It isn’t just the PC gamers, with their Diablo III release, that have had an amazing week for new titles. The App Store saw a number of blockbuster releases, including two extremely potent sequels, and we’ve collected the finest of the bunch for you for today’s roundup.
Come on in and get ready to give your thumbs a workout!
The Sandbox
We’re going to start strong with an incredible open world creation tool called, obviously enough, The Sandbox. It’s something like Minecraft meets Sim City, except you’re building an entire world and basically sets you free.
Needless to say, it’s one of those games that offers creative players a gigantic dose of happiness as they collect new materials and learn to grow, build, and develop their own unique worlds. Destruction balances things out and gives you the power to undo what you’ve created, or re-shape the landscape, or just play wrathful deity — no matter what your goals, The Sandbox offers a way to satisfy them in the context of pixel-perfect world building.
For now, you can share your levels with others and browse a gallery of their creations, but you can’t yet leave comments — that’s coming in an update, along with some more interactivity. There are missions, but they’re really only a guide track to help you master the powers at your disposal. The Sandbox is a fresh and exhilarating love letter to creativity, and it will be exciting to watch it grow as development progresses and people master the tools. It’s free, so grab it and be your own deity!
Price: Free
Developer: Pixowl Games
Download: App Store
N.O.V.A 3 — Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance
The App Store has seen a few stand-out titles that nearly everyone recognizes. Infinity Blade was the third-person fantasy masterpiece, Angry Birds was the physics puzzler, and in the realm of first-person shooters, the title to beat has always been N.O.V.A. Now that the third game in the series is out, we can safely say that there’s a reason it keeps its throne: this game is incredible.
Pushing the limits of what you’d expect to be able to see on your phone, N.O.V.A. 3 — Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance is a tremendously attractive shooter with sophisticated physics, gorgeous lighting, detailed models, and a well developed plot that propels you through its ten varied and large levels. The presence of vehicles that you can pilot adds another dimension of play, and now your allies can join you in the vehicles in the same kind of multi-seat destruction we know and love from console FPS games.
Be aware that this is one of the largest games you’re likely to be putting on your phone — it takes a monstrous 1.57GB to install — but the result is worth it, and you’ll forget about things like space when you’re immersed in one of the iPhone’s greatest showcase titles. It may not revolutionize the gameplay from previous titles in the series, but N.O.V.A. 3 is way ahead of the game even still.
LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias
As the well-received LostWinds series continues to make its re-appearance on the App Store (after making a splash on WiiWare initially), a new chapter is available: Winter of the Melodias.
In the sequel, you not only have power over the wind, but can switch between summer and winter at will to help you navigate through the stunningly rendered world of Mistralis. Forming clouds, diving into formerly-frozen pools, and crafting snowballs are just a few of the techniques you’ll find yourself using this time around as you search for the protagonist Toku’s mother.
If you enjoyed LostWinds, then you’ll clearly enjoy the sequel, but you’ll also notice that the controls have been refined and are more comfortable, and that the newly opened areas of the world offer a huge variety of enchanting environments in which to explore your powers. It’s a very rewarding game to progress through, and is among the most charming and colourful titles we’ve seen since the original. Don’t miss it!
Price: $3.99
Developer: Frontier Developments Ltd.
Download: App Store
Snabbit
Remember that little game you used to play on your phone (your ancient dumbphone)? The snake game that was all over the place? As simple as it was, it was incredibly popular and addictive, and TapCat has brought the same style of play to your iPhone with all the polish and visual glitz that today’s technology allows for.
In Snabbit, you’ll control the Snabbit itself: a mysterious intergalactic creature that eats stars and loves hidden treasure. The straight-forward one-tap gameplay lends itself well to the fast pacing of the many levels, and alongside those you’ll find an infinite mode that features auto-generated levels that change after every 6 hours.
The best part is the level editor, though. We have a lot of love for games that allow you to make your own content, and in the case of Snabbit, the editor is simple and rewarding and allows you to extend your time with the game and share your creations with friends, which is always a good thing. If you’re after something lighter than the previous titles we’ve mentioned this week, then have a look at Snabbit and munch some stars!
Gene Effect
Gene Effect is quite possibly one of the finest games we’ve reviewed in a while. This glorious space exploration game, like a cross between Waking Mars and the upcoming Prometheus film, is stunningly crafted (mostly by one man!) and technically ambitious.
In the not too distant future, mankind explores space and encounters an ancient race of aliens. The story spans several episodes and is well told, interspersed between extensively varied gameplay that ranges from combat, to exploring secret areas, to puzzles, to mining, to object hunting, and more. It’s enough to keep you busy for hours and, more importantly, impressed throughout. Lighting is moody, colours are well chosen and subtle, the physics feel true to life and keep the controls from getting too floaty, and the environments are detailed and alive, with many animated elements and layers of activity.
For fans of sci-fi, Gene Effect offers an experience unlike any other on your iPhone, and with more and more content and tweaks arriving via updates, it’s a good time to grab this game and start exploring its intriguing world. You won’t want to leave.
Price: $4.99
Developer: Lightstorm3D
Download: App Store
What Have You Been Playing?
That’s going to do it for this week, but don’t be a stranger — leave us your comments and let us know what you’ve been playing, what you enjoyed from this list, and what we might have missed!