Touch Arcade

It’s a welcoming entry point into the series, an exciting if often cheesy roller coaster ride, and on the whole a game that somehow makes you fail to notice its flaws because its strong points are so strong. Moreover, it’s different enough that I think even owners of the existing mobile version of Final Fantasy IV will find it worth grabbing.

Fantasian is a very demanding experience, and you really have to be in love with its mechanics to put up with it all. Heaven knows the narrative isn’t going to keep you motivated. Fantasian is an absolute masterpiece in most regards, and yet I find myself struggling to recommend it.

If you enjoy games like Dear Esther or Gone Home, you will love What Remains of Edith Finch. If you’ve never played a walking simulator before, What Remains of Edith Finch is the best one to try out as your first experience. With The Unfinished Swan and now What Remains of Edith Finch, I will play anything Giant Sparrow releases going forward without thinking twice. Both of these are fantastic games and What Remains of Edith Finch is a must play for everyone who enjoys great storytelling and beautiful experiences.

When I first discovered Wingspan, I wasn’t sure it would click with me but wanted to check it out for its art. Having now played it over the last two weeks almost daily, it is a superlative experience on iPad and a very good one on iPhone. The asking price being half of what it costs on console also helps given how good this feels on a touchscreen. The lack of cross platform progression and iCloud save sync are the biggest downsides here. Barring those issues, Wingspan looks gorgeous and it is one of the most relaxing games you can play right now on iOS. I’m definitely going to get the physical board game soon and cannot wait to play more Wingspan with friends online and when the expansions eventually arrive.

If you (like me) bought My Time at Portia on consoles, this mobile version having more features and updates will no doubt annoy you, but the developers are working to release the update on console soon so hopefully everyone can experience the best of My Time at Portia on their platform of choice. In an ideal world, I could just carry my progress across any device and continue playing but I’m going to stick with the mobile version for now. I just hope it gets proper controller support so it can be the definitive version of the game for me. Right now, My Time at Portia on PC is still the best version overall because of the visual and performance boost, but the mobile version is a close second thanks to its new features and up to date content.

Personally, I think this is the game where the series really started to show its ambitions and break away from most of the pack. It’s excellent, and fans of the series would do well to check out this treasure.

Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster is a lovely remake of a game that people tend to either love or hate. Its strongest element is arguably its story, and that’s why I feel it’s hurt so much by cutting the excellent extra content added in the Game Boy Advance version. With that in mind, I think it’s best to stick with the old version of the game if you already own it and it still works.

If this is your first experience with the game, I think you’ll find the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster version to be quite a worthy purchase. It feels its age in terms of story and themes, but it remains a solid RPG with some great beats. The results of turning in that particular item to Bahamut still gets me pumped to this day, and the initial sequence leading up to the bridge feels like the perfect way to kick off an adventure.

Trials of Mana is an enjoyable action-RPG with a lot to offer, and fans of the genre or the Mana series in particular would do well to give it their attention. As is always the case with Square Enix’s titles, the price is relatively high compared to many other mobile games. But this is the full-fat console experience with nothing left out, and in that context I think it’s fair to to pay a little more. I’d especially recommend this game to any Secret of Mana fans who felt turned off by some of the gameplay choices in later Mana games. Even in its remade form, Trials of Mana shares a lot of qualities with Secret of Mana. They quite literally don’t make them like this anymore, so don’t let it pass you by.

Clap Hanz Golf in its current state will feel a bit grindy after you’ve played for a good amount of time and just want to unlock everything that’s left. Despite that, it is definitely worth your time and I hope it continues to get regular updates in the future with maybe even a real-time multiplayer mode.

It is pretty crazy to me that two of my favourite puzzle games of all time, Baba Is You and The Witness are finally now also playable on my phone (and iPad). Having Baba Is You on Nintendo Switch ready for me to boot up as a break between other games was always great but having it ready to instantly load up anytime on my phone is even better.

In its current state, Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat is a great addition to Apple Arcade. Hopefully it gets more songs and even modes through big updates like many of the games on the service have been getting in recent months. If you’ve never played a game in the series before, Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat is a super polished entry that is light on content right now but is still a joy to play and a great rhythm game to just pickup and play.

Overboard!, like some of the best adventure games, makes a complicated world out of what initially seems to be a very compact space. A puzzle box that gives back as much as you’re willing to put in. That it’s all handled with inkle’s usual flourish only makes it all the better. Do you think you have what it takes to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes and get away with murder? Pick this game up and give it your best shot.

