"If there is an app for that"

Embark on a Purr-fect Adventure in Cat Quest

August 14, 2017 by RSS Feed

Cat Quest ($4.99) by The Genlebros is an action-packed, real-time dungeon crawling RPG adventure that’s full of dragons, danger, and cats. If you love Diablo-like games such as the Dungeon Hunter series, but want something a bit more lighthearted and full of furry felines, then Cat Quest is the game for you.

As I was going through high school and hung out with my group of friends, I discovered Japanese RPGs and more video game genres than my typical puzzle or platformer titles. Through these friends I found out about Diablo 2, and then my love for dungeon crawling RPGs grew. There was nothing quite as satisfying as slaying hordes of enemies with powerful attacks. After Diablo 2, I loved dungeon crawlers and tried out whatever I could that fell under the category. I’ve even picked up Diablo 3 and have poured hundreds of hours into it. While there are many clones of Diablo, none have really captured my heart like the original. That is, until Cat Quest came along.

I had managed to try out an early demo of Cat Quest during GDC this year, and I fell in love immediately. I mean, you’re combining three of my favorite things into one: RPGs, dungeon crawling, and cats. How can I say no to such an awesome mix? After seeing the demo in action, I could not wait for this game and was eager for it to hit the App Store. Now that it’s finally here, I must say that it does not disappoint.

App Feels Like

App Feels Like

Free

Dungeon Hunter 5 - Multiplayer RPG on iOS

Gameloft

Visually, Cat Quest is beautiful. The game features 2.5-D rendered graphics, as it has a cartoon-like style but with an angled perspective that gives it plenty of depth. All of your traveling is done on the overworld map, which is gorgeous with lush grass, forests, villages, mountains, caves, and seas. It’s easy to interact with buildings and dungeons, and there’s even more sprawling areas to explore. Cat Quest has a rich color palette with bright and vibrant hues that shift to darker and more muted tones depending on the area. Character sprites are all unique and easily identifiable, from NPCs to enemies. Animations are buttery smooth and fluid, so I had no issues with lag on my iPhone 7. Cat Quest also has a mystical, adventurous soundtrack that fits your journey perfectly, and the sound effects are top notch. Needless to say, Cat Quest is worth getting just for the graphics and music alone.

Since Cat Quest is an adventure game at heart, players discover and unravel the story of a cat hero who carries the mark of the “Dragonblood” on his head. Once the premise of the plot is revealed, you’ll embark on a journey of getting strong enough to defeat the dragons. All of your traveling is done on the overworld, as well as combat. Villages and NPCs reveal themselves to you as the story unfolds. Everything is told through quests, whether they’re main quests relating to the story, or side quests that you can do for experience, loot, and rewards.

The biggest draw of Cat Quest is the fact that everything is done in real-time, so there’s no waiting around. As you move around on the overworld, you’ll see enemies scurrying about around you. You can engage in combat with them on the overworld, or just avoid them altogether if they’re too tough. The overworld also has a pointer that tells you where to go for your quests, and you can zoom out and view the overview map by tapping on the button in the bottom right corner. This is great when you’re lost and want to see exactly where you’re going. Everything is also available from the get-go, so you could go into a high level dungeon super early on, but this is not recommended.

Controls in Cat Quest are easy enough, but may take a bit of getting used to. To move, just tap where you want to go, and the cat goes there. Optionally, you could long press to continually move, but it can get uncomfortable after a while, or your fingers may be blocking the screen. To attack enemies, just tap on one to select them, and then your cat auto attacks with melee hits. If you long press on your cat with the white circle around him, you can select a magical spell or skill to use. Magic attacks cost mana, and you refill the mana by doing regular attacks — it’s an endless cycle.

There’s no way to dodge or block enemy attacks, so you just have to get out of the way. Fortunately, the game tells you the enemy’s attack area before the attack happens, so you have a bit of leeway with getting out in time. There’s going to be a bit of running back and forth during combat in Cat Quest — timing is key.

