The month of October has come and gone, and most of us have probably become fully occupied with raking up all of the leaves that are covering the lawn, or putting the last finishing touches on our Halloween costumes. But before we get ready to jump headfirst into November and partake in all of the seasonal offerings that the end of Fall are sure to bring, it’s time to take a look back on all of the amazing games that made this past October such a month to behold.
While our big winner this month was one of the slickest brawler experiences we’ve seen on a mobile device so far, you would be mistaken not to check out our many runners-up as well, since most of these incredible games went the route of innovation over intense polish and graphical sheen. Oh, who am I kidding? Every one of these games on our October list went above and beyond in terms of both the gameplay and the visual departments!
Do you agree with our top choices for the month of October? Did some of your favorite games just miss the cut? Be sure to let us know down in the replies (after you finish up with your Halloween costume, of course)!
The month of October has come and gone, and most of us have probably become fully occupied with raking up all of the leaves that are covering the lawn, or putting the last finishing touches on our Halloween costumes. But before we get ready to jump headfirst into November and partake in all of the seasonal offerings that the end of Fall are sure to bring, it’s time to take a look back on all of the amazing games that made this past October such a month to behold.
While our big winner this month was one of the slickest brawler experiences we’ve seen on a mobile device so far, you would be mistaken not to check out our many runners-up as well, since most of these incredible games went the route of innovation over intense polish and graphical sheen. Oh, who am I kidding? Every one of these games on our October list went above and beyond in terms of both the gameplay and the visual departments!
Do you agree with our top choices for the month of October? Did some of your favorite games just miss the cut? Be sure to let us know down in the replies (after you finish up with your Halloween costume, of course)!
Winner:
Our top accolades this month go to none other than Batman: Arkham Origins, the incredible action/brawler game from Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios that puts us back in the combat-scuffed boots of The Bat once again. Serving as a companion piece to the recently released console version of Batman: Arkham Origins, this mobile take on the critically acclaimed Batman Arkham franchise features graphics so good that they might even rival its console counterpart in full. In the game, players will assume the role of Batman and move through Gotham City, beating up every thug in his way, as a cluster of evil assassins all compete to serve up his bat head on a plate.
This all culminates in a flurry of exhilarating touch-based brawling combat, with a simple and sleek control scheme that lets Batman pummel on countless goons with his fists, while still remaining strategic with different battle stances and accompanying special moves and power-ups. A deep system of upgrades accentuates the gameplay, and the free-to-play model and energy system are actually one of the better examples that we’ve seen from such like-minded games. And the best part about it all is that playing the mobile version of Batman: Arkham Origins can actually unlock exclusive cross-promotional content to be used in the console release of the game. I’m not even sure that Batman has a gadget on his belt that can do something as cool as that!
Runners Up:
The Wolf Among Us: Episode 1 – Faith
As if there was any doubt that Telltale Games’ latest masterpiece, The Wolf Among Us, would rear its hairy head around these parts where the best of the best go to be acknowledged. After their universal success with The Walking Dead, Telltale proves that lightning can very well strike twice, as their latest adaptation of Bill Willingham’s comic book series Fables brings all of the quality and suspense that we would only expect from the renowned adventure game developer. In this first episode of a planned five, we meet our anti-hero Bibgy Wolf, as he traipses around a dark and gloomy city that’s brimming with gritty interpretations of our favorite fairytale characters in desperate need of salvation, from Snow White to The Three Little Pigs. With such an impeccable opening episode, the bleak and frightening sky is only the limit for the rest of Wolf’s adventures here in this doomed little fairytale land, and we personally can’t wait to see it unfold.
Simogo is a developer that has become synonymous with innovation these days, by providing deeply engrossing gaming experiences that are simply unlike anything you’ve ever seen or played before. Coming hot on the heels of the mystifying Year Walk earlier this year, Simogo has once again redefined what a narrative in a mobile game can truly be like with Device 6. One part adventure game and one part visual novel, Device 6 tells the story of a young woman named Anna, who wakes up in a vast and mysterious castle with no recollection of how she ended up there. But things only get more elaborate from there, as the literal words which paint Anna’s intricate story actually become the map that players will use to navigate through the text, and as a result, the castle in the narrative. It’s truly a remarkable idea, and even more magical to experience, in manipulating the words, sounds, and images to make your way through one of the most interactive storybooks you’re likely to find anywhere out there today.
Some people out there might say that the zombie genre of shooting games has more than run its course after years of obsessing over the highly successful combination of firearms and hoards of the undead; but I would kindly direct those naysayers’ attention to Madfinger Games’ Dead Trigger 2 to show them just how wrong they are in those assumptions. Simply put, Dead Trigger 2 manages to breathe new life into the zombie shooter genre at large, with gorgeous graphics, fluid animations, and slick touchscreen controls that put the focus back on killing zombies, and not struggling with how to even move around them. The gameplay mechanics actually center around an auto-firing feature, so all you have to do is focus on the aiming to lay waste to the sea of undead that are crawling at your feet. Better yet, Dead Trigger 2 even comes with a full-fledged campaign experience, where you move from one location to the next in order to proceed, instead of just killing waves of enemies in one rigid and tightly-enclosed area after the next.
The Stanley Parable is easily one of the most unique gaming experiences we’ve ever had here at Gamezebo, and I’m not even sure how to properly put into words exactly what that experience fully entails (for that, I’ll leave you with Mike Rose’s incredible review of the game, which takes the form of a Stanley Parable story in of itself, if you can even wrap your head around that!). The game is certainly a risk, but where would all the innovation in gaming be if developers didn’t take a big step outside the box every now and then? Well one thing is certainly for sure about this game: the amount of variation to Stanley’s story is simply astounding, and the ways in which you can interact with the game world and change the outcome of what’s to come are the biggest draws to this fascinating title. And that’s exactly what The Stanley Parable turns out to be: fascinating in every sense of the word, and difficult for people like me who actually have to sit here and try to explain its vast wonder in the simple medium of words.
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