The song is so good, it got me to re-download Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition on PS5 for a replay, and also the base game on Steam Deck to play on the go once again. Since you’re here, you may as well also listen to Bury the Light from Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition below:

Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat releases on January 10th, 2024 for iOS and Android. If you’d like to play it with a controller, watch the Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat video showcasing controller support here. You can pre-register for Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat on the official website here and pre-order it on the App Store for iOS here. Pre-registering will get you different rewards like gems, red orbs, potions, and more as detailed on the official website. Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat’s App Store page has a list of some of the different in app purchases like seasonal cards, gift packs, and different sets of devil gems included in the game. What do you think of today’s Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat theme song and are you motivated?

So far, the recent updates have been good, but I’m still not sold on Hunt-a-thons. They need to balance them for solo play for those living in parts of the world without many Monster Hunter Now players. If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some (newly updated) tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it and did you try a Hunt-a-thon yet?

Square Enix will have events going on until the servers are shut down on February 29th though. The reason for the game shutting down is apparently because the team couldn’t maintain the experience going forward after delivering for two years. Dragon Quest Tact is free to play and if you’d like to try it before it shuts down, you can download Dragon Quest Tact on the App Store for iOS here and pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here. Check out the official English website here. Did you play Dragon Quest Tact since launch, and did you enjoy it?

Check out a screenshot of Ruan Mei in Honkai Star Rail version 1.6 from the App Store story below:

If you missed the recent 2.0 update news for the game, read this. I’m interested in seeing when the many visual improvements showcased with the iPhone 15 Pro event are released for the game. I assume they will be up with 2.0. If you’ve not gotten Honkai Star Rail yet, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile, PC, and PS5?

If you haven’t gotten it yet, Mr Traffic is free to play with optional in app purchases, and it has gotten a lot better since launch through many updates not only in content, but also monetization. You can grab it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Head over to our forum thread for Mr Traffic here for discussion around the game and even posts from the developers about new updates, future content, and designs. Have you played Dashy Crashy or Mr Traffic from Dumpling Design yet?

Resident Evil 4 Remake’s full game unlock is 50% off and the DLC bundle (to upgrade to the Deluxe Edition on PC/console) is 25% off. This brings the full game unlock to $29.99 and the DLC bundle to $14.99. The full game unlock also includes some bonus pre-order content. The Separate Ways price is $9.99 just like on other platforms. If you’d like to try it and have a supported device, grab it here on the App Store. Resident Evil 4 Remake is a universal purchase including iOS, iPadOS, and macOS together with save syncing. If you haven’t already, read my Steam Deck review of Resident Evil 4 Remake here and Separate Ways here. Will you be trying out Resident Evil 4 Remake on Apple devices today and what did you think of Resident Evil Village if you tried it on iPhone and iPad?

Update: Added new launch trailer and early purchase bonus information.

If you haven’t played Super Mario Run in a while, now is a good time to try it on iOS and Android with this new event ongoing. The in app purchase full game unlock is the only purchase available for the game on iOS and Android. Grab the game for free here on the App Store for iOS and here on Google Play for Android. If you’d prefer playing a premium experience over Super Mario Run, you owe it to yourself to play the superlative Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Read my review of it here. Have you been playing Super Mario Run recently and did you play Super Mario Bros. Wonder?

After how the publisher brought the new version of the Ace Attorney Trilogy to mobile replacing the original game, I knew this would happen to Ghost Trick as well, and fully expect the remaining Ace Attorney games to follow this pattern in 2025. If you’ve not kept up with the news, Ghost Trick hit Switch, Steam, and other consoles earlier this year as a full remaster and it is fantastic. Read Shaun’s review here. I like this version a lot more than the current iOS version, but it is still disappointing that there’s no upgrade path or save transfer offered. Watch the trailer for the new version of the game coming to iOS in the future below:

With Ghost Trick confirmed to come back to iOS after it is delisted in March 2024, I hope Capcom can bring The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles to iOS and also I have not forgotten about Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. While Capcom has recently been great on iOS with the premium ports of Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village, hopefully the publisher remembers to bring some of its other IP to mobile as well through ports or resurrecting older games. A price point for the new HD version hasn’t been announced yet, but it is priced at $29.99 on console and PC right now. I expect the iOS price point of the new release to be about $20. Did you play Ghost Trick on iOS, Nintendo DS, or any of its modern platform versions?

On paper, the Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting DLC was already worth it at just $2.49 even if it only added the one big map. The fact that it brings in 9 new characters, 15 new weapons, new music, and even and Adventure is just icing on the sus cake. As someone who hasn’t played much of Among Us, I was curious how I’d find this DLC. It turns out, it is still superb, and I feel like the possibilities here are even crazier than before just in the Adventure, let alone main modes.

In many cases, developers release DLC and expect you to only access it after playing a significant amount of the base game. With the Vampire Survivors DLC, you get access to the new maps directly thankfully, so if you’ve not played a lot of the main game, you can still access the new stage, Polus Replica. This is where you begin with whatever character you’ve unlocked from the base game, and work your way to unlocking the new content.

Developer poncle has made things better with it being very easy to see what you need to do to unlock new content. You no longer need to constantly keep a tab open on your browser for some guide. The new stage features new enemies, bosses, and a plethora of possibilities as you mix and match new and old items. Things get a bit too crazy, and I wish Valve had fixed the Steam Deck capture so I could show you how much the frame rate can drop after a complex run towards the end. Either way, I love how fun things are with the characters and weapons in the Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting DLC.

Out of the new weapons and characters, Imposter Rina is definitely my favorite followed by the Scientist Mina. The Science Rocks and Vent are the funniest new items for sure, but the evolutions in this DLC really elevate it to a whole other level. I definitely recommend experiencing it through the Adventure when you can, because the team did a fantastic job with that.

Visually, Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting DLC almost seamlessly transitions Among Us content and animations into its aesthetic. It just works and makes complete sense when you play the DLC level and start unlocking characters. While I haven’t played much of Among Us, the new music in Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting DLC is really great. This soundtrack continues to be the gift that keeps on giving just like the game. It is complemented by the lovely new sounds for the weapons and items included in the DLC.

If you’re new to Vampire Survivors and haven’t gotten the prior DLC yet or played it in co-op, read my co-op impressions of the Steam version here, my Nintendo Switch review here, Steam Deck review of Vampire Survivors 1.0 here, Legacy of the Moonspell DLC review here, iOS review here, and Tides of the Foscari DLC review here. I’m a big fan, and I’m glad to see poncle continue the high quality free updates and DLC with 1.8 and the paid Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting collaboration DLC.

Even if you don’t care or know about Among Us, the Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting DLC is an essential purchase. It is just wild and crazy in the funniest possible ways while delivering so much through the characters, weapons, stage, and adventure included. I can’t wait to see what poncle does next for collaboration DLC, and Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting is something I’m going to play a ton over the coming weeks as I try and unlock everything on all platforms. If you’ve not played Vampire Survivors in a while, grab this DLC (and prior DLC) and get back. Vampire Survivors deserves it. Hats off to poncle for this one. Both figuratively and in-game.

Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting DLC review score: 5/5

Having already covered Resident Evil 4 Remake on Steam Deck and its DLC, I will not waste too much time discussing the game itself. After Capcom’s superb Resident Evil 2 Remake, many were disappointed in Resident Evil 3 Remake. Having never played the originals, I loved both of them, and my only complaint with Resident Evil 3 Remake is that it shouldn’t have been a full priced game. Resident Evil 4 is a legendary game that changed the industry, so remaking it was risky for Capcom. Thankfully, the developer and publisher pulled it off in spades delivering the best version of Resident Evil 4 by far. Resident Evil 4 Remake debuted on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and PC. It has not been ported to anything else yet, but is now on iPhone 15 Pro, iPad (M1 and later), and macOS (M1 and later) as a universal release. While I expected this port to be similar to Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro, it is different in quite a few ways, and I’m not sure if the final build releasing this week will be the same.

