At the Google I/O conference, the search giant unveiled their Google Play Games, a new gaming service, which will be competing against Apple’s Game Center.

With the new cross-platform service, you will be able to enjoy cloud-synced game progression, in-game achievements, leaderboards, and matchmaking. Some of the developers who have jumped in include Gameloft, Glu, Ironhide Games, and Miniclip. The service is integrated with Google+, so this could be a reason for you to finally start adding people to your circles.

And speaking of the social network, it appears like the old games that you have already been playing on Google+ will be removed on June 30. According to Google, “If you would like to continue playing a particular game, contact the game’s developer to find out if there’s a new destination site for the game“.

If you have made payments to play a game, you will be able to use your unused credits when the game will be migrated to another site, while some games will offer a grace period before shutdown.

[Source]

The post Google+ Games Retire On June 30th appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Although this game was reviewed on Android, other versions of the game will be very similar to what is described below.

Gameloft has finally released Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, and at a first glance, it looks stunning. The game feels very polished right from the UI and menu navigation all the way to the great multiplayer progression and the singleplayer campaign

Controls

The touchscreen has its restrictions when playing fast action games, and the current overlay used by most first person shooters is usable, but no one has quite yet managed to invent a decent control system that uses the functionality of the touch screen to its advantage instead of just popping overlay control buttons on top of the screen.

There are a variety of buttons on Modern Combat 4 and for the most part they’ve been placed in all of the right places.

Buttons on the right side control most of the things you’ll need to play, such as sprint, zoom, and fire, whilst on the left side you have a radar and a movement stick. This layout has become the standard for most shooting games on the mobile platform, however, if you aren’t happy with it, the overlay can be edited in the menu, You can move and resize all of the overlay buttons to your liking, making it perfect for your own use, especially handy when you have a screen size that doesn’t work with the default set up.

Singleplayer

Although in most cases, the majority of attention towards first person shooters is on the multiplayer aspects of the game, it’s rare that you find an FPS game without some sort of single player campaign. The campaign within Modern Combat 4 features the generic scenarios we’d expect from most modern shooters today. This is not to say it’s bad though, because although the story isn’t exactly new in terms of plotline, and there’s nothing within the campaign that makes it stand out from anything else, there’s still a decent amount of content within it, and it plays out very smoothly.

An interesting aspect of the campaign is the continuous switching back and forth between the different characters. The first mission starts with you playing as the good guys, but the second mission lets you play as the terrorists, and this pattern continues throughout the twelve missions available within the campaign.

At first, the average combat scenario was fun, and it was truly impressive to take in this level of content on a mobile device, and Gameloft  have boldly set a new standard for smartphone gaming, however, when comparing it with console and PC shooters, after a few hours of play most of the average combat scenes become dull and quite repetitive. The AI isn’t great, and you can always stick your head behind cover and take a lengthy breather whenever you feel it’s necessary.

Luckily, there are different scenes within the campaign that mix up the standard firefights, including fast-paced shootouts whilst on the back of a vehicle, interesting operations that involve remote control robots, and other objective-based scenarios.

The story has also been very well narrated, and the voice acting for the characters is superb. Of course the story doesn’t deserve any awards in regards to originality, but it has been portrayed very well, and Gameloft have done a great job to immerse you within the storyline. The switching between both sides of the story opens up opportunities for the campaign as well, and Modern Combat 4 uses this feature well.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer in Modern Combat 4 is outstanding. Never before have we seen such great multiplayer gaming on a mobile device. The gameplay may mimic a lot from console gaming, but what’s important to remember is that this isn’t a console game, and right now, there isn’t any alternative on the market that lives up to Gameloft’s new game.

When you first enter the multiplayer menu after logging into your Gameloft Live account, you’ll be taken to a screen with three different multiplayer lobbies, and a row of options down the bottom. Two of these lobbies are dedicated to custom games. You can view all the current custom games playing, or create your own. This is perfect for those wanting to play with friends, or those who want to have more control over the levels and game modes that they play, but playing in custom won’t reward players with XP or currency to upgrade equipment.

The ranked games will though, and they can be accessed through the ranked lobby. You can then choose the game mode you wish to play and you’ll be joined up with a game already in progress.

