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Harry Potter: Magic Awakened hands-on — F2P has no business being this good
I'm talking Genshin levels of polish here, high-quality stuff
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened is a collectible card game from NetEase that's found massive popularity in China and other Asian territories since its initial launch last year. Seeing that it made over $228 million in its first two months, the game is coming West. The English version is in testing now that's it's available for pre-registration, and so I sideloaded the title to test the gameplay while recording a lengthy gameplay video to share with everyone.
There's a new Hitman Sniper game coming soon, and you can pre-register right now
Square's back with a new entry in its sharpshooting series
There's a new Hitman Sniper game coming to Android and iOS on March 3rd, so says the Hitman Sniper twitter account. It's called Hitman Sniper: The Shadows, and we first learned about the game in 2021 when Square Enix announced it at E3. Pre-registration begins today, and you can register directly through the official site, or you can hop over to the fresh Play Store listing to pre-reg through Google's system. Hitman Sniper: The Shadows will offer a new story with six playable characters to choose from. Unlike the previous game, Hitman Sniper: The Shadows will land as a free-to-play release.
Inua: A Story in Ice and Time is an enticing adventure game that explores the Great White North
Plus a summary of the week's gaming news, and a few honorable mentions to round things out
We here at AP strive to highlight the best Android games each and every week, and today's game roundup offers precisely that. The game of the week is Inua - A Story in Ice and Time, a gorgeous point-and-click adventure game from ARTE Experience that explores the Canadian Far North and the Franklin expedition. Of course, you can also find a shortlist of the honorable mentions released this week, along with a summary of the week's gaming news. So if you're looking to catch up on the week's happenings or simply want to find worthwhile mobile games to play, AP has you covered.
100 of the best Android app and game sales for the weekend
Don't miss out on the sales for Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy II, and Monster Hunter Stories
Welcome to Friday, everyone. It's almost the weekend, so it's time to check out the best Android app sales and the best Android game sales from the past week, all to get everyone prepped for the weekend. First up is a couple of discounts on Square Enix's new pixel remasters for Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II. But that's not all. This week, Monster Hunter Stories is also on sale, and it's an excellent creature collection game. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are the best temporarily free and on-sale apps and games for the weekend.
PUBG: New State's latest update adds a new 4v4 deathmatch mode
Three new weapons have been added too
PUBG: New State's February patch is out today, bringing with it a bunch of new content and improvements, including a new deathmatch mode along with three new weapons, two new weapon customizations, a co-op revive/recruit function, a gift system for the in-game store, all while kicking off Survivor Pass Vol. 4. Of course, a litany of balance changes are here, including QoL improvements, bug fixes, gameplay updates, and performance optimization, rounding out this month's patch for PUBG: New State.
Harry Potter is jumping on the collectible card game bandwagon
Developed by NetEase, soon coming West
It would seem the Harry Potter license is destined to be slapped on mediocre products for the rest of its life. We've already seen several Harry Potter games come to mobile, and so far, none of them have been any good. Heck, Niantic's Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was shut down in less than two years, though Jam City's Hogwarts Mystery (best known for asking players to pay to stop a child from being choked) is still around, and Zynga's in-app-purchase-infested Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is still managing to rake in cash since its 2020 release. This is quite the stable of mediocrity and greed, and a new entry is coming soon. It's known as Harry Potter: Magic Awakened. It's a collectible card game developed by NetEase, launched in late 2021, and has found wild success. So now it's coming West, and as of this morning, you can pre-register for the English version on the Google Play Store.
The best mobile video editing app is coming to Android, with a little help from Samsung
Arriving on the Galaxy Store in the first half of 2022
Today is Samsung day, with tons of announcements covering phones and tablets alike, including the upcoming Galaxy Tab S8, S8+, and S8 Ultra. That's three tablets, and why release a bunch of tablets unless you're going to offer some apps that can take advantage of these large screens? Well, Samsung is no fool, and so the company has announced that the popular iOS multitrack video editor LumaFusion will find its way to the Galaxy Store in the first half of 2022, though the exact timing is still up in the air.
The Final Fantasy VI pixel remaster is now available for pre-registration on the Play Store
Start collecting those Magicite
At the end of December, Square Enix announced it needed a little more time to polish the upcoming Final Fantasy VI pixel remaster and that it would launch the game sometime in February. The first five pixel remasters are already available on mobile and PC, but of course, six is heralded by many as the best of the bunch, so it's likely the most important release yet. Thankfully it does appear that Square will hit its mark with a February launch, as the Final Fantasy VI pixel remaster just entered into pre-registration on the Google Play Store, a good sign things are on track.
Itch.io boldly claims NFTs are a scam while simultaneously hosting games gearing up to offer NFTs
Oops
At this point, it seems like so many gaming corporations are ready to jump on the NFT bandwagon. If you're unfamiliar with NFTs, the acronym stands for non-fungible token, which amounts to data stored on a blockchain that offers a uniquely identifiable token, turning infinitely copyable data of images, music, and videos into unique items. NFTs supposedly give permanence to intangible data, but its worth is totally in the eye of the beholder (much like all art sales), which is why many compare NFTs to a pyramid scheme. Those who own NFTs will be left holding the bag should the fad die out.
Dungeon and Gravestone is a lighthearted roguelike that's found a fitting home on Android
Plus a summary of the week's gaming news, and a few honorable mentions to round things out
Week after week, new games land on the Play Store, but seeing that so many of them aren't all that great, it can be tough to know what the best Android games are. This is what AP's weekend game roundup is all about. Not only have we highlighted the best game of the week, but we offer a bunch of honorable mentions, along with a summary of the week's gaming news. So if you were wondering what happened in the mobile gaming sphere this week or simply want to know which new releases are worth playing, today's roundup has you covered.