On first launching Resident Evil 4 Remake, you’re prompted to download about 12GB of data. If you don’t download this, the game closes. After this required download, you can sample the opening of the game for free. If you do end up buying the one time unlock for the full game or any DLC, there’s an additional download required. The final install size with everything downloaded and updated is about 31.3GB on iPhone 15 Pro. For comparison, the macOS version on my MacBook Air is about 65GB, the Steam Deck version is 69GB, and the PS5 version is about 78GB with all DLC installed. The screenshot below is with the DLC filter enabled.

On the graphics side, Resident Evil 4 Remake on iOS in the build I have, does not let you adjust anything of note barring HDR. I tried every menu both in and outside a loaded save file, and could not find any graphics options on iPhone 15 Pro like there were in Resident Evil Village. I’m not sure if this is Capcom tuning it for the device directly, or this build not having them yet. This is why I wanted to wait for the App Store build to play before putting a score on this review. On the PC version, there’s a tab in between Display and Language to adjust graphics. This is absent on iPhone 15 Pro in the build I have. I was curious to see if setting things low and trying out different upscaling would let me try out different frame rate targets, but it seems like you can’t right now. Performance isn’t perfect right now, but it looks very good on the phone’s screen with HDR enabled. I’ll be testing more of it and comparing it with the MacBook Air M1 version for the full review in the coming days. Right now, it is capped at 30fps on iPhone 15 Pro, and the frame rate is sadly not a perfect 30fps.

When it comes to the controls, the same issues as with Resident Evil Village apply here. I noticed Resident Evil 4 Remake defaults to showing PlayStation button prompts with the touchscreen controls and when an external controller is used. This is like the PC version. You can change it to display Xbox button prompts in the settings. One disappointing aspect is Capcom didn’t work on adding a similar haptic feedback or responsive vibrations like in the PS5 version on the iPhone 15 Pro version when using the DualSense controller. There is vibration, but it falls short of how awesome the experience is on PS5.

A lot has been said online for Resident Evil 4 Remake costing “$60" on mobile. The horror. I’m going to give some context to the pros and cons of this price. Capcom so far, has not been great at maintaining its older premium games on mobile. Some games have been broken until years later when they get fixed. While it is likely these new Resident Evil ports will be supported for a bit at least given Apple’s heavy advertising, I will not forgive Capcom for Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on iOS going away. So far, I can see hesitation in supporting these releases. Back to the actual price of the full game unlock and DLC, Capcom is matching the current console and PC including discounts by offering a launch price for mobile bringing it down to $29.99 for a limited time. Over the years, we’ve seen some games hit premium prices or match other platforms, and I’m confident in saying Resident Evil 4 Remake is easily worth the asking price given its port compared to something like Civilization VI.

Since Resident Evil 4 Remake is a universal purchase supporting iPadOS, iOS, and macOS, it includes the ability to upload and download your data from iCloud Drive in the server tab of the menu. This didn’t seem to be a seamless sync like we have in Apple Arcade games. Also, while I could upload without issues from iPhone 15 Pro, macOS uploading never worked regardless of the three networks I tried.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is a game you will likely replay. These remakes are great to replay, and it is one of the big reasons I try to keep both Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 4 Remake installed on my consoles. I just wish Capcom put in more effort into the touchscreen controls. A good recent example is Hitman: Blood Money which has an amazing conversion on mobile. Not only does it support controllers as you’d expect, but it also has superb touch controls and keyboard & mouse support. Resident Evil 4 Remake’s touch implementation leaves a lot to be desired.

In its current state, Resident Evil 4 Remake is an easy recommendation if you have a controller despite the visual cutbacks. The Backbone One or a DualSense controller for iPad and macOS are basically essential. Think of this like those Steam releases that have “controller required". Those don’t let you use keyboard and mouse, the default input options on PC, but force you to use a controller. Resident Evil 4 Remake on iOS does not force a controller with touchscreen controls available, but I would not recommend them right now. Capcom has done a fantastic job so far in bringing this masterpiece, and definitive version of Resident Evil 4, to Apple devices. I hope we see more RE Engine games arrive in the future, including Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 3 Remake.

Just like Resident Evil Village, I recommend downloading Resident Evil 4 Remake for free if you have a supported device to see how you find it. I love Resident Evil 4 Remake, and it has been amazing re-experiencing it on iPhone 15 Pro. Capcom is also continuing the tradition of bringing Resident Evil 4 Remake, like the original game, to loads of platforms. Having already played Resident Evil 4 Remake on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Steam Deck, I’m very impressed with a lot of what I’ve played of the game and Separate Ways on iPhone 15 Pro, but hope Capcom improves it with updates.

Zinogre’s hunt-a-thons will see boosted appearances throughout. The highlight of the event for me is more monsters appearing in shorter intervals between 1 PM and 6 PM from December 23rd until January 8th. There will also be some new in-game bundles available to buy. Details are here.

If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some (newly updated) tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it and did you try a Hunt-a-thon yet?

The Vampire Survivors DLC is up as an in app purchase on iOS and Android, but it won’t be available in-game until the big update has rolled out. Grab it on Steam here. The full FAQ about the DLC is also live here. If you’ve not played the game in a while, read my co-op impressions of the Steam version here and my Nintendo Switch review here. You can also read my Steam Deck review of Vampire Survivors here, Legacy of the Moonspell DLC review here, iOS review here, and Tides of the Foscari DLC review here. We featured it as our Game of the Week as well when it launched. You can get Vampire Survivors on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread here for more discussion and impressions around the game. Have you been playing it recently on any platform?

Watch the “Genshin Impact Orchestral Concert 2023" Official Shanghai Performance Recording full video below:

If you’ve not gotten it yet, you can download Genshin Impact for free on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The PC version is available on the official website here and the Epic Games Store. If you play on iOS, with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 and later, you can use PS5 and Xbox Series X|S controllers to play Genshin Impact. We featured Genshin Impact as our Game of the Week when it released and awarded it our 2020 Game of the Year. I also featured it as one of the best iOS games to play with a controller. What do you think of Genshin Impact 4.3 so far from what’s been shown and will you be watching the concert?

Resident Evil 4 Remake’s full game unlock will be 50% off and the DLC bundle (to upgrade to the Deluxe Edition on PC/console) will be 25% off. This brings the full game unlock to $29.99 for a limited time. An end date hasn’t been revealed yet. Resident Evil 4 Remake launches on Wednesday. I’ll be reviewing this and comparing it to the Steam Deck and console versions of the game soon. You can pre-order it here on the App Store for free. Resident Evil 4 Remake is a universal purchase including iOS, iPadOS, and macOS together with save syncing and more. The additional DLC is the Separate Ways, DLC bundle (weapons and cosmetics), and upgrade tickets just like on PC and consoles. Will you be trying out Resident Evil 4 Remake on Apple devices this week and what did you think of Resident Evil Village if you tried it on iPhone and iPad?

If you’d like to play it at launch, you can pre-order or pre-register for it now. It is free to play with in app purchases, and the various pre-registration reward tiers are detailed on this page on the official website. You can pre-order One Punch Man: World on the App Store for iOS here, Google Play for Android here, and the official website for Windows PC here. The 3D online action game launches on January 31st, 2024 through Crunchyroll Games. What do you think of One Punch Man: World and will you be playing it next month?

If you’d like to watch the full livestream, check it out below:

Honkai Star Rail won Apple’s App Store Award for iPhone Game of the Year and it won best mobile game at The Game Awards 2023. If you’ve not gotten Honkai Star Rail yet, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile, PC, and more recently on PS5?

If you’d like to grab the demo, it is available on Google Play for Android here and on PC via Steam here. Check out the official Mega Man X DiVE Offline Demo website here. Hopefully an iOS demo releases soon. Check out the official website for Mega Man X DiVE Offline here. You can buy Mega Man X DiVE Offline on Steam here, on the App Store for iOS here, and on Google Play for Android here. What do you think of Mega Man X DiVE Offline so far if you’ve played it, and will you be trying the demo?

