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Hands on with Battlefield Mobile alpha: Is this that hard or am I that bad?
A mobile shooter for the most hardcore of gamers?
With the success of Call of Duty Mobile, it was only a matter of time before Electronic Arts found someone to develop a mobile version of Battlefield. We've known since April that Battlefield Mobile was in development, with a fresh Play Store listing that popped up at the beginning of September. This listing was published in preparation for the first alpha test launched in Indonesia and the Philippines this past weekend. As you can imagine, gameplay videos have been leaking online, and it would seem EA forgot to region lock the game, which is how I was able to sideload the APK to record a 25-minute gameplay video at 1080p/60FPS. So if you'd like to take an extended first look at how the alpha for Battlefield Mobile is shaping up, I've got you covered.
Garena Free Fire MAX brings updated graphics to the popular PUBG clone
There's also a new patch available today
Garena Free Fire is an older arena shooter that aped PUBG's gameplay a year before PUBG Mobile was released on mobile platforms. As you can imagine, an arena shooter from 2017 that was rushed out the door to beat PUBG Mobile to market hasn't aged very well, and so the developer has updated the shooter with new HD graphics and gameplay optimizations. This newly-updated version is known as Garena Free Fire MAX, which is officially available starting today.
Battlefield Mobile's gameplay leaks online, and it actually looks great
Please EA, don't screw this up
Earlier this month, we learned that Electronic Arts would begin rolling out playtests for the mobile version of Battlefield in autumn. Now that fall is here, the game has entered into early testing in Southeast Asia, so gameplay videos have started to leak online, providing the first look of the Battlefield Mobile in action. So if you've been eager to see what the early alpha gameplay for Battlefield Mobile looks like, we have several enlightening videos to share.
Check out Battlefield Mobile's new Play Store listing ahead of playtests planned for autumn
Five new screenshots offer a first look at the upcoming shooter
Read update
Industrial Toys is working together with DICE to create a Battlefield game for mobile. This will be a standalone game, and Electronic Arts has made it clear that this mobile interpretation will be completely different from the core console and PC versions. Currently, we know the game is entering a testing phase per today's announcement, though Battlefield's mobile version won't be officially released until sometime in 2022, so it's still a long way off.
Mega Man X blasts his way onto Android in the latest chapter of the classic platforming series
Mega Man X DiVe sure looks the part, but it's still a gacha game
We first learned about the existence of Mega Man X DiVe, thanks to a beta test back in 2019. Little was known about the game at the time, but this shooter was eventually released in Asia in 2020, revealing everything we needed to know about this free-to-play gacha game. Well, it would seem Mega Man X DiVe has been successful enough to warrant an English translation for the West, and so Mega Man X DiVe has been available in pre-registration since last month. Despite the fact the developer never bothered to offer a release date for the West, it would appear today is the day, though you'll have to wait until 10 AM EDT for the servers to go live.
My Friend Pedro lands on Android as a slingshot-based platformer, and it's pretty good
It's a new mobile-optimized game, not a port of the original
My Friend Pedro is a Devolver Digital game focusing on tight, visceral combat, stylized visuals, and a trippy hallucinogenic story. And because that describes about 95% of Devolver Digital games: this is the one with a banana in it. The game got rave reviews when it released on PC and consoles back in 2019, and now there's a mobile version coming to Android.
Just Cause: Mobile delayed until 2022, possibly to add more crazy explosions
Polish, in a mobile game? Well, I never
Square Enix has announced that it will bring the Just Cause series to Android with the release of a free-to-play shooter titled Just Cause: Mobile. The game is slated for a 2021 release, though it will not be handled by Avalanche Studios (the devs behind the console and PC games) but will instead be developed by a new team led by Square Enix.
Payday: Crime War is being revived, but expect a lot of IAPs
Two years after its closure, this co-op shooter may be returning soon
Back in 2018, I went hands-on with Payday: Crime War during a closed beta, and it was clear the online shooter needed more work. A year later, the game entered into soft-launch in select regions, and then it was shut down shortly after. At the time of this closure, it was revealed that Crime War could return under a new publisher, which is precisely what's unfolding today.