As enemies fall, they’ll drop gold and experience orbs. Collect these by running over them. You’ll also find random experience orbs and gold scattered on the overworld or in dungeons, so make sure to take advantage of the freebies.

When you find loot in chests or get rewarded with them, they go straight to your inventory. You can access your item stash at any time by tapping on the backpack button in the bottom left corner. You can tap on an item to select it and view the stats, as well as compare it to what you have on now. If you want to change gear, just tap on the green button to equip it. Your cat’s appearance changes depending on what gear he’s wearing, which is cool.

Your cat can also learn different magic spells from the mage. As you get to certain parts of the story and meet the level requirements, you can get new spells to add to your arsenal. Your spells can get upgraded to be more potent, as long as you have the gold to do so. There’s also a feline merchant, who has treasure chests you can purchase that contain random loot.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any health potions in the game, so if you’re low on health, you’ll have to retreat. However, the game does provide plenty of “cat nap” spots (look for pillows at villages) that you can use, which replenish your health, mana, and defenses for free. These are also where you go to save your game progress.

A cat themed action RPG with real time combat on a tapestry infused map.

The Good

Cat Quest is a stunning and addictive dungeon crawling RPG adventure. The game’s distinctive overworld and real-time battle system works out incredibly well, and there’s a lot of loot and magic to discover. The game also has a fantastic sense of humor as well, and there are more cat puns than you can shake a stick at. The graphics and music are amazing, and just add more depth to the journey.

If you are an adventure seeker and love a game that has a lengthy story and plenty of things to do, then Cat Quest fits the bill.

The Bad

While Cat Quest is great, I think the controls could be better. They work, but personally, I found it tiring to hold my finger down on the screen in weird positions to continuously move and not block most of my screen. I would have liked to see an alternative control scheme in the options, or even MFi controller support. Until that happens, this game just falls short of perfection, at least for me.

The verdict

I fell in love with Cat Quest when I first got to see a demo, and I still can’t get enough now that it’s officially out. I bought this title the moment I saw it on the App Store, and have not regretted my purchase. The visuals are superb and the music is fun. The controls work well, though could be better optimized, and the gameplay is addicting.

There’s a lot of loot to discover, and it’s just fun to take out foes and grind for better magical spells. The quest system works, allowing you to either go on with the main story or be a completionist with side missions. Regardless of how you approach it, Cat Quest is a fun adventure that will keep you coming back for more. Plus, who doesn’t love cats and puns?

I highly recommend Cat Quest if you’re a fan of dungeon crawling RPG adventures. You can find Cat Quest on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $4.99. There are no in-app purchases.

9.4

OVERALL

Graphics 10

Gameplay 10

Replayability 9.5

Sound/Music 9.5

Game Controls 8

$4.99

Cat Quest

The Gentlebros Pte. Ltd.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Affinity Photo Brings Plenty of Photo Editing Power to your iPad

August 14, 2017 by RSS Feed

Photography is big on the iPhone, simply because the built-in camera rivals much more expensive dedicated hardware. To really take your craft to the next level, you need a photo editing app that's powerful and full-featured. For years, that mean Photoshop on the desktop, but several developers have tackled the problem for iOS devices. Affinity Photo, an iPad-only app, brings a wealth of photo editing power to your iPad.

App Feels Like

App Feels Like

Free

Enlight Photofox (Enlight 2)

Lightricks Ltd.

Free

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for iPad

Adobe Systems, Inc.

Affinity Photo for iPad has an intuitive interface, but it's quite complex. Some might say it's difficult to learn. However, the app does come with a wealth of tutorials and sample images to get you started.

Begin with the first tutorial, and work your way through them. You'll get a solid introduction to the interface and controls, as well as the techniques that will make your photos really stand out.

As you progress through the tutorials, feel free to break away and try out your techniques with your own images or the samples. I've found that's a solid way to really learn and embed the knowledge from the tutorials into your mind and muscle memory.

The first fully-featured photo editor for the iPad

One of the most useful tools in Affinity Photo is the dedicated inpainting brush. This allows you to quickly and easily remove objects from your photographs, such as pulling the sailboat out of an oceanscape to get just the beauty of the water.

