If you'd asked me a week ago, I probably would have denied the likelihood of finding an innovative fighting game in today's casual market. Even sensations like Nekki's Shadow Fight present clever spins on old ideas, and the challenges thus seem to lie in translating the successes of other platforms onto mobile devices or Facebook. So imagine my surprise when I started playing Dueling Blades and found an hour zipping by before my realizing it (after I ran into the inevitable energy wall). It's fun. It's challenging. And it's what the casual fighting genre has needed for a while.
Genre blending is all the rage these days, and I couldn't be happier about it. There's just something so fascinating about a developer taking two concepts we're all familiar with, and proving they can work together in harmony. And the logical progression, of course, is upping the ante on how many genres one game is home to. It's a dangerous approach, but the browser-based Heroes of the Realm is a game that's bold enough to try it.
We're fascinated by the idea of post-apocalyptic life. Apocalyptic movies and games are everywhere, although no one can really agree on how the world is actually going to end. It might be nuclear war. It could perhaps be some kind of virus. Perhaps aliens will invade. Or, my personal favorite, we'll all turn into zombies.
Stormfall: Age of War is a strategy game developed by Plarium. In this game you manage a castle town all your own, as well as battle other players. Gamezebo's quick start strategy guide will provide you with detailed images, tips, information, and hints on how to play your best game.
Those of you with long memories might recall that Plunder! set sail on the iTunes App Store many months ago as a freemium release, but it was lost at sea not long after its launch. And now, like a Black Pearl returning from the depths of oblivion, it's back. It's technically a paid purchase this time around, with a cargo hold crammed full of hours of fun and light puzzles, and although there's some concern that its goods remain spoiled by the original freemium design, there's treasure aplenty in store for those willing to accept its quirks.
If you've ever dreamed of leading warriors, archers and priests into online, turn-based battles against gamers from around the world, the upcoming Battle Dungeon is probably something you should be paying attention to.
Most gamers that consider themselves experienced or hardcore dislike casual titles like those found on social networking platforms. The complaint is often that they are too simple or shallow and don't offer enough challenge. Yet it seems like gamers should be thankful for these types of titles, as they introduce a new crowd of people to a concept that would otherwise be foreign to them. Stormfall: Age of War, for example, sports the graphical style one would expect from a game aimed at the most serious of gamers. Does the play style hold the same or is this a beauty that is only skin deep?
Bringing a knife to a gunfight doesn't seem like such a bad idea when your blade of choice is a gunsword. And while I don't know if any gunswords will be in the upcoming Gunswords - or, to be perfectly honest, what exactly a "gunsword" is - the new game from Russian developer One Button Studio looks like it might be a healthy dose of fun for strategy fans.