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Life is Strange ($2.99) by Square Enix is the mobile port of the 2015 game that was released on Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The game is classified as an episodic graphic adventure game and consists of five episodes. It's similar to other games on the App Store, like Telltale's The Walking Dead and Batman.

If you've followed console gaming at all in the past few years, then you may have heard of Life is Strange at some point. It's just one of the many episodic-style games that are more of an interactive storytelling experience instead of a fast-paced shooter, or something along those lines. I've heard nothing but good things about Life is Strange since its release a few years ago, but I couldn't quite bring myself to purchase it on console. So when I saw that it was coming to the App Store this week, I had to check it out.

When Apple announced that you can pre-order apps and games on the App Store, I was curious about how this would work. So I saw Life is Strange being featured on the App Store before release, with a button to pre-order. I did this, and would like to comment that it works flawlessly. Once the game was available, it began to download automatically on my device and I was charged. It's simple, and a great way to remember big releases when life gets so hectic (Christmas is coming, after all).

Free

Walking Dead: The Game

Telltale Games

Free

Batman – The Telltale Series

Telltale Games

Visually, Life is Strange is as beautiful as ever. The game runs on Unreal Engine, so it's console quality on your iPhone or iPad. As someone who's never played Life is Strange before, I'm thoroughly impressed with the graphics, because the world and characters are incredibly lifelike. While some motions still look a bit jerky, the movements and animations for all of the characters are pretty realistic. The colors in the game are bold and rich, and the dynamic lighting and weather just make everything pop. The soundtrack is incredible, and the voice acting is superb.

Since Life is Strange is an episodic graphic adventure style game, players must progress through the story from the beginning. There are no levels, just episodes. At the moment, the initial download of $2.99 includes the first episode, and you can purchase Episode 2 for $0.99, and Episode 3 for $2.99. Episodes 4 and 5 are coming in 2018. Or, if you want to save money, you can get the Season Pass for $8.99, which includes all current and upcoming episodes.

For those who are unaware, Life is Strange's plot revolves around Max Caulfield, who's an 18-year-old senior photography student with an amazing gift. She has the power to rewind time at any given moment, causing her choices to have a butterfly effect. The game opens up with Max foreseeing a catastrophic storm, and ultimately, she must work on preventing this from destroying the town. But there's more to the game than that.

Early on in the game, you end up saving the life of Max's best friend, Chloe Price. The pair soon find themselves looking into the mysterious disappearance of Rachel Amber, a fellow student. This digging around reveals that Arcadia Bay isn't all it's cracked up to be. Not only that, but changing the past can ultimately lead to doomed futures.

Controls in Life is Strange are simple and work like typical point-and-click adventure games. To look around Max, just drag your finger around the screen. To move, just tap where you want her to go. Any objects that you can interact with will be pointed out to you, which just need a tap, and you can choose between "Look" or "Use" actions.

I found that the swiping for moving the camera around takes a bit of getting used to, because it felt like I kept looking in the opposite direction of what I wanted. But if it bothers you, the game's settings have controller options, where you can invert the X and Y axis for the camera. You can also use joystick controls if tapping-to-move is too tedious.

Once Max's rewind power is revealed, you can activate it by tapping on the button in the top left corner. You can rewind the scene or do a fast rewind if you're impatient. Or, you can use the "Quick Undo" to jump immediately back to the last part that required a decision from you. Sometimes you will need to rewind a scene multiple times, as you end up gaining valuable information that you can use to make a decision prior. All decisions you make in Life is Strange affect how the narrative unfolds.

An episodic decision based adventure game with the ability to rewind time.

The Good

Life is Strange is an excellent game that's well worth your time. It looks fantastic on my iPhone 8 Plus and the voice acting is well-done. The controls work out well enough for mobile devices, which is surprising. The story in Life is Strange is also captivating and engaging from the get-go, so once you start, chances are you'll be hooked.

The Bad

While Life is Strange is a fantastic addition to anyone's iOS game collection, it does have some quirks. I noticed a few frame rate issues in the beginning, where the scene was a bit choppy. Also, in the beginning with the storm, the controls were a bit fidgety, so I felt stuck and unable to reach the lighthouse. And the camera swiping felt a bit off, because it seemed to be the opposite of what I'm used to by default. Still, these are small quirks, and aren't going to stop me from playing.

The verdict

While I'm still fairly early on in Life is Strange, I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. I love the realistic graphics, voice acting and music, and the controls are pretty decent for touch screens. It's my first time playing, and the story got me hooked right away. This is one iOS game that is well worth the money and I look forward to checking out the next episodes.

If you haven't played Life is Strange yet, then this is the perfect time to do so. Life is Strange is on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99. The additional episodes can be bought through in-app purchases.

9.1

OVERALL

Sound/Music 10

Replayability 9

Graphics 9.5

Gameplay 9

Game Controls 8

FREE

Life Is Strange

SQUARE ENIX

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FEZ Pocket Edition ($4.99) by Polytron is the official mobile port of the popular indie game that debuted in 2012 on Xbox Live Arcade. Due to the popularity of this indie darling, it expanded to other platforms after a yearlong exclusivity agreement. This is the game that primarily inspired other popular titles, such as Monument Valley.

