Mobile Games News #109 : Peridot, Life Makeover, Heroes of Middle-Earth...

Discover our weekly review of Android and iOS phone games news number #109 which presents you the mobile gaming news of May 2023! On the agenda this week: the release of Heroes of Middle-Earth, the release of Peridot, the War Thunder beta on phone and much more to discover in this recap. We'll let you read it all below. ⬇️

Release of Peridot on Android and iOS

Let's start this recap with the release of Peridot, the augmented reality tamagotchi from Niantic. After Pikmin Bloom and NBA All-World, the AR Lightship technology of the Californian studio turns to the breeding of cute and mysterious creatures. As in the beginning of Pokémon, choose your first Peridot among 3 starters. Then learn to take care of it by feeding it with tuna mayonnaise sandwiches, or by going outside and interacting with it by digging different surfaces, rolling on its side, jumping and pawing...

Help your little Peridot grow into a happy adult that you can then genetically crossbreed with other creatures to get a unique DNA and unlock different archetypes. Expand your Peridot by collecting new creatures, take care of their welfare and take advantage of Niantic's augmented reality which has finally stepped up to take beautiful pictures at home or outside.

Space and depth management are much better here than in other Niantic games even if it reduces your battery life. Peridot lacks activities to do at its release to offer a more interesting gameplay loop but will serve as a good excuse to go out for a walk with your little virtual doggie.

War Thunder mobile beta launched

Formerly called War Thunder Edge, the mobile port of the large-scale war simulation license finally opens the doors of its beta. On the program, large-scale multiplayer battles as in the original game. Climb aboard your tank, prepare your anti-aircraft artillery, your naval fleet or your best squadrons to triumph in the virtual world war.

War Thunder mobile is available on Android via APK, which means iOS players will have to wait a little longer. In-game, the new team at Gaijin Entertainment focused on the gameplay feel, the weight of the 200 or so vehicles, their maneuverability, and the explosive firefights. If you are interested in the game, free up some space on your phone and download War Thunder mobile for free from its official website.

Release of the HSR short film 'A Flash

The release of Honkai Star Rail has swept a whole section of the mobile community off their feet. With a beautiful universe, appealing characters and more laid-back combat at turn-based , it's no wonder. This week, the space gacha RPG gets a short film signed miHoYo anime of 4 minutes rather epic. Without spoiling you, you will discover a rather stylish fight and the presentation of 2 charismatic characters: Jingliu, Jin Yuan his student and finally Yanqing. I do not tell you more about this short film which has for theme a narrative time loop but I invite you to watch it thanks to the video embed below.

Full version of Torchlight Infinite comes to mobile

The mobile hack'n slash Torchlight is coming out of its many phases of test with a full global launch. Since our initial review, XD Entertainment 's game has added new characters to its roster and additional content but remains a very casual a-rpg. Aside from the boss fights, the combat phases don't require your full attention as they don't present much difficulty. At its full release, Torchlight Infinite is a chill mobile game for those who prefer action to a real challenge.

Release of Lost Words Beyond the Page

Much lighter and cuter, the puzzle game Lost Words Beyond the Page is also coming to mobile this week. After a pre-registration phase, this poetic game launches on Google Play and App Store with two free chapters and a full game available for 6 euros. In-game, you play as Izzy, a young girl who invents adventures in the imaginary world of Estoria on the pages of her diary.

Lost Words Beyond the Page claims to be a game that manipulates words on the page to act and change the story, much like the excellent Baba is you or the dark game Typoman. The adventure lasts about 5 hours and has a complete voice-over by the writer Rhiana Pratchett. It's a little puzzle and platformer game full of imagination that's well worth a visit and is even available in French and other major languages despite a rough translation.

We say goodbye to the Switch Skyline emulator

The Switch Skyline emulator on mobile is halting development indefinitely. The developers had to make this difficult decision after a wave of DMCA by Nintendo around the leaks of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom on GitHub and other platforms.

In order to avoid a legal battle, Skyline has been paused, but you can still install it on your phone and test some Switch games from your mobile. The tension between game publishers and creators is getting tenser as laws are falling short when it comes to respecting intellectual property rights in digital and some like Skyline are paying the price when things go wrong.