There's a new 'Doom' game coming to Android, and it just entered early access
Mighty Doom doesn't actually look all that mighty
It looks like Bethesda has plans to cash in further on mobile (as if The Elder Scrolls: Blades wasn't bad enough), and so the studio is testing a top-down shooter called Mighty Doom. This game is currently in early access in New Zealand, though details are light since Bethesda has yet to announce the title officially. What we do know is that this is a free-to-play mobile game that will offer casual level-based gameplay that takes place in famous Doom locales.
PUBG Mobile 0.19.0 includes a new Nordic-style map, a monster truck, two new firearms, and more
Season 14 will be available on July 14th
Typically new PUBG expansions drop near the beginning of the month, and so patch 0.19.0 is officially available starting today. What's unique about this release is that it marks the first time the game has been updated without taking the servers offline in order to ensure a better gaming experience for players, which is nice to see. Beyond the new method to push updates, players can expect to find an all-new Nordic-style map Livik, a map-exclusive vehicle, and two new map-exclusive firearms. It's also clear that PUBG Corporation is continuing the prep work for the launch of season 14 on July 14th.
Sega has been releasing new titles for their SEGA Forever program on a bi-weekly basis. Their last release Golden Axe came out on August 31st, and just a day short of two weeks later we have the release of Space Harrier II Classic, an on-rails shooter that was originally published as a launch title for Sega's 16bit Genesis home gaming system.
Now that Disney owns the Star Wars franchise, I am wholeheartedly expecting them to release as many games, toys, mugs, pizza cutters, and door mats branded with the license as humanly possible. Frankly, Disney would be an idiot not to cash in on Star Wars' mainstream and cult followings. That is why it is no surprise to see the beta release of Star Wars: Rivals on the Play Store. It is also no surprise to see that it is a free-to-play corridor shooter rife with poor controls, repetitive levels, and loot crates that are explicitly tied to plenty of in-app purchases.
Developer 10tons brought us the hugely entertaining Crimsonland a few years ago, and now it's back with another top-down shooter called Neon Chrome. This game uses procedurally generated levels and an upgrade system to create endless gameplay that doesn't get stale. There are no in-app purchases, but like Crimsonland, it comes with a hefty upfront price.
If you are saying to yourself - "hey, I saw this game in the Roundup yesterday" - you would be correct. The thing is, I felt it was worth putting in its own post as it is a pretty enjoyable experience. To be precise, it offers solid twin-stick shooter gameplay that focuses on giant mechs in outer space. Akin to many mech-themed TV shows and movies it is pretty obvious where the game's inspiration comes from. So what do you say, shall we dive in and see all there is to enjoy?
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 2 weeks or so.
What is this? Another classic Capcom title with the word "Mobile" affixed at the end? If you think that looks eerily familiar to the Mega Man Mobile games recently released on the Play Store, you would be correct. Sadly, this means that 1942 Mobile is not a port of the arcade classic but a rehash of one of their mobile JAVA releases from years back. Yep that is correct, this is a port of a flip-phone game. While not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself the question remains... has Capcom learned from past mistakes?
Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a unique tactical dungeon crawler, a roguelike platformer with tight twitch controls, two twists on endless running, a completely free and stylish hack n' slash, and an artistic VR take on strategical shooting. Without further ado:
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the third entry in the shoot-and-loot PC and console series, came to the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV earlier this year. Even with a significant delay, it's the most technically challenging game on the SHIELD and probably on Android as a whole. That said, it's not as good as the previous entry, Borderlands 2. The Pre-Sequel has a bit of a been there, done that feel to it: the story is a bit ham-fisted, the weapons and environments seem like retreads, and there are too many Space Australians. If you agree, you'll be happy to hear that Borderlands 2 is also coming, according to an announcement made at E3 today.
If you're a PC gamer, odds are that you have at least a passing familiarity with Team Fortress 2. Valve's team-based shooter has become nothing less than iconic since its release almost a decade ago, thanks to impressive balance, a fun atmosphere, and a never-ending supply of updated content. We'll probably never see a full version of the game for Android (since Valve isn't really in the game-making business these days), but an indie developer has given us the next best thing: a 2D platformer version.
Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a unique indie shooter, a surprising "rolling" platformer, a new book-game, a new take on Q*Bert, an old-school RTS, and a cute block puzzler. Without further ado: