Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Redout: Space Assault - The First 40 Minutes

This sixteenth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Redout: Space Assault. I Played this as part of my Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series, but the game has been out for a few years on Apple Arcade and is now out across other platforms.

When i chose to play this game, it didn't cross my mind that this game would be from the team who made the Redout racing games. I only found that out later. i also didn't go in knowing that the game was going to be as on rails as it was.

But that didn't detract from the game. in a way, it being on rails let me focus on the enemies and story. the same applies to the game taking over shooting controls. when my ship had a target locked, it would shoot. when there wasn't a ship there it wouldn't. this meant i had to control my ships movement along the path and the missile power-up. later, when i had switched to a controller, i would gain the ability to barrel roll dodge manually.

controlling the game with my fingers wasn't that bad. it was pretty responsive and accurate. the controls were also located to the side of where the main action took place so it didn't get in the way. when i switched to the bluetooth controller, initially there wasn't any change to the screen. but not long after i started trying out the buttons, on screen prompts appeared saying what some buttons did. this continued into the game and with new tutorials, too. i felt that the game did control better with a controller, i think you'll notice that i died less with a controller in comparison to not using one.

The game did have some issues. the biggest one is that the game crashed to my phone's home screen after completing the first mission. thankfully, the game had saved so when i restarted the game it was ready for me to start the second stage. i also noticed some slow down and minor stutters. they didn't get in the way of what was happening but they were noticeable. The Dynamic Island also got in the way now and then. the biggest issue was that on the right side there were often labelled character portraits. the Dynamic Island got in the way of most of the picture and the character names. 

Redout: Space Assault is a good game to show off Apple Arcade. Even tho it's an older title, it still looks great. the music is good, too. what's cool about this game is that whilst on a TV, iPad, or older iPhone it'll look better than on a newer iPhone 14 Pro due to the Dynamic Island getting in the way, it's still a great match for the phone because of how short the levels are. most i did were under 5 minutes long. Also, because the game helps with the controls, holding the phone is also easy and stable. The only downside to playing on the phone, and something i forgot to mention at the end of the review, is that my phone got hot. most games in this series get my phone to varying levels of warm. but for this game i would say my phone got hot to touch. not too hot, but still hot.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - LEGO Builder's Journey - A Beautifully Frustrating Time

This fifteenth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on LEGO Builder's Journey I Played this as part of my Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series, but the game is out across many other platforms. 

I had known of this game for a while and went in knowing how it plays. but there were many other aspects of the game i didn't know about. for example, i had no idea it would take 15 minutes to get to the title screen. the game's tutorial levels are very good and show off a lot of the concepts and play styles in a way that leads the player to discover them organically rather than being told how to do it. But the game also knows when to offer some advice to the player.

The story being told in each level wasn't a big surprise as it had been revealed by many websites and YouTube channels i watch. but it was still nice to see it unfold. the problem i had, and what lead to the frustration in the video title, was controlling the game. whether it was my fingers or with a controller, it never felt precise enough or natural enough.

i would like to be clear that i'm not saying the controls were horrible and that the game is unplayable. i'm not saying that. but i am saying that little issues made it a frustrating experience, especially in comparison to everything else about the game. it is a beautiful game full of style and uniqueness. many of the UI stuff is great, too. but at the end of the video i didn't like that i couldn't work out how to get to the "home screen." it felt like there wasn't one.

Unfortunately, i won't be playing the game again as i have already deleted it from my phone. i found the controls to be too frustrating. there's a chance i might try this on a console, but i doubt it. i feel like i got a lot from this time with the game. the negatives from my experience outweigh the positives, to the point where even the story isn't enough to get me back playing it.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Cooking Mama: Cuisine! - The First 45 Minutes

This fourteenth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Cooking Mama: Cuisine! I Played this as part of my Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series, i think this game is exclusive to the service.

I have never played a game from the Cooking Mama series before so i thought this would be the best opportunity to do so. i kinda knew what to expect going in as i've reported on games in this series before, like Cooking Mama 3. but Cooking Mama: Cuisine! still managed to surprise me.

Unlike the recent Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade games Simon's Cat: Story Time, https://youtu.be/SJtlwaqB-KI, and SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit, https://youtu.be/WXm7dhyASyg, where it's the player who determines how long they play the game for as both are full of content, Cooking Mama: Cuisine! has a daily limit. it's an interesting way to get players coming back for more, as each day has a different number of food items you can cook with. There is also an event happening right now, too.

this video is around 45 minutes but that wasn't because of the daily limit. i think i only did around a third of the daily content available. I don't know how that'll change when you start to repeat recipes. as it's my first time playing the game, everything was new and undiscovered. the only reason to redo recipes you had already done seems to be to get a "perfect" 3 star score. there are some cosmetic things you can buy so that's also another reason to do recipes again.