The app also provides support for layers, layer masks, and every Photoshop feature I can think of. There may be some missing, such as support for plugins. However, the developers make up for that by incorporating features that you'd need a plugin to use in Photoshop.

The integration with Apple Pencil is top-notch. You can use the accessory to make any edits, selections, or refinements you might wish. It makes editing photos on your iPad like working with a Wacom tablet that has the image you're working with superimposed on the surface.

Once you get a workflow down in Affinity Photo, the app becomes even easier to use. It truly is the first fully-featured photo editor for the iPad. It has taken away my need to do any serious image editing tasks on the desktop.

When your project is finished, you can export it into just about any file format you might need. Affinity Photo even supports exporting to Photoshop PSD files and SVG documents.

There's precious little not to like about Affinity Photo. If anything, the menus might be a bit too busy. Finding the export button, for example, can be a tedious chore.

The app also sometimes shows some lag, especially when downloading sample images to work with. That's only an occasional problem, though. Overall, the app is quite snappy and brisk, with complex operations taking very little time to complete.

The verdict

This is one of the most useful and feature-packed photo editing apps I've come across. It offers a wealth of power and capabilities, and turns your iPad into an image-editing workstation. The tight integration with Apple Pencil makes an already excellent app even more of a pleasure to work with.

8.4

OVERALL

Lasting appeal 9

iPhone Integration 9

Is engaging 9

Does it well 9

User Interface 6

$19.99

Affinity Photo

Serif Labs

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 08/14/2017

August 14, 2017 by RSS Feed

Color Magnet , Starry Night Interactive Animation , Mystery of Haunted Hollow 2: Point & Click Game and more

iPhone:

Pulse - Breathing Techniques. In Chic ( $0.99 → Free ) Jonas Lecking Pulse utilizes proven breathing techniques to help you unwind. You’re able to choose from sleep, relaxation, and stress release techniques. When you’re ready, hit start and follow along with the visual prompts. The app includes a breathing reminder, session statistics, and a vibration option.

Universal:

Color Magnet ( $2.99 → Free ) The One Pixel, Lda Color Magnet’s clever magnetic mechanic sets it apart from every other puzzle game. The idea is to shoot magnets onto the board in order to attract other blocks of the same color. Create matches of five or more to remove the blocks. The game is over when any one block reaches the bottom line. Color Magnet includes three game modes, day and night themes, and online leaderboards.

Starry Night Interactive Animation ( $1.99 → Free ) artof01 Starry Night Interactive Animation allows you to be the artist. The famous painting comes to life through enchaining animations, and you’re able to manipulate the flow of lines by sliding your finger over them. The speed of the flow can be adjusted as well to match your mood. If you tap and hold on the edge of the screen you can enter 3-D zoom mode and pan around the painting by swiping.

Mystery of Haunted Hollow 2: Point & Click Game ( $2.99 → Free ) Point & Click LLC Mystery of Haunted Hollow 2 picks up right where the original left off. Explore the desolate village of Nightfall in search of clues that will uncover the ultimate truth. As you make your way through the various structures in the village like an asylum, hotel, library, and chapel, you’ll have to solve ever more complicated puzzles to progress the story.

PhotoTangler - Best Collage Maker to Blend Photos ( $2.99 → Free ) Solid Eight Studios LLC PhotoTangler doesn’t require any professional photo editing experience to achieve great results. Simply import related photos or take new ones from within the app. You’re able to crop photos down if necessary. PhotoTangler will automatically apply a fade, which can be adjusted in a variety of ways. Layer as many photos as you like before finishing off your work of art with a background color and text.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 08/13/2017

August 13, 2017 by RSS Feed

Busymind Mindfulness Meditation , Spotlite: Just Sing! Karaoke , True Skate and more

iPhone:

Spotlite: Just Sing! Karaoke ( $0.99 → Free ) Spotlite Media Incorporated Spotlite shines the spotlight on your vocal talents. You’re able to choose from a vast library of songs to sing along to, or you can show off your original work. Both your audio and video performances can be recorded, edited, and uploaded. Then promote yourself to gain fans, earn gifts, and win contests. The stage is yours. Go show the world what you’re made of.