Google feels like it's been deprioritizing the consumer side of Stadia more and more, something that was already apparent with the closure of its first-party studio SG&E in early 2021 and the arrival of a white label Stadia-powered game on AT&T. But as gamers wonder why Google is seemingly no longer interested in negotiating access to third-party blockbuster titles, a new report suggests that its attention has shifted towards courting companies like Peloton, Capcom, and Bungie for white label deals under the name Google Stream.
86 of the best Android app and game sales for the weekend
Don't miss out on the sales for Monopoly, Agent A: A puzzle in disguise, and The Escapists: Prison Escape
Welcome to Friday, everyone. It's almost the weekend, so it's time to check out the best Android app sales and the best Android game sales from the past week, all to get everyone prepped for the weekend. Of course, I have some fabulous sales to share with everyone today, including some excellent standouts. First up is Monopoly, a digital adaptation of the famous board game. Next is Agent A: A puzzle in disguise, a slick point and click adventure. Last but not least is The Escapists: Prison Escape, a fantastic strategy game where's you'll put your prison escape skills to the test. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are the best temporarily free and on-sale apps and games for the weekend.
Marvel Realm of Champions delisted from the Play Store, servers officially closing March 31st
Marvel Contest of Champions still remains king
It's official, Marvel Realm of Champions will soon reach the end of its life. In a recent post from Kabam, the developer has revealed that Marvel Realm of Champions is already delisted from both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, but it's not game over just yet as the servers won't go offline until March 31st. This means if you have the game installed, you will be able to play for another two months, though all in-app purchases are already offline. The game is winding down, but Kabam plans to let Realm of Champions go out with a bang by rebalancing things for fun for once, which is pretty ironic that the best time to play is when the game is dead, and about to be buried.
Hextech Mayhem hands-on: An unrefined rhythm runner set in the League of Legends universe
A stylish yet frustrating release from Riot Games
Riot Games (of League of Legends fame) has a new release on Android. It's called Hextech Mayhem, and it was recently ported to Netflix's gaming platform. It's a stylized rhythm runner that's well-reviewed on Steam, but some of you may be wondering how the transition from consoles/PC to mobile has turned out. Is it one of the best games on Android, or is it filler for Netflix's gaming catalog? Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag, which is why I've gone hands-on with the title to report my findings, and I've even recorded a 20+ minute gameplay video so everyone can see with their own eyes how the game performs. So if you were on the fence about whether or not Netflix's latest game is worth playing, this hands-on is for you.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel finally makes its way to Android after a two-week wait
It's the real deal, folks — the full TCG in digital form
Last July, Konami announced its plans to bring the full Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game to just about every gaming platform in existence, including mobile. This digital interpretation of the physical card game is known as Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, and the game landed on consoles and PC two weeks ago. Of course, mobile was the odd man out (when isn't this the case), and even though a few select territories saw the mobile release last week, today is the official mobile launch, which means Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is finally available on Android and iOS as a free-to-play release.
Apex Legends Mobile enters pre-registration in select territories
The first soft launch is almost here
Last April, Electronic Arts announced that it would be bringing Apex Legends to mobile, launching the first closed beta test for its popular battle royale the same month. Clearly, things have been progressing with the game's development, so EA has just announced that select territories will soon be able to pre-register on the Play Store. The Play Store listing is already up, but only those who live in Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand will be able to pre-register for the initial soft launch.
Rocket League Sideswipe kicks off its second season with casual playlists and volleyball
Plus new challenges for Season 2
Rocket League Sideswipe is a sidescrolling interpretation of the PC and console game, a slimmed-down affair perfect for mobile play. It landed on Android at the end of last year, and today marks the launch of its second season. Like all live service games, new seasons mean new content, and today Sideswipe fans can expect the addition of a casual playlist along with a new limited-time Volleyball mode that's replacing the Hoops mode. Thanks to today's patch, changes and fixes are also in the mix, including UI improvements, quick chat muting, and a few new accessibility options.
Netflix expands its gaming library with a fresh rhythm runner and a dungeon crawler
Play for free with your Netflix subscription
Netflix launched a mobile gaming service for its subscribers back in November 2021. Despite the lukewarm release titles comprised of a few old games and a couple of new casual titles, the company has continued its path forward, releasing new games on the Play Store at an even clip. A few weeks ago, Arcanium: Rise of Akhan and Krispee Street landed on the Play Store, and today Dungeon Dwarves is the latest offering from Netflix. Just like the rest of Netflix's mobile game catalog, as long as you are a subscriber to the video streaming service, you can play its mobile games without spending any more money, including the newly-released Dungeon Dwarves.
Sony acquires Bungie for $3.6 billion in the latest gaming industry buyout
Who's excited for even less competition in the industry?
Sony's answer to Microsoft's buyout of Activision is all over the news today, and it's almost unbelievable. Sony has purchased Bungie, the creators of the Halo series, and the current team behind Destiny 2. What's really amusing is that Microsoft used to own Bungie, having acquired the studio in 2000, with Bungie going independent in 2007. Then Bungie signed a ten-year deal with Activision in 2010, but the studio ended its partnership with Activision in 2019. Bungie has since been going it solo, but today's news indeed means Bungie will now be joining with Sony after the $3.6 billion acquisition closes.
El Hijo - A Wild West Tale is a slick adventure game that will put your stealth skills to the test
Plus a summary of the week's gaming news, and a few honorable mentions to round things out
Every week more and more games are released on the Play Store, and it can be challenging to keep track, especially when many of those games aren't very good. This is why we here at AP take the time each and every week to round up the best Android games, along with highlighting a weekly standout. This week that's El Hijo - A Wild West Tale, a recent port from HandyGames that's perfect for mobile play, sporting stealth-based gameplay set in a slick Spaghetti Western theme.