The global revenue of the electronic game industry is approaching $100 billion. One reason for that number is that there are so many ways to game: you may use a souped-up gaming computer, one of the latest consoles or a mobile device. Whether you regularly commit to weekend binges in your PJs, or prefer adventuring on your phone during your daily commute, gamers are spoiled for choice.
It is this abundance that breeds a unique dilemma: how do you find games that match your sensibilities when you’re moving from your stationary platform at night to your mobile device during the day or vice versa? Below are five game matches that help both the mobile maven and the console connoisseur find their next obsession.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 → Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 dropped just in time for the busy Christmas buying season. Like its predecessor, it’s an open-world action RPG. This time, however, players get to explore an all-new fantasy-land with a new set of characters led by protagonist Rex. It’s getting good reviews and offers about 70 hours of gameplay. But, unless you’re an actual game critic, you’re probably going to have to take breaks to go to work to maintain the part of your life that’s doesn’t involve epic, sprawling quests. Your ride to work may be long, but The Sensible Sedan Chronicles aren’t going to be lighting up Metacritic anytime soon. What is a gamer on the go to do?
Final Fantasy is as trusted a name as one can get among JRPG standards. Square Enix’s cash cow has brought gamers millions of hours of enjoyment, introduced legendary characters and genre-defining gameplay to adventure seekers for decades. With Brave Exvius, Square Enix partnered with Alim, creators of Brave Frontier, to create a unique gaming experience. Final Fantasy Brave Exvius boasts an impressive 4.6/5 star rating from players the world over. Also, it just got a shiny new update so it’s working better than ever.
Join Rain, a knight of the Kingdom of Grandshelt, and his party as they restore peace to an embattled kingdom. FFBE also doubles as a salve for those of us still waiting for the Final Fantasy VII remake.
No Man’s Sky → Space RPG 3
No Man’s Sky was perhaps the most anticipated game of 2016, but depending on whom you ask, it didn’t quite live up to the hype. Most criticism stemmed from disappointment in the lack of variation in the gameplay, which for some devolved into pointless grinding and resource mining. Another critique was the lonesome nature of its space exploration. Well, if you pick up Space RPG 3, you won’t have that problem, as it offers two main campaigns and scores of side missions.
The title certainly won’t win any awards for imagination, but its expansive universe full of action makes up for it. Based on Escape Velocity, a game published in 1996, the spirit of 90s computer RPGs is strong in Space RPG 3.
NBA Live → Basketball Stars
The most obvious choice for an NBA Live fan would be the NBA Live mobile game but you could figure that out on your own, and, besides, variety is the spice of life right? In Basketball Stars, you create a player and practice the art of shooting with accuracy and style. Then you can face off against another real-life person. Another feature that grounds this game is the betting mechanic. Money comes to you at regular intervals, and it’s up to you to grow your nest egg one basket at a time. Have your very own whirlwind scrappy scrub to king of the court storyline as you get better and better at making those shots!
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard → Last Day On Earth: Survival
Resident Evil is as synonymous with survival horror games as Final Fantasy is with JRPGs. This longstanding franchise has enjoyed success on many platforms and in multiple genres. It’s even spawned a popular film series that regularly breaks the video game movie curse. The latest game outing, Biohazard, shook up the formula a bit by favoring exploration and atmosphere over heart-stopping action like many of its predecessors.
Last Day on Earth: Survival drops you naked and alone, tasked with surviving a world gone mad. You craft weapons, build shelters, steal supplies, and kill loads of the undead. Not only are you fighting them, but you’re also up against other human survivors, the elements, and wild animals! Stress! You do, however, have the option of teaming up with friends in your crusade to stay alive and thrive. According to over a million players, this game is near perfect, so you have nothing to lose in giving this title a shot.
Hob → After the End: Forsaken Destiny
Ever since Donkey Kong was trying to brain a certain plumber with barrels before said plumber went all Hollywood and got his own franchise, platform games have captured the imaginations of many a gamer. It’s like a puzzle with peril, trying to figure out how to use the often-bonkers physical rules of an imagined environment to get to your objective and explore a new world.
Hob is a new platformer from Runic Games that is impressing folks on Steam for a fraction of a AAA-game price tag. It’s a beautiful adieu for a game studio that closed early last month. The art of Hob is vibrant; the environments shape themselves around your character’s machinations, and the story has a spiritual earthiness to it.
After the End: Forsaken Destiny was voted Google Play’s Most Innovative Game of 2017. The story takes shape as your character explores ruins, manipulates their surroundings, and builds totems to their ancestors. The gorgeous art, music, and sound design immerse you as you sink into this award-winning title’s depths.
So there you have it, 5 game matches and 10 games worth copping this year. Check some of them out if you haven’t already, new year, new games!
Brought to you by Google Play.