If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some (newly updated) tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

HoYoverse also revealed Black Swan, an upcoming character for a future update. Check out the reveal and Tweet below:

"Extraterrestrial Satellite Communication" Black Swan

"If I can identify and encapsulate a fragment of memory before it's unveiled to the world, those solitary moments of delight are my most favored and unique memories."
A Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection. A mysterious… pic.twitter.com/TLeK5fnjTx

— Honkai: Star Rail (@honkaistarrail) December 12, 2023

Honkai Star Rail won Apple’s App Store Award for iPhone Game of the Year and it won best mobile game at The Game Awards 2023. If you’ve not gotten Honkai Star Rail yet, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile, PC, and more recently on PS5?

This update also brings new monthly fighters and lots of combat and other fixes as detailed on the link above. You can grab Skullgirls Mobile on iOS and Android right now. Skullgirls 2nd Encore is available on PC and all consoles including Xbox through its most recent release. I included Skullgirls 2nd Encore in my feature on the best fighting games to play on Steam Deck, and while I play that version the most, I’ve been dipping in and out of the Xbox and Switch versions as well. Will you be trying out Marie in Skullgirls Mobile today?

As of this writing, Cygames says the distribution platform for the PC version hasn’t been decided. It will launch on iOS, Android, and PC in Summer 2024. Check out the new English website for Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond here. Until this new game launches, Shadowverse is available on iOS, Android, and PC. If you are on Switch, the Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle game is really good and worth trying. Cygames also announced a new Shadoverse World Tournament with a 10 million Yen prize for the winner. This tournament is set for early 2025. The current Shadowverse game will continue to run alongside this new one according to the official post. What do you think of Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond so far?

As usual pre-installation will go live a few days prior to the update’s launch on mobile and PC platforms. If you’ve not gotten it yet, you can download Genshin Impact for free on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The PC version is available on the official website here and the Epic Games Store. If you play on iOS, with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 and later, you can use PS5 and Xbox Series X|S controllers to play Genshin Impact. We featured Genshin Impact as our Game of the Week when it released and awarded it our 2020 Game of the Year. I also featured it as one of the best iOS games to play with a controller. What do you think of Genshin Impact 4.3 so far from what’s been shown and the concert?

If you’d like to sign up for the Arknights: Endfield PC technical test, head over to the official website here. I’ve not played Arknights in a while now, but will be checking out Arknights: Endfield when it does launch on mobile. As of now, there is no release date or window for Arknights: Endfield. It is interesting seeing a lot of these free to play games initially planned for mobile and PC also now coming to PS5. We saw it with Honkai Star Rail, Tower of Fantasy, and more following the hugely popular Genshin Impact. Have you played Arknights recently and what do you think of Arknights: Endfield so far?

Watch the Honkai Star Rail TGA 2023 trailer below:

Honkai Star Rail also won The Game Award for best mobile game. I’m not too shocked at that since it is awesome and won Apple’s iPhone Game of the Year as well. With a 2024 release date confirmed, Zenless Zone Zero is set for iOS, Android, and PC with it also set to launch on unannounced consoles. Check out more about the game on the official website here. I’ve been enjoying the second closed beta on iPhone 15 Pro quite a bit. What do you think of it if you’ve been playing it and also did you end up watching The Game Awards?

How to unlock adventures in Vampire Survivors

To unlock adventures, you need to collect the Atlas Gate relic in Boss Rash at minute 7. To do this, pick a powerful character you’re comfortable with like Queen Sigma or Red Death, and survive until the seventh minute. Collect the relic from the middle of the arena. You can now either survive or quit the stage. This unlocks adventures or Adventure Mode in Vampire Survivors.

How to unlock Boss Rash mode in Vampire Survivors

If you’ve not unlocked Boss Rash yet, it is the third challenge stage. You can do this by unlocking hyper mode for all the normal stages, or using the cheat code: ‘peakgamedesign’ without quotes in the Forbidden Scrolls menu.

What adventures are available in Vampire Survivors

Right now, there are three adventures available: A Garlic Paradise, World of Light and Dark, and Legacy of the Moonspell. The first two are for all players, but the third one requires owning the DLC of the same name.

Vampire Survivors Adventure Mode achievements

Right now, there are no platform-specific achievements for adventures, but you can unlock base game achievements from within adventures and adventure mode.

Vampire Survivors Atlas Gate

Right now, there’s no achievement for the Atlas Gate, but a future patch will add some achievements including the Atlas Gate one.

When will Vampire Survivors get new adventures?

On the official FAQ page, poncle confirmed that the team is planning on new adventures alongside future free updates and paid DLCs.

If you’ve not played the game in a while, read my co-op impressions of the Steam version here and my Nintendo Switch review here. You can also read my Steam Deck review of Vampire Survivors here, Legacy of the Moonspell DLC review here, iOS review here, and Tides of the Foscari DLC review here. We featured it as our Game of the Week as well when it launched. You can get Vampire Survivors on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread here for more discussion and impressions around the game. Hopefully this guide helps you get the most out of adventures in the game.

With this update, Hunt-a-thons have also been added. The first one begins on Decembr 15th until December 17th letting you hunt five monsters in succession. The large monsters here are stronger than usual so Niantic recommends hunting with others. I’m not sure if this will be balanced for solo play or not though. A new medal will be available here alongside exclusive quests. The first one recommends ice-element weapons to hunt Zinogre. You need to be HR 11 or higher for Hunt-a-thons. You will need to buy a Hunt-a-thon Ticket instead of waiting after you complete one Hunt-a-thon. The tickets cost 150 gems, but you can wait for 180 minutes for the next one according to Niantic.

If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some (newly updated) tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

The Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting DLC is priced at $2.49 and will be launching on December 18th for Xbox and PC with mobile and Switch to follow. Wishlist it on Steam here. The full FAQ about the DLC is also live here. If you’ve not played the game in a while, read my co-op impressions of the Steam version here and my Nintendo Switch review here. You can also read my Steam Deck review of Vampire Survivors here, Legacy of the Moonspell DLC review here, iOS review here, and Tides of the Foscari DLC review here. We featured it as our Game of the Week as well when it launched. You can get Vampire Survivors on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread here for more discussion and impressions around the game. Have you been playing it recently on any platform?

If you’d like to play it at launch, you can pre-register for Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat on the official website here and pre-order it on the App Store for iOS here. Pre-registering will get you different rewards like gems, red orbs, potions, and more as detailed on the official website. The App Store page for Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat has a list of some of the different in app purchases like seasonal cards, gift packs, and different sets of devil gems. I’m looking forward to trying out Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat when it launches next month. This isn’t the first entry in the franchise to hit mobile either. We had a version of DMC 4 on the platform years ago. What do you think of today’s Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat and will you be trying it next month?

Using questions to end an introductory paragraph is an old habit from my first gig back in the day. It doesn’t make much sense when you can see the score immediately. Well, you know already. If you want a decent 3D Sonic game on your iPhone or iPad, I’m happy to say that this delivers. It leans more into the Boost Sonic style rather than the Adventure style, but I’m sure most would have expected that anyway. There’s a time and a place for that eventual Adventure 3, but I don’t think it’s here and now. There’s a story here, some business about Eggman trying to pervert some mysterious power to use for his ambitions of world conquest, but nothing to get too excited about. You’ll get a lot of cut-scenes, but most of them are just basic stills with text boxes. Also, I can’t believe we have a whole Sonic game set in the world of dreams and NiGHTS isn’t anywhere about. Rude.

Anyhow, the broad structure is familiar. You’ve got four zones that are broken up into three acts, each of which is basically a level incorporating the same theme as the rest of the acts in that zone. In Sonic Dream Team, each of those acts is then broken down into a bunch of challenges, each of which will net you a Dream Orb. The first challenge in each act also has a number of collectibles and other things around for you to hunt for, which will in turn net you more Dream Orbs and other goodies. Dream Orbs are the key to opening up further acts and zones and progressing the story. And of course at the end of each zone, you’ll have a lovely little boss battle. Quick napkin math will tell you that we’ve got twelve acts in total, which seems like a fair amount but ends up feeling too few after you’ve blasted your way through.

