War is a monstrous, horrific business. That said, playing at war can be fun as long as no-one is hurt for real—but while fake war is the preferable alternative, it still tends to feel kind of plastic and sanitized. Isn’t there any middle ground to be had, here? As it turns out, there is. AR Defender 2 for iOS and Android is an augmented reality title that plunks you in the center of a war that feels more real than most video game battles, but you don’t need to fear getting picked off by flying bullets.

If you were able to comprehend media at any time over the 80’s and early 90’s, you probably had an urge at one point to become a Ghostbuster. The ghost-capturing phenomenon spanned two films and an extensive animated television series, and it had everyone wishing for a proton pack of their own. The new Ghostbusters iOS game, Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast promises to do just that. 

“Raise the gates. Runner 5 Ready? Go!!!”

Picking up the pace as you leave the safety of Abel Township, your guide Sam details your latest mission through the zombie-infested wilderness. Combining actual running with an engaging storyline and GPS-fueled undead chases, Zombies, Run! is an interactive fitness app and Kickstarter success story from Six to Start and Naomi Alderman that provides excellent motivation to get up and get moving.

When thinking of GPS-oriented games, there isn’t a whole lot that comes to mind. At most there’s Foursquare, but despite its being enjoyable, it isn’t really a game. A new iOS app by the name of CodeRunner is attempting to fill this void with a highly creative title that utilizes base iPhone functionality in a highly unique fashion. Making use of the environment around the player, this quasi-augmented reality application plants users into the world of governmental espionage. Still, despite its quality, it may not appeal to all players from a strictly convenience perspective.

Sometimes, games can seem so real, it's a little bit creepy. That seems to be the intention of RocketChicken Interactive's upcoming iOS game, CodeRunner. CodeRunner is a spy game that brings about a completely new experience to the mobile gaming world. True, spies are nothing new to gaming. Fortunately in this case, you don't play a spy. In this alternate reality, you are a spy.

As my four and six year old daughters would be happy to tell you, there’s always room for another virtual pet game in the App Store. Heck, that’s what keeps entertainment apps like Talking Ben the Dog and Talking Zombo the Zombie so popular – kids simply can’t get enough of them. Ubisoft tried their hand at the phenomenon back in 2009 with the release of Rabbids Go Phone. Now it looks like the Rabbids are getting ready to invade your phone... again!

Augmented reality games have offered a neat blending of the real and fictitious since their inception a few years back, but thanks to the release of some new software by Total Immersion, AR game designers can blur that line between fiction and reality right on your face. Literally.

I can't be the only person who has spent many a moment attempting to replicate fighting off wave after wave of TIE Fighter attack by swinging around in an office chair, man-made sound effects accompanying every shot. The alarming fact on my part is, given I avoided Star Wars until I was 22, most of these re-enactments have taken place in full view of friends and family.

Whether you love them or you hate them, augmented reality games seem to have found a comfortable niche on the App Store. Despite their popularity though, nobody has thought to incorporate a popular license into one – that is, until now.