Titan Quest is a hack ‘n’ slash game that was originally released for PCs in 2006. Its gameplay is similar to Diablo, but the game takes place in the ancient world (Greece, Egypt, Asia). Titan Quest was well received by critics and gamers alike, so I hope that the current developer DotEmu, who is responsible for the iOS port, manages to translate the classic keyboard and mouse controls to intuitive touchscreen controls. If that’s the case, then we’re all in for a real treat!

Like I mentioned, Titan Quest is a classic hack ‘n’ slash game at heart, therefore you can expect light role-playing elements, item hunting, character customization and slashing through hordes of enemies. Playing the game you will be thinking to yourself “I’ll clear just one more dungeon” and before you know it, another two hours have passed. The developers are currently aiming to release the game late this year and it will cost less than 10$ – not bad for a game that was released as a full price title back in 2006!

If you are into games in general, then there’s absolutely no way you haven’t yet heard about Bastion, Supergiant Games’ debut title that was originally released on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 as an Xbox Live Arcade title. Bastion featured a really unique way of narrating the player’s actions throughout the whole game and offered an equally unique and beautiful art direction. No wonder the game became a huge success, was ported to nearly any and all platforms available (including iOS – you can find it on the App Store) and developed quite the fan base.

Why am I telling you all this? Because Transistor is Supergiant Games’ follow up title and many players had high hopes for this game. Did Transistor manage to meet all of these expactations? Well yes and no. Yes, because the game features yet again an incredible art direction, superb (and I really do mean superb!) soundtrack and a great narrative. However, its gameplay can’t really be compared to Bastion’s and some players didn’t quite like that. Personally, I think Transistor’s turn based combat is more nuanced than what Bastion had to offer and, most importantly now that the games is available on iOS, is more suited to touchscreen inputs. Additionally, I really like the fact that Supergiant Games tried to evelop something new and unique, rather than simply copying Bastion’s formula to success.

If you like games with a unique art style and an incredible soundtrack (just listen while you watch the trailer) – check out Transistor, it might be one of the best games available on the App Store right now.

This War Of Mine is a game you won’t forget. The developer, 11bitstudios, actually doesn’t really like to call This War Of Mine a game, because games usually are meant to be fun – and that’s not quite the case here. You get to experience war from a different angle than what you’re used to: You aren’t a soldier, you are a mere civilian, trying to survive in a city that is besieged and about to collapse. Clean water, food, medical supplies – things that we take for granted are suddenly so scarce that you will have to make some very tough decisions while trying to obtain these resources. Not to mention that you have to constantly watch your back. You never know whether any person that you meet along the way is going to be friendly or not – these people are struggling to survive as well, after all.

If all of this sounds very bleak to you, than you have a good a idea of what to expect from This War Of Mine. After all, it was the developer’s intention to make you really reflect upon the terrible situations people will have to face during times of war. The game was released last year for pc and is currently being ported to iOS. A release date is not yet announced, so keep an eye on upcoming news!

If you like fighting games, you must have already heard of Mortal Kombat. It’s arguably one of the best beat-’em-up series out there and without a doubt one of the most controversial as well, due to its very graphic nature. The first Mortal Kombat was released in 1992 and the series has since seen many releases on almost any platform under the sun. It’s great news that the newest entry, Mortal Kombat X, is not only released on the current console generation, but also available for your iPhone and iPad. Let me point out though, that this game isn’t a port – it’s more like a reimagination for touchscreen devices, based on the assets of the console version. In my eyes, that’s a good thing though, because touchscreens just can’t offer the kind of feedback and precision necessary for controlling a fast paced and complex beat-’em-up.

Mortal Kombat X is avaliable on the App Store for free, it looks gorgeous and therefore I highly recommend you go and check it out. However, if you like your beat-’em-ups a little more oldschool with classic controls, why don’t you have a look at the excellent Street Fighter IV or Street Fighter X Tekken? Decisions, decisions!

In my mind, there is no doubt: BioShock is one of – if not the – best game of the last console generation. And it’s currently on sale on the App Store for $2.99. BioShock is the spiritual successor of System Shock 1&2, released in 1994 and 1999. System Shock was truly ahead of its time and offered a great setting and atmosphere, but was a bit held back by the technical limitations back then (at least System Shock 1 – the controls were pretty crazy). Although I really like the System Shock premise, I believe that BioShock presented the most atmospheric setting ever: Rapture. An underwater city, built by and for the brightest minds of the world, who want to break free of the shackles that are artificially imposed upon them by their government or for religious reasons. “No Gods or Kings. Only Man.”. It’s a first person shooter at heart, although it does have some sort of RPG layer on top of the shooting mechanics: Plasimds. Plasmids are genetic mutations that you will be able to find and/or buy throughout the game that will give you a wide variety of abilities: Shooting fireballs, lightning bolts or summoning insect swarms. It’s great fun experimenting what tactics work with different weapon/plasmid combos.

