StoryCut - Review
November 21, 2020 by RSS Feed
With the popularity of video clips, video editing tools on mobile are not in short supply. Such apps are often swamped with new features, including rich filters, special effects, cute stickers, variable speeds, rough cuts, and even adding recordings. It can often all be a bit much.
In that case, is there a video editing app that is powerful and comprehensive enough to cover all the features provided by existing video editing apps? The answer is – yes, StoryCut is the only video editing app you need on your phone. So if you’re a big fan of clip creation, try StoryCut, which allows you to quickly finish what you want and share it on your desired social media platform.
If you are an amateur, StoryCut also customizes the clip sizes suitable for various social platforms, such as Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube - so that you can share the clip with one click after making it. StoryCut has standard editing functions, such as video cut and filters. It’s worth looking at the features in StoryCut that are absent from most editing apps.
PIP
PIP (picture in picture) allows you to merge images with a video. When we tried to overlay an image of a starry sky with my portrait, we saw an incredible double exposure. Using the green screen matting feature, we placed a video in a Jurassic Park scene, and created a Hollywood-style effect.
Keyframe
Keyframe is a dominant feature of StoryCut, a feature previously only available in professional clipping tools on the PC. In this feature, you only need to set a few keyframes to make any material move according to the trajectory you set. For example, if you want the object to move in sync with a moving car, you just need to add two keyframes. This feature can even achieve special effects like those seen in science fiction movies.
Effects
StoryCut offers a vast number of popular effects for short video platforms. Add an old TV frame to the video, or a gold dust effect can give you a dreamlike image. There are also some split-screen effects you can utilise.
Speed
You might think that video speed adjustment is a regular feature - but StoryCut can increase the speed by eight times, with many similar apps only offering half that. We imported a video of some skateboarding and got amazing results after adjusting the speed and combining it with the reverse play function.
Adjust
StoryCut contains 18 fine adjustment parameters, which can make up for the shortage of filters, saving the poorest videos that even filters cannot do anything about. I imported a video taken on a cloudy day with poor lighting, for example, but found that even with a filter, I could not get a nice color. Then I turned on the image quality adjustment. After a series of parameter adjustments, including brightness, sharpness, contrast, saturation enhancement, and color temperature reduction, the video looked brand-new, just like the image quality of a movie, and the clarity was significantly improved.
Very satisfactory results were obtained.
The Good
As detailed above, StoryCut has everything. You can perform every edit imaginable, and the interface is intuitive
enough to allow you to do it in no time at all. It’s entirely conceivable that you could have a video or slideshow with sound effects, cuts, transition, custom audio, double-exposure effects, and picture-in-picture ready in under five minutes.
For the most part, the effects and filters are tasteful and stylish, too, so StoryCut will let you turn out productive, high-quality content at speed. Curious prospective video editors could easily spend hours experimenting with all the tools and functions on offer, some of which are surprisingly advanced.
While tools like Instagram and your phone’s camera software will enable you to apply basic filters and stickers and so on, none of them contains anything like the depth of functionality available in StoryCut. In that sense, the app emphatically earns its place as an advanced, bespoke video tool.
The Bad
StoryCut can recognize voices to generate subtitles. With one tap, you will see subtitles auto-generated from the voices in your clips. For now, this feature is only supported on Android, but we hope the dev team will implement this feature on iOS sooner so users can also enjoy the ease of subtitling that the app provides.
Check out StoryCut via the App Store (and Google Play) and also its official site, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channels.
Overall
StoryCut is a comprehensive and intuitive video and picture editing app. VIP users will get the most out of it, as long as they don’t mind being subscribers rather than owners, but anyone looking for a richer alternative to Instagram should check it out.
8.3
OVERALL
iPhone Integration 9
Lasting appeal 8.1
User Interface 8
Is engaging 8.2
Does it well 8.3
StoryCut - Video Editor &Maker
Wenzhou XunChi Digital Technology Co., Ltd.