The artwork for the game is familiar. i recognise the main character, and her in-game model looks really good. but other than that, grapically this game looks inconsistent. there are times when flowers look really good, but they're just decorations and the food you've cooked looks ... well ... not like the description, putting it kindly. there are one or two food items that look good, i think the cucumber was an unlikely highlight.

Another inconsistent thing about the game was the controller support. i would suggest it's better to play the game using touch controls than a controller. there are some weird button choices, for example you press "B" to go to the back button but have to then press "A" to go back. a bigger problem i had was the analogue stick sensitivity. it felt like it went from 0 to 100 too fast. i could move the stick and nothing would happen, then i'd try to move it a little more and it had gone all the way. this meant that there were a couple of cooking mini games that were difficult, and one i nearly failed at.

For fans of the series, it's a good way to play the game a little each day and have it be a little different. but it's not a game that shows off the power of Apple Arcade or things like multiplayer. it is being supported and there seem to be themed events so it could be a good game to keep on a  phone and play now and then. but i think it'd be a bit of a  rough time to play the game on anything else, especially if there's no touch screen.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit - The First Hour

This thirteenth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit. I Played this as part of my Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series, i think this game is exclusive to the service.

Last week i played Simon's Cat: Story Time, https://youtu.be/SJtlwaqB-KI, as i was curious how a game typically associate with mircotransactions and limited playing opportunities was going to be adapted to a free game on the Apple Arcade service. that was the same reason why i chose to play SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit.

i went in thinking it was just a runner but after the first level i was wrong. i thought it was an endless runner like Sonic Dash, Minion Rush, and Temple Run. but it turned out to be an Auto Runner like Super Mario Run and Rayman Mini, which i looked at in this series 9 videos ago, https://youtu.be/65ZdmAz0GfE. Once i knew what type of game this was, it was easier to understand how it worked as an Apple Arcade game with no microtransactions. much like Simon's Cat: Story Time, the limit is your own time.

It starts with an introduction to the story. it's not animated, but it's voiced. then it puts you straight into the first level. what tutorial there is is done by telling you what to do in game and letting you try it. the first few levels are fairly easy but they don't feel overwhelming even tho the game is introducing the mechanics.

In this video i completed the first couple of locations, and throughout the game slowly showed different things that can happen in a level. whether that's different layouts, different things to navigate, and the idea of different paths you yourself can take or your companion can help you take. we get Patrick first and he's able to bust down brick walls. near the end of the video we get Squidward and he's able to tell us where the Spatulas are and use jellyfish to create platforms. The levels are designed in such a way that it's probably not possible to complete them in one try. it'll take 2 or 3, or more, play throughs of them with different characters and taking different routes to get the 3 Spatulas and all the coins.

Once the second location was finished, the game opened up 3 other play style options. i finished this video by trying them out, but again it's another example of the game getting continued support and being full of content. Like Simon's Cat last week, this would be a fun commuting game to play on the phone as each level is only a few minutes long, but because it's dense with content it could be played for a long time on a Mac or AppleTV.

I'm not a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants, not because i don't like it but rather because it's not something i grew up watching. i missed it when it came out. this means i've not played any of the games, tho i have now downloaded SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated. but i would still recommend this game for Apple Arcade Subscribers. it looks fantastic on my phone's screen and there's no issue with the Dynamic Island. it's a game targeting a wide audience age and ability level and does a great job in doing so. i feel that it's something causal gamers can play but also having depth and replayability for those looking for a challenge. especially when the daily challenges and shorter F.U.N sized levels are available after completing the second location.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Simon's Cat: Story Time - The First 50 Minutes

This twelfth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Simon's Cat: Story Time. I Played this as part of my Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series, i think this game is exclusive to the service.

i was curious how a "match 3" game would work in Apple Arcade as games on this service don't seem to have mechanics that you would associate with a match 3 game. these typically include a limit to how many games you can play at once, for example a life system. 

This game does not have a life system. it seems like the limit is purely down to the time the player has. there is a mechanic that uses the coins you earn in the game. when you run out of moves, you can spend some coins and gain some moves. but you're also given a choice to retry the level at no cost.

