Game PC : ANNO 2205 Reviews

I’m a soft Southern English man with typist’s hands, although I do have a callus where I pinched a finger in the lid of a Coke Zero. I grind my own coffee and I pronounce ‘quinoa’ not at all like it’s spelled. You can understand my terror, then, upon discovering that the entirety of my nascent megacorp’s workforce was made up of Liverpudlians. They were polite enough when I stopped by to make sure I was meeting their basic needs, but simmering class war would surely impact the financials—I had to gentrify, and fast. With a spate of promotions, I transformed my all-male workers into female Operators. That’s aspiration for you. Too soon, however, I’d feel the consequences of my scorn for the working classes: Anno 2205’s bourgeoisie
are insufferable, hardly moving in before registering their demand for fresh fruit, vitamin drinks and, yes, organic rice. Ladies, we’ve just survived a climate disaster; you’ll shop in discount supermarkets like the rest of us.

This is standard fare for the city-building Anno series. It’s a balancing act involving cash flow, infrastructure and the ever-more unreasonable desires of your citizens. There’s a faint moral about the whole thing—about caring for the planet and global warming—although history seems on-course to repeat itself given your inhabitants’ incredible propensity to consume. Cybernetics are all the rage in the temperate islands that remain after the world’s sea-level rise in Anno 2070, while the hipsters on the moon want Rejuvenators (caffeine pills with a mark-up, I’ll bet).

Ah yes: the moon. Anno 2205 pits you against a range of NPC corporations in a race to colonise the moon and extract its delicious helium-3 with the long-term goal of building a fusion reactor. The moon being notoriously short on farmers’ markets and health food shops, supply lines must be established and maintained as a matter of priority, factoring the shipping costs into your budget. Like all city builders it’s an optimisation challenge, but, on standard difficulty where money flows and workers are eager to serve, not a tough one. The Lunar Licensing Program is a step-by-step guide through the campaign that sits in your mission log alongside other ‘quests’ (simple escort or collect-X tasks) doled out by your competitors. It tells you what to build and when, leaving you to plug the gaps in funding on your own initiative.

You have to be reactive rather than proactive in Anno games. Strategy doesn’t come into it: you lay down some dwellings and witness the havoc they wreak upon commodity levels before improving those facilities to restore balance. Anyone coming in from Cities: Skylines will find it minimalistic, allowing you to expand just about anywhere with a road without regard for zoning and correct mistakes as you make them. To the family whose house I had to drag and drop to the other side of the map to make way for a new Infodrome, I apologise.

Once Modules are introduced, penalty-free relocation becomes an enormous benefit. No longer do you have to build two whole factories to do a job one slightly larger factory could accomplish. It’s cheaper and more efficient to expand an existing factory, which necessitates shunting a lot of stuff out of the way, particularly on the Arctic maps, where residences have to cluster around industry for heat. Lunar maps dictate that shield generators be established first to prevent meteors punching holes in rooftops. These are subtle variations, but a pleasant change of pace from the lawless sprawl of the temperate regions.

There is a sub-plot that accompanies Anno’s typically insipid RTS-lite elements in which you pilot a fleet of battleships around ice floes and islands blowing up moon terrorists and completing fetch quests for fellow CEOs (whose own battle fleets must be having their MOTs). The moon terrorists are angry because of exploitation or the distribution of wealth or some such, but I found it more enjoyable to imagine the plot of Iron Sky. These are optional distractions for additional resources—you can also progress by expanding your cities.

Anno 2205 does look gorgeous. This is a city builder that can easily tax your rig rendering a level of detail that has no value in itself but still made me smile when I realised that people on the moon do hop instead of walk. I do have to recommend installing Anno 2205 to an SSD if you’ve got the option, however: lengthy loading times between your corporate overview and each individual region put me off popping between maps as often as the game seemed to want me to.

This is the most streamlined, straightforward Anno yet. It’s pacier and much more forgiving than any other city builder that springs to mind, which makes it an excellent introduction to the genre. The balancing act lacks depth, however, and coupled with the lacklustre RTS component, it’s hard to see what a Cities: Skylines veteran would get out of Anno 2205’s gentle coaching.

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PLAYSTATION 4 THE REVIEW

In the seven years since the introduction of the PlayStation 3, we've seen our gaming consoles transform into living-room hubs through constant evolution and software updates. Those updates weren't always smooth – though on PS3, they were always happening – but it's easy to see just how far the platform has come.