Adding some replay value are the additional characters, split in the usual Sonic manner by their abilities. Sonic and Amy go fast, so fast they can zip along trails of rings in the sky. They’re also the default characters. Tails and Cream can fly, as they often do. Then we have Knuckles and Rouge, and they can climb up walls, as they often do. There are some paths that only particular characters can reach, and you might have some fun fully exploring each act to see what you can find. They’re not massive spaces, but there are some interesting things to see if you poke around enough. Some extra weekly Tails’ Challenges give you more reasons to return, though it starts to feel like wringing blood from a stone at a certain point with the small number of acts.

I actually like the level designs a lot. The spaces are clearly built to keep pushing you forward in fun ways, with little breather sections between the breakneck rails and tubes that let you slow down and explore a little. Each zone also offers up some distinct gameplay mechanics, and the difficulty from act to act ramps up nicely as the game gets you comfortable with those mechanics. There are some of the usual 3D Sonic issues, of course. Sometimes you just go flying off of sections to your (only slightly inconvenient) “death". Sometimes the path forward isn’t as clear as it could be. You don’t often need to adjust the camera, but on such occasions it can be a real pig.

This seems like as good a time as any to talk controls. If you have a controller, I recommend you use it. One of those nice Backbone controllers or a Kishi would be a lovely choice. If you do that, you’ll be playing it as you would expect, with movement on the left stick, camera control on the right, a button for jumping, and a button for dashing and boosting. Simple and easy to play. If you’re using touch controls, you’re given some virtual buttons and a virtual stick to mimic those actions. You can just drag the camera around, which is actually better than having on a stick, but trying to keep an eye on those buttons when you’re rolling around at the speed of sound can be bothersome. Still, I won’t say it plays badly with touch controls. It’s fine.

In terms of the presentation, it’s really well-done. The visuals are at a glance as good as the console 3D Sonic games, though the zones themselves are obviously a fair bit less ambitious in scope than most of them. The soundtrack is good, though I don’t think the best tunes in the franchise have much to fear from it. Ah, most of you will be playing with the mute switch on anyway. But if you do leave the sound on, I don’t think you’ll be displeased with what you hear. This game feels like a full-effort affair in virtually all regards, and that’s something I always like to see in a mobile game.

Really, the main way Sonic Dream Team drops the ball, apart from the frankly appalling lack of NiGHTS, is in just how breezy the game is. It only takes a few minutes to blow through one run of each act, and you can pretty much clean the plate on the whole affair in one evening. Nothing in the game is all that difficult, and I’d argue the bosses are almost laughably easy. It’s fine for a game to be short, of course. I like a lot of short games. But it feels like Sonic Dream Team is just starting to cook when it ends. There’s more to say here, I’m sure of it. Maybe the number of zones will be expanded in the promised future updates? It comes off like a warm-up for the real game, but the warm-up is all you get.

Sonic Dream Team gets a lot of things right, and I think anyone with an Apple Arcade subscription will have a really good time running through its various nooks and crannies. Even those who aren’t subscribed might want to pick up a month just to play through the game. The 3D Sonic pantheon definitely has far worse efforts than this. But that’s part of what makes it frustrating. It overcame a lot of the challenges 3D Sonic often struggles to get over, only to retire before the race is finished with a relatively short run-time. This could have been an amazing chapter in Sonic history, but instead it has to settle for being a good one.

If you’d like to play NBA Infinite at launch, you can pre-order it on the App Store for iOS here and pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here. The App Store has a February 29th, 2024 date listed which should be considered a placeholder date until we get an official announcement. The game is free to play, and the App Store lists in app purchases of different MVP passes and bundles of IC which likely is the in-game currency. What do you think of the NBA Infinite announcement trailer and will you be trying it when it releases on iOS and Android?

If you missed the prior trailers, watch the Billy Kid and Anby Demara character trailers below:

As of now, the game is confirmed for iOS, Android, and PC with it also set to launch on unannounced consoles. A release date or window is not available as of this writing. Check out more about the game on the official website here. I’m interested to see how Zenless Zone Zero is showcased next, and whether we get a new trailer for it at The Game Awards 2023 later this week. What do you think of Zenless Zone Zero so far, and do you play Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail from HoYoverse regularly?

I ended up deleting Honkai Star Rail on PS5 because I ran out of space on the SSD, but I play it more on iPhone 15 Pro now. I’m not sure I’ll bother with next week’s banner, but Argenti’s trailer is up there with Kafka as the best character trailers we’ve seen for Honkai Star Rail. If you’ve not gotten Honkai Star Rail yet, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile, PC, and more recently on PS5?

Event Coming Soon

Get ready for the event The Holy Flame's Gift, starting Nov. 29 6:00 PM PST!
*Please check the in-game notice for details.#FF7EC #FF7EverCrisis #FF7 pic.twitter.com/X2wxAdWPhC

— FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS_EN｜FF7EC (@FFVII_EC_EN) November 29, 2023

If you’d like to play Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis on mobile, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out the official website for Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis for more information about events and updates. I’m curious to see how the game scales on Steam and whether it runs on Steam Deck at all with whatever online functionality it includes. Will you be trying this new Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis event today and are you going to get it on Steam?

If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some (newly updated) tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

This cosmicube includes 25 hats, 18 skins, 12 nameplates, 9 visors, and 6 pets. This will allow for 8,091,720 possible combinations from this new Indie Cosmicube. If you’ve not gotten Among Us yet, it is available for free on the App Store for iOS here and Google Play for Android here. Check it out on Nintendo Switch here and Steam here. Here’s our forum thread for the game. It continues to get huge updates on all platforms, and the developers have announced that some older versions will be retired so make sure to check the update post if you play on an older version. Have you been playing it often on mobile and what do you think of the current state of the game?

Please see the attached image for an overview of events leading up until the end of service.

For additional details regarding these events as well as other information regarding end of service, please refer to the in-game notices.#DissidiaFFOO pic.twitter.com/QctGqaa4RZ

— DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY OPERA OMNIA (@DissidiaFFOO) November 29, 2023

I still remember Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia launched around the time we had Dissidia Final Fantasy NT arrive on PS4, a game I feel like only I enjoyed by the end of things. If you’d like to grab Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia while it is still up, you can grab it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread for it here. Did you play Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia before and what would you like to see from Square Enix in a future entry?

Anyway, Gubbins. It’s a word game, that’s no lie. Letters are distributed to you in some manner or another, and you need to flex your vocabulary skills to try to make big, fancy words in exchange for big, fancy points. This was one of the more obvious kinds of games to put on mobile phones, so it’s not surprising word games came in early and strong. There are absolutely tons of these available, and a lot of them are very good. So how can a new entry stand out from the pack? The answer, I think, comes down to two things. You have to have a twist or gimmick that actually works, and you have to bring your A-game to the presentation. Anything less and people are just going to keep playing Spell Tower or what have you.

I’m going to do the less obvious thing and touch on the gameplay features first. You’ve got three modes to play, though if you opt to go free-to-play you can only choose one to play per day. The mechanics are similar between the three, with only a few different points. Classic mode is the normal game, and I’ll explain what that means soon. Pencil mode removes all but one of the Gubbins from the game, turning it a relatively pure word game. Daily mode gives you the same set-up as every other player on that day, with particular words laid out and certain rules in effect. There’s a reasonably-priced IAP if you want to unlock everything, by the way. I recommend doing it if you like the game. Studio Folly seem like decent folks, and the game is good.

Okay, you’ve selected your desired mode. You’ll now have a board in front of you with a little tray of letters, and you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s something awfully familiar about all of this. But some of the letters are stuck together with other letters, and there are letter tiles behind the letters. It’s like some sort of bizarre solitaire game! If you want to see what’s on those tiles, you’ll have to play the ones on top first. That’s just how it is. You can place them anywhere on the board, and you don’t have to worry about them crashing into other letters or anything. You can rotate them between vertical and horizontal alignments, which is nice.