There are plenty of game modes in Modern Combat 4, which gives players hours of play before becoming bored. None of them are new concepts, but these game modes definitely help drive the core multiplayer experience. Games like Zone Control and Capture the Flag offer more objective-based gameplay, whilst games like VIP, Battle and Team Battle mimic the classic frag-fest.

There are a few maps to play in, but the choice isn’t that big, and after a few hours play you’ll have mastered most of the maps and mapped out the layout of them in your head. It’d be nice if Gameloft added some more maps in the future, but right now it’s hard to tell if this will happen or not.

It’s also super easy to add friends in Modern Combat 4, and once you have a group of friends, you can quickly invite them to your party to play games together. The grouping system works really well, and you can also compare stats between you, your friends and other players within the social section.

Customization and Progression System

The EXP and currency rewarded for completing the game is very generous, and you’ll get decent bonuses for winning matches, getting headshots and completing challenges found within the menu.

Although EXP only goes to your rank, ranking up will unlock new perks to purchase, and obviously having a high rank is a pretty important status symbol.

With your currency earnt in-game, you can purchase new weapons, perks, loadouts and attachments for your weapons. The menu is super easy to navigate and it’s been displayed really well. When choosing a weapon you can view it in a 3D theatre and rotate it around to have a decent look at it. You can then attach scopes, stocks and muzzles to your guns and your stats will adjust accordingly.

As well as the great weapon customization, a lot of work can be done to your perks, and finding a decent combination of perks and a well-equipped loadout can really help to benefit your own playstyle.

Multiplayer as it is on Modern Combat 4 is the best of the best right now, and it’s definitely got a lot to boast about. Currently there aren’t as many players online as you may like, and it is at times difficult to find a game session on ranked matches, and occasionally there are a few connection issues when logging into the game. However, it’s nothing like the connection problems in Modern Combat 3, and earnt EXP and currency will stay in your account after finishing a game.

Summary

Pros:

• Great multiplayer customization
• Loads of game modes
• Campaign has plenty of levels and difficulty options
• Graphics and sounds are superb

Cons:

• Not many players online
• Great UI
• Would be nice to have more maps

Download Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour:

For iOS

For Android

The post Modern Combat 4 Game Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

We’ve reviewed Wild Blood in the past, and while not a perfect game, it is still quite a bit of fun. Still, not everyone wants to pay top-dollar for mobile games. If you are looking for a fun time-waster without paying a lot of money, you’ll be pleased to now that the game is now on sale.

The Unreal Engine 3-based game is down from its original $6.99 price point, instead offered at a measly $.99. This is a steal of price, that much is clear. Keep in mind that this is a limited time offer in time for the holidays, though no exact expiration date is listed for the promotion. With that in mind, you should probably act quick if you want to save a few bucks.

The story in Wild Blood isn’t exactly the most exciting in the world, but at least it is semi-original, which is quite an accomplishment for developer Gameloft. The game is loosely based on King Arthur’s legend, I say loosely because it basically features a cheating Lancelot, an insane Arthur and many other unique changes that make the game clearly an “original”.

Even if the story isn’t anything to get excited over, the combat and controls are enjoyable enough and certainly represents a major evolution in mobile gaming when compared to on-rails action titles of similar style.

The discounted pricing includes both the iOS and Android version. Head to Google Play to get in on the Android action, or Apple’s AppStore for iPad/iPhone users.

The post Wild Blood Price Drops to $.99 for a Limited Time appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Zombiewood is a top-down dual stick zombie shooter. The zombie theme has stretched out so far now that it’s easy to predict what kinds of enemies appeared next in Zombiewood, but even with the clichéd theme, the concept for the game is surprisingly unique.

 Gameplay and Controls

Gun Bros was most likely the first popular dual-stick shooter game on the touch screen platform, and since then there have been plenty more. The main control concept in Zombiewood is nothing new, and follows the same controls as many other games on the market; you have two joysticks on either side of your device, one for moving your character, and the other for aiming your gun. In Zombiewood, your gun will only fire when you’re holding down on the gun aim-stick, and although you have an endless supply of ammo, you will have a limited amount of bullets in each clip, so reloading your weapons is an important aspect of Zombiewood’s gameplay.