Meanwhile, the designers of the PlayStation 4 were taking notes and designing a console that, feature by feature, sought to address the failings of its predecessor. The PS3 was notoriously difficult to program for, thanks to its proprietary silicon. So the PS4 was built to be developer-friendly, with a familiar, PC-like architecture. The PS3 was announced with a bizarre, boomerang-shaped controller, and launched with the rumble-free Sixaxis controller before settling into the never-great DualShock 3 controller. So the PS4 comes with the DualShock 4, inarguably the best controller Sony's ever made. And the PS3 launched at an abnormally high price point, costing $200 more than its competition. So the PS4 carries a far more aggressive price, asking $100 less than the competition this time around.

While Sony in 2006 was focused on driving adoption of the Blu-ray standard, envisioning another home media boom that never quite materialized, Sony in 2013 has no such distractions. The PS4 isn't built to sell 3D TVs, or Blu-ray discs or any other corporate mandate. It's a gaming console, a clear message that Sony has been quick to repeat.

That focus has resulted in a console that's better positioned than the PlayStation 3 was in 2006 to compete in an expanding turf war for the living room. But that same focus has also kept Sony from taking the kinds of chances that make generational leaps so exciting.

THE CONSOLE

The PS4 is Sony's most attractively designed piece of hardware. It's a beautiful system, with a sharp, slightly angled profile accented by a light bar that acts as a console status indicator.

On the back, PS4 has gone digital-only with HDMI/optical ports, and no analog audio or video outputs. We appreciate the internal power supply — it sounds like a small thing, but it's one less object to sit on the shelf next to or behind the PlayStation 4.

In the bad column, it's a collection of moderate to minor annoyances. The PS4 doesn't support the new 802.11ac wireless standard, instead relying on an 802.11b/g/n radio at 2.4 GHz — no 5 GHz support here either, all of which is disappointing to see on a consumer device in 2013. More annoyingly to many on staff, the PS4 doesn't include an IR port for universal remotes, nor does it support Logitech's PlayStation 3 Bluetooth Harmony adapter or the PS3 Bluetooth Blu-ray remote. This omission seems to signal Sony's abandonment of the media aspirations that drove much of the PS3's basic design.

Players who want to game privately on their consoles might be temporarily annoyed at the absence of Bluetooth headphone audio support 
for the PS4 at launch.This is offset somewhat: the PS4 can broadcast all game audio (and voice chat) to the audio/mic jack on the DualShock 4, which is compatible with all headphones and mobile headsets using 1/8 inch audio adapters — though enabling game audio output on the DualShock 4 disables all audio via HDMI and optical out.

Despite these problems, Sony nails the fundamentals with the PS4 hardware. The half-gloss, half-matte finish is a pleasant visual compromise. It's a grown-up machine, designed more like a stylish DVD player than a gaudy video game console. It's a small, attractive system, and one that also happens to pack more powerful hardware in its diminutive frame than any other console.The PS4 is Sony's most attractively designed piece of hardware.

It's an impressive technical achievement. It's also compact enough to fade into your entertainment center without being distracting or ostentatious, and we appreciate that it retains the PS2's and PS3's ability to stand vertically. Those of you with frisky pets or children may want to invest in the vertical stand, sold separately, for some added stability.Oh, and it will charge controllers over USB while in standby mode. Finally.

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PS4 Getting "Unprecedented Rush" of Big Games in 2016, Exec Says

2016 will bring an "unprecedented rush" of big games for PlayStation 4 that, along with PlayStation VR, will combine for a package so compelling that system sales are likely to grow even further. That's according to PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, who said in an interview with 4Gamer (via DualShockers) that 2016 is shaping up to be a banner year for the PS4.

"2016 marks an unprecedented rush of big titles for PS4," Yoshida said. "It's also the year of the long-awaited launch of PlayStation VR. It's the year PS4 users, and those who are on the fence on whether to buy it will absolutely think, 'It's good to have a PS4.' Please look forward to it."

Some of the big PS4 console exclusives for 2016 include Street Fighter V, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Gran Turismo Sport, and The Last Guardian. There are also going to be a number of big-name multiplatform games released on PS4 next year, of course.

Check out this gallery to see more of the biggest games coming in 2016.

