iPhone/iTouch app and game thread

[Bullwinkle]

Bard's Tale is a huge file size.  Bigger than Infinity Blade II by half or so.

I also got about halfway through, but I think I just ran out of steam.  I imagine buying it and not getting very far on the iPad, honestly, and so it'd just be taking up a lot of space on there.

Still, I do have fond memories of what I did play.  I'll be interested to hear how it plays, anyway.

Oh, and what's the deal with everything looking scrunched in the trailer?  Did they not optimize for a wider screen?

[shon]

Well I bought IB2 last night on my iPad and it wouldn't run.  It would get the title screen then start playing the into movie then bam back to the desktop.  Tried on my iPhone this morning and didn't have any problems.

I also got The Bards Tale and it's pretty good.  The controls work well and the graphics are ok.  You do have save points though which is a little disappointing.  I didn't get very far but did hear the beer song.

[rittchard]

Played IB2 for a bit last night and it looks and plays absolutely fantastic, it's hard to believe this is running on a portable device.  The gameplay is pretty much the same as the original, but they've definitely enhanced and improved some things, and I like that you can go for different fighting styles like dual wield.  I didn't play much of the original, did it also have spell casting through drawing? 

[The Grue]

I didn't play much of the original, did it also have spell casting through drawing? 

Yes.

[Misguided]

I find all references to "the original" version of this game to be rather ironic.

[rittchard]

I find all references to "the original" version of this game to be rather ironic.

Are you referring to Bard's Tale or Infinity Blade?

- - -

In other news, Book of Heroes is finally out for the US market.  If it continues to capture my interest I'll post some impressions.

[leo8877]

Fix for Infinity Blade 2 crashing on iPads is coming:

http://kotaku.com/5864309/the-most-popular-game-on-itunes-keeps-crashing-on-ipads-but-a-fix-is-en-route

[Misguided]

Bard's Tale, because this has nothing to do with the game I think of as "The Bard's Tale", that being the Wizardry-like turn-based RPG.

I find all references to "the original" version of this game to be rather ironic.

Are you referring to Bard's Tale or Infinity Blade?

- - -

In other news, Book of Heroes is finally out for the US market.  If it continues to capture my interest I'll post some impressions.

[wonderpug]

All the people referencing the original are talking about Infinity Blade 1, though.

[Gratch]

Is IB2 running really choppy for anyone else?  The original IB was super-smooth, but this one seems to have a really choppy framerate.  Might just be my phone though...it's been running really slow overall ever since I did the iOS 5 update.   

I just figured out this morning (at level 11) that I can pick up all those bags of money I see lying around during the cutscenes.  I'd been simply fast-forwarding through them and not paying attention.  Wonder how much cash I've left on the ground...

[The Grue]

I just figured out this morning (at level 11) that I can pick up all those bags of money I see lying around during the cutscenes.  I'd been simply fast-forwarding through them and not paying attention.  Wonder how much cash I've left on the ground...

You could also do that in the first game.

[Gratch]

I just figured out this morning (at level 11) that I can pick up all those bags of money I see lying around during the cutscenes.  I'd been simply fast-forwarding through them and not paying attention.  Wonder how much cash I've left on the ground...

You could also do that in the first game.

Huh.  No wonder it felt like I was always low on cash.

I'd heard good things about WELDER as a solid word game, but I'm fairly unimpressed by it.  The concept is solid, I suppose, but trying to create any word over 4 letters becomes extremely difficult. 

[rittchard]

So here's impressions on Book of Heroes:

At the core it's similar to one of those Facebook time limit games like Mafia Wars or the Vampire one, in that you have an "energy" limit to how much you can do at any one session and there is a time-based element to the game.  It's not bad so far, the game is very much geared for short play sessions.  The energy is used to enter areas and/or heal yourself; both your health and the energy are on separate recharge timers.  I think they increase a little every 5 minutes.

From an interface standpoint, it's more like Puzzle Quest, very RPG-lite.  You just touch locations to travel there, there's no exploration per se.  When you come across a spot with enemies, they appear on cards, and the combat plays out in semi real-time akin to some JPRGs (can't remember exactly which).  What that means is I hit attack, and depending on what weapon I have it takes a certain amount of time to complete the swing.  Same deal for the enemies, so they have bars going off the same time you do.  If you kill them before their attack goes off, too bad for them.  They can also block/dodge etc. and have their own various set of attacks and conditions.  As a caster, you get a set of standard spells which are on timers, and also take time to cast.

There are very simple quests (everything amounts to Kill X essentially), and a fairly simple loot system.  Loot can drop from mobs but also be purchased.  Standard RPG-fare includes cash/XP rewards, levelling and some skill choice customization past lvl 4.  You also earn "hero pts" which I guess are used to give you a score and rank you against other players via Game Center.