Unfortunately, the iOS port of BioShock has suffered quite a bit of a graphics downgrade. This does hurt the atmosphere a little bit and you will notice that this game wasn’t developed with touch controls in mind. However: It’s still an incredible game at its core and if the setting intrigues you just a little bit, I can’t recommend BioShock enough. And for $2.99 it’s an absolute steal.

Gameloft was one of the very first developers who really tried to push the envelope when it came to creating App Store games that aspired to be like full blown console games. And while one might not like the freemium trend (I think the word “trend” might not even apply anymore: Freemium is here to stay) that Gameloft tends to follow nowadays, or the fact that most Gameloft games are quite obviously inspired by some of gaming’s biggest IPs, I do believe that Gameloft played a vital role in making iOS gaming as big as it is today.

Looking at Dungeon Hunter 5, I guess you can find all the positive and negative qualities I have just described – depending on what you’re preferences are when it comes to playing games on your iPhone or iPad. Dungeon Hunter 5 is a top-down action RPG, very much in the spirit of Diablo, the genres most prominent entry developed by Acitvision Blizzard. If you watch the trailer above closely, you will most likely find quite a few similarities, especially the environments remind me a lot about Diablo 3 – but actually, when it comes to the visuals, it seems like there’s also some Torchlight 2 DNA in there.
But enough with the comparisons – the Dungeon Hunter series has so far been quite enjoyable, so if the trailer intrigued you and you like the premise of action RPGs, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t head over to the App Store and download Dungeon Hunter 5 in order to give it a try – it’s free, after all.

If you are old enough to remember Frogger, you know exactly what to expect from Crossy Road. In case you don’t remember Frogger, think of the title “Crossy Road” as a literal representation of the gameplay. I know, I know – corssing roads doesn’t sound like fun at all, right? Wrong! Crossy Road has just the right amount of polish to its somewhat whimsical presentation and controlling your litte character on screen feels tight and responsive. In the end, you only have to answer one question: Haven’t you always wanted to help Doge cross the street? If your response is “wow”, then there’s exactly two things you should do: First, watch the trailer above, showcasing several in game characters and second, go and download Crossy Road from the App Store – it’s free and universal, meaning you can enjoy it on your iPhone and iPad alike.

Please excuse the poor worldplay, but it actually fits the game – in a very charming way. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath was originally released as an Xbox exclusive way back in 2005 (sounds weird to say Xbox without 360 or One following it, doesn’t it?). And while there’s a good chance that you’ve never heard of the game’s main protagonist, the bounty hunter Stranger, I’m sure you’re familiar with Oddworlds most prominent inhabitant: Abe. Yep, same developer, same universe. And while Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee will always have a special place in my heart, it’s safe to say that Oddword: Stranger’s Wrath is an outstanding game on its own right.

Unlike the Oddworld games with Abe as the main Protagonist, Stranger’s Wrath is a third person action adventure (with some first person features). The game was highly praised by the critics back then, and one of the reasons was its varied gameplay: You’ll spend your time traveling, platforming, climbing and sneaking – all the while using melee and ranged weapons to defend yourself. Stranger’s Wrath really is fun to play, its atmosphere sucks you right in and I’m sure you’ll have a hard time putting your iPhone or iPad down. Get it!

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is such a great game that, even though it’s been a while since its original release, I have to devote another article to it. The game is back in the news because it will be released on Steam this month and I thoguht this is a nice occasion to talk about the game once more.

At its core, Oceanhorn is a 3rd person adventure game, much in the spirit of the 2D Zelda games. If you’ve played any of these Zelda games before, you’ll know exactly what to expect. Time spent in Oceanhorn consits of exploration, fighting and puzzle solving. You will need to figure your way out of several dungeons, and defeat a number of different bosses. In order to succeed, you’ll find helpful items along your way – much like you would in a classic Zelda game. If this is your cup of tea, Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is an absolute must-have for your iPhone or iPad. And just in case you need any more convincing, just have a look at the Game of the Year Edition trailer below to see what the game looks like in motion and to hear the opinions of a whole bunch of reviewers.

If there’s something that I always fall for, it’s beautiful art direction. And if a developer manages to combine it with great music and fun gameplay, I’m usually all over it. As is the case with Alto’s Adventure. It’s a 2D sidescrolling snowboard game – and if that’s something you’re even remotely interested in, you should definitely check out the trailer above.

Alto’s Adventure is available on the App Store since February 19th for $1.99. If you want to know more about the game, why don’t you head over to the game’s official (and equally beautiful) website.