This meant i was able to sit and play for 50 minutes, except for when it crashed. the app crashed to my phone's "desktop". this was the first Apple Arcade game to do so, but it's difficult to put the blame on the game itself as i had used my phone to play other games and use other apps. Simon's Cat: Story Time was also updated the day i recorded this video so if there is an issue there's a chance it'll be fixed in a day or two. so whilst it crashed, i'm not worried about it as it could be due to any number of reasons.

the game looks amazing, the world is so much bigger than i anticipated, and it's fully of animation. the game makes good use of the phones vibration motors, too. it was easy to control with my finger or with a controller, but when i switched to the controller there were no on screen prompts as to what the buttons did. this would've been useful as it wasn't as obvious how to move the screen.

There is soo much more to this game. when we unlocked the trophy room, each one was for some part of the game i had yet to unlock. i have no idea how many hours it will take to play it all, but in the first 50 minutes i played i only managed to finish the first chapter! so let me know in the comments how big this game actually is.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Fallen Knight - The First 50 Minutes

This eleventh video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Fallen Knight. I Played this as part of my Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series, but it's out on other platforms such as the Nintendo Switch. 

This is a game i downloaded near the beginning of the Apple Arcade series, but only recently had i noticed that it was being updated. this brought it to my attention and it's the main reason why i chose to play it this week.

Like many games in this series, i went in knowing little to nothing about it other than the pics on the app store. i hadn't even watch the trailer for it. and for the first time i think that had a negative impact on my playing experience. i had no idea how difficult/unfair the game would be and you can hear in my commentary my enthusiasm for it get less and less. it's made clear in many places that the game is not easy and in hindsight i should've gone with casual mode instead of normal. 

I say unfair because i'm not entirely sure the game is simply difficult. there was a move in the tutorial i couldn't pull off as it wasn't clear what exactly i had to do or what i was doing wrong. in that tutorial i was shown how to parry, but in actual game play i was unable to regularly do it as the key red flash the tutorial had shown us seemed to be used all over the place. In that tutorial we only fight against one enemy and yet in the first stage there are a whole host of enemy characters. there was even an instance where i was hit whilst respawning.

It's not all negatives with this game, the music is great  though it did feel strangely loud. it also looks good with minimum impact from the dynamic Island. but the frustrations are more numerous. even the main home screen was confusing as there was nothing pointing the way. i assumed we could pick anywhere to go as it was never explicitly stated, not even with a simple pop up prompt.

This lack of information runs throughout. i have little to no idea what's happening with the story other than the knights seemed to have splintered into two groups, each saying they are correct. i have no idea if i'm playing the good guys or bad guys here. sometimes there was information but it was on screen soo briefly i had no idea what it said. but the time i spotted that it was on screen and started to read it, it was gone.

This isn't a new game and it had been patched many times and received a few content updates. but it didn't feel like it, it felt like i was playing a beta, something that wasn't quite all there like it needed more polish. it would be interesting to hear in the comments from players more used to difficult games what you thought about it. it would certainly give everyone here more information before they tried it.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Shovel Knight Dig - The First 40 Minutes

This tenth, video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Shovel Knight Dig. I Played this as part of my Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series, but it's out on other platforms such as the Nintendo Switch. 

We're coming to the end of the Apple Arcade series and i'm glad i got to try out this game before it ended. i had played Shovel Knight on the 3DS, i even backed it on Kickstarter back in the day. but i hadn't played any of the other games released around Shovel Knight so i was very curious as to how this game would play and what it's about.

I'll be honest that ultimatly, i didn't enjoy playing it that much. i found the on screen controls to not be well placed. this meant that the first part of the video was difficult to control. coupled with the game's difficulty being somewhat high meant i found it hard to get into it. i enjoyed my time outside of the hole, talking to the random characters that appeared and even stumbling upon a grave.

When i switched to the controller, it was easier to control the character but it didn't make the game any easier. each time i went down the hole, the level would change and sometimes it felt much harder than other times. If i thought that from the begining it was difficult, i wonder how i would've managed with the later parts of the game.

It does look good and the music is great, too. it's well worth trying. but i don't think it's the best one of these games, nor do i think it works well as an introduction to them. Games such as Steamworld Dig and Super Motherload have a better difficulty curve and some tutorial moments. 

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - What The Golf - The First 45 Minutes

This ninth, video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on What The Golf. This is an exclusive game on Apple Arcade from Triband.