Universal:

Busymind Mindfulness Meditation ( $0.99 → Free ) Kevin Lamping Busymind allows you to fit mindful meditation in no matter where you are. You’re able to choose from one-minute and a five-minute sessions. The sessions are entirely prompt-based, allowing you to perform them regardless of how distracting the world around you has become. The included exercises require you to take a deeper and more detailed look at the world around you, and reset your brain to help focus on the task at hand.

True Skate ( $1.99 → Free ) True Axis In True Skate, your fingers act as your feet. The flick controls work exactly as you would expect them to, allowing you to pump, ollie, flip, and grind with little effort. The tutorial at the beginning of the game will walk you through the basics to ensure you get the hang of things before taking on missions. The game includes realistic physics, the ability to challenge other players, replays, slow motion, and the ability to unlock loads of additional content.

WordHue ( $0.99 → Free ) Heath Halverson WordHue utilizes classic word game mechanics and gives them a colorful twist. You’re presented with a five-by-five letter tile grid. The letter tiles start off as white, and every time you create a valid word they’ll change color. The first color change will match the color meter at the bottom. Try to create words using the matching tiles in order to earn more turns or time. Every time you use a letter tile, its value will increase. Do your best to avoid creating three letter words as they’ll block out the letter tiles for a short period of time. The game includes two modes, daily challenges, and unlockable color schemes.

Farm Games Animal Puzzles for Kids, Toddlers Free ( $1.99 → Free ) Eggroll Games LLC Puzzle pieces appear in the top right corner of the screen, and your child must drag and drop them into the proper cutout space. As each piece is placed, a new piece and cutout will appear. The game includes a variety of adorable animal characters that react in different ways.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 08/12/2017

August 12, 2017 by RSS Feed

Wake N Shake Alarm Clock , Minimal Maze , Calendarium – Everything about this day and more

iPhone:

Wake N Shake Alarm Clock ( $4.99 → Free ) Andres Canella You'll get a taste of what Wake N Shake is all about the moment you launch the app. During the tutorial, it will ask you to furiously shake your iDevice just to get to the main screen. Don’t give up. There’s no way around this just like the real alarm. From there you can access the alarm clock, social, music, and settings menus with swipes in different directions. The app includes all kinds of alarm tones to choose from, achievements and leaderboards, a sleep timer, and the ability to adjust the shake intensity.

Universal:

Minimal Maze ( $0.99 → Free ) alper iskender If you couldn’t already tell from its name, Minimal Maze keeps things simple. The idea is to rotate mazes by tapping either side of the screen in order to slide two squares through pathways and around corners and merge them together. Along the way new obstacles will be introduced like sliding doors and keys, making it more and more difficult to complete the challenge. The game includes 90 levels spread across four categories.

Calendarium – Everything about this day ( $0.99 → Free ) Idea Studio Calendarium helps you live in the present and the past. The top portion of the screen displays today’s date, the week of the year, sunrise and sunset times, and the number of days that have passed and are left in the year. The bottom portion includes all of the historical events and major holidays that occurred on this very day. Tap and hold on an event or holiday to share it via Twitter, Facebook, Messages, or email.

OrasisHD ( $1.99 → Free ) Orasis Imaging You’re able to import any photo from your library or take a new one from within the app. Then allow Orasis to automatically enhance your photo, or you can tweak the settings to get the exact look you want. In the end, your retouched photos should look closer to what your eyes perceived when you took them. The app includes 14 presets and the ability to share your correct photos via email, Facebook, or Twitter.

Math Flashcard Match Games for Kids in Elementary School Studying Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division ( $8.99 → Free ) Eggroll Games LLC Math Flashcard Match Games creates a fun environment for your child to work on their math skills with its eye-popping visuals and positive encouragement. Your child can work on matching problems to their answers or matching problems to other problems. The difficulty can be adjusted by changing the number range and by showing the cards or keeping them face down. The game also includes a bubble popping reward after each round.

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