Release of Heroes of Middle-Earth

The release of Heroes of Middle-Earth revives the Lord of the Rings universe on mobile after the launch of the strategy game Rise to War. This gacha RPG from Electronic Arts is weighed down by poor graphics and a lack of originality in its features. However, it still found its audience this week thanks to the power of the LOTR license.

Mission EVO open-world in early access on mobile via TapTap

Laser Edge Studios invites you to test the early access of Mission EVO, their mobile survival open-world; Via the TapTap platform, you can access the early access of the game now or pre-register on the official website. In PvEvP, learn to survive the environment, zombies and other enemy players.

Keep your vital signs positive and explore the many possibilities of this open-world. You'll be able to grow food, craft, cook and even steal from others to survive. During early access, build your shelter by choosing a strategic location to last as long as possible in a hostile world populated by hungry players by downloading the game on TapTap.

Snowbreak Containment Zone closed beta on May 30

In an announcement on Twitter a few days ago, the developers of Amazing Seasun revealed the beta date of their upcoming game. Snowbreak Containment Zone will launch its closed beta on May 30 until June 14. You have to fill out a small form with gameplay information to be among the potential testers of this 3rd person shooter. Play as an operator with distinct skills, vary your weapons and complete the main campaign in addition to the side missions to get the most out of Snowbreak Containment Zone before the end reset.

More thana million players have already pre-registered so don't hesitate to join the movement.

Soft launch Bad Piggies 2 on Android and iOS

After making news because of its acquisition by SEGA, the development studio and publisher Rovio Entertainment is back in the news this week with the progressive release of Bad Piggies 2. In-game, build the custom vehicle of your dreams to cross the finish line before the timer runs out in colorful and crazy levels. Enjoy all-new content in this new adventure of the bad piggies.

The countries concerned are mainly in Northern Europe, but you can find all the details of this soft launch in our dedicated article in the description. As for me, I'm more hype about Angry Birds Kingdom than Bad Piggies 2 but at least this second opus is available in Europe with a VPN or a local account, so I'll give it a chance!

Release of Life Makeover

The release Life Makeover this week brings Archosaur Games' graphic flair to the dress-up game genre. Create a unique avatar or an original virtual alter ego and enter this new social universe on mobile. Make your own outfits, organize parties and climb the ladder of virtual fame in Life Makeover on Android and iOS.

Mobile game closures

The chapter of mobile game closures this week could almost become a whole book. Last weekend we said goodbye to Revived Witch and then prepared a whole list of funerals to come in the week like Exos Heroes, Valkyrie Rush, Tales of Asteria, Disgaea and Date A Live: Spirit Pledge. With more than 5 games fallen in 7 days, the ratio of this hecatomb since the beginning of the year has just been seriously boosted.

Pre-registration for Little Big Workshop

Put on your work clothes and join the pre-registration for Little Big Workshop on Android and iOS. The game's factory features different types of products to manufacture, employees to manage, and a full simulation of production line management. Keep an eye on your money, logistics, human resources and available space to expand your business. Little Big Workshop doesn't have a release date yet, but we'll keep you updated in future news.

Documentary of the 10 years of Lilith Games

Lilith Games, the creators of DislyteFarlight 84, Call of Dragons or AFK Arena, are celebrating their 10th anniversary of loyal service on mobile. While Supercell hasn't released anything in global version for years due to a lack of confidence in the quality of its titles, Lilith Games has had one success after another. And to celebrate its decade of activity, the studio is posting a documentary that highlights some of its players around the world.

With testimonies, Lilith Games underlines the perspectives opened by its games like streaming, getting out of its precarious situation, bringing people together and connecting international communities. This documentary is a beautiful tribute to all the work of developers, community managers and players around the world.

Tech section - Humane AI & Shap-E

We continue with a short tech section. First, the company Humane AI imagines a future without smartphones where cell phones are replaced by pocket AIs. Then, we take a detour into content-generating artificial intelligence with the arrival of Shap-E. Midjourney, Dall-E and many others have built their fame on generating 2D images with text input.

