Mulitplayer Games

Feb 28 2013

Real Racing 3 iPhone Review

The Real Racing Series has gained a reputation for pushing boundaries on the iPhone. The series pushes what is graphically possible on the iPhone, with every game pushing the hardware to look beautiful and on par with main stream game consoles.
The game also pushes realism for a smart phone with delicate handling and realistic car handling and performance, an arcade style racer this certainly is not, and now with Real Racing 3 everything is taken to the next level.
Now under the EA banner Real Racing is 2013′s first major mobile gaming release, and it’s clear from the moment that the game loads that this is certainly one of the most polished games available in the App Store.20130301-231509.jpg
To familiarise you with the game when it loads for the first time you are talked through a tutorial in the guise of your first race. The default controls are simple to use, turn the iPhone to the left and right to steer the car, touch the screen to break and acceleration is handled automatically, there are several different control settings so that you can pick the one that feels right for you.
The high quality of the graphics hit you straight away with incredibly detailed and well defined models, the real time light shading, shadows and reflections are akin to a AAA game on a traditional games console. This does though take its toll on some lower end iOS devices with reduced draw distances, even the relativly recent iPhone 4S sometimes hints at struggling under the strain, whilst on the iPhone 5 the game runs very smoothly an option to reduce detail on screen would have been nice. A nice touch is that second screen mirroring is supported so you can play the game on a big screen

Once in the game the structure will be familiar to those who have played a Real Racing game before, your first task is to choose your car from a number of cars available although not all cars are within your starting budget, you then race through a number of races and classes earning money along the way. Several new game modes are included in RR3, including a drag racing mode and knockout where every 20 seconds the car in final place gets disqualified from the race, these new modes are certainly welcome and add variety into the game.

Real Racing 3 takes a fascinating approach to multiplayer gaming, every single race is against real people but rather then having to worry about maintaining connections to many players, Real Racing 3 provides the racers track data so that you are racing against their ghosts. The game does as good job of finding equally matched opponents for you and as you invite your friends to the game you will find yourself racing against their ghosts as long as its a fair race. It’s a brilliant system and works very well indeed.

Real Racing 3 is free of change in the App Store and revenue from the game is generated through in App purchases with the user buying in game currency. Without spending in game currency repairs to your car take significantly longer then paying for a quick fix and it will take longer to acquire new cars. Whilst it doesn’t stop you playing and you don’t have to remain in app during down time, to have the game an option the buy the game outright would really be appreciated.

If your iPhone is up to the task and you don’t mind the in game payment system them Real Racing 3 is an incredible gaming experience.

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Nov 25 2012

FIFA13 on the iPhone

The FIFA series of games have become a popular mainstay on the Apple App store, and each year the series receives an update featuring latest squad and team updates but also improves to push the hardware to the next level, bow does the latest version measure up to its peers? Let’s have a look.
The iOS version of FIFA has significantly improved over the past few generations to the point where it shares many of the features of it’s games console counterpart. A detailed manager, tournament, practice and even online multiplayer modes are included and all work very well.
Presentation has always been a strong element on FIFA games and with high quality images and music, and well thought out interface FIFA13 is no exception. In match presentation is strong and closely represents a TV broadcast with multiple camera angles, detailed commentary and recognisable players. Like all FIFA games all the official licenses are in place, so all teams are correctly named with the correct player names and kit.
Support for retina displays is included and on later iOS devices the animation is remarkably smooth, the iPhone really has become a portable high definition games machine.

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Impressive Graphical detail

Like a lot of iPhone games FIFA faces the challenge of needing to replicate a joy pad on a touch screen, on the small screen of the iPhone 4S this does take a while to get used to as the onscreen buttons are quite close to each other, but EA have also included touch screen specific controls, aggressiveness of tactics can be changed by two fingered swipes on screen, and players can be made to start runs by dragging their direction. The function of on screen buttons are context sensitive depending on if you have the ball or not, with on screen text describing its current function.
New to FIFA 13 is the skill move button which causes your player to break out one of several special flashy moves depending on which way you drag the button, although it’s a nice feature but its a good idea to master the basics first.

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FIFA13 on the iPhone

Action replays can be viewed from several angels and you can control the camera zoom, and a nice touch is that replays can be uploaded to Youtube. Each uploaded video is limited to 9 seconds, and only 1 camera angle is supported but it’s a great way to brag about your top notch goals.

