Chris Urie has been writing everything from reviews to features and interviews since 2010. In addition to being a contributor to Arcade Sushi and Guyspeed, he's a staff writer for Geekadelphia, covering everything from 8-bit music concerts to interviews with prominent Philadelphia Geeks. He's also the resident bookshelf expert for Quirk Books. You can find more of his occasional musings at his website. When not tweeting @chrisurie, he can likely be found swinging around Columbia on his Skyhook.
It is time for the summer comic book movie blockbuster and of course there is an iOS movie tie-in game. The newest incarnation of Superman has been reborn at the box office to decent reviews and legions of fans hailing the renewed relevance of the strong man in red undies. But does this iOS game hit that blockbuster spot like the film?
Once in awhile, a video game comes along to transcend the medium beyond what you thought possible. It elevates the bar so high that other games that were once thought to be great are now a bit inadequate in comparison. Does The Last of Us elevate video games into the stratosphere of storytelling, graphics, and gameplay?
The old standby genre of the iOS is the tower defense game. It has come in every shape and form we can possibly conceive, but somehow we just can’t seem to get enough of them. Like the endless onslaught of enemies in any of these titles, the games keep flooding the App Store to be devoured by our eager iOS devices. But, to stand out from the crowd, Defense Technica has to have something up its sleeve to set it apart from the rest. With so many good tower defense games around, why should we bother with another?
The new video game releases for July 2013 are looking pretty threadbare. With The Last of Us rounding out the big blockbuster releases for awhile, we're left with a month where another Dynasty Warriors is the highlight
Sound the alarm! It looks like we’ve got another tired old game genre that has been shaven, painted to look like an existing franchise, smacked on the butt, and shoved out to pasture in the App Store. But, could this game be a little bit more than a cash grab? Could it be a brand new spin on the tired old pinball that we all know and love? Could the Marvel heroes work together to lift of the decrepit corpse of pinball games and breathe new life into its lifeless eyes? Probably not, but lets take a look anyway.
The iOS has the potential to be the rebirth of the point and click adventure game. With a big gorgeous screen and instinctive gameplay, we could have a whole assortment of really enjoyable adventure titles. They could offer immersive stories along with enjoyable puzzles to tease your mind and fingers. Runaway: A Road Adventure is a new adventure game for the iOS, but does it live up to the possibilities of the medium, or crash into the mailbox right out of the driveway?
Memory is fragile. Who you are is essentially a collection of experiences coded and cataloged in your cranium for cross reference later. Your essence, your soul, is housed somewhere in your synapses. Without your memories you are no longer you. Just a hulking mass of animal instinct no different than the next poor sod who has had their memory wiped. Remember Me has a high sci-fi concept, but will it stick in the spaces between your synapses or trickle right out your ears?
Joy of joys! We have another god forsaken movie tie-in game. This time it is for Will Smith’s new movie After Earth. Now, just because the critics have almost universally panned the film as being a dull piece of rubbish doesn’t mean that the iOS game has to follow its lead. It might be good. Really, it might. So let’s have a look and see if After Earth for the iOS explores new territory or if will make you want to feed your head to an alien.
Many a nerd has dreamed of piloting his own starship into battle. They’ve fantasized of being Red leader at the battle of Yavin. Well, maybe Red 5, at least he doesn’t get shot down by the Death Star. Anyway, epic space battles are wonderful part of being a sci fi geek. They get your adrenaline pumping in zero g. Do this iOS title get your heart racing?
Like the 5 Stages of Grief, playing Dark Souls puts you through the emotional wringer. You'll experience the high of conquering Anor Londo and the utter and poisonous despair of Blighttown. Throughout your journey you'll be reduced to tears, punch a fist into the air, and snap more than one controller