The game follows a fairly standard freemium model.  You can play completely for free, or use real cash to buy items and/or more energy.  Not my favorite type of system but it's OK.

There's an "Invite Friend" spot at the Inn but I'm not sure what the invite is for.  You are given a "hero code" that you can type in.  Don't know what that's about yet.

All in all I like the game, but I think I have a bigger tolerance for this type of game than most others do.  It's a fairly predictable and unoriginal game in many ways, but somehow they put it all together nicely (the combat, artwork, loot, etc) so the sum of all the parts is better than any of the individual components.

[skystride]

You can add me as friend in "Book of Heroes" if it helps.  I played it a while back for about 5 minutes but haven't gone back since.  Not that it was bad, I just have too many other stuff to play right now.  I ended up buying the other space mining game by the same developer after reading rave reviews about it on touch arcade.

[wonderpug]

What other space mining game? 

[rittchard]

What other space mining game? 

Space Miner - I think it came out a long while back and most people liked it.

[Gratch]

What other space mining game? 

Space Miner - I think it came out a long while back and most people liked it.

Space Miner was fantastic.  Gameplay was great, and it was one of the funniest games I've ever played.

[wonderpug]

What other space mining game? 

Space Miner - I think it came out a long while back and most people liked it.

"the other" space mining game made me think he was talking about something new.  I thought Space Miner (which is awesome) would just be "the space mining game."

[Misguided]

All the people referencing the original are talking about Infinity Blade 1, though.

You and your damned facts begone!

Uh, oops?

[kathode]

I started playing Ravenmark this morning and it's pretty awesome.  Fairly hardcore strategy game like Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, although looks like few RPG elements.  It uses the system where you plan out your moves ahead of time and then they're executed at the same time as the enemy.  Lots of tension involved.  It's an iphone game but I played it doubled on ipad and wouldn't have noticed at all if it had started up in 2x mode.  TouchArcade gave it 4.5 - http://toucharcade.com/2011/11/15/ravenmark-scourge-of-estellion-review-everything-a-strategy-fan-could-want/

[rittchard]

I'm continuing to become more enamored with Book of Heroes.  Yes, it's simplified RPG-lite in many ways, but it also does a lot of things really well, particularly for mobile gaming.  It actually made me think about what features are sort of unique to improve mobile gaming but not necessarily other forms.

The core combat plays out similar to something like Puzzle Quest without the gem-matching, or maybe a better way to describe it is kind of like simplified old-school Wizardry.  1-3 mobs pop up on screen (in this case they are shown on "cards").  You can use AoE effects to attack them all at once or single one out to attack.  As a mage you also have defensive spells, I'm guessing the other classes have defensive stances or something.  Combat is essentially turn-based, but on a pseudo-real time timer, and this is what makes this interesting for a mobile game.  Like a turn-based game, "time" doesn't move until you do something, so it is perfect for pick up and drop play.  But once time starts, both your own timers and the enemies' move at once.  By timers I mean things like you casting or effects on you or you attacking.  And then everything pauses again until your next action.  Very neat system, I think I've seen something similar in some JRPGs, but this one is really great for mobile.  The other part of this, and some people may find this off-putting because it's almost like a cheat, is that the overall "refresh" timer on your health and actions (mentioned in my previous post) continues to move in true real time.  So that means you might pause in the middle of a battle and be down to 5 health and 0 actions, but by waiting an hour or so you can come back to the battle and you'll be 100% recharged.  It's an odd mechanic but also an interesting one that plays off of the whole mobile platform focus.

In addition, I'm also liking the artwork on the various villains, and the gear is finally starting to improve and get more interesting.  New items seem to pop up in the shop so you can set goals on what to upgrade, but you also get random drops (I don't think they are randomized like Diablo, maybe) from fighting that are actually useful.  Quests all amount to fighting, but they actually follow their own ongoing quest/storylines, very well done in spite of being very simplified.

[Misguided]

Zombie Gunship is free today, and while I don't like tower defense and real time stuff, I gotta admit this is pretty cool.

[Gratch]

Be careful with the IB2 update.  Installed it last and when I booted it up this morning, my 17th level character was completely gone.

Dammit.

[Blackjack]

You just cannot buy this kind of game publicity...   (I was sure someone else must've mentioned this somewhere but didn't see any on searches)

Alec Baldwin Kicked Off American Airlines Flight
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20551656,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines

"Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving," the 30 Rock actor, 53, Tweeted on Tuesday.

