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Age of Empires Mobile teased by Xbox Game Studios, coming soon
The venerable strategy game is headed to Android and iOS devices
The Age of Empires franchise is taking another stab at a mobile release. Announced as part of Age of Empires' 25th-anniversary celebration, Age of Empires Mobile should be making its way to iOS and Android devices sometime soon, and there's a teaser trailer available for the curious.
Logitech G Cloud hands-on: No dark skies here
Logitech's streaming handheld feels and plays like a polished product
In no way am I shy about the fact I love handhelds. I've been gaming since I was three, and I've always had a handheld at my side since the Game Boy was released in 1989. Over the years, I've owned many handhelds, and what with the resurgence of handheld gaming with the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Analogue Pocket, not to mention a bevy of Android and PC handhelds, along with a gigantic Game Boy modding scene, handheld gaming is very much in vogue in 2022. So it comes as no surprise to see Logitech (a well-known gaming peripheral manufacturer) entering the fray with the recently announced G Cloud, but what is surprising is that this particular handheld is built around streaming games, which is clearly a growth area; what with Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Sony all offering their own streaming services.
Razer and Verizon hop on the cloud gaming handheld bandwagon
Logitech isn't the only one eyeballing game streaming users
Welp, it would appear Logitech isn't the only one chasing after the game streaming market with dedicated handheld hardware, and so Razer and Verizon have just announced that the two companies have partnered to bring the Razer Edge 5G to market. This is a device built for high-performance gaming, sporting a Snapdragon G3X Gen 1, Qualcomm's latest gaming platform. So it would appear that not only are Razer and Verizon looking to eat Logitech's lunch with a much more powerful device than the yet-to-be-launched G Cloud, but since Verizon is involved, you can expect access to 5G Ultra Wideband to ensure the handheld is truly portable.
Torchlight: Infinite is in open testing on the Play Store for the next two weeks
Diablo Immortal better watch out; there's a new ARPG vying for top-spot
We've known for some time that Torchlight: Infinite would make its way from TapTap to the Play Store for pre-registration in the buildup to the game's global launch. Lo and behold, there's a fresh Play Store listing for Torchlight: Infinite, complete with pre-registration so you can receive a release announcement the day it launches, but there's also a second Play Store listing that offers access to an open beta that's rolling out right now. The beta is expected to last for two weeks ahead of the game's October launch, so if you've been curious to see how Torchlight: Infinite is shaping up and whether it will be a worthy competitor to Diablo Immortal, today's the day, you can install the beta directly from the Play Store right now.
Nova Launcher 8 beta hands-on: Branching out in new directions
One of the best launchers on Android is getting even better
Nova Launcher's recent acquisition has seen the app in the news the past few days, but we're not here to discuss the business side of things. Nope, we're here to report on the latest betas for Nova Launcher now that 8 is in testing. After all, development is still moving forward, and thanks to betas being available to anyone who joins the app's discord, we sideloaded the launcher to see what's new. And oh boy, are there some noteworthy changes with 8.0.2 in the mix. Let's dive in for a closer look.
The Division Resurgence gameplay revealed in new walkthrough video
Ubisoft is off to a great start, the game looks comparable to its console brethren
Last week Ubisoft revealed that it's working on a The Division shooter for mobile, known as The Division Resurgence, bringing the third-person shooter to mobile to compete with the big boys like Apex Legends and Call of Duty. At the time, very little was revealed, which is why Ubisoft has just released a gameplay walkthrough recorded in-game to show everyone precisely what the title will have to offer. So if you're curious to see The Division Resurgence in action, with its mechanics explained, Ubisoft has your back.
Tom Clancy's The Division franchise is going mobile — sign up for testing today
A new release in the open-world third-person shooter franchise, offering a fresh storyline and characters
Apparently, no well-known franchise is safe from receiving a free-to-play mobile interpretation, and so Ubisoft has just announced that it's working on a Tom Clancy's The Division mobile game. This title is known as Tom Clancy's The Division Resurgence, and unsurprisingly the game will be free-to-play, offering the familiar cover-based shooting the series is known for, and it all will take place in an open world. This mobile offshoot will expand on the lore of the first two games in the series, offering solo or co-op play spread across PvE content, and testing should begin soon, which is why Ubisoft is already providing a way to sign-up on the game's website if you'd like to apply to test the unreleased title before it officially launches.
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.