Usually whilst playing Zombiewood the controls are nice and smooth, but every now and then they feel choppy, probably due to the overwhelming enemies on the screen. High end devices should have no problem playing this, but older devices, (even my dual-core tablet) will struggle to navigate through the menus and play through the levels smoothly for a considerable length of time.

Zombiewood is split into different levels with a few stages per level. Although most of the time the objective is to stay alive for as long as possible, or to kill a certain amount of zombies, occasionally there will be other main objectives, such as protecting monuments or destroying objects within the stage.

Each stage also has a bunch of secondary objectives such as using a certain weapon upgrade, or destroying a certain number of scenery pieces. Although none of the secondary objectives are needed to unlock the next stage, you will be awarded with a video reel after completing an objective, and each new level requires a set amount of video reels to be playable, meaning you may have to go back and play some older levels to collect more reels from secondary objectives if you missed them the first time round.

Upgrades, Movies, Arena, and the Cash Shop

Although the zombie genre is getting old, what I love about Zombiewood is that it has managed to include a new concept with the zombie theme. According to the story, you are an actor that stars in different films for money, and your director gives you a list of things you need to do for each scene in the movie.

Each scene constitutes to a stage, and each level counts as a scene, and once you complete a scene you’ll be awarded some experience points and a cash bonus. The same goes for completing a movie too, but once you’ve completed a movie, you’ll get a constant stream of cash from that movie; the first movie gives characters 500 coins every hour. I think this is a really neat feature, and allows players to earn royalties when they’re not playing the game.

As you earn money and level up, you’ll unlock new weapons to buy in the cash shop. Each weapon has a set amount of upgrades and you’ll be able to buy a variety of different weapon types such as pistols, sub machine guns and shotguns, once you unlock them and have the cash to buy them. The royalties from the movies make it easier to make cash than other freemium games, but there’s no hiding from the freemium content here either.

Like many other free games, Zombiewood has adopted a bar at the top of the screen that shows players their in-game cash, exp bar, and dollar amount. Dollars can be used to buy over-powered weapons, and although you can earn a few in-game, the majority of dollars will come from in-app purchases.

The last feature to be mentioned is the arena, which puts you against a horde of zombies with no real objective than to achieve the highest score you can within the time limit given. This mode is fun for a few extra minutes play after completing the story mode, but what’s cool about arena is the challenge system. You can place bets with your friends using the in-game dollars, and whoever achieves the highest score will win the bet, and the dollars placed in the bet. This is a good way to earn dollars through your friends, and you can easily challenge any one on your Gameloft Live friends list.

Graphics and Audio

The graphics in Zombiewood are spectacular. The game features cartoon cut scenes and the menus are very stylized. The theme carries on in-game too, and Zombiewood has this very caricature style art design, which is both humorous and original.

The audio is great, and Gameloft have once again managed to capture fitting sound effects to go with the game, and it’s clear that their development teams are really striving for a professional finish.

Like mentioned before, the game isn’t well optimized for older devices, and the controls seem a little unresponsive at times. The 3D graphics are pretty, but in my knowledge they don’t seem too graphically demanding, so it seems the optimization issues are down to Gameloft, and not the individual devices.

Summary:

Pros:

• Unique ‘movie’ concept
• Impressive, original art style
• Lots of enemies
• Huge re-playability level

Cons:

• Poorly optimized for older devices
• Freemium content still apparent
• Controls a little choppy at times

Download Zombiewood:

• For iOS
• For Android

The post Zombiewood Game Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Gameloft have got to be one of the biggest and most well-known developers for mobile gaming right now, as they’re constantly bringing out a variety of games spread throughout many different genres. For all you sports fans out there, Gameloft have now released the new Real Football 2013, which follows on from the 2012 version.

Team Management and Game Preparation

Team management is one of the most important feats in a decent football game, so important in fact, that Football Manager – a game just about managing a football team – has become an extremely successful series, proving that managing your team can be a whole game on its own.

