Discord, we now know the company has plans to release a new Android-based device called the GPD-XP. What's odd is that this handheld offers a screen that contains a pinhole camera in the lower-left corner along with curved screen corners, features that look more like leftovers of repurposed phone screens instead of something designed with handheld gaming in mind.
Netflix confirms it's working on games, but only mobile games for now
Now there's a cliffhanger with a really bad payoff
A week ago Netflix hired a veteran of Electronic Arts and Oculus to be its "President of Game Development," which led Bloomberg to declare that the long-time movie and TV streamer was stepping into the game market. Yesterday Netflix confirmed that this is true in a letter to shareholders: Netflix is indeed going to offer games. But don't throw out your Stadia controller just yet.
Kitty Letter is a cat-themed 'words with enemies' game by the creator of The Oatmeal
It's best described as 'Scrabble meets Clash Royale'
The Oatmeal creator Matthew Inman isn't only famous for his humorous webcomics; he also made a name for himself as the creator of card games like Exploding Kittens and Bears vs. Babies. The former even made it to Android in the form of a mobile game, and now Inman is ready to launch another free-to-play video game: Kitty Letter, which he describes as "Scrabble combined with Clash Royale."
Wallace & Gromit enter the realm of augmented reality in The Big Fix Up, now available on Android
It's time to break out the Wensleydale and crackers
Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up is an upcoming augmented reality game for mobile, and it's slated for release in the UK in the fall of 2020 and will be released worldwide at a later date. Since this is a fresh announcement, only a few details have been shared, and so far, we know the game will be animated through CG, and that fans will get to join the duo in their latest business venture as an employee of the Spick & Spanners. Ideally, the game will provide a home-based experience (as in this AR game can easily be played at home), and will support the majority of modern smartphones.
SINoALICE is the latest RPG from Yoko Taro, and it's available today for the first time in the West
Coming from the head video game director behind Nier: Automata
Yoko Taro's mobile RPG SINoALICE will finally see a worldwide release after an indefinite delay last year. The game was initially published in Japan back in 2017 by Nexon, and yet it would appear that the publisher wants nothing to do with the title anymore, and so Nexon is transferring the license to the original developer Pokelabo. Interestingly Pokelabo has just announced that it's cooperating with Square Enix to bring the game to the West on July 1st, though I have to wonder if this announcement is simply a last-ditch effort to make money with an aging mobile game that even Nexon couldn't bring to fruition as a global release.
Google unveils new tool designed to boost frame rates for Android games
The Android Performance Tuner gives devs useful metrics across devices
Mobile gaming has become a big deal in recent years, thanks to an increase in both smartphone performance and user base. While developers only have to deal with a very limited amount of hardware targets when it comes to iOS, publishing games for Android requires optimizing for a wide range of devices with varying levels of power. Now a new library in the Android Game SDK will help developers improve the performance of their games on Android phones in a much more streamlined fashion.
The best game controllers for Android smartphones
It'll depend on the games you want to play, and your budget
As we do more and more gaming on our more and more powerful smartphones, mobile games themselves are getting more complex. To play something like Fortnite or Dead Cells on your phone, it's almost suicide to go in against your foes with touch controls, and a proper, hardware gamepad can be practically mandatory for a play experience that won't leave you endlessly frustrated. Thankfully, Android is compatible with a wide range of Bluetooth gamepads, including those from game consoles like the PlayStation 4. Here's a list of some of the best controllers you use for any kind of gaming on Android, from shooters to old PC ports.
19 new Android games from the week of March 2, 2020
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Harvest Moon: Mad Dash, Brainito - Words vs Numbers, and more
Welcome to the roundup of the new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today I have the surprise release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a puzzle-based Harvest Moon title, and an enjoyable take on the British game show Countdown from the developer behind Chessplode. So without further ado, here are the more notable Android games released during the week of March 2nd, 2020.