If you own both an iPhone and an iPad then its possible to connect the devices over a Bluetooth connection and the iPhone becomes a virtual joypad whilst all the action appears on the big screen of the ipad. Its also worth noting that games can be saved to iCloud allowing progress to be continued across all of your iOS devices.

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Using the iPhone as a joypad

In our testing multiplayer has worked extremely well, with very little lag and was generally a very enjoyable experience, in fact overall FIFA 13 is a great mobile title, you don’t get everything you get on the hone console price but it costs you about £40 less. If you enjoy sports games or soccer games then check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

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May 27 2012

A Review of Sega’s Virtua Tennis on the iPhone

Originally released in 1999 Sega’s Virtua Tennis series of games have found success over the years. It’s blend of highly detailed graphics, fluid animation and TV style presentation proved to be a hit with gamers.

Whilst not as realistic as some of its competitors it’s arcade friendly gameplay and quick learning curve meant that it provided unparalleled accessibility to both tennis and sports fans, and now the game has arrived on the iPhone.
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The first thing that hits you about the game is the incredible visuals, the graphics on the small screen look as good as on a console, and it remains smooth on the iPhone 4s in singles matches, although looking through the App Store reviews older models may struggle, and on the 4s in doubles matches you do occasionally see a little slow down. Hopefully this will get resolved in future updates as the games looks incredible.
Virtua Tennis had managed to keep its accessibility in translation to the touch screen iPhone, several virtual joypad options are included but the new touch control scheme works best of all. Tapping the screen causes your player to run to the point you tapped whilst swiping the screen will make your player hit the ball in that direction. It takes a little getting used to but very quickly you’ll pick up how to pull off a variety of shots.
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There are several game modes to choose from, if you fancy a quick game then you can play an exhibition match where you play either a singles or double match against a CPU opponent, but the main meat to the game is in SPT World Tour mode.
In the World Tour mode you have a choice of 3 tournaments per real world day, each tournament has an entry fee and a prize fund, the more cash you have in the bank the bigger tournaments you can enter.
There is also an Internet multiplayer mode where an appropriate opponent is chosen for you for an online match. Online play works well although you’ll need to get used a tiny bit of added lag in the game.
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Virtua Tennis is a big name and a big game, and if you have the device to run it then it’s a fantastic arcade experience in the palm of your hand. I only hope that future updates include optimisations for lower end iOS devices.

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Apr 12 2012

Modern Combat 3 : Battlefield for the iPhone?

Every now and again a game hits the Apple App store which makes a real impact and Modern Combat 3 is a great example of this.
Based on similar concepts to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare & Battlefield, Modern Combat 3 by Gameloft provides the payer with an exciting first person glimpse of modern warfare through both a single player campaign and an exciting multiplayer mode.

The single player campaign mode is based around a well scripted story arc covering 13 objective based missions. On-screen markers guide the player through varied and highly detailed terrain as you move from checkpoint to checkpoint battling squads of enemies and revealing the next piece of the exciting plot.
As you play through the game you soon realise that this is no normal mobile game, the script is well thought out and immersive dragging you into the story line. The production values of the game are very high and with the high quality of graphics this game looks like the kind of game you would play on a home console, this is especially true when the game is played on the iPad 3.
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As good as the single player mode is, the game really comes into it’s own when played in multiplayer mode. You can play over either local wifi or over the Internet, and unlike other first person shooters on iOS the game isn’t just about running and shooting mindlessly, tactics play apart of the game as you use the detailed environment to more towards your objectives. There are 7 multiplayer modes included in the game including popular modes Capture the flag, team battle and Zone Control where your team is rewarded points for controlling strategic locations.

The technology and infrastructure behind the multiplayer game is very impressive, I have yet to notice any lag whilst playing and if the device acting as host disconnects from the game, control of the game is passed transparently to another device without any break in the gameplay.