Dall-E jumps into 3D with the Shap-E artificial intelligence that prompts you to enter a simple text to turn it into a 3D object or from an image to make a 3D mesh. Clearly, it's not perfected at all, but when you see how far 2D has come in just a few months, it's not unlikely that Shap-E and other competitors will pick up speed quickly and change the way video games are created.

Pre-registration for WITH on Android and iOS is now open

Enter the cute and sweet world of Whale in the High, WITH for short. Currently available for pre-registration, this idle game from Skywalk is planning a late release in 2023 that will open up its chill pastel world to players around the world. Play as Wiz on his dandelion seed as he meets wonderful people on his travels. You can customize the world and expand it day by day when Whale in the High is released on Google Play and App Store.

Partnerships & Anniversaries

This week we celebrate the anniversary of various Kart Rider games and Lords Mobile 's collaboration with the Dragons movie series for the next 2 months. Among other events and updates, the Boss Rush mode of Diablo Immortal is coming, Arena Breakout continues its development with a new content patch and Brown Dust 2 held its showcase to announce an upcoming release in June, with no specific date.

Pre-registration for Magic Stone Knights

Take part in Magic Stone Knights pre-registration this week on Android and iOS. Unlock heroes via the gacha system and boost your combat power during match-3 battles. The game doesn't have a release date yet, but if you had to leave Valkyrie Rush because of the game's closure, you can turn to Magic Stone Knights instead.

Journey to the West iOS release

Original indie release of the week, Journey to the West lands on iOS. This stylized deckbuilder mixes a narrative approach with tactical team building. Crack your deck and create a team of 5 characters with a hero and his companions. The heroes are taken directly from Asian cultures such as Wukong, the White Dragon and the Pig King. You can also convert NPCs to your cause with love potions or purification. For your deck, choose from over 500 cards and relics and try to reach the end of the story of Peregrinations to the West.

Very little Nightmares+ on Apple Arcade

Recently, we told you about the tsunami of Apple Arcade games. This week it's Little Nightmares that makes its debut in the games catalog of the premium iOS service. Released a long time ago on mobile, this puzzle game with a dark atmosphere and a neat art direction is now available on 2 major subscription services, the Google Play Pass and Apple Arcade. A small standalone game linked to the original series, Very Little Nightmares+ will give you a few engaging game sessions with a simple and intuitive touch control. You can also buy it as a separate game for 7 euros 99.

Recommendations of the week, mobile games to try

Let's move on to this week's recommendations. This is the third edition of this column so don't hesitate to give us suggestions of your best mobile games in comments that we could share with the community.

Premium mobile game to test this week: Reigns

In premium games, I present you the unmissable Reigns series. With a price tag of about 3 euros per game and a huge lifespan, this license mixes strategy and storytelling in a pocket-sized format with an unmatched grip. As the ruler of a kingdom, you'll have to make tough decisions and balance different powers to avoid being overthrown.

At each run, swipe left or right to make your choice in the face of new events that shake the kingdom. Avoid famine, revolt, war, betrayal, and in true French style, beheading by guillotine. Die and start over to grow your deck of event and character cards if you can survive long enough. Voted one of the best mobile titles for originality upon its release, Reigns even exists in the Game of Thrones universe, and its first installment has exceeded several million orders despite being a premium game.

And for the little rats who don't have money to spend on this iconic series of titles, you can try out the recent Reigns: Three Kingdoms through your normal Netflix subscription or play alternative series like Lapse that work with the same mechanics.

The free-to-play game of the week on Android and iOS phones

On the side of free-to-play games, I recommend you the mobile version of Ankama's main game, Dofus Touch. Obviously created by French people, this game takes everything that makes the heart of the original Dofus. It's a vast MMORPG with tactical battles, dungeons, team play, hustling and bouncing. Enter the world of the Twelve in free-to-play on mobile to experience a unique and nostalgic adventure in Dofus Touch on Android and iOS.

More mobile gaming news this week

Thank you all for reading this far, and see you next week for more mobile games news! If you missed last week's news, our previous review #108 was about X and much more in our news.