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MovieMusic Review
November 21, 2020 by RSS Feed
Music is a more powerful storytelling tool than most people realize. It’s the vital seasoning that makes every movie, TV show, advertisement, and internet video meme work how it should, manipulating your emotions in exactly the right way.
The problem is, using an existing piece of music involves paying exorbitant fees or drawing on classical pieces that everybody has already heard a trillion times.
MovieMusic aims to solve that problem for you by providing a library of compositions that you can dip into for every conceivable dramatic context.
These tracks, which have been written by a company of jobbing professional composers and performed by a live orchestra, tend to be around a minute long. They fall into 70+ albums, with titles like “Attractive”, “Badness”, “Excitement”, “Light”, “Christmas”, and so on.
The tracks themselves have titles too. In the “Love” album, for instance, you’ll find “Bond”, “Bliss”, “Longing”, “Intimacy”, and more. Each album contains 30 tracks, meaning there are over 2000 in all.
There are a couple of chapters of Orchestral Tools as well - subtle accents to create mood rather than full-blown musical compositions.
The first two tracks in each chapter are free, while the remaining 28 cost 99c a pop. The reason MovieMusic is able to sell its music so cheaply is that the files are restricted to a bitrate of 128kbs, and the tracks are licensed for personal, non-commercial use. So if you’re looking for a cheap way to score your next Hollywood project, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
The Good
MovieMusic is simple to use and it works surprisingly well. The Christmas music sounds Christmassy, the Comedy music sounds suitably quirky and upbeat (think Curb Your Enthusiasm), and the Disgusting music, somehow, sounds disgusting.
A bit of imagination is required when it comes to the individual track names, such as “Baking” (“Bright pizzicato helps show off the intricacies of the expert in full flow”), but on the whole MovieMusic provides snippets of music that intuitively belong in their categories and do what they’re supposed to do.
Every single one of the app’s 2000+ tracks is in the same key and tempo, too, so you can in principle blend them into a seamless orchestral score. It’s very clever.
This really helps when navigating the 2000+ tracks, as does the simple preview - or “audition” - facility that lets you listen to each track in full before deciding whether to spend money on it.
It’s also worth mentioning that each track in MovieMusic has three versions: Cinematic (the default), Intimate, and Modern. While the quality levels of the different versions naturally vary according to the track, in general we find that Cinematic is the one to go for.
MovieMusic has a seamlessly simple interface. You just choose a chapter, pick a song, and tap the play icon to listen. Once you buy and download a song you’re given the option of sharing it via iMessage, WhatsApp, Mail, or even opening it in iMovie or another video-editing program. It couldn’t be easier.
The Bad
While MovieMusic’s interface is intuitive and easy to use, its presentation is functional rather than enjoyable.
You could argue that the same applies to the music itself. This isn’t a criticism of the compositions, all of which sound polished and professional. But the wall-to-wall orchestral arrangements don’t reflect the breadth and variety of music right now.
There’s a bit of digital percussion overlaid on the tracks in Modern mode, but few other nods to contemporary musical styles. If you’re looking for a traditional sound, it’s perfect. Otherwise, you may struggle to find what you’re looking for - even in the Technology chapter.
Overall
MovieMusic is a slightly odd proposition. While asset libraries are usually for commercial use, this one is just for fun.
But it’s a fun tool that will add a pleasing sheen to your personal and non-commercial YouTube videos. It’s incredibly easy to use, too, and it contains a generous supply of musical morsels.
8.4
OVERALL
User Interface 9
Lasting appeal 8.4
iPhone Integration 8.5
Is engaging 8.1
Does it well 8
MovieMusic | Music For Videos
Gothic Projects
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Athenion: Tactical CCG Review
November 21, 2020 by RSS Feed
Athenion might not have the pedigree of some other deck-building card games available for mobile, but that shouldn't put you off. This is a game that's packed full of bright ideas, fresh new gameplay modes and enough content that you can lose hours of your life to.