If you've been paying attention to the gaming scene in the past few years, then you'll know that the Escheresque-style (inspired by M.C. Escher) puzzle platformer games have been on the rise. It really started to get popular with Monument Valley, but that had to get its inspiration from somewhere too, right? Well it did, and that was FEZ. This is the puzzle platformer game that started all of the shifting perspective styles that we see in other games, and it's finally available on mobile, after much anticipation. I bought FEZ a while back on Steam, but nothing beats having your favorite games in the palm of your hand while you're out-and-about.

$3.99

Monument Valley

ustwo Games Ltd

$4.99

Monument Valley 2

ustwo Games Ltd

Visually, FEZ Pocket Edition retains the same classic art style as the original game. This means blocky, voxel-style graphics (think similarly to Minecraft) and pixel art mixed together in one. That's because the game starts off with just 2D graphics, but then the story unfolds and things move into a 3D perspective. The character sprites themselves are always in pixelated, 2D form, which is fun to watch as things shift between 2D and 3D. The color palette in FEZ is bold and vibrant, but there are times at night when it's darker and more eerie. Animations are buttery smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus, so I experienced no issues with frame rate lag or choppiness.

Another thing about FEZ that is well done is the music and sound. The game contains a soothing, ambient and atmospheric soundtrack that immerses you into the game world. I recommend grabbing your favorite pair of headphones and sitting back with this game, because you'll lose a few hours with it. The sound effects are also nice, as they're rather quirky and charming. Overall, FEZ Pocket Edition retains the great visual and audio design from the original game.

In FEZ, players will find themselves taking the role of Gomez as he tries to live day-to-day life at home. However, he must embark on an adventure and soon gets a cute little fez, which grants him the power to see beyond the normal world, and even other dimensions that were hidden in plain sight. You'll eventually get a Navi-like cube guardian who helps you in Gomez's journey, providing you with tips and guidance on what you must do. However, it's pretty straightforward: find cube shards scattered in each area and gather them all to restore order to the universe.

Controls in FEZ Pocket Edition are simple and optimized for touch screens. In the bottom left corner is an on-screen D-pad with four directional buttons for going left, right, up, and down. The bottom right area of the screen has buttons for interacting with objects and doors, jump, and talk. It's pretty elementary stuff, and works well for the most part.

Once you get past the part in the story where you can shift perspective from 2D to 3D, then all you have to do is drag horizontally on the screen. This lets you move the camera around, and lets you see parts of the area that you wouldn't have thought about before. Shifting the perspective opens up many new paths that you can take to reach places you wouldn't have been able to before, and it's good to experiment and see what you can find. FEZ has secrets and hidden treasures as well, so it's important to explore every nook and cranny.

The only thing I didn't like about the controls is that sometimes it gets a bit tricky to make the jumps that are further out. I had a few moments where I thought I tapped on the right buttons but I end up falling short, because the buttons felt unresponsive. Fortunately, there's no penalty to dying in FEZ, and you get infinite lives, so it's not a big deal if you mess up. Just be warned, though, that it does take a bit of practice and timing to get some jumps right in FEZ Pocket Edition.

While I'm still pretty early on in the game, I am loving it so far. I have the game on my Mac through Steam, but I find having it available wherever I go much more enjoyable. The game is also beautiful, and the ever-changing perspective lets you see things that weren't always there. It helps hone your observational skills. It's a fantastic puzzle platformer game with a ton of things to discover, so if you've never played FEZ before, then there's no better time than now to start.

Fez has been ported to iOS to deliver classic 2D platforming with a 3D twist.

The Good

FEZ Pocket Edition brings the lovable FEZ to our mobile devices. Even though the game is several years old, it's still as delightful and charming as ever. The graphics have a unique style, especially as you shift the perspective around constantly. The music and sound is incredibly done, as it fully immerses and captivates you as you play. The controls work out well for what it's worth, and the amount of secrets to uncover in FEZ mean this is one title you'll want to keep coming back to.

The Bad

There's a lot to love about FEZ Pocket Edition, but it's not perfect. If you've played the game before, then there isn't much new content in the Pocket Edition to warrant another purchase. And again, the controls could be better optimized for jumping and reaching hard-to-reach spots, in my opinion. But hey, there's no penalty for dying, so it's not that big of a deal.

The verdict

FEZ Pocket Edition is a worthy addition to anyone's mobile game collection. The game's unique visual style is captivating and lovable, and the music is relaxing. For a multi-platform game that was ported over, the touch screen controls work well enough for most, and it's a pleasant experience overall. There are many secrets to find in FEZ, so there's always a reason to go back to previous worlds and find things you missed. Overall, FEZ Pocket Edition is well worth the money.

FEZ Pocket Edition is on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $4.99.

9.2

OVERALL

Sound/Music 10

Gameplay 10

Replayability 9

Graphics 9

Game Controls 8

$4.99

FEZ Pocket Edition

Polytron Inc.

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