Mobile Games News Review #127 : The Elder Scrolls Castles, Tokyo Ghoul Breaking the Chains...

In this issue 127, we talk about the Tokyo Ghoul Break the Chains gacha RPG in pre-registration, as well as the Phantom Blade Executioners A-RPG, the release of the new Rusty Lake: Underground Blossom, and plenty of other mobile gaming news. Discover a maximum of Android and iOS gaming news in a single summary every week.

Tokyo Ghoul: Break the Chains pre-registration opens in selected regions

Let's begin this recap with the opening of pre-registration for Tokyo Ghoul: Break the Chains. This new title based on the manga is a strategic card game centered on Ken Kaneki and his half-Ghoul, half-human personality. In terms of gameplay, card combos follow one another on a 3D terrain with a team of iconic characters in a fairly classic gacha format, with various solo and co-op game modes in addition to arena PvP.

Android and iOS pre-registration for TGBTC is not available in all regions of the world. For now, players located in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries can register on the official website to avoid missing the regional launch of Tokyo Ghoul: Break the Chains. Otherwise, you can always rely on your best VPN.

Phantom Blade Executioners to be released on all platforms in November

Continuing this trend of games with a dark side is Phantom Blade Executioners, an ARPG scheduled for release on all platforms in November. After several phases of testing, the title is gearing up for a full PC, console and mobile entry on November 2. This will be an opportunity to discover this dark fantasy game from Studio S Game before the arrival of the second title, Phantom Blade Zero, the sequel that has already been announced.

In-game, you can take on the role of one of four heroes with Wuxia skills, and create a veritable on-screen massacre if you get the timing just right. As you progress through the dungeons, learn to perform combos, accumulate equipment and optimize your Phantom Bonuses build in a hand-drawn universe, right from the release of Phantom Blade Executioners. Pre-register for Android here.

Release of Underground Blossom, the new Rust Lake mobile game starring Laura Vanderboom

Head for the metro with the release of Underground Blossom, the new game from Rusty Lake. This opus in the successful puzzle game series has been available as a free demo on stores since July, and now begins its real journey on our smartphones with its definitive release at €3.60 on Android and iOS. If you like atmospheric stories and puzzle phases, you'll love Underground Blossom and indeed the whole Rust Lake series.

Visit Laura Vanderboom 's memories in the depths of the metro that links her past, present and future in several timelines. In this point'n click adventure, solve puzzles and trace the life of a new member of the mysterious Vanderboom family. The game is available immediately on Google Play and Appstore.

Pre-registration opens for Soul Strike, a kawai idle from Com2uS

Korean giant Com2Us is preparing the release of a new game by opening pre-registrations for the colorful Idle RPG Soul Strike. Illustrated by relatively cute graphics for a farm game, Soul Strike plays the AFK card to the full, with an addictive progression system. Strengthen your character over the levels, kill as many mobs as possible and customize your experience by unlocking new collectibles. Soul Strike is a classic Korean idle with a chibi feel, available for pre-registration on Android and iOS.

Storyteller released as a Netflix game to become a diabolical narrator

Have you ever dreamed of being able to create your own little comic book story? If so, you're in for a treat with Storyteller, the new Netflix mobile game released this week on your subscription to the SVOD service.

Storyteller revolves around a rather unique gameplay mechanic: the level gives you the result you need to achieve, e.g. "The queen kills all the men in the castle", and you have to fill in a limited number of squares with the characters and scenes available to achieve this result. Sometimes, things get a little more complicated with secondary objectives and little challenges. It's a game I've really enjoyed testing out, and offers a series of extra achievements to unlock for tryharders craving replayability. Storyteller is only available in English, but with one short sentence per level it's well within everyone's reach, so if you like original puzzle games and have a Netflix subscription, go ahead and download it from the Playstore or Appstore. You'll have a great time racking your brains.

Ubisoft believes in the meteoric rise of cloud gaming, like Netflix and its breakthrough in streaming.

We take a detour into the industry with an interview with Yves Guillemot in the Financial Times. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says the company believes cloud gaming will take off in the next few years, and discusses his investment in Microsoft as part of the deal to acquire Activision Blizzard King. For those who haven't been following, the deal was blocked by the CMA, the UK's acquisition regulator. In order to increase the chances of getting the deal approved, Microsoft changed its acquisition proposal by reaching an agreement with Ubisoft on cloud gaming.

To avoid Microsoft's monopoly in this field, the Redmond-based company is giving Ubisoft the cloud rights to all Activision Blizzard games released over the next 15 years, for a secret financial sum. Ubisoft justifies this deal by comparing cloud gaming to the explosion of streaming thanks to Netflix, which could explode overnight. I'm not necessarily convinced by this explanation, because not everyone has a great connection, whereas most new machines, even laptops, can afford to run AAA games locally. It's going to take more than Ubisoft to turn the tide!

