Category: Video games

Classic JRPG Chrono Trigger Hits Apple TV

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Things have been pretty quiet around these parts the last couple weeks, with the second half of February shaping up to be slim pickings for Apple TV gaming news. But today, the last day of the month, Square Enix came through with the goods.

In Game Informer Magazine’s Top 100 RPGs of All Time, published in 2017, Chrono Trigger was placed at number three, sitting behind only Final Fantasy 6 and Skyrim respectively. Many would argue Chrono Trigger to be the best JRPG ever made.

Today it hit Apple TV.

Mash the page 2 button below for more.

Alto’s Odyssey – Are Auto-Runners And Consoles A Good Mix?

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Update: Public service announcement – Alto’s Odyssey is out now for Apple TV.

Original Story: We were musing recently about developers implementing different ways of traversing levels in games; methods of traversal that play to the strengths of the platform those games are on. The use of teleportation in VR to alleviate motion sickness is a good modern example.

In the years immediately following the release of Apple’s App Store in 2008, auto-runners hit something of a golden age, with touchscreens providing the perfect input method for the genre, allowing a form of 2D platforming without the need for physical controls.

Auto-runners as full-blown console games though? Not so sure.

Hit the page 2 button below for more.

Spoiler Alert: Here Is An Entire Play-Through Of VAST – The Star On No Map

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Okay so this is going to make me sound old, but I’m really not a fan of gameplay videos. Trailers? Sure. But entire play-throughs of levels and games are just not my bag. I’m of the antiquated opinion that games were meant to be played, not watched.

But Grandpappy, how are we supposed to know if a game is any good if we don’t watch someone play through the whole thing first? 

Well kid, back in the day, games writers used to write with passion, not these technical manuals they crank out now and call reviews, so we’d actually read their work.

Also, we weren’t quite so cynical back then; we’d happily buy into the right amount of hype, and weren’t afraid of taking the occasional chance. Getting burnt every now and then helped us appreciate the highs.

But Grandpappy…

Shut up and go wash the car kid! Can’t you see I’m trying to write a piece for ATVG here?!

F@&k you Grandpappy!

Hit the page 2 button below for more.

Dandara – Gravity Defying 2D Platformer Hits Apple TV

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Here’s a mouthful: Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Steam, Android, iOS…and Apple TV.

Brazilian studio Long Hat House – with publisher Raw Fury – went all out today, releasing Dandara to every conceivable platform. We’re pretty glad over at ATVG that Apple TV wasn’t left alone by the wall without a dance partner this time, because Dandara brings an interesting traversal mechanic to the table, woven into what looks like a quality 2D platformer.

Hit the page 2 button below for more.

Bring You Home Looks Like Framed Minus The Noir

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Australian studio Loveshack Entertainment brought a novel game mechanic to its noir-themed crime puzzler Framed – that of sliding panels to find the right order in which to be able to progress your character through a scene without dying. You can check out our review of Framed’s excellent sequel right here, which we also included in our Best Apple TV Games of 2017.

Judging from the trailer embedded over on page 2, Spanish developer – Alike Studio – seems to have employed a similar mechanic in its recently released Bring You Home, although replacing the noir crime theme of Framed with a cutesy cartoon vibe.

And it looks adorable.

Mash the page 2 button below for more.

Impressions: Sky – Candle In The Wind

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Since the servers went live today at 11am (east coast of Australia), I’ve been counting myself lucky to be among those invited to test Sky, as it really is a beautiful gift to gaming from the studio that brought us Journey.

As with Journey, thatgamecompany has created an experience that begs screenshots, and I thought it’s time to come down from the clouds for a time, charge my iPhone, and share some of the rarefied air this studio is capable of conjuring.

All the shots over on page 2, and the one above, were taken in-game on my iPhone 5S (I know, I’m really overdue for an upgrade). This current test build is, unfortunately, not playable on Apple TV, and after spending a few hours with it, I’m convinced that the big screen is where Sky will truly shine. It’s almost a pity to cage it within a small screen only a few inches large.

But beggars can’t be choosers, and I’m happy to have gotten this glimpse. With the taste I’ve already had, I’m actually tempted to leave it at that, and save any further discoveries for the big screen. We’ll see. The servers on this test build won’t be open for long, maybe I should enjoy as much of it as I can while it lasts.

Mash the page 2 button below for a screenshot essay on Sky as I’ve seen it so far.

We’ll Know A Lot More About Sky This Weekend. We’ll Have Played It.

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A very welcome surprise landed in ATVG’s inbox this morning – an invitation to play a test build of thatgamecompany’s highly anticipated follow up to Journey – Sky.

Those of you who were quick to sign up to the email registration on the studio’s site a few weeks back, will have also received your invitations via email, with thatgamecompany promising another email with further instructions to come within 24 hours.

Exciting times.

Hit the page 2 button below for more.

Trials Frontier’s Dakar Rally Challenge Is Brutal, But Fun

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Update: Hmmm, my apologies for the late call on this update, but it seems what I thought was leg one, is actually leg six. Legs one through five are actually expired. No wonder I’ve been finding it such tough going. Sorry folks. Enjoy the remainder of leg six!

Original Story: When putting together ATVG’s Best Apple TV Games of 2017 list, I had a tough decision to make.

Trials Frontier could easily be described as a physics-based 2D platform game, due to its reliance on momentum, and the mechanic of shifting your rider’s wait forward and back. Braking, and sometimes going backwards to the left, is often just as important as barreling forward at breakneck speeds.

Then again, you’re on wheels, within a game full of speed trials. Hell, there is even a black and white chequered flag at the end of each stage.

In the end, I went with putting Trials Frontier into the racing category.

The point of this is to make it clear that the key to success in Redlynx’s Trials Frontier, is knowing when to stop, and this week’s free Dakar Rally update will give players plenty of practice doing just that.

Hit the page 2 button below for more.

New Screenshots From Oceanhorn 2: Knights Of The Lost Realm Revealed

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Wow, has it been 12 months already? Well, almost. We posted this story way back on the 29th of January 2017, revealing the studio behind Oceanhorn 2 was targeting Apple TV as one of its platforms.

While iOS has so far been the only confirmed platform for day one release, I reached out to Cornfox & Bros. today to get confirmation that Apple TV was still safely within its crosshairs. The reply I received was encouraging, as are the new screenshots unveiled today depicting one of Oceanhorn 2’s central locations – the city of Capital.

Hit the page 2 button below for a peak.