Apple Arcade Review: the mobile game, again

For the first time in years, I'm really excited to play games on my phone when I get on the train every morning. It's thanks to Apple Arcade, Apple's new $ 5 a month subscription service, which offers more than 70 games you can play. iPhone (and soon your iPad, Mac and Apple TV).

Whether it's stylish and independent adventures like Neo Cab or fast titles like Bleak Sword, the Arcade Library is packed with awesome games of all genres. Although its subscription structure is not suitable for everyone, Apple's gaming service is a great value and a refreshing antidote to the plethora of free, exhausting games on the App Store.

Discover Arcade

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Apple Arcade has its own dedicated tab in the App Store, with stunning graphics and videos, as well as organized sections to allow you to quickly access new games. You'll find newcomer zones, Apple Arcade exclusives and tips for some of the best games in the service.

You can also sort a handful of genres and categories, including Family, Multiplayer, Action, For Beginners, Puzzle, Adventure, Roleplaying, and Platform. I am interested to see how the interface will evolve as new games are added, but overall, the Arcade tab does a decent job in helping you sort out its huge catalog.

A stellar game library

Apple Arcade currently offers more than 70 games and almost every game I have participated in is fantastic. The level of quality and variety presented here is astounding. From Sayonara Wild Hearts' hypnotic rhythmic action to Dark Soulsque's dark Bleak Sword fight, to the demanding strategy of Card of Darkness, there are already more than a dozen games to which I come back without stop during my daily trips.

I would also like to highlight some of the best Apple Arcade games I played so far: What the Golf? is a ridiculous physics-based golf game in which everything from office chairs to golfers themselves becomes the ball (it's so absurd that I caught myself laughing out loud in the subway). Assembling cautiously is a moving and serene puzzle of the people of Monument Valley, while Hot Lava is an exciting first-person platformer that transforms your childhood games from "the word is to the lava" into an addictive series of obstacle course.

One of my favorite things about Apple Arcade is that it raises smaller games and studios that would not normally find an audience on the App Store. Games like Spidersaurs in 2D shoot-ups, Skill City in skateboard simulator and the colorful platform game Dodo Peak could have gone unnoticed under a glut of free games. But as a Arcade subscriber, I find myself trying them (and loving them) almost all.

(Image credit: Apple)

This does not mean that there are no exceptional among the major studios. Capcom's Shinsekai: Into the Depth is a complete AAA experience, with a stunning 2D water world to explore, deep crafting and leveling techniques, as well as breathtaking sound effects actually recorded underwater. Sonic Racing is a fun and satisfying kart racer (with a frustrating online requirement, a rarity for arcade games), while Lego Brawls is a brave multiplayer worthy of Smash Bros. with customizable Lego characters.

(Image credit: Klei Entertainment)

All arcade games have not clicked with me, however. Titles like the Square Enix Various Daylife RPG and the Red Reign strategy game are not my case. Again, they do not all have to be. There's something for everyone in Arcade's wide range of games, and I still can not beat the number of quality games you get for only $ 5 a month (especially when there's more to come). other).

Play your way

Apple Arcade is made even better by iOS 13, which allows you to to use PS4 and Xbox One controllers on your iPhone and iPad (other compatible iPhone Bluetooth controllers will work, too). Shoot hybrid creatures in Spidersaurs, drive enemy cars off the road in Agent Intercept and create a platform under Shantae, and the Seven Sirens felt good on my Xbox One controller, especially on a large iPad Pro running the beta version of # 39; iPadOS. (Arcade does not officially come on iPad before the official launch of the iPadOS on September 30.)

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Most arcade games seem optimized for touch (and, in many cases, one-handed), though there are some game mechanics, such as Punch Planet's technical fights and flat precise form of Hot Lava, right without controller.

This brings me to the last two pieces of the puzzle that I still have to test: Apple TV and Mac. Apple Arcade will officially arrive on Apple TV on September 30, allowing you to enjoy its vast library of games on a big screen, sitting on the couch with a controller. You'll also be able to play Arcade games on Mac once macOS Catalina is available in October, which should give a good boost to the mediocre Mac game library on Mac (if you like small independent games).

If Arcade's Apple TV and Mac implementation works properly, with seamless cross-device backups, Apple's game subscription could move from a solid mobile value to an even better set of games you can enjoy. at your house. We will be sure to update this review once we have had time to use Arcade on Apple TV and Mac laptop and desktop computers.

Bottom line

If you check out one of the best game boards in the App Store, they are almost all made up of free games with in-app purchases. These games require a lot of money or patience to make the most of them. Apple Arcade seems to be the antidote to that.

For an incredibly low price of $ 5 per month (with a free trial available), Arcade gives you access to a huge library of complete, high-quality games, with no timer or add-on fee, to keep you entertained. The game's library of more than 70 games offers a variety of exciting experiences, from surreal adventures to indie to intricate puzzles, console-style platform games, and race titles. fast. And there is more to come.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

We still have to evaluate Arcade's ability on Apple TV and Mac, and I really wonder how many people dependent on Clash of Clans and Fortnite would be willing to pay a fee for bigger games. It is also interesting to note that there is no option to buy a game in Arcade a la carte. So, even if you are interested in only one game or two, you must subscribe. And while Apple is promising a library of more than 100 games by fall, it's not possible to tell if or when the games will be removed from the service, just as movies and shows are regularly pulled out of Netflix.

But if you want to live the life of your subscription, the huge list of high-quality games from Apple Arcade seems to be an absolute steal for a few dollars a month. A little like Xbox Game Pass Having upset the status quo on Xbox and PC, Apple Arcade could have a big impact on how we value mobile games.