The control of game movement is performed through an on-screen virtual D-pad, with your right hand controlling the aiming of your gun. There are also on-screen icons to activate specific functions such as throwing grenades and activating the guns sights. The control of the game is very smooth and the it plays very well indeed, although if playing on an iPhone sometimes the controls feel a little cramped and it is possible to press the wrong button, but on the iPad this problem is resolved and the game is wonderful. Even on the original iPad the game looks good and plays smoothly but on the new iPad (iPad3) the graphics are rendered for the high definition retina display and look absolutely fantastic
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Modern Combat 3 is very reasonably priced and can even be found for less then £1 during sales. The game, as is now common in mobile games, does has in app purchases but these aren’t necessary to play the game, and are mainly used to purchase new weapons in multiplayer mode.

On the iPhone Modern Combat 3 is very good, on the iPad it’s fantastic, but on the new iPad the game rivals any FPS experience that you’ll find on a home console or PC. If you enjoy games like Battlefield and Call of Duty then you feel right at home playing Modern Combat 3

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Dec 30 2011

A look at Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing on the iPhone

As part of Apples 12 days of Christmas promotion SEGA’s popular racing game, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing was available free of charge from the App store today. As a fan of Mario Kart I thought I would check it out to see how it compares.

Sonic racing is a fun little distraction that has more then a passing similarity to the Nintendo Classic Racer. Using some iconic and some not so iconic SEGA games as inspiration you can race using a selection of familiar characters through race courses based on worlds from games, from Sonic to Crazy Taxi to House of the Dead, famous worlds have been turned into interesting race tracks.

20111230-154048.jpgThe games controls are simple to get to grips with and make the most of the iPhones hardware. Steering your vehicle is performed by tilting your iPhone, whilst you accelerate and break using 2 on-screen virtual buttons.
In a similar way to Mario Kart weapons and power ups can be collected by driving through on track hotspots, once collected these can be triggered by pressing an on-screen icon.

20111230-160412.jpgThe games graphics are simple, attractive and effective although not as detailed as in the latest batch of top iPhone games, and despite several single player and multiplayer modes the game play lacks the charm and depth of Mario Kart.
2 Multiplayer modes are included, local and online, allowing you to race against another online racer. This works well although extra modes would have been welcome.
Indeed Sonic Racing is ideally suited for younger or casual gamers, and whilst it might not be a Real Racing its not designed to be, it’s a simple, quick and easy racer, and currently a real bargain in the App store.

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Oct 5 2011

Infinity Blade 2 announced for iPhone

As a rule we don’t normally publish news articles on this site but this one caught our eye.

The original Infinity Blade on the iPhone continues to be one of our favourite iphone games.
It’s use of the Unreal 3 engine proved that the iPhone can produce the high level of graphics normally associated with home consoles. It also used the iPhones touch screen effectively to provide a responsive and fun interface to control the on screen action. It went on to become on of the highest grossing games available through the App Store.

At the recent Apple iPhone event Infinity Blade 2 was announced, the game will build on the original and will become a showcase for the capabilities of the new iPhone 4s.


Infinity Blade 2 will be released on 01/12/11 and will include new locations, new weapons, deeper RPG elements and improved multiplayer modes.
We can’t wait and a review will follow when the game hits the App Store.

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Jun 14 2011

Order and Chaos – A MMO for the iPhone

The iPhone is quickly finding it’s feet as a popular gaming device, but one genre that has traditionally remained the domain of PC’s is the massively multiplayer online game, or MMO. MMO’s allow thousands of gamers to play in the same world at the same time and interact with each other, and at last the iPhone has is own MMO in Order and Chaos by Gameloft.

Sharing more then a passing similarity to games like World of Warcraft, Order and Chaos is set in a fantasy world of magic and monsters, as you set out of quests and battle monsters to improve your character.

Before you enter the game for the first time you need to create your character, you can choose from four character races including Human, Elf, Orc and Undead, assign their Gender and set a class from Warrior, Mage, Monk, or Ranger

The game itself looks very impressive, whilst it may lack some of the graphical special effects of it’s PC cousins the world looks very solid and generally popup and slowdown are kept to a minimum, although it would be interesting to see if Gameloft could use the Unreal engine in future versions of the game.
The sense of scale in the game soon hits you as you wonder around the world exploring the numerous locations as you can see many other human players taking part in their own quests and experiences.
You can interact and talk to other players, form teams and help each other on quests, the ability to dual with other players is also included but players are given the option of declining challenges.

Quests are found by talking to non-player characters, and there are several quest types including in the game from artefact recovery to goblin pest control, as your character improves the difficulty of challenges increases so there’s certainly enough to get your teeth into.