Soccer Manager 2024 mobile release calls on players to manage their own clubs

This week, Invincibles Studio releases Soccer Manager 2024. The license with 60 million fans returns with a new opus featuring over 900 official clubs, international team management, global tournaments, transfers and improved animations. The game stays on its solid foundations, with big licensing deals such as the German Football League to keep it as close to reality as possible. Fine-tune your tactics, manage your club or one of today's most famous teams, and develop your stadium like K-Corp and its Evry arena, due to arrive in 2024.

Release of metroidvania Elderland at €4.5 on stores

The mobile medium has no shortage of excellent metroidvanias. A new title has been added to the list with the release of Elderland on the stores. Brutal and edgy, this pixel-art title draws its inspiration from Lovecraftian horror to create a bestiary and universe full of madness. Darkness dominates in this 2D metroidvania RPG that mixes platforming, action and boss battles with different types of creatures and loot that lets you adapt your playstyle with varied skills, stats and weapons. All in pixel art, Elderland invites you into its nightmarish world on Android and iOS for just under 7 euros.

Archetype Arcadia set for Western release

The visual novel Archetype Arcadia is finally coming to the West. For the moment, the title has been announced in English for Playstation, but it has also been available as a mobile version in Japan since 2022. Since the story is the heart of a visual novel, is Archetype original? Not really: a disease has all but wiped out the human race, and the symptoms are horrible nightmares and certain death. You play as Rust, who must enter a virtual world to find answers about the reality of the disease through 8 chapters, boss battles, narrative choices and different endings. The story of Original Syndrome is divided into sections, with each character bringing a new perspective to the problem. Archetype Arcadia doesn't yet have a mobile release date, but will land on Playstation 4 and 5 and Nintendo Switch on October 24.

The Elder Scrolls: Castles enters early access on Android in selected regions

Have you heard about the new Elder Scrolls? The Edler Scrolls: Castles? No, you haven't? Well, Bethesda's game has just entered early access on Android in the U.S. and Canada. I watched the trailer and let's just say it didn't really inspire me. It looks like the same formula as Fallout Shelter or Hustle Castle, with no particular innovation.

Basically, it's a side-view game that lets you manage your castle and your dynasty. Manage your subjects, heirs and resources by making the right choices. Every day IRL is a year in the game, with its quests, heroes and challenges. The Elder Scrolls: Castles is in early access and doesn't yet have a definitive release date, but it will remain a pocket-sized game of storytelling and personalization in the heart of your own little castle.

13 minutes of gameplay from Breakers Unlock the World offers an in-depth look at the world of this anime RPG.

The Breakers Unlock the World RPG, which I mentioned last week, reveals a little more this week with a 13-minute gameplay trailer. Vic Games Studios presents an anime RPG very similar to Genshin Impact , with a cinematic quality, deep quests, an environment that calls for exploration and a well-worked immersion. We don't know if it'll make it to Europe, but we'd love to!

Tangle Tower adventure released outside Apple Arcade

SFB Games puts its Tangle Tower game back in the hands of the public. After a release on Apple Arcade at the launch of the Apple service, Tangle Tower is finally being released as a normal premium game on Playstore and Appstore. This puzzle game makes you the investigator in a murder story set in a strange mansion. Tangle Tower is played in point-and-click mode, with puzzles to solve and dialogues to interpret to shed light on the story of each suspect.

Hand-drawn and highly rated since its release, Tangle Tower has no shortage of personality and humor. Each suspect is given a full voice-over and a distinct personality, even in the French translation. Tangle Tower is available for 6 euros on store shelves. With this, Rusty Lake and Storyteller, puzzle games have had a great week! I'd even recommend adding the incredible Return to Monkey Island to your basket.

ASTRA: Knights of Veda beta from October 8 to 23

If you're the kind of person who likes to test games before anyone else, you'll want to note the dates of October 8 and 23 for Astra Knights of Veda's beta period. The trailer for the Android and PC beta unveils digital cartoon graphics that give this 2D action game a strange style. Here, studio FLINT attempts to bring a little variety to the classic beat 'em up gameplay, but returns to its basics with nerve-racking action, dodges, skills and weapons that turn you into a deadly powerhouse.

The dark fantasy universe is dominated by the mad king Magnus, who is leading the world of Planis to its doom. In this madness, a tree of death is growing, causing cannibalism and monster metamorphosis for the inhabitants, but the goddess Veda has chosen you and other heroes to restore order. So get ready to fight solo or in co-op for up to 4 players, against bosses, the undead, other players and monsters. Registration is open on the official Astra Knights of Veda website, and the game is due for release by the end of the year.