Real Football 2013 isn’t top end when it comes to managing your team, but for a mobile game it’s acceptable. After you pick your team at the start of the game, your players will level up as you play more matches.

Before matches you’ll have a city screen which displays all the utilities available. You’ll be able to heal up and rest your players here, as well as train them for more skill on the field, and increase their income by upgrading buildings and searching for sponsors. This side of Real Football 2013 seems to rely heavily on in-app purchasable currency, with which you can speed up actions within the city utilities. Without the in-game currency you’ll have to wait a preset amount of time for the selected action to be completed, and the time won’t go down if the app is running in the background, which is painful for both you and your device’s battery.

The city utilities do give us a huge sense of progression though, and it’s from here that we can upgrade, buy and manage our player. This allows us to create a team that is personal to our own experiences. You may pick favorites and concentrate on maxing out their skills, or slowly build up the team together; it’s all up to you.

The Match

To be honest, I’ve never played many football games, but as soon as I picked Real Football up, I was reminded about how enjoyable football games can be. Real Football starts without much of an introduction, other than the voice of the commentator with an over exaggerated British accent, you haven’t got much information to go by.

Luckily the game is extremely easy to pick up. When in possession of the ball, you have a joystick for movement, and three helpfully labeled buttons; sprint, pass, and shoot. It’s pretty easy to control the character, and there are a few touch gestures to perform interesting moves, and these aren’t explained to you so you’ll have to experiment to find a good tactic for your time on the field.

When the other team is in possession of the ball the controls stay in the same position, but the three buttons are changed to sprint, tackle, and press. The controls are equally easy to use, although use tackle sparingly as it usually ends up with your selected player slide tackling another player and leaving the match with a red card. It took me till four players had been called off the match to realize that most of the tackling was done automatically when your player was close enough.

Overall, playing a match or two of Real Football 2013 is an enjoyable experience, and it’s something that would never have been possible on mobile devices a few years back, so a few bugs and limits due to the low spec hardware is understandable. That being said, I really hope that Gameloft finds a better method of player switching for Real Football 2014 because right now it becomes a very irritating aspect of the game.

You can either have the player switch mechanic set on automatic or manual, but both have their issues. On manual it becomes frustrating because it’ll often swap your players before you have enough time to react, causing you to swerve the newly selected player in the wrong direction. On automatic, it’s difficult to quickly switch players because you need to lift one of your hands off of the controls and double tap another player.

Gameloft could improve upon this by adding a control-lock for a second or two if you’re using automatic, which would let the CPU control the player for a second after switching so that you have enough time to react to the new change. Another possible method would be to add a player switch button that switches to the nearest player, which would be handy for manual mode.

RF 2013 vs RF 2012

What’s new, what’s old, and what’s missing?

The only real improvement to Real Football 2013 is the graphics, which will only be apparent if you have a higher-end handset or tablet. Other than that, there are a few additions to game mechanics, but Gameloft has disappointingly dropped a lot of features from 2012. There isn’t any way to play with a decent club team unlike RF 2012, and instead requires either a lot of time or a lot of money to upgrade your team within career mode. The current cool down time really needs to be fixed as well. On top of that, Real Football 2013 really needs to address the countdown timer issue which currently only depletes when the application is running on the screen. Previous Real Football player? You may be better sticking with 2012, but if you’ve got a decent device, then you may want to get it for the improved graphics.

Summary

Pros:

• Great graphics
• Decent team progression and management
• Easy to pick up and play
• Game is free

Cons:

• Game is missing features from previous year
• 2013 has become more ‘freemium heavy’ than the previous year
• Bad player switching controls
• No mode other than the main career

Download Real Football 2013 on Google Play

Download Real Football 2013 on iOS

The post Real Football 2013 – Android Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The National Football League is one of the largest sports franchises across the globe, and to top that off, the Madden console series is one of the largest video game franchises in America.

With the growing mobile market, we’ve been in need for a decent mobile football franchise, and Gameloft may have just what we’re looking for.

Gameplay and Controls

If you’ve played any of Madden’s games before, you’ll quickly notice the similarities between the console games and NFL Pro, and I was surprised at how similar the game felt to the first Madden game I had played in 2005. The great thing that Madden captured was the simple pick-up-and play gameplay that managed to incorporate useful tools to create your own strategies whilst keeping all the action focused on the player, and Gameloft have managed to emulate this impressively well.

