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JYDGE ($4.99) by 10tons is a dual-stick shooter that is a follow-up to the studio's previous hit, Neon Chrome. If you enjoyed other games like Kick Ass Commandos and ATOMINE, then you'll get a kick out of JYDGE.

It seems that dystopian futures are a popular trend lately, given some current events, and with recent releases like "Blade Runner 2049." While I'm one of the few out there who don't particularly care for the "Blade Runner" franchise, I still like the idea of dystopias, as they make for other interesting forms of art and entertainment, such as video games. I was a fan of Neon Chrome when it first came out, but I know that not everyone enjoys the roguelike aspect of it. Fortunately, JYDGE is here, and it's like an improved Neon Chrome that doesn't disappoint.

$2.99

Kick Ass Commandos

Anarchy Enterprises

$2.99

ATOMINE

Broken Arms Games Pty Ltd

$6.99

Neon Chrome

10tons Ltd.

Visually, JYDGE is stunningly beautiful. Everything in the game is rendered in 3D with a top-down perspective, so you get to see a lot of the level in a single glance. The world that JYDGE takes place in is dark and dim, but filled with bright neon lights that provide excellent contrast. Everything is also super futuristic and reminiscent of "RoboCop" and "Blade Runner 2049," from the flying police car to the fanfare at the end of a successful mission. It's easy to discern enemy targets from hostages, and the JYDGE unit just looks cool. Animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus, so I had no issues with lag or choppy frame rates. The soundtrack is rather atmospheric and immersive, as it fits the dystopian nature perfectly. Sound effects are also a nice touch.

While JYDGE and Neon Chrome share the similarity of being a dual-stick shooter set in a dystopian world, JYDGE is not a procedurally generated roguelike, which is what Neon Chrome is. Instead, JYDGE features pre-made levels split up across four acts that are set and do not change, even if you play it multiple times. Each mission must be cleared with at least one medal before you can move on to the next one, and some require a certain number of medals before they're available.

You get the medals by completing specific objectives (three total) on each quest, and you can replay them to try and get ones you've missed. These objectives can be easy ones, such as "Destroy all targets" or "Rescue all hostages." The second and third goals are usually harder, as they'll want you to get exit under a certain time limit, or take no damage.

The controls in JYDGE are simple, intuitive, and work well. The bottom left corner of the screen is your virtual joystick for moving freely around the environment. The joystick on the bottom right will aim and automatically shoot once it determines a hostile enemy in range. A laser helps you see where you're aiming. A button above the aiming joystick lets you interact with the environment, such as looting crates and talking to hostages.

Once you have special weapons equipped, such as rockets, there is a button to use your special ammo instead of regular. A refresh button is also there for you to reload your weapon. Each special and ammo type have their own number of rounds, but you have infinite ammo, so it's more like a cooldown between rounds.

If you think having all of the buttons on-screen makes it too cluttered, you can toggle the control displays in the settings. There are other things you can change as well, including audio, display, and some gameplay elements.

As you kill enemies and loot crates, you'll acquire a nice amount of cash. The cash may be spent to purchase cyberware slots and cyberware upgrades. Cyberware are enhancements to the JYDGE unit that make it more potent in battle. Up to four cyberware items can be equipped (if you have the cash for all slots) and include things like reducing damage, electrify nearby hostiles, a laser-assisted drone, and more. Your weapon, the Gavel, also has upgrades for special weapons and ammo that you can buy. There's a ton of cyberware and gavel upgrades available, and they can alter your play style to your liking.

JYDGE is an incredible game for any dual-stick shooter fan.

The Good

JYDGE is an incredible game for any dual-stick shooter fan. The graphics look great and truly bring out the dystopian theme, along with the immersive soundtrack. Like other games in the genre, the controls are simple enough for anyone to pick up, and I had no issues with movement or shooting. The auto-shoot feature is also rather helpful, since it doesn't require any additional input from you. And with all of the objectives to complete and upgrades to unlock, there's plenty of replay value. Plus, being able to customize your JYDGE to suit your own play style is awesome.

The Bad

While JYDGE is fantastic so far, I think the price for the game is a little high for an iOS game. For the launch, it's 50 percent off for the first week, but after that it will go up to $9.99. Since there are only 18 levels total, it doesn't seem like enough content to warrant the full price, especially on iOS. For the sale price it's fine, but otherwise, I feel a bit iffy on it's worth for mobile.

The verdict

I'm having a lot of fun with JYDGE so far. I know real dystopias are no fun, but JYDGE makes it so when you're armed with a super weapon and a ton of enhancements to take out the baddies. The graphics are great and a nice homage to sci-fi series like "Blade Runner," and the music is well done. The controls work out nicely and the objectives prove to be rather challenging, so you'll definitely be spending some time with this game.

JYDGE is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $4.99 for a limited time only. After the promotional period, it will go up to $9.99. JYDGE is also available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and XBox One for $14.99.