In media interviews this year, PlayStation executives spoke openly about the PS4's "sparse" lineup of first-party games for 2015. Just this month, PlayStation boss Michael Ephraim acknowledged that Sony focused more on third-party relationships in 2015 in part because "our first-party lineup was not as a strong as we would have liked."

The PS4 enters 2016 as the best-selling new-generation console with sales in excess of 30 million units. For its part, Microsoft is also claiming that 2016 will be a huge year for Xbox games.

What do you make of the PS4's lineup for 2016? What are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below!

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Your smartphone will be faster in 2016, just not insane 5G fast

Ignore the hot air about 5G next year. Here's how the carriers will add more zip to your wireless connection.

We've all been there. You pull out your smartphone to check out the trailer for "Batman v Superman," and the loading icon spins. And spins.

Sometimes, the cellular network just can't keep up with your voracious appetite for Facebook updates, Snapchat messages and streaming video. Don't worry, though, the carriers are working on it.

You may have heard rumblings of 5G. In 2016, you're going to hear a lot more about it. It's the next generation of wireless technology, and it promises to make the current 4G LTE connection feel like you're standing still. How fast is it? Downloading -- not just streaming -- the movie "Guardians of the Galaxy" would take seconds with 5G, as opposed to minutes with

4G.

It's the latest hook that carriers plan to trot out as the wireless war for your wallet continues. This year saw intensifying competition as carriers cut prices, offered iPhones for pennies and threw more data at you. Next year could see more of the same, with renewed promises for better, faster service.

In the mix will be a discussion of 5G. Verizon Wireless plans to hold field tests next year, and AT&T has said it will be involved in the technology's development. Telecom gear makers such as Ericsson and Huawei are boasting of speeds that surpass anything you can get from a physical connection. But here's some advice to anyone who may potentially get caught up in next year's hype: Don't buy into it.

"It's a lot of hot air," said Roger Entner, a consultant for Recon Analytics.

The truth is that full-blown deployment of 5G isn't expected until 2020, when everyone in the industry can agree what the technology actually looks like. While early entrants like Verizon plan to offer some form of commercial deployment in 2017, chances are you won't be able to access it then.

Fortunately, there are a few other tricks the carriers will be using to amp up your connection speed or, at the very least, liberate you from a data traffic jam.

Adding more highways

Brace yourself for a little wonkiness. The industry's favorite catchphrase going into 2016 is "carrier aggregation," which is the technical term for tying multiple bands of spectrum. It's like adding another highway to allow for more cars, and then raising the speed limit so they can go even faster.

You could see a boost in speed with next year's network improvements.

This will enable your mobile device to access higher speeds from the networks. While carriers shy away from giving specific speed figures given the various factors, Entner said consumers on average could see a 20 percent bump once carrier aggregation is in play. The result: Photos download faster and movies stream with less buffering.

No. 4 US carrier Sprint, which has struggled with a reputation for poor service, goes further along that ledge. In markets where it uses the new technology, speeds jump 30 percent to 40 percent, according to Gunther Ottendorfer, head of technology for the carrier.

"You ain't seeing nothing yet," he said.

Borrowing Wi-Fi radio waves

Along the same lines as carrier aggregation is a technology called LTE-U. The U stands for unlicensed, as in the unlicensed spectrum employed by your Wi-Fi router. Under LTE-U, carriers would use that unlicensed spectrum as another highway to allow more traffic to your smartphone.

"The nice thing is that highway is quite big," said Michael Murphy, chief technology officer of Nokia Networks' North America business. T-Mobile said it plans to work with the industry to support LTE-U. In terms of using Wi-Fi, Verizon and AT&T will more broadly roll out Wi-Fi calling, which allows customers with spotty cellular coverage to make calls on a more reliable Wi-Fi network. AT&T said the feature, already available at T-Mobile and Sprint, is available on the latest iPhone. AT&T said it plans to add it on other devices soon. Verizon will push Wi-Fi calling to some Samsung smartphones starting this week, with more to come next year.

Back to 5G

While you won't see a 5G network next year, there will be a lot of work going on behind the scenes.

The effort going into upgrading networks, such as with carrier aggregation, is setting the foundation for the move to 5G. Companies like Verizon will also consult with industries, including agriculture and heavy machinery, to get their feedback on how a 5G network should work for them.