You’ll be able to choose different formations for your team before the start of each play, which can then be adjusted to your liking within 30 seconds before play. It’s easy to choose any formation, and there are even options to auto-pick formations for you, but there are plenty of possible strategies and formations to choose from manually, allowing those with a bit more knowledge on managing football games to play at their best potential.

Depending on whether you’re defending or attacking, you’ll have different formations available to use. For those unsure about football tactics, defending may end up being a lot down to luck, as unless you manage to sack the opposing quarterback yourself, there’s little you can do to help your team whilst defending.

When your team has control of the ball, it’s a complete different story. There are plenty of run and throw formations to choose and it’s really easy for new players to find formations best appropriate for their situation.  If you throw the ball, you’ll be taken into a first person view and will then be able to tap numbers on the screen corresponding to different team members on the team. It’s an interesting idea, but it’s often hard to see your other team members past all the others in front of your vision there isn’t any way to change your viewing angle, making it easy to be caught off guard by the opposing team.

When running with the ball, you’ll have a joystick to control movement of your character, and a sprint, dodge, and block button, which are all extremely useful for getting past opposing players, and timing them correctly will greatly improve your chances of scoring a touchdown.

Stats and Experience

Downloading NFL Pro 2013 is free, and it’s a mobile game, so we’ve got to accept that some features in the game are going to be hard to get without paying for. NFL Pro 2013 has an interesting leveling system that earns you experience for doing different actions within a match. Your experience will level you up and you’ll be able to unlock more formations. When you first start playing at level 1, the formations available are very basic, and you’ll either have to unlock them all by leveling up, or by paying for them with real cash. There are also separate stats for each one of your team members, and they also follow a similar rule to the overall leveling system.

You’ll also be able to access interesting stats within the game menu such as longest distant rushed and total touchdowns. The menus from the title screen also give you other management tools such as an option to change the difficulty level.

There are many more great games from Ladbrokes to play on your phone. Whether it’s Android, Apple or any of the other popular phones, they are all available to either download as an app or to play in the browser. Play here and receive some great promotions.

Graphics and Audio

Aside from the commentators that often monotonously repeat the same phrases after each play, the sounds in NFL Pro are extremely immersive. All the sounds relating to player movement and other background noises you’d expect in a stadium are very realistic and life-like. The title screen music is also very catchy and is one of those small changes that add to the overall gameplay experience.

The graphics in NFL Pro 2013 aren’t stunning, but for an Android game they’re very pleasing and in terms of appearance, you could say they out surpass games from the original xbox or PlayStation 2. Some animations in the game are a little clunky, and you’ll sometimes see jumpy transitions between player animations, but other than that, NFL Pro 2013 certainly has a very professional feel to it.

Summary

Pros:

• Easy to Learn
• Lots of strategies and formations
• Exhibition and Playoff modes
• Intuitive leveling system for both your team and each character

Cons:

• Few animation bugs
• Formations are hard to unlock without spending money
• First-person view is difficult to use efficiently
• Replayability is limited after completing your first season

Download NFL Pro 2013 for Android on Google Play or iOS on iTunes

Editor’s Note: Although this review was done on the Android version, the iOS version is very similar.

The post NFL Pro 2013 Game Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

I’ve always turnt away from most touch screen racers. The onscreen controls are often inaccurate, and the accelerometer controls would have to be implemented extremely well before they’d be considered a decent method of control. However, when I first played Asphalt 6 by Gameloft, my perspective changed, and I played the game from head to toe. Will Gameloft’s new free racing game GT Racing: Hyundai Edition be just as good?

Gameplay and Controls

Like many other racing games on the market, GT Racing offers a variety of control schemes to pick between. It defaults as brake/accelerate buttons and accelerometer to steer. You can change it in the settings menu though, where you’ll find different methods for changing gears, or steering.

