Fanta is going through a rebrand, and as part of the changes, the Coca-Cola-owned beverage has launched a mobile game.
Dubbed “Fanta Ride n Sip,” the game is only playable from mobile browsers and has you controlling trying to prevent a cup of Fanta Orange from spilling on a rollercoaster.
Yes, you read that right. In practice, this means you’ll have to tilt your phone left and right to keep a pointer within a constantly moving green metre.
All in all, it’s a pretty basic game, but it does net you a coupon at the end depending on your score. In my case, I got a voucher for $0.75 off a 500mL bottle through the Checkout 51 app. If you, too, want to ride the Fanta Coaster, visit fantaridensip.ca.
Seattle-based developer A Sharp has unveiled Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out, a sequel to 2018’s Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind.
Published by Montreal’s Kitfox Games, Lights Going Out will offer players more turn-based, storybook strategy combat. While the sequel is a standalone experience, players can import their saves from Ride Like the Wind to carry over some choices.
Set during the end of the world, Lights Going Out tasks players with making decisions that will determine the fate of a small clan. This includes managing the group’s relationship with the remaining gods and their followers by making offerings, building altars and more. In total, A Sharp says there are over 500 interactive scenes with multiple, system-driven outcomes.
Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out will release on iOS and Steam this summer.
In the game, you play as a young King Arthur who must recruit allies to aid him on a perilous quest. Throughout this journey, players will be able to build a roster of characters that draw from Arthurian legend, including knights, mages and rogues. You’ll then be able to use them as a party in turn-based combat. The game also supports full 3D visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5, the latest version of Fortnite maker Epic Games’ popular development engine.
Notably, Legends Rise is coming to Android, iOS and Steam, marking the first time that the Canadian developer has done a simultaneous mobile and PC release. Cross-play will also be supported between platforms.
“Kabam has a rich history and proven track record of launching fun and enduring games on mobile — including Marvel Contest of Champions, Disney Mirrorverse, and Shop Titans — but as we look to the future, enabling our players to experience cross-platform progression and play is an essential part of what we want to offer our players,” said SeungWon Lee, Kabam CEO, in a statement. “King Arthur: Legends Rise represents the first game for this new direction.”
Kabam says more information on the game, including release timing, will be revealed later this year. Those interested in signing up for updates can do so here. Pre-registration is also now open on Steam.
Tomb Raider Reloaded is simultaneously a rock-solid mobile experience and everything that’s wrong with smartphone games.
Instead of being a curated premium title like the excellent Lara Croft Go, Reloaded is a free-to-play top-down action roguelike. This means that Lara will clear out procedurally-generated areas while avoiding traps and collecting loot.
That all works surprisingly well — which isn’t too surprising, considering it hails from Burnaby, B.C.’s Emerald City Games and Montreal’s Onoma (formerly Square Enix Montreal), in partnership with main Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics. Now, I’m not normally someone who enjoys the “start over each time you die” nature of roguelikes, but it actually fits in Reloaded. Here, Lara will always start out with her signature dual handguns, and you’ll collect upgrades after each stage to affect everything from their rate of fire and damage to one-time health-replenishing bonuses and permanent gear upgrades.
And at the centre of that gameplay loop is a simple Vampire Survivors-esque one-button control scheme in which you control Lara’s movement while she shoots automatically. In this way, it feels natural and well-optimized for mobile. At times, Lara’s auto-targeting can frustratingly snap to an unintended enemy, but ultimately, it’s a smart way to streamline the action. There’s an undeniable thrill in avoiding incoming attacks in bullet-hell-like action.
The game also uses the Tomb Raider license in subtler but nonetheless effective ways. Keeley Hawes (Tomb Raider: Anniversary) returns to voice Lara, while series familiars like Winston and Werner Von Croy and the City of Vilcabamba and Lost Valley make appearances. I could do without the Chibi-style aesthetic, though, which feels like an odd fit for Tomb Raider.
The biggest issue with Tomb Raider Reloaded, however, is its monetization. This is a problem for many mobile games, to be sure, but it’s especially troublesome here. In particular, Reloaded has an egregious ‘energy’ system that limits how much you can play unless, you guessed it, you spend real money. It feels extremely dated in a 2023 game, creating needless friction to an otherwise fine experience.
In fact, there are over 10 types of currencies (including Coins, Gems, Tokens and Manuals) that are used for miscellaneous upgrades, gear unlocks, bonuses and more. Considering the appealing approachability of the core gameplay, it’s frustrating that everything surrounding it has become so muddled by monetization.
That said, there is a workaround. The entire experience, sans all of these in-app purchases, is available through Netflix Games. In other words, anyone with a Netflix subscription can download Reloaded at no additional cost. If you haven’t been planning to cancel the service due to its recent password-sharing crackdown, it’s far easier to recommend. That way, you can enjoy the simple-yet-engaging gameplay without the annoying monetization.
Tomb Raider Reloaded can be downloaded for free on Android and iOS or through Netflix Games.
Tomb Raider Reloaded will release on Android and iOS on February 14th, 2023. The game soft-launched in some Asian markets in 2021, but this marks its official wide release.
Reloaded was developed by Burnaby, B.C.’s Emerald City Games and Montreal’s Onoma (formerly Square Enix Montreal) in partnership with main Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics. Onoma’s involvement is particularly notable since the team, best known for acclaimed mobile titles like Lara Croft Go, was shut down in November shortly after being acquired by Embracer Group.