I decided to continue the Apple Arcade series for another couple of weeks. this was one game i was still interested in trying. i had heard some things about it, mostly that it was more than a golf game, so when things started happening i was excited.

Controlling it using my fingers was fine, but when i switched to a bluetooth controller i first tried using the triggers. when i saw they controlled the power i didn't try the other buttons until later. This means that for a little while, i complain about the triggers being too sensitive. it's not that much of a problem, but when i try out other buttons and find the A button controls the power level slower, the game once again becomes easy to play.

There's not too much to say about the music in the game other than it doesn't get in the way. Loading is also quick and unobtrusive. the only thing i found confusing about the game was how the menu system worked. when you click it, the first thing that pops up is a shortcut system and then it's the game menu. i can't help but think it doesn't work well and strangely becomes the most difficult and unintuitive part of the whole gaming experience with What The Golf.

This isn't a graphical show piece compared to some other games we've played in this series, but it could be the most pick up and play game. So it's more like Jetpack Joyride 2, https://youtu.be/zDsT94VQs-0, in that respect rather than a game that's closer to a console experience like Fantasian, https://youtu.be/RV_P04gnnKI.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Fantasian - The First Hour

This fifth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Fantasian. This is an exclusive game on Apple Arcade from Mistwalker and Arzest.

This game is perhaps one of the most famous games on Apple Arcade. it's an exclusive game from Mistwalker, a Japanese studio, and features staff who have worked on Final Fantasy games. It's also the game i've seen the most about so going in, i knew roughly what to expect.

It does make a great first impression, it looks impressive on my phone's screen and right from the start the game's user interface keeps the main character in clear sight and doesn't feel cluttered, even in the menus. there's a good use of art through to help make menus clear.

Controlling it though, it really is a tale of two halves. as usual, i started the game using touch screen controls. there is no onscreen analogue, you have to leave pins for the character to follow. there are on screen prompts and to the top and bottom are pictures showing who's in your party and the attacking order. at best, i'd say this works fine with touch controls. But, the biggest issue was with the Dynamic Island as it covers, probably, 95% of an arrow that's needed to open the menu. you can open the menu, but the Dynamic Island will react. thankfully, it just vibrates. 

Switching to a controller was where this game came into it's own. controlling the character via the left analogue stick felt natural and at the bottom of the screen it said what other buttons do. i didn't feel any lag using the bluetooth Xbox One X Controller, if anything things felt faster as i was no longer having to drop a pin for the character to follow.

There was one major sticking point for me that bugged me throughout the game and that was the speech bubbles. they looked out of place. they didn't feel like they were from the same world. they often covered up parts of characters, too. This game uses the camera and UI to highlight the characters and make the world feel big an open. but when the speech bubbles appear that's largely ruined. thankfully it has a great story with multiple threads already mentioned. it is a little stereotypical in places, but this game does ride the line of being a stereotype of a PS1 era JRPG.

The most frustrating place this happens is the game's save system. you can only save the game at specific large crystals in the game. there does seem to be a auto save system but i've not tried that out. the save system as it is seems like an unnecessary relic of the past that doesn't help the game be a mobile game that's easy to pick up and play. Also at these crystals you can use a specific item to heal your whole party in one go, health and MP. you can use potions to heal during the game, but this feels a little dated.

I did have fun, but i'm also a little familiar with the JRPGs of it's heritage. i do wonder if these nods, or embraces, to the past do more harm than good. for now, for the first hour, it's an awkward first impression but good enough to keep going for a little longer. But it maybe one i only play on TV.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Rayman Mini - The First Hour

This fourth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Rayman Mini. This is an exclusive game on Apple Arcade from Ubisoft and Pastagames.

When searching for games to play on Apple Arcade, Rayman Mini wasn't one that had turned up when looking through the charts nor had it been recommended to me before. So when i found it i was genuinely surprised as i hadn't heard about this game before.

this meant i came into this video a little excited and definitely intrigued. thankfully, this game doesn't get bogged down with a tutorial as it incorporates it into the adventure mode. it is a little light, it just says where to touch and what it does. there's no letting the player try it out before the level starts. i wouldn't say the levels are easy, but the first couple have no hazards that can kill Rayman. Plus, restarting a level is really quick so it's a useful way to acclimatise to the controls.