8.7

OVERALL

Sound/Music 9

Gameplay 9.5

Replayability 8

Game Controls 8.5

Graphics 8.5

$8.99

JYDGE

10tons Ltd

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It's Full of Sparks (Free) by Noodlecake Studios is a fast-paced platformer that will have you contemplating life by the end of it. If you enjoy games like Sonic Runners Adventure or FEZ, then you'll like what It's Full of Sparks has to offer.

Most of us enjoy fireworks, but have you ever wondered what the life of a firework is like? Yeah, me neither. Honestly, it's never occurred to me, but it's interesting enough to make a game about it, since It's Full of Sparks exists. I consider myself having quite an open mind to things, so It's Full of Sparks is one of those games that I had to check out for myself. What Noodlecake did was create something that's as fun as it is philosophical.

$2.99

Sonic Runners Adventure

Gameloft

$4.99

FEZ Pocket Edition

Corporation Polytron Inc.

$4.99

Lara Croft GO

SQUARE ENIX Ltd

Visually, It's Full of Sparks is gorgeous and a sight to see. The game's fully rendered in 3D with beautiful, crisp architectural structures. In a way, the graphics remind me a bit of Lara Croft GO, except cleaner because you're not dealing with ancient ruins. It's a modernized low-poly look that is rather trendy these days, and definitely eye catching. The colors in It's Full of Sparks are a nice mix of soft pastels and bold, vibrant hues that mesh together to create a lovely world of fireworks. Animations are smooth and fluid, with no issues of lag or frame rate choppiness on my iPhone 8 Plus. The music is rather whimsical and charming, and the sound effects are fun and quirky.

Since It's Full of Sparks is a platformer, it's level-based, which is pretty standard. The game starts off with a firecracker who's all fine and dandy, that is, until they realize that once the fuse (spark of life) is out, they explode and die. With that in mind, the goal of the game is simple: get these sentient firecrackers safely to the water to put out the fuse, and live a little longer. Ultimately, if you're successful on the journey, you'll meet The Old One, which is a mythical firecracker that's never had their fuse lit.

While you can enjoy the game at your own pace, there are also stars to earn depending on how fast you complete a stage. The faster you are, the more stars you get. From my experience so far, you'll need to replay a level multiple times to memorize what to do, and then do everything correctly on your speed run. This is great for competitive players.

Controls are simple and intuitive. In the bottom left are two buttons to move your firecracker left and right. On the right side, after you collect the corresponding artifacts, are colored buttons. When you obtain the colored glasses, you'll be able to see or unsee certain obstacles and objects that can help guide you safely across. You have to tap on these buttons at the right time to toggle them, and make sure you get the timing and positioning of your firecracker correct, otherwise, it may lead to untimely deaths.

It's Full of Sparks is a game where you're going to die a lot. Each time your firecracker dies, whether by exploding or falling, you'll have a chance to try again with a new firecracker. These firecrackers count as "lives." You start the game off with a handful of firecrackers, but once you're out, you'll have to get more lives.

Fortunately, the game can be fairly generous with giving you more lives for free. You can slowly get a few lives at a time as a free gift every so often, or watch a video ad to get 15 at a time. If you enable ads, you get 25 more. If the video ad system bothers you, unlimited lives can be bought via a $2.99 in-app purchase.

A beautifully rendered 3D platformer that lets you play as a firecracker.

The Good

It's Full of Sparks is definitely a gem in the App Store, as it's fun, challenging, and makes you ponder your own life (existential crisis, anyone). The game has stunning graphics that are pure eye candy, and the music is delightful to listen to. The levels start off easy enough, but the difficulty ramps up at a nice pace. It's also great that the game allows you to either play at your own pace or do speed runs, since you can move on to the next level without earning stars.

The Bad

While there's a lot of good about It's Full of Sparks, it's not perfect. During my testing, I experienced a handful of crashing right after "completing" the first stage. The game would just freeze up and become unresponsive, resulting in force quitting and trying again. It happened twice in a row before I was able to have it not crash and proceed with actually playing the game. I'm not sure what the cause is, but it should be ironed out in the next update.

I like the idea that each new life is a new firecracker, but I also think that you can burn through your lives too quickly since things get a bit twitchy. Though there are free ways to obtain more firecrackers, I feel like it's pushing you towards the in-app purchase.

The verdict

Despite the minor inconveniences, I'm enjoying It's Full of Sparks a lot. The game is downright beautiful on Retina HD and Super Retina displays. The whimsical music is great to relax to, and the controls are easy enough for anyone to learn. I always like challenging games, as it's incredibly satisfying when you manage to overcome a stage you're stuck on, and It's Full of Sparks provides just that. Hopefully the kinks get ironed out sooner rathe than later.

It's Full of Sparks is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone or iPad for free with in-app purchases.

8.3

OVERALL

Graphics 9

Replayability 8

Game Controls 8

Sound/Music 8

Gameplay 8.5

FREE

It's Full of Sparks

Noodlecake

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