Emerging tech, such as virtual reality, could stand to benefit from the technology as well. First, there needs to be a common set of standards that everyone can work with, though, including how the hardware will talk with the networks.

"When we're designing a new system and architecture, we are stretching tech as far as we can," said Sheila Burpee Duncan, who works with Ericsson's business unit radio team. "That's why we need to try out the tech early."

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Card Crawl: An Uncomplicated and Endlessly Enjoyable Card Game

Tinytouchtales and Mexer out of Germany, have created a wonderfully enjoyable dungeon crawling card game, that is uncomplicated and fun. If you are unfamiliar with card games, this is a perfect one to introduce you to the genre. The learning curve is easy, and the game has great depth when it comes to strategy and winning.

I will be the first to admit that I don't play card games. Some of the staff of DroidGamers really enjoy that genre. Me, not so much... until now. I was intrigued by Card Crawl. I downloaded the game to try it out, and immediately bought the full game after playing a few rounds. Since then, I decided to go ahead and download Hearthstone too, but that is another review for another time. I have a lot of games on my multiple devices, but Card Crawl has been receiving the bulk of my time lately. That is how good this game is to me. It goes by quickly, is challenging

, and has tons of replayability.

"Card Crawl is a Dungeon Crawler built around a modified deck of standard cards. The basic idea of the game is to clear the Dungeon (a fixed deck of 54 cards) without dying and as much gold as possible. The gameplay evolves around managing your limited inventory and health, by using equipment and special cards. Monsters and equipment are fixed, but each play through you can use 5 special ability cards that can be chosen by the player (mini deck building) Different ability cards can be unlocked by spending the collected gold." - Tinytouchtales/Mexer

Tinytouchtales is a small team out of Berlin, which was founded by Wiebke and Arnold Rauers. They are the creators of Card Crawl and handled the game design. Mexer, also known as Max Fiedler, is known for his illustration and animation talent. Rounding out the team, Oliver Salkic provides the audio in the project. This is a well-rounded team, and the proof is in how polished a game Card Crawl is in multiple aspects. As you start your first game, you feel as if you have walked into a tavern. You hear the sounds of multiple conversations in the background, raucous laughter and the sounds of clinking bottles. You are introduced to the first card dealer Hoerni, who nonchalantly chugs his ale in front of you, before dealing you your first hand. The atmosphere is ripe for a challenge. Are you up for a quick card game?

The dealer has a stack of 54 cards. The goal of the game is to have all the cards dealt to you. You win when there are no cards left to deal, and your main character is alive. The dealer sits at the top of the screen, and you are at the bottom of the screen with three places to put cards. Two slots are shown as hands, one slot is your backpack, which you can keep a card at all times. The dealer also has a shop, which allows you to sell your cards back to him. This helps because you can only be dealt new cards, when there is only one card left in front of you.

Your character has 13 hit points. You start off with a Lady Knight, or an egg shaped knight. You are able to unlock an Archer, Assassin, and Woodlouse Lord. As you sojourn through the dungeon (Having cards dealt to you.), you will encounter trolls, soul eaters, spiders, goblins and other beasts which have hit points of their own. Their hit points vary from 2 to 10 typically. How do you defeat them you ask? As the dealer hands you the cards, you will be able to choose from swords, shields, ability cards and potions to help your health/hit points. Ability card provide you with various additional skills. In the free game you have access to ten ability cards. Unlocking the game with a single IAP, gives you access to thirty ability cards.

What makes the game fun is that it feels spontaneous. You never know what cards are going to be dealt, and you have to choose what you do carefully, and prepare for the worst. There were many games when it came down to me having one hit point left and winning the game. Or, even more frustrating, having the last card being dealt, which was a troll or spider, and it had the same amount of hit points as I did, which meant game over.

Though the setup of the game is simple, there is a fair amount of strategy involved in the game. It is all based on unlocking the large amount of ability cards. You are able to unlock the additional cards in the full game, when you continue winning games in a streak, or after you successfully beat your high score. The dealer gives you a key at the end of those games. However, you not only need the key, but you also need the points to unlock the ability cards.

Part of your dungeon crawling adventures means that you will encounter loot. You always want to put as many coins in your pack/hands as possible. These add up throughout your games, and then can be used to unlock the ability cards, once you have won keys. In the paid version of the game you still have to unlock the ability cards with coins and keys. There are no in-app purchases, after you unlock it, but you do have to continue playing the game to amass coins and win keys. It does not bother me to not have all of the ability cards unlocked once you pay for the game. Some might find this as a minor annoyance, but to me, it helps with the replayability of the game. You want to play more, to see what ability cards  you will be able to unlock.