Battles take place on a 4x4 grid, and see you taking it in turns with your opponent to lay down cards. You draw up to five cards from your deck of forty at the start of every turn.
These are the units you're playing in the fight, and they range from hulking monsters to flighty fairies, from magical trees to fearsome undead dragons.
Your cards have arrows on them that you show you which direction they can attack. You'll also notice a bunch of other numbers on the cards. These let you know the hit points a card has, how powerful its attack is and how many soul points it grants you.
Those soul points let you attack your opponent and they're the key to victory. The first player to lose all of their own hit points is the loser.
There's a lot more going on than that though. For one thing you need to pick from one of six different factions before you even get to the fights.
These factions have different strengths and weaknesses and figuring out which of them best suits the way you want to play is the first step of a pretty long journey.
Different factions have different special moves as well. Some let you link together cards to make them more powerful, others are all about sacrificing weaker units to create pockets of dark magical energy. One lets you build giant rock walls that you can use to protect some of your units or power up others.
There are single-player challenges, regular events and much, much more as well. You're never short of something to do in Athenion, and the pace of the matches lets you get a lot of them in in a single setting.
The Good
There's a staggering amount of depth to Athenion. It's going to take you a good while to get to grips with the basics and once you've done that there are layers and layers to peel back. Every time you win you'll figure out a new strategy and every time you lose you'll be trying to find a way to right that wrong.
The game looks amazing too. The cards all sport a brilliant anime art-style and you'll want to collect all of them just so you can check them out. The speed of the fights is a massive plus too - they deliver huge chunks of tactical action in the sort of short-blast sessions that are perfect for mobile play.
On top of that there's a brilliant community to the game, and you never have to wait long to find an online battle. There are a number of different modes that let you practice with different decks, take part in intriguing events and fight it out in ranked and casual multiplayer matches.
The Bad
There's a pretty steep learning curve here, so if you're not in for the long haul then you might be better finding your card-based fun somewhere else. Even when you've got the basics down you've still got a lot to learn and it can be punishing to come up against an opponent who knows more than you do.
There are also a lot of currencies, crafting materials and other rewards to figure out. The game does tell you what they do, but the tutorials are pretty brief and you're left on your own for a lot of the time to try and get to the bottom of things.
Overall
Athenion might not be the easiest game to understand, but once things start clicking it becomes something really rather special. There are some brilliant ideas here and they're woven into a bright tapestry of gorgeous visuals and wonderfully paced mobile play.
It won't be to everyone's taste, and it's fair to say that some players are going to put it down before they've even got to the good bits, but this is one CCG that it's well worth sticking with.
8.2
OVERALL
Replayability 8.1
Game Controls 8.2
Graphics 8.7
Sound/Music 8.2
Gameplay 7.8
Athenion: Tactical CCG
ZERO-bit Company Limited
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"Ooh, the Claw!" Lives On With Part Time UFO
November 21, 2020 by RSS Feed
Part Time UFO ($3.99) by Hal Laboratory is a charming little arcade game that is sure to win you over with personality and wholesome fun. If you enjoyed other games like Orbia and Trick Shot 2, then you'll enjoy what Part Time UFO brings to the table.
While I've gone through a lot of games during my time here at AppAdvice, I think the ones that have the most charm and personality are my favorites. That's because they stand out from the rest and are rather memorable among all the competition on the App Store. While browsing the App Store for some fresh material, I stumbled on Part Time UFO being featured on the front page. I was intrigued by the visuals and concept of the game, so I had to check it out. Needless to say, I'm not disappointed.