Warcraft Arclight Rumble first look: Blizzard has a brand new RTS for mobile
Let's dig into the gameplay to see how it stacks up
Diablo Immortal isn't the only mobile game coming from Blizzard this year. The studio has been working on a Warcraft title specifically for portable play, known as Warcraft Arclight Rumble. It's still a work in progress, but the official reveal is today. At first glance, the game might look like a Clash Royale clone, but once you dig in, it's easy to see there's a little more going on within Warcraft Arclight Rumble, thanks to its focus on single-player content. Sure, PvP will exist, along with co-op, but what takes center stage is the primary campaign that offers 70+ missions. So let's dig in and see what Warcraft Arclight Rumble is all about!
Street of Rage 4 will launch on mobile with optional Mr. X's Nightmare DLC
For $3 the DLC nets you a few new characters and an excellent survival mode
Streets of Rage 4 is styled after the classic Streets of Rage games originally developed and published by Sega on the Sega Genesis. Twenty-five years after Streets of Rage 3, a direct sequel was released by Dotemu after reaching a licensing agreement with Sega. This game is known as Streets of Rage 4, and it's thankfully a fantastic followup, so much so that the game has seen tons of success across consoles and PC. Well, as of this morning, Dotemu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games have announced that Playdigious will be bringing Streets of Rage 4 to Android and iOS this year.
Netflix has been busy growing its gaming library, purchasing a few studios along the way in an effort to offer the "best gaming service available." Indeed, a challenging task, though Netflix is still full steam ahead with today's announcement. In May, the company will bring an exclusive version of the popular party game Exploding Kittens to its gaming service. But that's not all; this fresh game release will be paired with an animated series coming to the video streaming side in 2023, providing a glimpse of how Netflix will more than likely integrate both games and video content on its service moving forward.
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Atari was once a well-known name in gaming, but at this point, the company is coasting on name recognition alone, floating ideas like hotels and cryptocurrency as new money-making schemes for the brand. Still, games are what people expect from Atari, and it would appear a new title is in the works, co-developer by Atari, and it actually looks pretty good. The game is called Kombinera, and it's a puzzle platformer with simple graphics that indeed looks like a proper Atari game.
PlayStation’s new Xbox Game Pass competitor is missing one of our favorite features
Where's the incentive for non-PlayStation owners?
Game streaming is seemingly here to stay, with just about everyone tossing their hat in the ring to gain early footing. While Stadia and GeForce Now may be the first streaming services that come to mind, Microsoft has diligently built out its own streaming service through its Xbox Cloud Gaming (still in beta) service paired with Xbox Game Pass. So, of course, Sony had to get in on the fun, and even though the company has been trailing behind the competition with PlayStation Now, rumors have been flying about new streaming setup from Sony. Well, today, we finally learned how Sony plans to implement its latest game streaming tech. It will do so by combining its PlayStation Now and Plus services into three tiers of PlayStation Plus, with the last tier offering game streaming across PS4, PS5, and PC, though mobile support is noticeably absent.
Apex Legends Mobile is launching this year, and pre-registration is now available across the globe
Those that register will receive exclusive in-game items
We've known that Apex Legends Mobile would be coming to Android since April of 2021, and this past February, the game entered into pre-registration on the Play Store in a few select regions. Well, today, pre-registration opens up around the globe, which means Electronic Arts is gearing up for a worldwide release sometime soon. Those that pre-register will earn a few in-game rewards once the game launches, though the exact release date is still unknown.
Total War: Medieval II goes up for pre-registration on the Play Store ahead of its spring launch
Feral Interactive is going medieval on mobile
Seeing that Feral Interactive already ported Creative Assembly's 2006 strategy game Total War: Medieval II to Linux and macOS back in 2016, it makes sense that Feral would pull from its back catalog for its Android and iOS ports. And so the next mobile port from Feral Interactive is Total War: Medieval II, slated for a spring release. Feral's last foray onto mobile was the fantastic port for Alien Isolation, and since Feral has such an excellent track record launching some of the best Android games out there, there's a good chance the mobile port of Total War: Medieval II will also be great.
Pre-registration opens for Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent closed beta
Testing begins on March 22nd
Octopath Traveler is a popular Square Enix RPG that made waves on the Nintendo Switch back in 2018, later ported to Stadia, PC, and Xbox One in the following years. It's a game that pulls on the old nostalgia strings thanks to its scrumptious HD-2D art that mimics the look of Square's '90s RPGs, all while still offering modern 3D graphics. Seeing that Octopath Traveler was a success across multiple platforms, Square decided to capitalize on the brand's polarity with a mobile game. This mobile game has been exclusive to Japan since its release in 2020, known as Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. Well, during a recent streaming event in Japan, Square has announced that Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent is coming to the US and Europe this summer, with a beta planned for spring.
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.
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.
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.