There are currently 30 ability cards to unlock. They all have different uses, and some I have found are definitely more valuable than others, but again, it depends on what you encounter in the dungeon. Some cards like Leech, allow you to attack a monster and heal up to 3 life points at the same time. This is quite valuable if you have run into some trolls and souleaters, which typically have the higher hit points. The Sacrifice card allows you to attack a monster card for the amount of player life missing. This has saved me countless times, when I was down to two hit points and faced a souleater, which was ten points. Since the highest hit point value I could have at the time was thirteen, that meant I could use the Sacrifice card, attack the Souleater with eleven points and still win the game. Hoerni was definitely upset about this and it showed. He slammed his fist against the table and steam came out of his nose. It is wonderful animations such as this, that really add to the fine details in the game. Other ability cards are Killing Blow, Exhange, Steal, Lash, Bash, Reflect and so on.

As I said before, strategy abounds in this game, as well as basic math. Quickly determining what cards will keep you alive the longest, depends on your strategy. Your are able to attack with your sword, which immediately clears the card slot once you are done with the attack. Sometimes you sword has enough hit points to take out the local troll. At other times, you will need to either have two swords, or a sword and shield to do the job, or some combination of both and an ability card. An ability card such as Frenxy, allows you to attack a monster twice with the same weapon. Bash allows you to use your shield as a weapon. Shields are different in that when the monster attacks you, your shield can defeat the monster completely. This can occur if your shield defense points are the same or higher. If not, your shield lessens the attack of the monster, but you still end up losing some of your thirteen hit points.

You can also choose five ability cards (mini-deck) to play through a game as well, which makes the game a bit more challenging in some ways. Also included is a daily dungeon which is just that, a random dungeon crawl that you can experience each day. There are are four types of games to play: Normal, Constructed, Daily Dungeon, and Streak. 

Card Crawl is a great game to have on your device. Games can be played in less than five minutes, and replayability is quite high. The game is integrated with Google Game Play Services and there are six achievements to unlock. There are also leaderboards to compare cards and scores. There is also a good tutorial, cloud saving, and statistics, which track your win/loss ratio in the different game formats. One thing to note is that playing Card Crawl really heats up your device. Even though the games can be played quickly in succession, doing so heats up my phone every time. There is an energy save mode that they have included with the game that helps some with this, when you turn it on. The heating up of my device would really be my only gripe about this game. Be careful, heating up means possible battery drain as well. 

You can download Card Crawl for free in the Play Store. The only in-app purchase is to unlock the game for $2.99 For some reason, not quite sure why, but when the sale was complete, it ended up costing something like $3.26, which is unusual. 

Card Crawl easily gets a recommendation from me. It is a well-produced and fun card game that novice card players will enjoy, and possibly those have been playing card games for years. It won't take long for you to decide if you like it or not. Chances are though, you will enjoy it. You have nothing to lose, as the game can be downloaded for free. If you like it, unlock the full game, and enjoy it without the worry of additional IAP's. Tinytouchtales and Mexer have created one of the most enjoyable games this year, and that is saying quite a bit, considering all the great games being released for Android devices.

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Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes - This is Not the RPG You Are Looking For

As fans the world over await the December 18th release of Episode VII with feverish anticipation (myself included), many have turned to the recent onslaught of media offerings to get their interim Star Wars fix. With a slew of new EU novels, multiple Marvel comic books, a new animated series and the blockbuster release of Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars fans have been fed a continuous stream of Star Wars content over the past year. But what of those Star Wars fans that are more inclined to consume content on their mobile devices? Electronic Arts sought to leave no stone un-turned in that regard, but after having spent some time with their recent mobile “RPG,”

Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, I am of the mind that this was a stone best left undisturbed.

Editor's Note: You can watch our video of the gameplay for Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes at the bottom of this review.

Plot

There is no plot or story to advance the player’s objectives in this game. Yep, you read that correctly; a so-called “RPG” set in the Star Wars universe and there is ZERO story to be found.