Once you’ve made something resembling a proper word on the board, you just run your finger along to submit it. The tiles will will be cleared, you’ll get your points, and everyone goes home happy. Keep on playing those tiles until you reach the one at the bottom that says FIN, and when you’re satisfied that you’ve done all you can, play that tile to finish the game. It’s like every game is a fancy little French film. Classy as heck. Your score will be displayed along with all the nifty words you made, and you might even unlock some achievements. If you’re the sort that shares your score, this is where you can do it.

The tile stack is an important feature of this game. It’s not unusual for a game like this to keep which letters are coming next a surprise, but you can clearly see which tiles are blocking the next batch and are nudged towards using letters you might otherwise leave behind. It’s a good set-up that gets players to use new strategies. But it lacks that sizzle, doesn’t it? We’ve got tile stacks! No one is throwing down their wallets for that one. We need some extra gubbins in here. We need some… Gubbins.

In Gubbins, Gubbins are special tiles that will show up randomly as you’re playing through your stack. Some of them will help you, and some of them will hurt you. At first there will only be a few kinds of Gubbins, but as you play you’ll unlock more of them. One of the IAPs also adds more Gubbins to the game. Each Gubbin has its own specific effect, and you’ll generally be given a choice between two of them when they first appear in a game. Some will let you move letters around. Some will move letters around on their own. Some will add useful tiles to the board. Others will add largely unwanted junk tiles.

Bad Gubbins will play themselves once revealed, while it’s up to you to play the good Gubbins whenever you think it’s best to do so. It’s an interesting random element that gives the game a lot of its mechanical flavor, and it’s why I tend to prefer Classic mode to Pencil mode. You might feel differently of course, so it’s good we have the choice. The thing about the Gubbins though is that they also give the game a lot of its aesthetic flavor, and that’s how we move into talking about the presentation. That’s the kind of smooth transition you get from a twenty-five year veteran of the trade.

The presentation in Gubbins is really good. The music is chill, with some soft piano and trumpets making you feel like you’re relaxing in a cafe or something. And who knows? Maybe you are. Sound effects are serviceable and do what they need to. The look of the game is what really puts it over the top. It’s very cartoony, with lots of pop-up effects that punctuate the in-game action. The Gubbins themselves are all individually-designed creatures with their own little animations. When you play them, you’ll see short little flourishes, and some of them will just be hanging out on the edges of the board. The whole game feels alive with all these cute little animated elements, and I dig the creature design. That weird-looking fellow coming out at the end of each game has some impact, to be sure.

It’s hard to find much to object to in Gubbins, really. It doesn’t do anything dramatically different from other word games on a fundamental level, so if you don’t like that kind of thing I guess you won’t enjoy this? Otherwise, this is smooth sailing all the way. It has tons of charm thanks to its lively presentation, the extra twists give the gameplay a flavor of its own, and you can try it out for free, buy extra bits like more Gubbins a la carte, or pay one reasonable fee to get everything. I’ll happily take this game and all the gubbins and Gubbins that come with it.

If you’ve not gotten it, you can grab Pizza Hero for free on the App Store for iOS here. Head over to our dedicated and active forum thread for Pizza Hero here with the developer posting about changes and responding to impressions. I’m interested to see how Pizza Hero evolves over time as it gets closer to hitting 1.0. Today’s update is the first major one following the Halloween update that brought in new pets, the Cemetery world, and daily challenges. Have you played Pizza Hero on iOS yet and what do you think of the recent updates?

Okay, now that I’ve got you in here, I’ll get right to the point. You’re connecting water and electricity to little cities. You have a grid with different colored generators, and you need to use your limited supply of wires and pipes to connect them to all of the same-colored cities on your grid. The generators can take connections from all four cardinal directions, while cities can only be connected from one side. As time passes, more cities and generators will be added to the grid, introducing new colors and adding more complicated things to work around. Of course, you’ll also be given additional tools here and there that will hopefully help you deal with such complications. If you leave a city without its needed utilities for too long, that’s a game over. You’ll get your final score, and that’s that. Care to try again?

The base game of Tiny Connections comes with one country to play in, the United States. It includes a few different maps, and you’ll unlock those as you reach certain score thresholds. Each map varies in its land to water ratio among other things, so you need slightly different strategies for each. By purchasing a $1.99 IAP you’ll gain access to seven more maps spread across four additional countries. To round out the IAP situation here, the game has ads that you can remove with a $1.99 IAP, and there’s also a $2.99 IAP that will give you the new maps and remove ads in one go. I suspect more stages will arrive as new IAP in the future, but for now you can get everything the game has to offer for a few bucks. Or, if you want, you can just play for free on the three American maps and deal with the ads. Your call.

If you’ve been around the block a few times, the basic idea is probably sounding a little familiar here. Yes, this is rather similar to Mini Metro. Like that game, you’re having to manage what starts as a simple network of hubs, nodes, and the pieces that go between them. It gradually becomes more and more complicated, and eventually you’re just not going to be able to sort the spaghetti before the whole thing blows up in your face. Beyond the setting, the main difference here is that you’re dealing with multiple utilities, almost like if Mini Metro and Mini Motorways were smashed together. It’s a bit more strict in some ways and more lax in others. There are also some different special tools to make use of which fit the theme.

But hey, Teeny Tiny Town wasn’t the most original of affairs and I still loved it. I think what is different here is that Mini Metro isn’t quite as old as Triple Town is, and with deep apologies to Spry Fox, the presentation of Mini Metro isn’t as easily improved upon as Triple Town. Tiny Connections has a really slick presentation, and its focus on stylized realism is certainly distinct from the direction Dinosaur Polo Club chose for its games, but I really can’t say it looks and sounds better. Kind of a lateral move at best, depending on one’s tastes.

I suppose that’s the best way to describe Tiny Connections on the whole. It’s a lateral move at best from the games that it follows on from, and depending on how well you like the theme you may like it more or less. For my money, I don’t think there have been a whole ton of well-done games of this style yet, so I’m willing to give Short Circuit Studio a pass for opting to hew fairly closely to the basic idea and simply aiming to do its own take as well as it could. So that’s where I’ll leave that.

Beyond the lack of novelty, I only have some minor bones to pick with the game. The way the UI works makes it awfully easy to misplace pieces, but you can easily fix things up in those cases so it isn’t a huge deal. It’s not always immediately clear where a new problem has cropped up, particularly as things get crowded on the map. I feel like new cities occasionally pop up in places that can’t be addressed with what you have on hand, and that always feels very frustrating since all you can do is watch and wait until it busts. Relatively rare, but it does happen. Don’t waste your tunnels, friends.

I think that’s where I’ll park this one. Tiny Connections is an enjoyable, well-built spin on games like Mini Metro and Mini Motorways. Its less abstract art style and unusual premise might appeal to some players despite its mechanical familiarity, and I think it’s safe to say that if you loved any of the aforementioned titles then you’ll certainly want to give this a look as well. Since you can sample a good portion of the game for free, it’s easy to do just that. If you like what you see, you can open up the rest of the game and send those ads to Pluto for a very reasonable price. Another strong effort from this developer.

Dear SNAPPERS,
Some of our players have expressed their concerns regarding reported structural changes at Nuverse.
We wish to thank you for your concern and assure you that regardless of any changes at Nuverse, SNAP will continue to operate and flourish in the future!

— MARVEL SNAP (@MARVELSNAP) November 27, 2023

I don’t play much of the game, but Shaun plays it regularly. Marvel Snap was our iPhone Game of the Year for 2022 as well. If you’d like to play it, you can grab Marvel Snap for free on the App Store for iOS here, Google Play for Android here, and Steam here. Head over to our Marvel Snap forum thread here. Do you play Marvel Snap regularly and what would you like to see in the future from updates?