But it's not an easy game. you're tasked with collecting all the Lums in a level as doing so unlocks a new version of the main characters. but i only managed to do this in a couple of levels. Rayman Mini is a runner, so it's very difficult to go back if you miss something and some levels simply block off the past areas of a level. Which means, Rayman Mini is a puzzle runner. 

Because of this, i came away from this game thinking that it was more difficult that i expected it to be. getting into the game and replaying levels is really quick, so replaying isn't an issue. but there is an element of frustration in being unable to solve the puzzle that is the level. there are no check points, at least so far, and they can go by too fast to see it all. there were more than a couple of levels where i couldn't work out how to get all the Lums.

Another issue i had with the game was the controller lag, or what felt like to me a lag between what i wanted Rayman to do and Rayman actually doing it on the screen. i tried both handheld and bluetooth controller and the lag felt like the same using both controller methods. the speed of the game, especially the music level, made timing actions really hard. To the point where it felt like i had to learn the level rather than react to the level.

Rayman Mini is a beautiful game and is one that can show off the power of the platform. it continues the art style that Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends popularized, and arguably revitalised the series, as well as the music stages and challenges. it's worth downloading and trying. but it's not an easy game and one which could be more frustrating than fun. for me, i ultimately found it frustrating and i probably won't be heading back to it.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Warped Kart Racers - The First Hour

This third video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Warped Kart Racers. This is an exclusive game on Apple Arcade from 

Electric Square.

In the last video in this series, https://youtu.be/J_oywbo5WmI, i mentioned that i'd like to try out a racing game from Apple Arcade. I had a look and there were some familiar names and sequels on there. But Warped Kart Racers caught my attention because of the characters. i've watched most of the shows the characters are from, but it's not just characters as there are race tracks and collectables from these shows too.

When you star the game you're straight into a race. the Prologue section of the game acts like a tutorial with each race, or part of a race, being used to teach the controls of the game. it's very short, maybe 10 minutes or so, and simple to understand. Tho, it was a little difficult to master. I've played a lot of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Sonic All Stars racers and it's difficult not to compare this game to those top Kart Racers. in terms of controls, there are some differences but in the end they're slight and easy to adjust to. i felt like whether i used the touch screen or controller i was mostly in control.

This was the second time i've tried out using a controller and it was a welcoming experience. i went to the main menu, thinking a controller symbol was a button to press, and when i turned on the controller and it paired automatically the game added button prompts to the screen making it clear what button did what. This continued into the game as on screen prompts got controller buttons, too. i felt that i was able to be accurate with a controller, but the main benefit was that it was easier to fire off weapons. when using the screen, the fire button is above the drift, and it was difficult to reach with another finger so often i'd have to fire after a drift.

Ultimately, i had a nice time and i do feel that whilst it can be compared to other Kart Racers, it does have some of it's own unique charm. most of that comes from the shows that characters and tracks come from. so the more you like them, the more you'll get from this game. the thing that i think will be the most hit or miss with players is the character art. there's a slight cell shading on all the characters and they're also somewhat stylized in a way that makes all the characters from the different shows feel like they're from the same place. the tracks and their backgrounds were fantastic and mostly full of life, but i did find the characters themselves a little distracting. And, as it wasn't a problem, i should say the Dynamic Island never got in the way of the game.

Warped Kart Racers is well worth playing. there's something to enjoy if you like the shows, something to enjoy if you like Kart Racers, and something to enjoy if you like racing games. at the very least, the quick introduction to the game, via the tutorial and first set of races, makes this an easy game to try out, like a demo, whether you're out and about or at home.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Star Trek: Legends - A Lacklustre First Hour

For the next few videos, Mobile Friday will become Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade. I forgot that with my phone upgrade i also got some months free with Apple Arcade. So i'll use them to explore what the service offers on my phone, as i don't have an Apple TV or Mac.

The first game i chose to play was a selfish choice, much like my Star Trek: Lower Decks video https://youtu.be/5rA9Fb4SVhI, because i really enjoy watching Star Trek and i'm on the lookout for a game to equally enjoy.

This however isn't it. It's possible my expectations going in were too high, because it's something i enjoy, but you'll hear me compare it to other mobile games i've played in this series throughout and constantly find issues or areas where it's lacking features, clarity, or just "common sense."

There is a lot to this game and i wouldn't dismiss it immediately. if the game's story isn't captivating you then there's always the online features. admittedly i didn't try them out in this video. The game's tutorial isn't too long and there's no extra download when you start it for the first time, or if there is it wasn't revealed to the player that it's happening.

Have a watch of this video and judge it for yourself.