Gameplay

In their marketing materials and storefront descriptions, Electronic Arts describes Galaxy of Heroes as an RPG. Such a description is somewhat misleading. Galaxy of Heroes is a spiritual successor of sorts to Heroes of Dragon Age (also developed by Capital Games), in so far as both titles revolve around collecting heroes and using them to assemble a squad for JRPG-style battles.

Heroes can be equipped with different items to buff their stats, while training bots allow the player to level up acquired characters. Obtaining victory in battle is one-part allocation of leveling resources and one-part building a team in which each hero fulfills one of the traditional class roles of an RPG squad (tank, healer, DPS etc).  

Game modes are wholly battle oriented. Those who were disappointed by the lack of a proper single player campaign in EA’s other Star Wars title, Battlefront, will find that EA has taken the same approach to Galaxy of Heroes. Even though the game includes a “campaign”, there is no story (or Dana), only battling (and Zuul). The campaign mode consists of three parts; Light Side Battles, Dark Side Battles, and Cantina Battles. There are also two PvP modes (PvP Squad Arena and Galactic War) and Daily Challenges.

The campaign modes pit your squad against a series of AI squads in a round-robin matchup that increases in difficulty with each victory. Your squad does not start off fully healed after each battle, and therefore you are tasked with keeping your team alive throughout each battle until a mission is complete. PvP requires no real explanation; your squad faces off against the squad of a human opponent. Those interested in bragging rights may find themselves driven to best their human competitors, but there is not much else offered by the PvP modes.

Light Side Battles are referred to as such because your squad may only have Light Side characters. Similarly, Dark Side Battles only allow you to use a squad comprised of Dark Side characters. Cantina Battles offer similar gameplay, but with shards (one of the in-game currencies) as a reward for success in battle.

Completing Daily Challenges is essential to playing through the game without having to spend real currency. As such, the game comes down to being a grind heavy session for those that do not wish to pay out-of-pocket to progress past the pay-wall. No matter which mode you choose, you will find yourself doing the same thing; assembling a team of heroes and fighting a turn-based battle.

Ostensibly, dispensing with the typical elements of an RPG (chatting with NPCs, quests, towns, STORY) in favor of focusing on the combat seems to be a boon for those that want to enjoy a fast paced game with all of the strategic nuance of an RPG and none of the narrative. Sadly, the turn-based mechanics for Galaxy of Heroes induce a state of ennui hitherto thought impossible for a video game based upon the Star Wars license. With no real objectives or plot, battles and grinding quickly become a dull affair after the first thirty minutes. After two hours, what was novel about the game becomes increasingly annoying.

Controls

There are no complex controls or latency to worry over. The game is entirely menu driven and turn-based, with no gameplay mechanic involving exploration or free-movement. In other words, “tap, tap, tappity tap.” Unless one is having problems with the digitizer of their touchscreen device, there is little to hinder one from effectively navigating the game.

Presentation

Visual fidelity isn’t everything, and there is always the need to consider any art direction choices that may contribute to a game having a stylized look. That said, one can’t help but feel underwhelmed by Galaxy of Heroes, which has an aesthetic that can best be described as taking its cues from the early era of PlayStation 2 games, and not even the ones that have aged well such as Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.

There is nothing stylized about the look of Galaxy of Heroes; textures are washed out and character animations are so lacking in fluidity that I can’t help but feel that the game runs at less than 30fps, which is rather jarring and distracting. I played the game on my LG G3, and though the phone was released a bit over a year ago, its chipset (Snapdragon 801 with the Adreno 330) is capable of pushing far more demanding titles with ease. That fact only further soured my impression of the game’s visual presentation.

Does every game require a showcase of the latest in graphics technology? No. There are many stellar mobile titles that have simplified visuals and look stunning (Monument Valley and The Adventures of Poco Eco come to mind). That said, Galaxy of Heroes is not in the company of such esteemed works. Consequently, the game simply looks dated and choppy, and that detracts from the overall immersion of the experience.

Fun Factor

If you enjoyed Capital Games’ previous effort, Heroes of Dragon Age, then you will likely have a good time playing this game. Those who appreciate time-wasters may find something here since the campaign missions can be played in a “pick up and go” fashion, making this title ideal for five minute sessions. Otherwise, Star Wars and RPG fans will find themselves bored by the lack of a proper campaign, and gamers in general will find little of interest when it comes to Galaxy of Heroes.

    get it

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Game of the Year - The best iPhone and iPad games of 2015

More than 100,000 games were released on the App Store in 2015. That's quite a lot.

