The previous year was full of great games for the iOS. Not counting all the stuff Gameloft puts out, there was Bad Piggies and Angry Birds Space from Rovio, the surprisingly well-written Waking Mars, the very challenging Super Hexagon, and the iOS port of Bastion which proved to be just as fun as its PC/Mac and console counterparts. All of these games took up plenty of our time (or at least mine), and if you have yet to pick them up, you should check out the list I wrote last year covering the top iPhone games of 2012.
I'm hooked on Tiny Birds at the moment, and while the game is fun, there's only so much of it I can stand to play before I tire of it and want something more. Thankfully, the new year's upon us and so too are a host of new games, many of which are set for release early this year.
Given the universality of Apple's iOS, most of the games set for release this year will cater to users on the latest generation of iPads, iPods, and of course the iPhone 5. There's a good chance that you won't even have to buy them more than once if you own more than one of these platforms, either.
Without further ado, here are our 10 most wanted games for the iOS in 2013. Expect this list to change if some of these games turn out to be less than fantastic.
The story of the present day protagonist of the Assassin's Creed series may have come to an end in Assassin's Creed 3, but that doesn't mean the universe doesn't have even more to offer players. When it was originally announced last year, the game was planned as a tie-in with Assassin's Creed 3. Rumors would have it that the upcoming title will introduce a brand new protagonist and is set as a prelude to all future Assassin's Creed titles.
As for the game itself, it takes place in the 17th century and is described as something of a city builder with a heavy social slant. Players will control assassins in each colony and allow them to take on their enemies, the Templars, in battles throughout the New World.
Developed by Rodeo Games, Warhammer Quest is an iOS adaptation of the original 1995 tabletop game by Games Workshop. Believe it or not, but it's the first Warhammer title to appear on the mobile platform. The game is being developed as a proper adaptation of Warhammer Quest with unique hero characters and enemies from across all races of the Warhammer universe. Its developers are leaning towards a Q2 2013 launch for Warhammer Quest.
Warhammer Quest isn't the only game from the Warhammer universe that's set to grace the iOS. Space Hulk is also coming out for the iOS, in addition to PC and Mac platforms, this year. Originally developed as a spinoff to Warhammer 40k, this latest iteration of Space Hulk is being developed as a 3D, turn-based strategy game with a single-player campaign and co-op missions. Players will take charge of a Terminator Squad against a variety of xenos aboard a Space Hulk and other environs.
Rollercoaster Tycoon was once the most popular game on the PC and Mac. The game's popularity is not to be underestimated, and it's set to grace the iOS sometime this year for a new generation of mobile gamers. The game's developers at Atari have not explained what'll be different about the adaptation, but we remain anxious to play it.
Set for release in early 2013, The Drowning is a first person shooter from some of the makers of Halo, Battlefield and Far Cry. It offered a detailed storyline and a console experience for the mobile platform.
While most shooters on the iOS are severely handicapped by the controls and interface of touchscreen devices, The Drowning intends to address these issues by throwing out the typical digital analog sticks offered in other games and replacing it with an entirely new control scheme. Rather than controlling like a standard FPS, the game handles movement with pathfinding AI so you'll only have to click on a location on your screen to move there. You'll be free to use your fingers to shoot and attack enemies with melee strikes.
Chaos Domain is a run-and-gun platformer in the same vein as the old Super Contra and Metal Slug titles. The objective of the game is to basically get through each level while shooting just about everything in sight. Developed on the latest Unreal Engine, the game is set to offer high quality 3D (or really, 2.5D) graphics and it promises a whole lot of mayhem.
Growtopia's described as "not your average platform", and average it most certainly isn't. It's a bit like one of the classic platformers—Super Mario Bros, Commander Keen, etc.—with the added ability to grow every sort of block in the game on trees using various types of seeds. The game also offers a multiplayer element so players can cooperate to complete levels. It's out early January.
Real Racing 3 is the third title in EA's enormously successful Real Racing series of racing games for the iOS. The game features state of the art graphics and makes full use of the relatively powerful capabilities offered by the new iPad and the latest iPhone models. It's also one of the only racing games on the iOS that uses licensed cars like the F1 from McLaren Automotive and the MP4-12C. It comes out this February.
Developed by Mixed Bag, Forma.8 is a unique adventure game in the same vein as the Knytt series of games by Nifflas. According to the developers, they've been heavily influenced by the classic side-scrolling adventure Another World, so expect to spend a lot of time surviving and avoiding enemies instead of going on the offense as you explore the dreamlike environments the game has to offer.
Time Surfer comes from the creator of the beloved (and rightfully so!) Bean's Quest, Kumobius. The game borrows its core element from Tiny Wings, which sees the game's main character, a Time Surfer, 'surf' or slide down hills and fly above others to escape the impending End of the Universe while avoiding obstacles all the way.
The game's more than just a simple retexturing of its spiritual predecessor, and offers a variety of new elements to give even the most diehard fan of Tiny Wings something new to experience. You can turn back time to undo some of your mistakes or grab missed opportunities like stomping on the heads of aliens and smashing asteroids to achieve higher velocity. The game's almost out, so be sure to grab it on January 10 when it arrives on the iOS app store.
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