Atelier Resleriana will be a free to play release when it launches just like the Japanese release. If you missed the TGS 2023 news, Shaun wrote a bit about Atelier Resleriana and Koei Tecmo’s booth here. As of now, an Atelier Resleriana global release date hasn’t been announced. The App Store page has a January 31st date listed, but nothing has been officially announced yet. If you’d like to try Atelier Resleriana when it launches, you can pre-order it on the App Store for iOS here, pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here, and wishlist it on Steam here. Check out the official English website here. What do you think of Atelier Resleriana and will you be trying the global version in 2024?

If you haven’t gotten it yet, Mr Traffic is free to play with optional in app purchases, and it has gotten a lot better since launch through many updates. It is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t played it yet. You can grab it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Head over to our forum thread for Mr Traffic here for discussion around the game and even posts from the developers about new updates and future content. Have you played Dashy Crashy or Mr Traffic from Dumpling Design yet?

It is going to be interesting to see how the Zinogre update is balanced for newer players and those who spend too much time playing like I do. If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

As of now, an Atelier Resleriana global release date hasn’t been announced. The Atelier Resleriana App Store page has a January 31st date listed, but this should be treated as a placeholder for now. The App Store page also lists lodestar gems as in app purchases right now. If you’d like to try Atelier Resleriana when it launches, you can pre-order it on the App Store for iOS here, pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here, and wishlist it on Steam here. Check out the official English website here. What do you think of Atelier Resleriana and will you be trying the global version in 2024?

I’m curious to see when Capcom announces its full December plans with maybe Zinogre or other monsters joining in the game with a potential ice biome. It is going to be interesting to see how the content is balanced for newer players and those who spend too much time playing like I do. If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

Today, Diablo Immortal has been updated with the Harvest Bounty limited-time event now live. The update also sees the return of Trial of the Hordes, All Clans on Deck, Wild Brawl, and Hungering Moon events. The last bit of information from today’s patch notes is the Black Friday and Harvest Bundles being available in-game. If you’d like to play Diablo Immortal and don’t have it yet, you can grab it free on the App Store for iOS here, Google Play for Android here, and PC here. I’m curious to see this update, and also to see if Blizzard brings it to Steam like it did with Diablo 4. What do you think of Diablo Immortal if you play it regularly on mobile or PC?

With the update done, the Legiana event begins on November 17th. Details are here. If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

If you’d like to pre-install Honkai Star Rail 1.5 on PC, you can do it from the Game Pre-Installation button the left of the Start Game button. On iOS and Android, you can do it from the Resource Pre-Download button on the bottom right corner of the login screen. If you’ve not gotten Honkai Star Rail yet, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile, PC, and more recently on PS5?

HoYoverse has released the full patch notes for the Genshin Impact 4.2 update as well. Read them here. If you’ve not gotten it yet, you can download Genshin Impact for free on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The PC version is available on the official website here and the Epic Games Store. If you play on iOS, with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 and later, you can use PS5 and Xbox Series X|S controllers to play Genshin Impact. We featured Genshin Impact as our Game of the Week when it released and awarded it our 2020 Game of the Year. I also featured it as one of the best iOS games to play with a controller. What do you think of Genshin Impact 4.2 so far and have you been playing it regularly?

Pre-orders are now live here for Resident Evil 4 Remake on Apple platforms. The current price point for the game unlock and DLC have been revealed, but it is unclear if Capcom has a launch discount planned or not. Since these are in app purchases, Capcom might reveal a discount closer to or at launch. The full Resident Evil 4 Remake game unlock is currently priced at $59.99 with the extra DLC pack (to upgrade to Deluxe) costing $19.99. A price point for Separate Ways on Apple platforms hasn’t been announced, but it is likely $9.99 like the other platforms. The current date on the App Store page is a placeholder. Will you be trying out Resident Evil 4 Remake on Apple devices next month and what did you think of Resident Evil Village if you tried it on iPhone and iPad?

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is also coming to Steam in the future. If you’d like to play Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis on mobile, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here and pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here. Check out the official website for Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis for more information about events and updates. Check out Final Fantasy IX for $9.99 right now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Will you be trying this new Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis from Thursday?

If you’d like to play Resident Evil Village and have a supported iPhone 15 Pro device or iPad with M1 chipset and better, you can now download it free here. It requires about 7.92GB downloaded once you get the initial download from the App Store done. It currently still has the launch discount for the base game unlock and the Winters’ Expansion. The regular pricing for the base game is a $39.99 unlock with a $19.99 in app purchase for the Winters’ Expansion DLC. There is also a $4.99 All Access Voucher DLC. The discount brings the base game unlock price down to $15.99, the Winters’ Expansion to $9.99, and the All Access Voucher to $1.99.

Check out the official website for Capcom’s upcoming Apple silicon ports here. Resident Evil 4 Remake from Capcom is due this year for iPhone 15 Pro, iPad (M1 and later) models, and macOS after Resident Evil Village. If you are planning to get it or want more impressions from players, check out our forum thread for the game here. Will you be trying out Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or a newer iPad model and what do you think of the port if you’ve been playing it since launch?

Full patch notes will be available soon for this update. If you’ve not gotten it yet, you can download Genshin Impact for free on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The PC version is available on the official website here and the Epic Games Store. If you play on iOS, with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 and later, you can use PS5 and Xbox Series X|S controllers to play Genshin Impact. We featured Genshin Impact as our Game of the Week when it released and awarded it our 2020 Game of the Year. I also featured it as one of the best iOS games to play with a controller. What do you think of Genshin Impact 4.2 so far and have you been playing it regularly?

While HoYoverse’s Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail are available on PlayStation 5 in addition to mobile and PC, a console platform for Zenless Zone Zero is yet to be announced. If you’d like to sign up for the closed beta, sign-ups are now live on the official website here. which is confirmed for PC and iOS only as far as I’m aware. I’m interested to see how Zenless Zone Zero is showcased next, and whether it does launch later this year or early next year. Hopefully it arrives with controller support on iPad from the start. What do you think of Zenless Zone Zero so far, and do you play Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail from HoYoverse regularly?

If you’ve not played the game in a while, read my co-op impressions of the Steam version here and my Nintendo Switch review here. You can also read my Steam Deck review of Vampire Survivors here, Legacy of the Moonspell DLC review here, iOS review here, and Tides of the Foscari DLC review here. We featured it as our Game of the Week as well when it launched. You can get Vampire Survivors on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread here for more discussion and impressions around the game. Have you been playing it recently on any platform?

As usual, pre-installation should go live on Monday morning on mobile and PC platforms for Genshin Impact 4.2. Full patch notes will be available a few days prior to launch as well. If you’ve not gotten it yet, you can download Genshin Impact for free on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The PC version is available on the official website here and the Epic Games Store. If you play on iOS, with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 and later, you can use PS5 and Xbox Series X|S controllers to play Genshin Impact. We featured Genshin Impact as our Game of the Week when it released and awarded it our 2020 Game of the Year. I also featured it as one of the best iOS games to play with a controller. What do you think of Genshin Impact 4.2 so far and have you been playing it regularly?

Full patch notes for 1.5 will be revealed closer to launch as usual, and pre-installation should go live a few days prior on PC and mobile platforms. I’ve been playing it quite a bit more recently thanks to the PS5 version and also on my iPhone 15 Pro with touch controls and the superb performance. If you’ve not gotten Honkai Star Rail yet, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile and PC and will you be trying it on PS5?

If you didn’t pre-order or pre-register for it, you can get Warcraft Rumble on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Blizzard also announced that World of Warcraft players on PC will find Warcraft Rumble arcade machines across taverns in the four major Dragonflight zones and more letting players unlock collectible Minis from Warcraft Rumble leading up to BlizzCon 2023. Speaking of BlizzCon 2023, there are two digital bundles with in-game items available as detailed here. I’m curious to see how the game’s launch goes. I’ll likely try it out after BlizzCon later today. What do you think of Warcraft Rumble and will you be playing it today?