The accelerometer controls are actually quite impressive; they work smoothly and there isn’t much delay between moving your device and the car moving direction. The on-screen steering wheel is a completely different story, however. It’s easy to let go of the control whilst steering, and it feels a lot less responsive to the other control methods, which is really disappointing, as the Asphalt 6 controls were super smooth.

When it comes to content, GT Racing: Hyundai Edition is a little lacking. There are only a couple cars to choose from, and only two different tracks to race on. The game feels a little empty because of this, even though there are plenty of racing missions to be completed, as well as an online multiplayer mode.

If you’ve played the Asphalt games, you’ll notice that GT Racing takes a much more realistic approach to racing, and it’s really important to drive carefully, because one wrongly judged turn could put you in last place. You can also get guidelines to help you turn corners, similar to the guideline system seen in the Forza Motorsport games. There are other options to help ease gameplay, including an automatic breaking system that slows you down at each corner. I think some of the features make it feel too much like the game is playing itself, but if you’re having trouble with the game, that feature is always there to be used.

Customization

Like the name suggests, the cars within the game will be Hyundai manufactured cars, which wouldn’t be too bad, but because there are so little vehicles in-game, the experience feels a little dulled down and uninspiring because of the similar looking cars.

After you win races you’ll earn money which can be spent on upgrading and changing the appearance of your car however, with different color options and various levels of upgrades for car components such as the engine, tires, and braking system.

It’s not incredibly customizable, but the upgrades in GT Racing give you a reason to keep playing.

Graphics and Audio

The graphics aren’t of Asphalt 7 standards, but for a free game they are rather pretty. The user interface has been designed well, and engine sounds and background music add immersion to the game. I’ve noticed that the steering animations are a little strange, but for a free game it’s worth ignoring.

Summary

Pros:

• The game is free
• Plenty of races
• Upgrades and color customization
• Decent graphics

Cons:

• Controls feel a little unresponsive and jerky
• Animations are slightly off
• Only two tracks and two cars
• It’s hard to find a match online

Download GT Racing: Hyundai Edition on Google Play.

The post GT Racing: Hyundai Edition Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Not long ago we took a look at Wild Blood, back when it launched for iOS. At the time, we knew it was coming to Android but we didn’t have an official date. The wait is now over. For those that don’t know, this game is the first Gameloft title to make use of the Unreal Engine and features stunning graphics.

While many games with high-end graphics on Android and iOS have been reduced to using rail-based mechanics – such as the popular iOS game, Infinity Blade – Wild Blood uses a very linear style but still has controls that let your character move around freely. The fighting is a bit repetitive, but the game looks great and is one of the only Gameloft titles that is based on an original story, kind of.

The game technically deals with Lancelot and King Arthur, but it does so in a very unconventional fantasy setting where Lancelot was cheating with Arthur’s wife and Arthur went insane and uber-evil as a result.

If you don’t mind a game that has a less-than-stellar storyline and mechanics that are fun but not the slightest bit original, you’ll enjoy this title. I personally had the privilege of testing the game out and liked it, even if I wasn’t blown away.
The game is available now through Google Play for $6.99. If you aren’t sure if this game is right for you or not, check out our review. While it was made using the iOS version, everything should pretty much be the same other than the platform it is running on.

The post Wild Blood Arrives On Android, Finally appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

What do you think of when it comes to Gameloft? More than likely you think of reasonably good games based on existing franchises and other licensed content. What you don’t think of is original new stories and the use of cutting edge engines like Unreal 3.

This is what makes Gameloft’s Wild Blood different from the rest of the developer’s offerings. The game features a story that is loosely based on the legend of King Arthur and Lancelot (VERY loosely), so it’s still technically based on something, but with some big twists.

How does the company’s first Unreal 3 offering turn out? Let’s take a look.

Story and Character Development

Wild Blood is what we call a “hack and slash” action game. These types of games are usually light on the story and heavy on the action, though they do have some RPG-like elements like equipment upgrades thrown in.

Wild Blood certainly fits the bill here. It’s story is nothing to get excited about, though the action is a lot of fun. The storyline just seems kind of dumb to be honest. Lancelot was allegedly having an affair with King Arthur’s wife, Arthur gets mad as hell. He lets a witch take over, she summons demons and destroys everything Lancelot knows and loves.

