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Opinion by Matt S. 

As a big fan of Dragon Age (yep, I even enjoyed the second one), I didn't really have a choice; when I saw that EA had released Heroes of Dragon Age on to the iOS App Store, I immediately downloaded it.

After playing for an hour I deleted it.

I don't have a problem with EA putting the investments that it does that it does into mobile market, in fact, when EA does a good job of it I more than welcome it - FIFA 14 is ace on iPad and Real Racing 3 might be laden with microtransactions, but the racing itself is compelling.

Review by Sam M. 

In yet another casual strategy game for tablets, Galaxy Factions tasks you with commanding an outpost that has been charged in getting rid of the pirate colonies that have illegally settled nearby. Galaxy Factions takes the basic attack and defense formula we’ve seen before, and tries to mix it up.

You first have to build a base, your home of operations. From here you mine for resources that can be used to build defensive weapons, troops to attack other bases and buildings that will help your base function. The more walls and turrets you build the harder your base will be to destroy. That being said if your base lacks offensive power, then you won’t be able to destroy enemy bases.

Opinion by Matt S. 

Being a compulsive Twitter user that I am, I don't think there's a single day (if not hour) that goes by that I don't see the following line (or a derivative thereof) used: "game XXXX is too expensive," or "games are too expensive."

And, in fact, that attitude is backed up by a recent poll that we ran on Digitally Downloaded where a full 25 per cent of respondents believed that a reasonable price for a top-quality game was $30 or less. Anything more than that, therefore, is "too expensive," and considering the costs involved in making a game and the profit margin that a developer or publisher actually sees from their work, charging $30 or less for a top quality game is simply unsustainable. What can we draw from that? The games industry is in trouble when it can't convince a full quarter of its most dedicated consumers (the average reader of Digitally Downloaded is not a casual game player) of the value of its product.

Review by Chris I.

With the console release of Batman: Arkham Origins just behind us, I stumbled across the iOS version of the title, noticed that it was a free download and decided to give it a go. Without any knowledge of the game prior to the download, I went into the title, well, blind as a bat to what I'd be doing. Once the darkness lifted, I’ve found that I’m enjoying myself quite a bit with this mobile title.

Review by Chris I. 

The free-to-play (F2P) market is in full swing within the games industry and looks to play a major role in the upcoming generation of home consoles, with the PS4 currently scheduled to feature eight major F2P titles by the end of the year.

As we have watched this new trend evolve, we have seen some real lows when developers have crafted something that offers players nothing beyond the need to invest yet another $0.99. The only alternative is the need to grind our hundreds of hours of play for the same result (I'm looking at you, Real Racing 3). Yet, some standout F2P titles like Pure Chess allow you to play the game for free, but then add the additional content of your choosing (e.g. chess sets, modes, etc.) to it for small fees - a glorified demo, basically. But then comes a game like GungHo Online’s Puzzle and Dragons, which simply gets everything right and for many, it won’t cost them a dime to play.

Review by Chris I.

When you jump into one of Game Atelier’s games, you rest assured that you’ll find a gaming experience that’s delightful to the senses, with signature colourful visuals and upbeat tunes.

In its latest release, Tiny Death, the team have created an awesome leading character; a squashed down (and entirely too cute) version of the Grim Reaper. This beautiful 2D platforming title oozes the team’s unique style, and yet the adoption of a Free-to-Play purchase model puts a few unwanted skeletons in its closet along the way.

So, you remember when I argued that the fighting game genre was one ripe for the freemium model? That being able to buy individual characters could work much like people are happy to buy individual characters in a game like League of Legends and in fact this was good for the fans because it encourages developers to continue to expand on the game release by releasing new characters without creating yet another full-priced game?

Square Enix gets a bad rap from self-proclaimed "hardcore" gamers for taking games like Theatrhythm, which was always a touchscreen-only experience, and then releasing them on iOS. Something about a lack of buttons being an issue on a touchscreen-only game... I dunno. I long ago gave up on trying to follow the logic of those self-proclaimed "hardcore" gamers and their attitudes towards iOS gaming.

That tangent aside, Square Enix has a tantalising little iOS game on the way. Final Fantasy Type-0 is a really good PSP game (tragic death of a chocobo aside). Final Fantasy Agito is the iOS game that's on the way that's based on that PSP game that never quite managed to be localised in the west.

Australia's ACCC has announced that it is joining a global push against the free-to-play game development structure for games targeting children.

EA's track record with free-to-play mobile games has been spotty. At one end of the spectrum is Real Racing 3, which manages to be a good racing game despite the monetisation model.

At the other end of the spectrum is Tetris Blitz and Plants Vs. Zombies 2 - games that fail to break away from begging players for microtransactions and are lesser games for it.

There hasn't been that many free-to-play games on the PS3 to date, but those that are there are generally definable as console games. Titles like From Dust and DC Universe Online are free-to-play, and haven't necessarily been well received by the PS3 gaming community, but they are at least on a superficial level a full console title.

Looking at the screenshots, Rivals at War 2084 (or RAW 2084), could have been a superb game. It looks like it has everything going for it to make for an addictive free-to-play game. It's got collectable cards, it's got a neat setting and the promise of team-based arena warfare is exciting, considering it looks quite good in those shots.

Stephane Jankowski

It's not usually a point of pride to lose at something 23 times in a row, especially in the world of competitive gaming. But for Ubisoft Quebec's Stephane Jankowski, it's not only a point of pride, it's proof that Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - for which he is the producer - is working.