Welcome to the December 2015 edition of our monthly round-up of the best new Android games. We have a fantastic new MOBA, a zombie-themed first-person shooter (highly original, I know) and a sniper game that happens to be one of the best I've played all year. Further down, you'll find the best games released in previous months, in case you missed them.
December
Call of Champions
Call of Champions borrows quite heavily from League of Legends, both in art and mechanics, but the good news is that it does so effectively. Though it’s not quite as nuanced, it is a first class MOBA and arguably the best on Android. MOBA games rely on balance to be competitive and it's no small feat that developer Spacetime Games has managed to achieve this in a free-to-play mobile title. Just note that you will need a fairly powerful device to play it.
Dead Effect 2
This is another not-so-original Android title (even its name is a cross between two other games, Mass Effect and Dead Space). It’s a free-to-play first person shooter that takes place onboard a zombie infested space station and sees you killing mutants and solving some light puzzles in order to survive.Dead Effect 2's major strength is that it looks incredible – the graphics are really pushing boundaries. The movement controls are a little floaty by default but, thankfully, they’re completely customizable. What it lacks in gameplay depth, Dead Effect 2 makes up for in polish. If you want something that feels like a console FPS on Android, this is it.
Endless Sniper
Unlike the more commercial titles above, Endless Sniper is a relatively small scale Android game, but it’s very well delivered. Just like in an endless runner, Endless Sniper's level keep going until you fail, but in this case, it’s your sniping skills that are put to the test rather than running and jumping.Each level of Endless Sniper presents you with a number of on-screen enemies who are out to kill you. In order to progress, you must kill them first. It’s a simple idea, but it’s a blast to play. The pixel graphics are charming, the levels are procedurally generated so that no two are the same, and variety of on-screen enemies makes each the gameplay completely frantic – it’s one of the most nerve-racking Android games I’ve played all year.
Endless Sniper is not perfect, but it is excellent. Get it from the Play Store via the link below.
November
Prune
Described in the Play Store as “A love letter to trees”, Prune is an award-winning puzzle game. It hit iOS earlier in the year, and now it’s in the Play Store, you owe it to yourself to play it.The gameplay of Prune concerns tree cultivation. Your tree begins to grow, and to ensure it reaches its full height, you must carefully trim its branches. When branches hit the sun they flower, and once a certain number have flowered, you beat the level. As you progress, the number of objects that stand in your way of success also grows.
Prune is a rare kind of Android game. It’s minimalist and meditative but somehow perfect for the mobile platform. This is definitely our best pick for this month. Conceptually, visually and aurally, it's simply a wonderful piece of work.
Need for Speed: No Limits
Need for Speed: No Limits is almost the complete opposite of Prune. It’s big and loud, and is the latest game in a long-running race series. EA has pushed out a number of these titles on Android, and this latest installment sees you competing in races in order to improve your reputation and your car.The game takes place in an urban setting and the races are often short and sweet – some take less than a minute to complete – making it ideal for short sessions. EA nails the look and feel of the cars and environments, and the game is undeniably polished, but do expect in-app purchases.
QuickBoy
A free-to-play runner that features zombies is possibly the least original idea you could think of, but that shouldn't stop you enjoying QuickBoy for being the well-crafted game that it is.You’ll be in familiar territory with QuickBoy; it’s a side-scrolling auto-runner and requires precise timing to avoid enemies and jump over obstacles. The presentation is fantastic though. Everything exists within a tan-colored post-apocalyptic world and even the menus are carefully considered. There’s also a cool combo system that rewards you for well-timed jumps. If you’re done with Fallout Shelter, try QuickBoy's apocalypse until Fallout 4 arrives.
October
Eternity Warriors 4
Eternity Warriors 4 is the latest fantasy RPG in the popular Eternity Warriors series from developer Glu. It’s a fairly typical tale: you play as a warrior, a mage or an assassin travelling across the world completing quests and upgrading gear. What it lacks in originality though, it more than makes up for in style.The graphics and animations are seriously good. The lighting effects and background textures make for a dramatic atmosphere, and the fast-paced action controls beautifully. You’ll carve up hordes of baddies in something that plays like God of War meets Diablo.
It’s clearly been developed by a team of experts at the top of their game: the production values are as high as can be found on any title in the Play Store. From player-vs-player battles to guilds that you can join in order to quest with others, and weekly events offering unique rewards and gear, Eternity Warriors 4 has a lot to offer for a free Android title.
Lara Croft GO
Following the success of last year's Hitman GO, Square Enix has given the Tomb Raider franchise the same treatment. Lara Croft GO is set within the Tomb Raider world, but it doesn’t exactly play like a Tomb Raider title: it's turn-based and focuses on puzzles rather than action.But somehow, it works. There are 75 inventive puzzles across five chapters, the cel-shaded aesthetics are wonderful and the game is a decent length. It does feature in-app purchases, but they're cheap and not essential. It’s well worth a look for five bucks and if you don’t like it, you can get a refund.
Star Wars: Uprising
Star Wars is a Sci-Fi fantasy… just kidding, you already know what Star Wars is. Star Wars: Uprising is a recently released mobile game that bridges the gap between Episode VI and the upcoming Episode VII.Not only do you get to play out the story ahead of the Episode VII movie release in December, you get to do it in an awesome action game with co-op gameplay. Complete quests, level up your character, learn new Jedi abilities and battle against the Galactic Empire in this free-to-play RPG. If you want to start getting excited for the new movie, this is one of the best ways to do it.
September
Dungeon Boss
Dungeon Boss is a fierce little dungeon crawler in which battles take place in a turn-based fashion. You must fight your way through a number of lesser foes to meet the dungeon boss at the end of each stage. Defeat the end-of-level beast and you'll receive a trove of gold and gems to buy various items and upgrade with.It looks and plays in a similar way to Double Fine’s Costume Quest. The blocky art style, 3D graphics and game environments may seem cutesy, but the later levels of the game get extremely difficult. You’ll to need a pretty decent phone for it to run smoothly, though.