For most people, the biggest problem with Divinity: Original Sin 2 on iPad isn’t anything to do with the gameplay, controls, visuals, or anything like that. It is the supported devices. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a very demanding game on iPad. I’ve been thinking about this since I experienced it myself over the years when I had my iPad Air 2 and a lot of newer games didn’t support it or ran pretty poorly on it. This situation isn’t the best outcome for a lot of people but it will make the upgrade to a newer iPad worth it for sure and I’m sure it allowed the developers to properly work on newer devices and optimisation

Should you buy SaGa Frontier Remastered? I… I don’t know, to be honest. It is an immensely flawed game with so many rough edges you’ll sometimes feel like you’re juggling angry badgers covered in Captain Crunch. But there’s a real appeal to it, a method to its mess, and you can feel the heart that went into all of it, even the parts that don’t work. Especially the parts that don’t work. All I can really say is that if you’ve enjoyed a SaGa game in the past, you’re in the right place to get what this game is laying down. If you want a weird RPG, this could be your new obsession. If you just came off of playing Final Fantasy 7 and want something like it, stop now. Cease your attack. Go buy Final Fantasy 9 or something. SaGa Frontier Remastered, even with all of its improvements, isn’t here for the approval of the masses. It wants to make a couple of very good friends, even if it ticks off the rest of the room in doing so. You might be one of those friends. The odds aren’t in your favor, but when has SaGa ever cared about the safe bet?

To be clear, Dungeon of the Endless is beautiful, fun, and crunchy enough to keep you on your toes. It is also brutally punishing, and utterly impenetrable for anyone who isn’t willing to keep trying after spending hours getting to the brink of success, and failing with little to nothing to show for it because of something entirely out of your control. If that doesn’t deter you… give it a shot. It may be your kind of game; and even if it isn’t, it may still be worth it, in the same way it was for me.

Final Fantasy 8 Remastered took its time coming to mobile platforms. The port isn’t optimal but it is adequate. Certainly well-done enough that you should be able to enjoy the game for what it is. Now, whether or not that game is going to be to your tastes is another matter entirely.

As for whether or not it’s worth buying… for somone who enjoys board games, who has ample opportunity to play with friends or family who also enjoy board games, it’s a definite yes. You’ll get several hours of fun out of it at the very least. For someone looking for a game to pick up who may or may not be able to find two or three or four other players? Probably not. This isn’t a single player game, and while it can be played online, it is really best played in person. But hey, it’s $5. If you’re unsure, it’s an absolute bargain for a decent port of a classic game. Give it a shot!

Just like how SteamWorld Dig 2 absolutely blew me away with its improvements over the already amazing SteamWorld Dig, I cant wait to see Image & Form revisit SteamWorld Quest for a sequel because they definitely keep getting better with each new game. If you held off on playing SteamWorld Quest on other platforms for a potential mobile port, your wait has been more than worth it. Do yourself a favour and get it now.

Frankly, outside of a few minor issues with the controls, I think this is as good of a port of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night as we could expect on mobile. It’s a good game, and it fits mobile quite well. I’d probably recommend picking up Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ahead of this game, but there can and should be room in your life for both. And much to my own surprise, I would recommend this version of the game over the Switch port. It just plays better thanks to the reduced input lag, and it feels more stable all-around. The biggest snag here for most is going to be in the controls. You’ve got a choice between imperfect controller support or a non-customizable arrangement of virtual buttons. If that doesn’t bother you, I can heartily recommend this game. It’s great.

I said it before, and I meant it: Moonlighter is a great game. It feels good to play, the soundtrack is great, and all my complaints are really quite minor. It is an interesting blend of dungeon crawler and shopkeep simulator, something not really delivered by other games that I have found. As a mobile port, it is excellent. Recommending it is easy, however with a twelve dollar price tag, it isn’t something everyone can or should pick up without second thought. Nevertheless, if you’re on the fence and have previously enjoyed games from both of the genres it pulls from, it’s definitely worth a shot.

Overall, Forager on iOS is a bit of a mixed bag. On its own, it is easy to recommend assuming you play with a controller because the touch controls aren’t great and there’s no real customization for them. However, if you already own Forager on another system and want a portable version, I’d recommend waiting for a patch to see if the control issues and UI get addressed.

Overall, this is by far the most impressive of all of Feral Interactive’s iOS conversions yet. Given how awful XCOM 2 was at launch on PS4 for me and how it runs on current consoles, I’m more than impressed with the iOS version and can safely recommend it above the consoles as an alternative to those who want the full XCOM 2 experience and don’t want to play on PC with the caveat about the visuals. The XCOM 2 Collection is a joy to play on iPad Pro and I can’t wait to see where the port goes over the next few months with potential updates and maybe even potential features brought in.

With several years between the first game and the third one, the 9th Dawn series now spans a number of eras in mobile gaming. But it has always been true to what it wanted to offer from the start, which is a world of adventures and memories on your mobile device with no nonsense weighing it down. 9th Dawn III is by leaps and bounds the easiest of the series to get into, and that’s an important step forward as once you get into these games, you won’t get out for a very long time indeed. Just one more quest, one more dive into that crypt, one more round of fishing, one more card game, one more tough monster defeated. And so it goes, until the sun rises on another new day. Don’t miss this one, my RPG-loving friends.

Having finally finished (I couldn’t resist) The Unfinished Swan, I can see why it was originally recommended to me in the first place. While there are some aspects that feel dated, the game itself has aged brilliantly and I hope Annapurna Interactive can address the few issues here so that this is something I can recommend without caveats to anyone looking for a unique but succinct exploration adventure game. I’m glad we finally have a definitive portable version of The Unfinished Swan now with this release.