It seems I can't cut a break on Fridays and despite my best intentions I've been running
around all day trying to make sure I don't get stressed over the weekend.
On the positive side I'm all geared up for the local yearly Zombie Walk and I now own
pants that aren't falling apart (sorry ladies, I'm already taken).
But enough about my life, we're here to talk iOS and we've got you covered in the Friday
News Wrap-Up for October the 21st, 2011.
Last week Rockstar dropped a little bomb as they announced that a version of the 10th
Anniversary Edition of Grand Theft Auto III would be making its way to iOS and Android
devices as well.
This is all well and good, but there's a catch - only iPad 2 and iPhone 4S' with the A5 processor
will be able to take part in the initial release.
Thankfully Rockstar aren't so heartless as to leave things there and singe core iOS devices
are going to see a release 'later', though given the initial restrictions it's likely
to be limited to iPad and fourth generation devices.
The game is slated for this autumn, so it'll be out before you know it!
Back in 2003 the popular Franco-Belgian comic series XIII saw a release on the PC, PS2,
Xbox and GameCube as a fun, if quietly received shooter.
The fact that it sported vocal talents from actors like David Duchovny shows there was
a real vested interest in converting the then 19 year old comic with as much flair as possible.
Now French publisher Anuman Interactive is teasing a new game based on the series for
PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad, but alas all other details peter out there as there's only the
single image to work from.
While it may be a bit much to expect anything like the footage of the original game being
shown to you here, it will be interesting to see what the developer releases.
The App Store has seen its imitators, but Level-5 have finally decided to throw down
and bring Professor Layton to iOS.
It gets even better as it's an entirely new game dubbed Layton Brothers: Mystery Room.
Details are sparse at the moment, though the story does revolve around aiding two special
agents in solving 'unsolvable crimes'.
We do have a contact floating over in Japan, so we'll pass on any updated news as soon
as we can.
If you missed out on all the bombast from Gameloft, the third installment in their modern
warfare shooter series 'Modern Combat' will be hitting the virtual shelves in the App
Store on October 27.
Aside from the usual notable improvements in graphics and gameplay, the game has also
pushed the multiplayer limit up to 12 players (as opposed to 10 in the last game), so clans
may have to expand their roster if they want ot remain competitive.
The game is optimized for the iPad 2 (and hopefully iPhone 4S as a result), but is also
a universal app - pricing is yet to be announced.
If you exist on the Internet; have a Facebook profile; and haven't at least tried or know
about Mafia Wars style games then you can consider yourself in the proud minority.
It's not that these sorts of games are bad - far from it, they can actually be quite
addictive - but there's a stigma that comes from its rather lackluster day on Facebook.
Please Stay Calm - Zombie Apocalypse tries to rectify this by adding the social element
in to the game itself, getting players to work together in establishing Safehouses around
their cities and fighting back the zombie tide while scavenging various local sites.
I say 'their cities' and 'local sites' because the game tries to add a realistic touch by
pulling locales from FourSquare and modifying the zombies and loot accordingly.
Bonuses are awarded for traders who establish outposts nearby (penalties apply if you try
to collect from too far away), but most importantly you'll want to find other players nearby.
Sadly this isn't always easy even despite the availability of a global chat board and
unless you're lucky enough to find a group of survivors your journey in to the world
of Please Stay Calm (cool storyline or not) is going to be limited.
Still, Massive Damage have done a great job at pushing the boundaries of the already very
limited genre and hopefully updates encourage players to keep coming back for more.
I had thought that giving away the top game of the week prize to Mage Gauntlet was a bit
premature, especially given some of the great titles that launched aside it - however we'll
cover those titles on Monday... for now Rocketcat Games' latest game gets the number one slot.
Despite being a huge departure from the time-trial rope-swinging days of their Hook games, Mage
Gauntlet is still an incredibly fun Action-RPG that shows the maturity of a developer comfortable
with the iOS platform.
Sporting their usual 16-bit retro-visual appeal with modern effects, the game tries to side-step
the usual tropes while poking its tongue out and having fun at the expense of other RPGs.
Definitely worth grabbing if you're after a game you keep coming back to (especially
thanks to its unlockable 'master' mode).
Given that I'll be making use of public transport almost all weekend I know I'll be busy playing
a whole tonne of games to kill two birds with one stone.
In particular you can look forward to reviews of Galaxy Pirate Adventure, Whale Tail, Bring
Me Sandwiches!!, and Dark Incursion at the start of the week (along with a good handful
dropped in from Dave).
Enjoy your weekend, I know I will!