UNKILLED
MADFINGER Games, the folks behind Dead Trigger 1 and Dead Trigger 2, have now released Dea… er, UNKILLED, a new and completely different kind of first-person zombie shooter. In it, you blast your way through New York City streets during the onset of a zombie apocalypse, using the left side of the screen for movement and the right side for aim.Because your weapon fires automatically once something is in your sights, the controls of the game feel incredibly smooth. There’s a cheesy storyline to follow, but the real fun is in blasting through undead hordes with extras like rockets and 'bullet-time' buffs. If you want to see what the latest tech is capable of, you need to check this game out.
Pokemon Shuffle
Pokémon Shuffle is a free-to-play puzzle game developed by The Pokémon Company (the same guys responsible for the Pokemon RPGs on the Game Boy) and is the first Pokémon game to be released on Android outside of Japan.It's a match-three game in the same vein as Candy Crush Saga, but each stage plays out as a battle with a Pokémon. If you complete the level, you'll have a chance to catch the Pokémon you faced. Your chances of catching them will be better or worse depending on how you performed in the battle.
If you finished the stage with three moves left, for example, these will be converted to points and added to your score, increasing your chances of snagging the Pokémon. It’s a neat idea because it encourages you to play smarter and be more strategic.
August
Card Crawl
Card Crawl is a fantasy-themed card game with cel-shaded graphics. You are dealt a hand of cards depicting weapons, potions, coins and monsters, which represent a dungeon for you to make your way through. Your quest is to remove all 52 cards from your AI opponent's deck, by using your cards to fight enemies or equip your character with weapons.There's some interesting strategy involved in Card Crawl – you have to really think about how you choose which cards to play and which to leave on the table. Should you try to slay that spider in this round and lose some health, or wait until more cards are dealt to see if you can pick up a better weapon? It’s a clever turn-based title, and it’s free to play with the option of unlocking all the features for a one-off payment of three bucks.
LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham
LEGO has turned a number of franchises into third-person action games over the years, including Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham was released on consoles late last year, but has only recently hit the Play Store – and it's great.You battle and build your way through the DC universe, solving puzzles and changing costumes to give yourself different powers. It’s a fairly straightforward game, but the presentation, story and sense of humor will keep you coming back for more. LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham costs US$4.99 at the Play Store and includes in-app purchases.
The Path to Luma
A genuinely good free game with no in-app purchases? Yes, that's what The Path to Luma is. This puzzle game is set on a series of small, rotatable planets. You guide SAM, the Sustainability Augmentation Model, as it wanders across each planet's surface, completing tasks to provide energy to the world.A game about sustainable energy may sound a bit worthy, but The Path to Luma has a beautifully evocative color palette and design, and you really feel like you are bringing the planets to life through your actions. It’s not a long game, as it only has 20 levels, but it's certainly worth a play-through. Check it out in the Play Store via the link below.
July 2015
Tiki Taka Soccer
There have been a few football games for Android that have tried to recreate that Sensible Soccer style, but this is the best attempt yet. Tika Taka Soccer is far more than just a throwback however, as the gameplay is wonderfully adapted to the touchscreen.Play flowing one-touch football, score long-range screamers and even manage a team in this unique and brilliantly playable mobile homage to the beautiful game.
Nubs' Adventure
Great-looking pixellated games are all the rage these days, and Nubs' Adventure is the latest to jump on the bandwagon. In this 2D platformer, you control Nubs, who is on a quest to rebuild his house after it was destroyed by the Reds. There are four worlds to go through, and levels weave and intertwine in that satisfying 'Metroidvania' way. There are some great boss set-pieces, and the puzzles will have you racking your brains while never leaving you frustrated.
Hitman: Sniper
The legendary anti-hero, Hitman 47, makes his second appearance on Android. This time, 47 features in a Gun Gallery sniping game reminiscent of the Hitman Sniper Challenge that came out on consoles a few years ago. Set in Montenegro, Sniper assigns you to kill targets across 150 missions. You can either shoot targets directly, or imaginatively use the environment to make them look like accidents. As you carry out the satisfyingly violent hits, you unlock weapon parts and blueprints to improve your arsenal.
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
The second Square Enix game to look out for this month is Final Fantasy Tactics, which is a faithful recreation of the 2007 PSP version (itself is an enhanced version of the PS One classic). Tactics switches up the Final Fantasy formula by giving you a rotating squad of characters to use, letting you use terrain to your advantage, and carrying out battles on a square-based battlefield. It's been neatly ported to Android, and is well tailored to touch-screen controls.
Siegefall
No Android games list would be complete without a few Gameloft entries, and Siegefall is the latest strategy game from the prolific Android developer. Build up a fantasy army and take on millions of other players as you seek to make your kingdom supreme. You also need to build up your defences using traps, barricades and towers, because other players want to take you out as much as you do them. Siegefall may be yet another build-and-destroy game, but it's a very good one.
Bonus: Try new games and get rewards
If you're looking for more great games for Android, download Buzzinga!Buzzinga is an app that recommends new games for you to discover and review. Best of all, you get rewarded for it. The premise is simple: the more games you download and review, the more points you accumulate. You can exchange those points for the chance to win prizes, including Ultra HD TVs, the newest smartphones and other gadgets, or you can redeem them for Amazon, Starbucks and GameStop giftcards. Buzzinga is developed by App Media, which is owned by Fonpit, the publisher of AndroidPIT.
What are your favorite games from recent times? Let us know in the comments.Thank you for visiting www.bizzletech.net
BEN PATTERSON