If you’ve not played the game on any platform yet, it is a free to play kart racer with Disney and Pixar characters and worlds. If you’d like to try out the soft launch, here’s the Disney Speedstorm soft launch App Store link. You can pre-register for it on Google Play for Android worldwide here and pre-order it on the App Store here (same link as the soft launch). On Steam and consoles, Disney Speedstorm is available now. The mobile version is free to play with various in app purchase sets of tokens. An official release date is yet to be revealed for the mobile version, but there is a placeholder date on the App Store. Have you played Disney Speedstorm on any platform before and will you be trying it on mobile when it does release?

Mr Traffic is free to play with optional in app purchases. If you’ve not played it since launch, it has changed for the better quite a bit and is worth checking out now. You can grab it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Head over to our forum thread for Mr Traffic here for discussion around the game and even posts from the developers about new updates and future content. Have you played Dashy Crashy or Mr Traffic from Dumpling Design yet?

If you haven’t played Super Mario Run in a while, now is a good time to get back to it to sample the paid content for free. The in app purchase full game unlock is the only purchase available for the game on iOS and Android. Grab the game for free here on the App Store for iOS and here on Google Play for Android. I still don’t care for Super Mario Run, but Super Mario Bros. Wonder is incredible and a brilliant return to form after New Super Mario Bros U. Have you been playing Super Mario Run recently and did you play Super Mario Bros. Wonder?

Qualily’s Special Quests begin on November 10th at 5 PM until November 12th at 4 PM featuring time-limited quests for HR 11 and above hunters to earn Carpenterbugs, Monster Bone+, and Zenny. These are super important materials so I’d recommend doing the quests if you can. Then the Legiana weekend begins on November 17th (5 PM to 8 PM) until November 19th (1 PM to 4 PM) with November 18th having the event from 1 PM to 4 PM as well. The final event of November 2023 for Monster Hunter Now is the “Roar of the Desert: Diablos". This will see Black Diablos return all weekend with a Hunter Medal and more rewards. The event goes on from November 20th until November 26th. During this, both Diablos and Black Diablos will appear more frequently in Desert Habitats for all hunters at HR11 and higher with all monsters re-appearing in shorter intervals.

If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

If you’d like to play Resident Evil Village and have a supported iPhone 15 Pro device or iPad with M1 chipset and better, you can now download it free here. It required about 7.92GB downloaded once you get the initial download from the App Store done. You can then sample it for free before buying the full game. Check out the official website for Capcom’s upcoming Apple silicon ports here. If you missed my review in progress covering the game on iPhone 15 Pro, read it here. A release celebration discount is live for the game from now until November 20th as revealed last week.The regular pricing for the base game is a $39.99 unlock with a $19.99 in app purchase for the Winters’ Expansion DLC. There is also a $4.99 All Access Voucher DLC. For the iOS launch, Capcom has discounted the base game unlock to $15.99, the Winters’ Expansion to $9.99, and the All Access Voucher to $1.99. Watch the Resident Evil Village Apple launch trailer below:

Following Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4 Remake is due this year for iPhone 15 Pro, iPad (M1 and later) models, and macOS. Resident Evil Village is out now on supported iOS and iPadOS devices. Resident Evil Village has cross progression on iPadOS and iOS. If you are planning to get it or want more impressions from players, check out our new forum thread for the game here. Will you be trying out Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or a newer iPad model and what do you think of the port if you’ve been playing it since yesterday?

If you’d like to try the closed beta for KINGDOM HEARTS Missing-Link, you can sign up for a chance to enter the closed beta test here. The KINGDOM HEARTS Missing-Link closed beta will be available in Austria and the United Kingdom. You can sign up from now until 19th November to get a chance to try the closed beta. As of now, a KINGDOM HEARTS Missing-Link release date is yet to be revealed, but it will release next year for iOS and Android. It has been a while since we had news around KINGDOM HEARTS Missing-Link, so this is welcome, although I know many were hoping to see the game launch this year. That ship had sailed given we are just two months away from 2024. What do you think of the 20th anniversary celebration announcements last year and what would you like to see in KINGDOM HEARTS Missing-Link?

If you’d like to play Resident Evil Village and have a supported iPhone 15 Pro device or iPad with M1 chipset and better, you can now download it free here. It required about 7.92GB downloaded once you get the initial download from the App Store done. You can then sample it for free before buying the full game. Check out the official website for Capcom’s upcoming Apple silicon ports here. Resident Evil 4 Remake is due this year for iPhone 15 Pro, iPad (M1 and later) models, and macOS. Resident Evil Village is out now on supported iOS and iPadOS devices. Resident Evil Village has cross progression on iPadOS and iOS. If you are planning to get it or want more impressions from players, check out our new forum thread for the game here. Will you be trying out Resident Evil Village today on iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or a newer iPad model?

Update: Added new forum thread.

The launch celebration discount is available until November 20th going by the App Store listing for the game. Check out the official website for Capcom’s upcoming Apple silicon ports here. Resident Evil 4 Remake is due this year for iPhone 15 Pro, iPad (M1 and later) models, and macOS. Resident Evil Village releases on October 30th for iOS and iPadOS with pre-orders available here. It will be a free download with a one time unlock for the base game and additional purchase for the Winters’ Expansion. Resident Evil Village will have cross progression on iPadOS and iOS. Will you be trying out Resident Evil Village next week on iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or a newer iPad model?

Resident Evil Village has been available since 2021 on consoles and PC platforms, and I’ve played it on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Steam Deck. I ended up liking the game more than Resident Evil 7, but found it was a lot better with the DLC and updates that arrived post-launch. Capcom has pushed out one major update already fixing a crash on specific devices, and I also wanted to try out the public build of the game more. I bought the in-game unlock and all DLC available to make sure it works fine.

On launching Resident Evil Village, you are prompted to download about 7.92GB, and then can view the options like DLC and the full game unlock if you don’t want to just sample the game for free. In terms of DLC, the Winters’ Expansion, full game unlock, and the Extra Content Shop All Access Voucher are available. These are similar to the main PC and console version DLC. Before getting into a new game, I’d recommend going into the options and customizing the touch controls. While I’m not too pleased with how Resident Evil Village controls purely on touch, Capcom has done a good job with the customization options for the on-screen controls as shown in the screenshot below.

Beyond controls, I was surprised to find a full graphics options menu in Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro. This is like the PC version where it shows you how much graphics memory is being used as you adjust various settings. This menu also lets you enable Apple’s MetalFX upscaling, change the screen resolution, frame rate target (with support for frame rates above 60fps), and the other options found in the PC version of Resident Evil Village. I didn’t pay much attention to the pre-release coverage for Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro and iPad M1, but I am impressed with how it looks and runs after some tweaking so far on iPhone 15 Pro. It does however run better on iPad M1 than iPhone 15 Pro.

The load times and visuals are great after tweaking, and it even loads quicker than the Xbox Series X version. When comparing Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro with the Steam Deck version, the latter is definitely comfier unless you have a controller like the Backbone One or something for your iPhone 15 Pro. Load times are a lot better on iPhone 15 Pro though. I hope a future update for Resident Evil Village on Apple silicon eventually gets full DualSense feature support for triggers and haptic feedback like the PS5 version, because I love how Capcom uses that in its PS5 releases. Right now, it only displays Xbox button prompts which is disappointing.

After spending more time with Resident Evil Village post-launch, I remain convinced that the best version of the game is with the DLC included. This is sold as the Gold Edition on consoles and PC, and on iOS requires the base game and the Winters’ Expansion. This expansion adds in the third person mode, Shadows of Rose expansion which is as good as when I first played it on PS5. It feels wild that this is all running natively on an iPhone, but here we are. I didn’t spend too much time with it on iPad, but I was impressed with it using an external Xbox controller.

I hope Capcom can work on improving the touch controls for the game in future updates. Developers like Feral Interactive have been bringing console games to mobile with optimized touch interfaces while also providing great controller support. While they are the gold standard, this is a good first step for Capcom with its AAA games on iPhone and iPad.