His rep explains: "Alec was asked to leave the flight for playing Words with Friends while parked the gate. He loves WWF so much that he was willing to leave a plane for it, but he has already boarded another AA flight."

[rittchard]

Already mentioned in other threads, but curiously not this one:

On Live launching - could be the start of something interesting...

Saint's Row 3 and Arkham City on your iPad/iPhone?  Yowza.

http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/07/onlive-launches-their-ios-client-for-gaming-on-demand/

[Bullwinkle]

I got Extraction the day it came out (along with the also good Bullet Time).  Really good.

I'm waiting for a price drop on Spelltower ($2 isn't a lot, but I know it's going free at some point), but I've heard nothing but great things.

I wish Circuit Breaker was iPad or Universal, bu I'm trying it anyway.

I was this close to picking up Spell Tower this morning, but I'm glad I didn't because it just dropped to $.99.

Also, Chrono Trigger is out.

[shon]

Batman Arkham City Lockdown

Came out last night and I got it since IB2 still doesn't work on my iPad 1.  It's basically IB with a cool Batman overlay.  It uses the Unreal engine and it looks really good.
The game play has you fighting ordinary henchmen then a boss fight.  You have to control the battarang by tilting the device which I had trouble with so I couldn't' beat Two-face yet.
There are upgrade paths so there hopefully will be some longevity to the game.

[Gratch]

If you want a fun Excitebike clone, Mad Skills Motocross is free today.  Probably not much longevity, but certainly a fun way to pass a little time.

[Bullwinkle]

If you're looking for a fun .99 time waster, be sure to check out Cashing King.  It's a fun mix of RPG and slot machine that works remarkably well.

Ack this is terribly addictive lol, thanks Gratch!!!!

This went free, and it won't let me play anything else!

[Misguided]

You keep your filthy mitts off my bow, now, you hear?
What a wacky game.

[kadnod]

I started playing Ravenmark this morning and it's pretty awesome.  Fairly hardcore strategy game like Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, although looks like few RPG elements.  It uses the system where you plan out your moves ahead of time and then they're executed at the same time as the enemy.  Lots of tension involved.  It's an iphone game but I played it doubled on ipad and wouldn't have noticed at all if it had started up in 2x mode.  TouchArcade gave it 4.5 - http://toucharcade.com/2011/11/15/ravenmark-scourge-of-estellion-review-everything-a-strategy-fan-could-want/

I'm loving this so far.  Deep strategy game with a pseudo-roman setting?  Where have you been all my (iphone's) life?

[Misguided]

Apparently Ravenmark uses the retina resolution on iPad2 in 2x mode (960x640?). Found that out this morning, which makes it even more tempting to pick it up now instead of waiting for the universal update.

I started playing Ravenmark this morning and it's pretty awesome.  Fairly hardcore strategy game like Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, although looks like few RPG elements.  It uses the system where you plan out your moves ahead of time and then they're executed at the same time as the enemy.  Lots of tension involved.  It's an iphone game but I played it doubled on ipad and wouldn't have noticed at all if it had started up in 2x mode.  TouchArcade gave it 4.5 - http://toucharcade.com/2011/11/15/ravenmark-scourge-of-estellion-review-everything-a-strategy-fan-could-want/

I'm loving this so far.  Deep strategy game with a pseudo-roman setting?  Where have you been all my (iphone's) life?

[kathode]

Apparently Ravenmark uses the retina resolution on iPad2 in 2x mode (960x640?). Found that out this morning, which makes it even more tempting to pick it up now instead of waiting for the universal update.

Oh awesome.  It does look damn good and appears to fill just about the whole screen.  I haven't been able to get back to it.  Been in a crunchy period at work and Skyrim has taken up all my gaming hours!

[Enigma]

Spy Mouse for Iphone is free right now.  Supposed to be good.  haven't tried it yet.

[Gratch]

If you're looking for a new action-RPG, Gameevil's Hybrid and Illusia are both free right now.

[Misguided]

Ravenmark update is out. Now universal. Also includes the ability to issue move orders through units that will no longer be in that spot later in the turn and other enhancements.

[Bullwinkle]

GTA III is out for only $4.99.

[Enigma]

Fara is an action RPG that I had my eye on...it's free right now.  Looks good.

[Gratch]

Fara is an action RPG that I had my eye on...it's free right now.  Looks good.

Man, there's a lot of really good games going for free right now.  Edge is also free today.

[Gratch]

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions got a major patch this week, adding retina support (finally!), tweaking the camera controls, and fixing most of the awful slowdown issues.  It's like playing a whole new game, and I'd have to say that the iPhone version is now the definitive version of this classic.

Nice work Squeenix...even if it did take you waaaaay too long to fix the problems.