Orbia
JOX Development LLC
Trick Shot 2
Jonathan Topf
In terms of visuals, Part Time UFO is delightful with it's Nitrome-like pixel art style. Everything is rendered in 2D but still incredibly detailed. The various character sprites, including your own little UFO alien, are cute and breathe life into the game. Part Time UFO's color palette sports a nice range of bright and vibrant hues that are appealing to the eyes. And the way the costume pieces affect your UFO are just downright adorable. Animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus with no lag whatsoever. The soundtrack is also whimsical and bustling with character, and the sound effects are a nice touch on top of it all. Overall, Part Time UFO is just lovely with the visual and audio design.
Like other arcade style games out there, Part Time UFO is level-based, but you need to hold a certain number of medals in order to unlock more stages. The game starts off with a farmer transporting a load of oranges when he sees a bright and shiny unidentified object in the distance (you, the UFO alien), and ends up crashing and the cargo is everywhere. The alien shows up, and the farmer gives you a lecture about how you should earn your keep and help him get his oranges back in the truck.
You do so (this is the tutorial), and he ends up paying you, though it's clear you don't know what being paid means. But now that you got the hang of it, you're going around as an alien with a claw arm (think of the claw machine games in arcades) and looking for work through the classifieds. Each job counts as a level, and you can earn up to three medals by completing the secret objectives, which are shown before you start the job. You'll need a certain number of medals to gain access to the next page of jobs, so the objectives aren't just for show.
The controls in Part Time UFO are simple and intuitive, and there are two methods, giving players choice. The default method involves a virtual joystick in the bottom left, which you use to control the UFO's movement. The button in the bottom right allows the claw to be lowered to grab items and let whatever you have go. It's straightforward enough.
The other method lets players enjoy Part Time UFO with just one hand. The setting is in the options, and the one-handed controls are even easier. You move around by swiping your finger, and just tap anywhere on the screen to activate the claw mechanism. Personally, I felt that it's easier to move with the one-handed controls, whereas the joystick felt a tad restrictive and felt slower.
Each job involves a different task, but they all require the use of your awesome claw arms to be successful. For example, the first stage involves getting all of the orange cargo back on the truck. The second stage involves building a structure with straight pillars and a roof. And the third job has you catching a certain number of fish and loading them onto the boat.
There's opportunities to earn up to three medals on each job if you can meet all objectives. By default you earn a medal for completion, but the other two need you to pay attention to what they are and try to do them. Because of this, you may need to replay a stage a few times before you obtain all medals.
Upon completion of each job, your little alien gets paid with precious gold coin. These coins can be spent in the shop for various outfits. Some are just to look fancy, but others have some useful effects that can make jobs easier. But regardless, each new costume makes your hard-working alien cuter than ever before. And while some outfits may seem a bit pricey, you can do jobs over again for quick cash.
Play as a cute UFO with a claw that is ready to do a variety of odd jobs.
The Good
Part Time UFO is a fun and challenging little arcade game that will no doubt delight people of all ages. It's hard to resist such a lovable little alien who just wants to earn his keep on planet Earth, and hey, if you got it (that claw arm, that is), then you should work it! The sound is great, and both control methods work out well and give you choice. There's a lot of jobs to do, and the replay value here is pretty high since you need medals to unlock more jobs and there are useful outfits to obtain.
The Bad
Honestly, there's not really anything bad about this game. It's unique, has an interesting concept and execution, and works out incredibly well. In fact, I wish there were more games like this.
The verdict
I only found Part Time UFO by chance, but I'm so glad I did. The graphics are sweet and enchanting, the sound design is amazing, and the controls are responsive. It does take some practice to master the physics sometimes, but it's still enjoyable. Plus, playing dress up is fun and gives you some useful abilities.
Part Time UFO is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $3.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.3
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Replayability 9
Game Controls 9.5
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
Part Time UFO
HAL Laboratory, Inc.
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
credit : midatlanticconsulting
Use Everyday Objects to Get Rid of Bombs in Bombarika
November 21, 2020 by RSS Feed
Bombarika ($0.99) by Street Lamp Games is a puzzle game that you can actually win. Forget those games where you just play forever and ever — Bombarika gives you puzzles that you can solve and get an actual ending to. If you enjoyed recent games like Umiro and Vandals, then you'll like Bombarika.