In its current state, I absolutely recommend getting Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max if you have a controller like the Backbone One USB-C edition or use an external bluetooth controller and play on iPad. The touchscreen interface even with its customization options is not good. Capcom has done a fantastic job so far in bringing this AAA survival horror experience to Apple platforms, and I hope we see more RE Engine games make their way in the future after Resident Evil 4 Remake releases next month. Resident Evil Village is a free download with an in app purchase to unlock the full game, so I definitely recommend downloading it if you have a supported device to see how good the conversion is. Right now, it is a great start for Capcom on modern iOS devices, but I hope we see more optimized ports in the future.

Check out the official website for Capcom’s new Apple silicon ports here. Resident Evil Village releases on October 30th for iOS and iPadOS with pre-orders available here.

Resident Evil Village iPhone 15 Pro Review Score: 4/5

Update: Added review score after testing the game on iPhone 15 Pro after its first major update and also impressions from the M1 iPad Pro version.

If you’ve not gotten it yet, read my review of Peglin on iOS here covering the state of game prior to the recent updates, and also covering how it is on Steam Deck. It is definitely worth trying out for free. You can then decide if it is worth buying, or wait for it to hit 1.0 and leave early access on all platforms. You can try Peglin on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. It is a paid game on Steam, but a free to start release on mobile with a one time full game unlock purchase. We featured it as our Game of the Week when it launched. Check it out on Steam here for impressions around the PC version and to try the free demo. Head over to our forum thread for more impressions and discussion around the iOS version and new updates. Have you played Peglin before on mobile or PC?

The Vampire Survivors Whiteout Update is out now on iOS and Android, and Steam with other platforms to follow (Update). Check out the full patch notes here. If you haven’t played Vampire Survivors yet, read my Steam Deck review of Vampire Survivors here, Legacy of the Moonspell DLC review here, iOS review here, and Tides of the Foscari DLC review here. We featured it as our Game of the Week as well when it launched. You can get Vampire Survivors on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread here for more discussion and impressions around the game. Have you been playing it recently on any platform?

Update: Added new launch trailer and patch notes.

In addition to rewards and the gear, there will be two time-limited Packs available from the in-game shop and the web store featuring many useful items including Special Carving Knives. I hope this event is better than the Pink Rathian one because I barely managed finding five or six of those. If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

The Vampire Survivors Whiteout Update launches globally this Thursday for iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox platforms. I hope we hear about cross progression soon after this update releases. If you haven’t played Vampire Survivors yet, read my Steam Deck review of Vampire Survivors here, Legacy of the Moonspell DLC review here, iOS review here, and Tides of the Foscari DLC review here. We featured it as our Game of the Week as well when it launched. You can get Vampire Survivors on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread here for more discussion and impressions around the game. Have you been playing it recently on any platform?

If you’ve not played it yet, South of the Circle is an adventure game with a narrative focus set in 1964 in Antarctica after an an aircraft crash. It tells the story of Peter who is a Cambridge academic trying to reach bases and fight for survival through the cold. If you’d like to try it on iOS now for free and without any subscription, grab it here on the App Store. Check out our forum thread for the original Apple Arcade release of South of the Circle here, the new App Store release forum thread here, and the official website for State of Play here. The one time unlock price is $3.99 right now on the App Store. Did you play South of the Circle before on Apple Arcade or will you be trying it out through this standalone iOS release?

The full patch notes should go up on the official support page, but they aren’t live there as of now. If you are planning to start playing the game, I put together some tips and tricks for the game, details on the weapons, special skills, the current monsters list, my wishlist for future update monsters, and more. You can grab Monster Hunter Now on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The in app purchases include different sets of gems and upgrades. Check out the official website here. What do you think of Monster Hunter Now if you’ve been playing it so far on iOS and Android?

Watch a short gameplay trailer for MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE below:

If you’d like to play MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE when servers go live tomorrow, you can pre-download it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out the official English website for MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE here. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE has in app purchases of different diamonds, tickets, material packs, and a paid Haro Pass as well as detailed on the App Store. What do you think of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE and will you be playing it tomorrow?

Watch the Honkai Star Rail Aetherium Wars trailer below:

Full patch notes for 1.4 are here. Logging into the game on PS5 will get you an added reward as detailed here. I’ll definitely be trying out Honkai Star Rail more on PS5 today. If you’ve not gotten Honkai Star Rail yet, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile and PC and will you be trying it on PS5?

Epic Pack ($29.99 USD)
Purchasing the Epic pack will not only grant these items from multiple games and a 10% discount off one item in the Blizzard Gear Store (restrictions apply):

• World of Warcraft: Dragonflight: new Ysergle pet and the Chilling Celebration Banner toy
• Diablo IV: the ferocious Lapisvein Mount, the Cobalt Ensign Mount Trophy, and the Demon-Mother Countenance Mount Trophy (Limitations apply.)
• Overwatch 2: 1,000 credits, a Murky weapon charm, and a mystery name card (Available starting November 3 PDT)
• Hearthstone: a BlizzCon 2023 cardback, 5 Standard packs, and 5 Golden Standard packs
• Warcraft Rumble: the Murloc Kobold portrait and skin

Legendary Pack ($49.99 USD)
This bundle will grant everything in the Epic Pack plus:

• World of Warcraft: Dragonflight: the Bound Blizzard flying mount
• Diablo IV: the fearsome Midnight Harness Mount Armor and a Premium Battle Pass redeemable for any season (Limitations apply.)
• Overwatch 2: the Drowned Warrior Sigma Epic skin as well as a Season 7 Premium Battle Pass
• Hearthstone: a mystery Signature Legendary card (Available in November)
• Warcraft Rumble: the Murloc Tower skin

Check out the official website for the BlizzCon Collection for BlizzCon next month here. Until then, you can pre-order Warcraft Rumble on the App Store for iOS here and pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here. I’m curious to see what Blizzard announces at BlizzCon this year with Diablo 4 already announced for Steam release next week. What do you think of Warcraft Rumble and will you be playing it in November?

To pre-install, you can tap the install resource package icon on the bottom of the screen on iOS. The Honkai Star Rail version 1.4 update preload size is approximately 6.7GB on iPad and 9.4GB on PC. If you missed the recent Honkai Star Rail PS5 developer interview, watch it below:

Pre-registration for the PS5 version of Honkai Star Rail is live on the official website here. Pre-registering lets you claim up to a maximum of 4-Star Light Cone, “The Seriousness of Breakfast (Erudition)" ×1. After the game launches, logging into it on PS5 will get you an added reward as detailed here. I’ll definitely be trying out Honkai Star Rail on PS5 this Wednesday. If you’ve not gotten Honkai Star Rail yet, you can download it on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile and PC and will you be trying it on PS5?

In terms of new events, there will be a collaboration with Coca-Cola from October 25th letting players unlock in-game content through daily missions with regional anniversary events planned in Brazil and one yet to be named location. More details on the regional anniversary events will be revealed in the future. Check out the official League of Legends: Wild Rift Power Spike ’23 website here. If you’ve not played League of Legends: Wild Rift yet, you can get it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Do you play League of Legends: Wild Rift regularly and what do you think of the state of the game right now?

In the same interview, Masachika Kawata, one of Resident Evil Village’smentioned that Capcom is not ready to commit to simultaneous releases of future games, because there are a lot of unknowns and the team will get feedback based on the current games scheduled to launch. They want to do better with each iteration. I don’t expect simultaneous releases, but I’m interested to see what Capcom brings next following these two releases. I doubt the team worked on supporting the RE Engine for Apple hardware just for two games. You can pre-order Resident Evil Village here for iPhone 15 Pro series and iPad (M1 and later). It is a free download with a one time unlock for the full game, and also extra DLC available like on PC and consoles. Will you be trying out Resident Evil 4 or Resident Evil Village on iPadOS or iPhone 15 Pro this year?