Game Control is straight forward, sliding your thumb on the left and side of the screen moves your character around the world, sliding the thumb on the right side of the screen changes the direction your character is standing in.
To initiate combat with a foe you select them on screen and then select an action from your action wheel, you can also pinch to zoom the camera in and out. After you get used to the control system it works very well.

Order and Chaos isn’t free and given that it’s a subscription based game, perhaps it should be. That said the game isn’t expensive and you do get the first couple of months subscription included in the cost.

Order and Chaos is a brave venture on the iPhone, but the iPhone proves to be capable of the challenge, and so far it has proven to be very successful for Gameloft. MMO fans can now take part in adventures whilst mobile and they should definitely check Order and Chaos out.

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Apr 9 2011

Table Top WarGaming with Lead Wars on the iPhone

Table Top WarGaming is a popular hobby and comes in many forms, from expensive models with complex models to simple pen and paper, it’s enjoyed by millions of people across the world. With Lead Wars the hobby comes to your iPhone or iPad.

Combat in action

Lead Wars aims at replicating a basic paper and pen version of wargaming, but this should not put any serious wargamers off Lead Wars as there is still a high level of strategy involved. in each battles.

Each game consists of 2 armies battling to eliminate their opponents either in a local multi-player game or over the Internet through Apples’ Game Centre. The latest version of the game also includes AI allowing a single player to take on a computer opponent, a feature which was badly missed in previous versions of the game.

Control of each unit happens through the use of a virtual on screen pencil by drawing the rout and distance that the unit should follow, or the direction of gun fire. The control system is easy to learn, simple to use and makes fantastic use of the devices touch screen. 3 different types of unit can be controlled, these are tanks, artillery and planes, each having slightly different attributes, and there are also many different types of obstacles, buildings and scenery that can be utilised and that need to be avoided.

A great feature of Lead Wars is the included map creation tool that allows you to create your own sharable battle fields from small skirmishes to large scale battles, and the use of scenery needs gives you map character and provides the ability for plays to develop tactics.

A small user created map

The graphics style of the game replicates the hand drawn battles that many of us enjoyed as kids

There are versions of Lead Wars for both the iPhone and the iPad, and the game looks and plays identically on both devices, although the iPad with it’s larger screen lends it’s self more naturally to replicating a table top activity.  All screen shots in this article are from the iPad version.

A large detailed map

Lead Wars is a brilliantly implemented game, providing a fun and strategic challenge for both War Gaming fans and those new to the genre.

The game is developed by DemonStudios and I would really like them to take this concept further by introducing more advanced units and rule sets. The iPad works brilliantly for  this type of game and could be used to recreate warhammer style rule sets.

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Jan 4 2011

FlickKick Football – a fun multiplayer game for the iPhone

The iPhone is gaining popularity as a gaming device, with it’s touch screen and impressive graphics the standard of games have improved over the couple of years but not all games work well on the device.

Lacking any D-pad or action buttons some game publishers provide virtual onscreen controls, and in my experience the lack of tactile feedback through physical buttons make the games difficult to play. However where games developers have thought about how to fit game controls around the iPhones strengths, the iPhone provides a fun and almost unique gaming experience.

One game that provides a great deal of fun is FlickKick Football by PikPok Games. The aim of the game is simple, just kick the ball into the net by flicking your finger across the touchscreen to dictate speed, direction and curve.

To make things more difficult for you, you will need to negotiate your kick around static and moving defenders and each time you put the ball into the back of the net you move onto the next slightly harder level.

This simple, quick and fun game play means that anyone can pick up the game and enjoy it but the more you practice the more you can get out of the game as you learn how to master the control of the ball.

The style of graphics are similar to the style of drawings that you would find in comic books and give the game a unique and friendly appeal.

In a recent release PikPok have added Apple Game Center support, and they have implemented it superbly. Multiplayer games over the Internet are very easy to set up, you just select the multiplayer game option and the software does the rest for you by automatically finding an opponent. Multiplayer FlickKick Football provides short but highly competitive games, each player starts with 3 lives and each time you miss the goal you lose a life. The last player surviving wins.

Gaming on the iPhone can be hit and miss, but FlickKick Football is definitely a hit, providing a fun, easy to play experience.

You can download it from the App Store by searching for PikPok Football.

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