DeVuego

To say Love You To Bits is a charming game is an understatement. This is a game with a Pixar-like touch. It’s a special game that I certainly will not forget anytime soon.

Any gamer who enjoys platformers should not miss this one.  Anyone who appreciates a good story should play as well.  Despite the few nicks in Nihilumbra’s armor, I’m happy to give it five stars.  It is an earnest experience.  It might not be perfect, but it’s a fine example of artists using a medium to tell a story.  And it’s tons of fun too.

Asphalt 9: Legends offers a lot to like both for devoted fans of the series — of which there are undoubtedly many, given its longevity — and for people simply looking for a new free-to-play game with outstanding production values. While we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves or put any pressure on Gameloft after they just released this one, you get the impression that this franchise will definitely see its tenth game, and probably many more beyond that too.

Asphalt 8: Airborne's numerous features and modes, including multiplayer, help round out this package. It's an easy recommendation for anyone who likes their racers a little more realistic than a cartoon kart racer, but with a healthy dose of over-the-top arcade action.

I had refused to believe a game like this could succeed on mobile, but Afterpulse has proved me wrong. If you’ve been keeping your fingers crossed for a good shooter to play on your phone or tablet, uncross them and get to playing Afterpulse. Just be warned: if you’re unwilling to put in some money upfront for gear, you might find yourself at an initial disadvantage.

If you’re hating the world so much that you “can’t even,” Nika understands and your adventure with her will certainly help you through. Spend the weekend playing MechaNika and be assured you’ll get back your teen spirit. (Cue Nirvana)

Overall, The Frankenstein Wars is a well-crafted, dramatic, and engaging narrative experience. While short-session play is possible, I certainly recommend longer periods of gameplay if you can do it, to make the most of the opportunities for immersion. Folks who are often torn between playing games and reading a book will definitely enjoy The Frankenstein Wars, and any fans of historical fiction or gothic horror should undoubtedly head into battle against, or alongside, some Lazarans.

Dungeon Legends is an epic free-to-play dungeon crawler and while it straps players in as a single character, it gives you a fun enough time doing so that the game’s few hiccups are easily overlooked.

Dracula Twins is a hoot. A batty diversion, it will keep you busy while the kids rot their teeth on all the candy they scored. Better yet, maybe you can play it together (and snatch something yummy when they're not looking). It's a guaranteed treat you can "Count" on to spice up the holiday.

So it’s safe to say there are some very rough edges present – some of the character models are quite frankly terrifying, and there’s a glut of typos – but Mail Mole still ends up being quite the charmer. It’s breezy no nonsense comfort food platforming.

This lack of ambition is no real surprise considering this is a budget title though. With a price-tag of £5.39/$5.99/€5.99 BodyQuest is aware of its limitations, and is probably worth a punt if you happen to have a child who needs to learn more about the human body.

It’s a shame, because despite its admirable environmental message LumbearJack is a tough title to recommend – even for younger players.

With its decent puzzles and wonderful presentation, Hidden Runaway has a lot of potential as both a nostalgia trip and a means to revive adventure games on a new platform. Unfortunately, the wretched hidden object component makes it a hard game to recommend. Newcomers will quickly get frustrated, and the series’ fans will wind up on the couch alongside Gina and Brian as one more victim of a broken heart. 

Blitz Brigade has almost all of the basic elements it needs to be a great multiplayer FPS on iOS devices. It looks great, plays great, and has a fair number of unlockables and the like to keep players motivated. Unfortunately it’s missing the most important one: server stability. With a little time and an update or two, I have every confidence that this could be one of the iPhone’s biggest online shooters. But at the moment, it’s a total dud.