When I need some relaxation time, I often turn to puzzles to calm my mind down. There's just something about the fact that they're relaxing yet stimulating that keeps me hooked. Though I feel like I've gone through and tried pretty much every type of puzzle there is on the App Store, I'm always looking out for new ones. Bombarika is just one that happens to strike my fancy this week.
Umiro
GHI Media, LLC
Vandals
ARTE France Apps
Monument Valley 2
ustwo Games Ltd
Visually, Bombarika is gorgeous. The game features an isometric 3D aesthetic that's strongly reminiscent of Monument Valley, except rather than Escheresque-style dreamscapes, you're dealing with typical rooms that you'd find in a house or even a business. It's more realistic, but the art style is downright beautiful to look at and behold. I also find it to be serene and minimalistic, so it's definitely nice eye candy. Animations are smooth and fluid, so there's no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The music is upbeat and quirky, proving to be rather delightful to my ears. Sound effects in Bombarika are realistic as well, and pretty hilarious when the bombs go off.
Like most puzzle games, Bombarika is level-based. At the moment, the game only has 14 levels, but the developers are promising more in the future. Again, as mentioned already, Bombarika is a puzzle game with an ending. And you can actually reach the ending within 30 minutes if you're good enough, but the game can be fairly challenging. The goal in each stage is to use household objects to push the bomb out. No diffusing the bombs, just discard them somehow by getting them out of the house before they blow up. Sounds easy, right? Wrong!
In each stage, you're responsible for noticing when the bombs get dropped into place and using whatever's in the room to get the bomb out. To interact with these household objects, just tap on them, and they'll do something. You can have drawers spring out to push the bomb away, or slide a table to nudge it, rotate a table so the bomb can pass through, or activate fans and vents so the bomb gets where it needs to go. Beds and couches can be lifted up to reveal hidden doors, and standard doors can be opened with a tap. You must think fast though, because you only have a certain amount of time before they go off.
Levels here will usually need a few playthroughs before you figure out the correct order of events needed to get the bomb out, and the hints provide you with a blueprint of what needs to be done. You can also collect the blue pyramids on each stage, which act as currency in the game. You can spend these "Rikas" on new bomb types, which have unique abilities. For example, the Sapphiro gives you three more seconds, Flush Out reveals all exit points, and the Puchakaya removes the time limit. If you want a bomb but are low on Rikas, you can buy more via in-app purchase.
Don't let it blow up.
The Good
Bombarika is a fantastic little puzzle game if you're looking for something that can be completed and is also challenging. The graphics are stunning, the music is delightful, and the controls are simple enough for everyone. Even though it's a short game, you'll still need time to master all of the stages and complete it, and the different bombs add a new layer of depth to everything.
The Bad
While there's a lot I like about Bombarika, it's not perfect. I was definitely expecting more levels, because 14 isn't enough. I also noticed that sometimes it was hard to see things like slopes and depth perception in certain rooms, so I wasn't sure if an object was going to reach the bomb as I planned. And since the game is premium, I wasn't thrilled that there are still in-app purchases.
The verdict
As a sucker for puzzle games, I'm really enjoying Bombarika so far. I'm not done with the game yet, since it's taking me a few tries on some stages. However, I love the graphic style, the music is charming, and the controls are simple. I just wish that there was a bit more detail when it comes to depth perception here, and not too happy about a premium title still having in-app purchases. Still, it's a fun and challenging game that is sure to delight many puzzle fans.
Bombarika is available as a universal download on the App Store for your iPhone and iPad for just $0.99. There are in-app purchases.
8.5
OVERALL
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
Game Controls 8.5
Graphics 8.5
Replayability 7.5
BOMBARIKA
Cheetah Technology Corporation Limited
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
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