Lancelot returns from some other quest to see the world he knows in near-ruin. Fighting ensues.

Those who have played games like “Darksiders” will somewhat see some familiarity in the mechanics and even (Slightly) the story.

I’d give the story a 1 out of 5, to be honest. Does that make this game bad? No, just don’t expect a solid and engrossing story. Mobile games are certainly not known for great storytelling mechanics, so this isn’t that surprising.

Gameplay and controls

Wild Blood might not have the strongest story around, but the gameplay is actually quite good for a mobile game. I played the game on an iPad 2 and ran into few bugs or major issues. The cameras are bit wonky, with rotating done by swiping around the screen, and sometimes Lancelot doesn’t hit the exact target you are aiming for- but it’s still not bad controls either.

I didn’t experience any slowdown or lag on the iPad 2, though this might not be the same case with an original iPad or if you use the iPhone to play the game.

The game isn’t on rails, but it is very linear nonetheless. You basically hit switches, open doors and kill things. There isn’t much more advanced elements to the gameplay but it’s enjoyable too. Comparing this to a high-quality console or handheld console game makes it look less than perfect- but it was really the most fun I’ve had with a mobile game, including my experiences with Infinity Blade.

Graphics and Audio

The graphics and audio in Wild Blood are probably the most exciting thing about the whole experience while testing the game out. The graphics might not live up to PS3 and Xbox 360 standards, but they certainly fit pretty close to PS2, Wii, and Xbox 1 games in quality.

The world feels polished and the game wouldn’t look out of place next to other console games from the last-gen systems. The enemies are varied enough and aren’t all the exact same creatures. The bosses are enjoyable and the details on the graphics are good there as well.

The music seems to fit the mood of the game of the game. It’s dark and gritty, while not being too annoying at the same time.

Multiplayer

I’m personally a single player type of guy, but I have to admit the multiplayer component here is very solid. The online mode will have you blasting away at other players in two to eight person team deathmatches. There is also a capture the flag game.

Honestly, the multiplayer doesn’t add anything new and feels like something similar to games like Gears of War- but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

You can use your local WIFI for gaming sessions or you can take the battle to the Internet as well with Wild Blood.

Pros

This game works well enough for quick play sessions, but it is engrossing and addicting enough to actually sit down and play for longer stretches as well. I almost forget I’m playing an iPad game when hacking away at enemies. Sure, it’s not quite the same caliber as hack and slashes like Diablo 3, but it is about as close as you’ll get on iOS.

Here are a few of the game’s strongest points:

• Addictive, fun design
• Wonderful graphics and sound
• It’s off-rails
• The game makes use of Unreal Engine 3

Cons

The biggest con with Wild Blood is that it feels like nothing new. If you like playing games that are fun, addicting but offer no new features or engrossing gamplay and story elements, you won’t mind this title. If you are looking for new gameplay and things that don’t feel copied from other stories – keep looking.

Here are a few of the negative points to this game:

• No innovation on Gameloft’s part
• The cameras aren’t great
• Movement can sometimes be a bit clunky

Overall

Would I pay $7 to get my hands on Wild Blood? That’s honestly a tough question. If you love multiplayer and don’t mind playing a singleplayer experience that feels somewhat overdone, sure, it’s worth the money.

Don’t expect too much out of Wild Blood and you’ll find it’s a good time waster that is one of the most ‘hardcore’ games out there for iOS devices. As for me, I wasn’t disappointed with Wild Blood, but I wasn’t blown away either.

You can get the game through the Apple AppStore for now, though an Android version is expected to hit in the next few weeks.

The post Wild Blood is Gameloft’s First Unreal 3 iOS Game (Full Review) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

This holiday season, there’s quite a few ways to save some money outfitting your smartphone, including getting both discounted and just some free apps.  Today, Gameloft is revealing its very enticing end-of-the-year sale: $0.99 for every download of apps and games. Their Twitter message goes like this:

Follow us to find out when you can grab ALL of our games, including Modern Combat 3, for $0.99 on the #AndroidMarket!

The post Gameloft Ready For A Week Of $0.99 Games appeared first on Mobile Magazine.