For the uninitiated, Reloaded is an isometric action-adventure game featuring roguelike elements. This means that throughout each run, Lara Croft will acquire new perks like XP modifiers and outfit-upgrading manuals to enhance her abilities.
Meanwhile, Crystal Dynamics is promising daily and weekly challenges like Temple of the Sun, a Gears of War-style ‘Horde Mode’ in which Lara must face waves of enemies.
On the whole, Crystal Dynamics intends for the game to be a celebration of the Tomb Raider‘s history after the game was delayed out of 2022, which marked the series’ 25th anniversary. To that point, Reloaded features veteran Lara Croft voice actress Keeley Hawes (Tomb Raider: Anniversary), as well as returning characters like Winston, Anaya Imanu and Werner Von Croy. Grammy-nominated musician Tina Guo has also overseen orchestral recordings of classic Tomb Raider themes.
Tomb Raider Reloaded will be available on iOS and Android as a free download with in-app purchases, or through Netflix Games at no additional cost without ads or in-app purchases. Pre-registration is now available on iOS (via the game’s website) and Android.
Every month, Xbox brings new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
Normally, these come in two waves spanning the first and second halves of the month, but this time, the list begins at the end of January and spills over into early February. It seems like Xbox held the list for the special January 25th announcements that the GoldenEye remaster is coming this week and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks’ new game, Hi-Fi Rush, is actually launching on the 25th.
Read on for the full list. Note: ‘Cloud’ refers to a game that can be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming to a variety of devices, including Android and iOS.
Hi-Fi Rush (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/S) — January 25th
GoldenEye 007 (Console) — January 27th
Roboquest (Game Preview) (Console) — January 30th
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Cloud and Console) — January 31st
Inkulinati (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC) — January 31st
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R (Cloud, Console, and PC) — January 31st
Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC) — February 2nd
Grid Legends (Cloud) [EA Play] — February 2nd
Hot Wheels Unleashed – Game of the Year Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) — February 7th
Meanwhile, here’s what’s leaving the Xbox Game Pass catalogue:
Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Console and PC)
Telling Lies (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Worms WMD (Cloud, Console, and PC)
As always, Game Pass subscribers can take advantage of an exclusive 20 percent discount to purchase any game on the service and keep playing even after it leaves the catalogue.
An Xbox Game Pass subscription costs $11.99 CAD/month for either Console or PC, while a $16.99/month Game Pass Ultimate membership includes Game Pass for both Console and PC, Xbox Live Gold, EA Play and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Find out what came to Game Pass earlier this month here.
Square Enix RPG Various Daylife is now available on Android and iOS.
As a settler in the newly-discovered continent of Antoecia, players will have to embark on expeditions to uncover secrets and lucrative rewards. The game features a streamlined turn-based battle system and over 20 unique jobs for party members to take on.
Unlike most mobile games, Various Daylife is actually as a premium title for $28.99 CAD. Until February 28th, Square Enix is also offering a bonus digital artbook (which includes over 180 pages of behind-the-scenes artwork) alongside the purchase of the game.
Notably, Various Daylife was an Apple Arcade launch title in 2019, meaning it’s one of the few games that has left the service’s normally mobile-exclusive catalogue to date. The game, which was developed by staff who worked on acclaimed Square Enix RPGs Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler, also came to Nintendo Switch and PS4 last year.
Meanwhile, Octopath Traveler II is set to launch on PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and PC on February 23rd.
Developed by the company’s London mobile team in partnership with Vancouver’s Navigator Games (Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast), Avatar Generations is a free-to-play RPG set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
At launch, the game will retell Aang’s story from the Nickelodeon’s beloved animated series, with additional content updates adding chapters centred around The Legend of Korra and other characters.
You’ll be able to assemble a team of familiar faces, including Aang, Katara and Sokka, and face off in turn-based combat. Each character will have their own unique skills and progression paths.
Marvel Snap‘s long-awaited player vs. player (PvP) mode is finally set to launch on January 31st.
Developer Second Dinner confirmed the date in a new blog post regarding its first-ever ‘Series Drop,’ in which some Series 5 cards will move to Series 4 and Series 4 cards will become Series 3.
The launch of the ‘Battle Mode’ PvP feature is an exciting one, though, given that the game has lacked any such option since releasing in October. Until now, you’ve only been able to play online with random opponents, but PvP will allow you to set up private matches with friends.
Additionally, Battle Mode will only support matches between players in the same region to start. Global matchmaking will “come a bit later,” says Second Dinner.
Marvel Snap is available for free on Android and iOS.
Released in 2016, Deus Ex Go — alongside 2014’s Hitman Go and 2015’s Lara Croft Go — was a well-received puzzle mobile take on the iconic sci-fi series. Additionally, three other Onoma games will become inaccessible on January 4th: Hitman Sniper: The Shadows, the team’s final game, as well as Arena Battle Champions and Space Invaders: Hidden Heroes.
All four games will also be removed from the App Store and Google Play Store on December 1st. Embracer also says to use any in-app purchases you’ve made before January 4th, as they won’t be refunded.
Often, single-player games that are removed from digital storefronts will at least remain playable if they’re downloaded before the shutdown. It’s unclear why Embracer is opting to make the four Onoma titles completely unavailable, but it’s unfortunately another reminder that you don’t truly “own” digital games, as well as another example of the gaming industry’s preservation issues.
Per Bloomberg, some Onoma employees have been shifted over to sister Embracer team Eidos Montreal, the developer of last year’s acclaimed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. However, it’s unclear how many of the roughly 200 Onoma employees have been laid off.