Release of Subpar Pool on October 12

If you're a long-time mobile gamer, you're bound to have come across 8-Ball Pool at one time or another. This week, we discover Subpar Pool, a new twist on the genre that mixes billiards and golf for added fun. On the board, each level generates procedural ball placement. You have to manage to get the balls into the hole in a limited number of shots, and the fewer you do, the better you are, just like in golf. Subpar Pool adds dynamism with an upgrade card system and game modes, priced at 5 euros on Playstore and Appstore from October 12.

Metria pre-registration opens

I know some people are sick of seeing RPGs in recaps, but Asobimo, Inc. has just opened pre-registration for Metria. Made by the creatures of Iruna Online, this new RPG blends inspirations between Genshin and classic J-RPGs like the Tales of series. All in 3D, the game lets you control a trio of characters between whom you can switch in the midst of battle with simple swipes and taps on the screen. Metria alternates between cut scenes and real-time battles in its recently completed alpha, and the game is available for pre-registration on the stores.

Jump Assemble enters closed beta in the Philippines

DeNA launches the closed beta of its long-awaited MOBA. JUMP Assemble is coming to the Philippines for players who were quick and lucky enough to gain access. In game, you play as one of the iconic Shonen Jump heroes such as Naruto Usumaki, Monkey D Luffy, Yuji Itadori or Son Goku in a very classic MOBA formula. I haven't had a chance to try it out, but I saw that some people were raving about it on the Mobi.gg Discord, so we'll keep an eye on it until it's released!

Early access to Rise of Cyber in Mexico, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand

Do you prefer science fiction to medfans? Well, Rise of Cyber is starting a test phase in Mexico, Argentina and Oceania. In 2177, the Cyber Age is at its height, as virtual viruses disrupt the world, and only Skyfall City survives thanks to heroes like you and your VPN.

Basically, Rise of Cyber plays like a gacha RPG, with a composition, heroes to level up and stuff, synergies and different types of challenge to overcome. This title developed by Pixel Rabbit Limited is available in these regions on Android but not on iOS, so if you're on iOS, you'll have to be patient to discover it.

The Walking Dead Match 3 launches pre-registration

In addition to Soul Strike, Korean publisher Com2uS announces pre-registration access to The Walking Dead Match 3. The zombie apocalypse meets Candy Crush in this half-action, half-puzzle casual title. Like other titles before it, The Walking Dead Match-3 lets you assemble a team of heroes, each corresponding to a color tile in your match-3, and make matches of their color to activate their power. Personally, I like this formula in other games, so why not take advantage of a big license like The Walking Dead to try it out.

Spongebob Adventures: In a Jam released on Android and iOS

Spongebob Adventures: In a Jam is released on Android and iOS this week. Welcome to Bikini Bottom with Bob and his companions. Repair locations, grow food and enjoy casual adventures with collectible items. You can get help from your friends, unlock animals, enjoy the license's humor, and explore familiar cartoon locations right now in Spongebob Adventures: In a Jam.

Pre-registration for Shield Hero: RISE

We've got lots of pre-registrations and far fewer releases this week. The other title launching pre-registration this week is Shield Hero: Rise, based on the anime of the same name. The anime's original story in which you have to fight against the tide of monsters. In this gacha RPG, you'll be reunited with Ishikawa, Hidaka, Seto and other voice-over characters to enjoy the Japanese isekai adventure. Prepare your legendary equipment and remember to pre-register for Shield Hero: Rise before the game's release.

News zapping

Several major news items didn't get a full segment in the recap, but I'm going to take a look at a few of them in a quick zap.

• Honkai Star Rail and TapNation surpass $1 billion in revenues and $1 billion in downloads, respectively;
• The Battle of Polytopia surpasses 20M downloads;
• Fried chicken is in the spotlight with the partnership between PUBG and KFC ;
• War expands on mobile in the Warpath and Metal Slug 3 crossover;
• It's already the 20th anniversary of Candy Crush and the opening of the 15,000th level, so watch out for cavities;
• In terms of updates, Skull Girls, Black Desert and CRK have brought a maximum of new content to their players and Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis has added an extra chapter to its story with young Sephiroth ;
• Puzzup Amitoi was released in match-3;
• Russel Brower will finally compose the music for Tarisland, and we can't wait to hear it;
• P2E Icarus M: Guild War is coming to iOS on October 18 ;
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf will be withdrawn from stores on October 11th ;
• Brown Dust 2 celebrates its 100th day with rewards in-game;
• And for fans of HoYoverse games, Honkai Star Rail 1.4 arrives on October 11.

That's the end of review number 127, so we'll see you next week for new adventures on mobile!