Even if you stripped away all the junk - the clones, the casino games, the barely functional garbage - you'd still be left with more games than you could ever afford. Or store on an iPhone hard drive. Or play.

Which is why we exist. To cut through the crap, and find the best games every day, every week, and every month. And now, with 12 months worth of incredible apps to choose from, it's time to pick our
favourites.

Here are the ten very best games of 2015, according to the teams at Pocket Gamer and AppSpy. Buy them. Play them. Love them.

Prune: 

A tiny sapling sprouts from the ground, desperate to reach sunlight. But it can't get there. It's not strong enough. So it's down to you  to chop off twigs and branches, so the fledgling plant can reach the light - and blossom into a beautiful tree.

Prune isn't just a clever problem-solving game. It's not just a great tech demo for code that can create self-designing trees. It's a piece of digital poetry, which slowly and subtly reveals itself to be about something meaningful.


Her Story

Few developers would be ballsy enough to leave their game's story to be uncovered in any way the player sees fit. But that's what Sam Barlow did, allowing us to uncover random scraps of Hannah Smith's police testimony simply by searching for the words spoken in each interview clip.

It makes for a mesmerising experience as you jot down notes and timelines, feverishly binge on video clips, study the nuances of Viva Seifert's incredible performance, and piece together this wildly inventive narrative in a completely personal way.


The Room Three

The Room is one of mobile gaming's greatest achievements. This box-poking puzzler is every bit as good as a console game, but perfectly suited to the tactile and intimate way we interact with mobiles.

Part three ups the stakes dramatically with more involving puzzles, absurdly intricate mechanisms, multiple endings, and a truly epic scale.


Lara Croft GO

This kooky mobile puzzler might actually be more faithful to the source material than this year's blockbuster, Rise of the Tomb Raider. Lara shunts around on a grid, only murders animals, and has to think carefully before every single step.

Ignore all that, though, and you're still left with a blindingly brilliant head-scratcher. Each stage is almost like unlocking the secrets of some mystical contraption, as each puzzle-piece twists and moves with perfect, predictable choreography.


Downwell

At first glance, you might assume Downwell is cribbing from the big book of Spelunky (though, there are worse games to copy). It's got the same structure, the same item shop, even the same number of hearts.

But boy would you be wrong. With its bullet-spewing boots, Downwell is twitchy and chaotic next to Spelunky's brief spurts of violence. And with its combo system, the game is lightning fast compared to Spelunky's trepidatious crawl.

It's as (or, almost as) good, but also very much its own game.


This War of Mine

Your typical war game focuses on the soldiers. The snipers. The tank commanders. The killers. But what about everyone else? The innocent civilians, trapped in the blitz?

This War of Mine tells their story. This traumatic survival game is about scavenging for supplies, treating wounds, and dealing with intruders. And you'll make your own unforgettable war stories as you go along.


Call of Champions

Many developers have tried to capture the magic of MOBAs on mobile. But, for our money, only one has really succeeded. That's clever ball-pushing battler, Call of Champions.

It succeeds by distilling the genre down to its elements, gets rid of the boring bits, and makes the matches five minute a piece. It's not trying to cram DOTA 2 onto your iPhone. It's doing it's own thing, and it's doing it damn well.


Skiing Yeti Mountain

Not since SSX has a game so adeptly captured the zen-like calm of weaving down a mountain of white stuff. With elegant controls and easy movements, there's something wonderfully relaxing about cutting up the piste in this game.

Skiing Yeti Mountain is also a triumph of mobile-friendly design. Everything from its progression system to its unlockable outfits, from its cheery advertising model to its drip-fed story, fit perfectly on iOS.


Progress to 100

Touch your iPad with your nose. Sing into the microphone. Drop your prized Apple gadget on the floor. Just three things you'll need to do to solve the 100 oddball puzzles in Progress.

This game uses every aspect of your smart device to come up with puzzles - not to make you think, so much, but to you make you laugh and smile. And boy does it pull off its mission.


Legend of Grimrock

Modern RPGs are all about stat building and narrative, with designers forgetting that puzzles were once an essential element. Legend of Grimrockput a stop to that rot.

By resurrecting the dormant genre of first-person dungeon crawling, it created some fiendish conundrums. Then it threw in some Ice Lizards and other vermin to stop you getting to them in the first place.

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