It’s Thursday, the day of big game releases. For our Fresh Apps list, we’ve got DEO, a simple platformer about hopping around the spinning surface of giant rocks; Rogue Sky, in which you’ll pilot a hot air balloon into battle and through mazes of clouds; and Emissary of War, a brawler with an interesting story and lots of hack-and-slash fighting. Last but not least is Conan: Tower of the Elephant, an action-RPG with tons of quests and gesture-based sword-fighting combat controls.
DEO (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
In order to save the world, DEO, a little red gun, has to reunite several meteor chunks to recreate a planet. To do so, you’ll need to hop from place to place on the spinning meteors by tapping or holding the screen – the longer you hold down on the touchscreen, the further DEO jumps when you release.
The goal is to land on several little green patches on the meteor, while avoiding black patches, until you can reach the red patch once it has rotated into position. DEO contains better than 90 levels for you to hop around in. It’s extremely easy to play but challenging as well, and includes a great art style to go with it.
Rogue Sky (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
Take control of a rogue hot air balloon and navigate the dangerous skies in Rogue Sky. The game includes some simple controls: you’ve got two buttons, each controlling a thruster, and pushing both together causes you to rise. In each of Rogue Sky’s stages, you’ll navigate a vertical maze of clouds, gathering power and fighting off enemies. The more points you earn and the further you get, the more attributes and balloon classes you can unlock.
Rogue Sky is built on a great 3-D, cartoonish art style and soundtrack. Along with its many levels and unlockable content, you also get Game Center support that provides you with leaderboards and achievements for the title.
Emissary of War (iPhone, iPad) Free (with in-app purchases)
Hack-and-slash action title Emissary of War is a 3-D game in which you’ll control a character called Ghent, charged with traveling to various countries surrounding his Dominion and enacting treaties. But someone has been undermining Ghent’s efforts, and a conspiracy is afoot, one that you’ll have to solve largely by hacking apart just about everybody you can with your sword.
You’ll work through Emissary of War’s various levels mostly by squashing as many enemies as you can with the strategic use of swordplay and potions to heal and attack your enemies. In between battles, the story is told in cutscenes with an easygoing flare. The first chapter of Emissary of War is available for free. To continue playing, you’ll need to pay $2.99 for the second chapter.
Conan: Tower of the Elephant (iPhone, iPad) $1.99
Speaking of hack-and-slash, Conan: Tower of the Elephant is full of fast-action and deadly swordplay. As Conan, you’ll work toward infiltrating the game’s titular Tower of the Elephant and defeating the evil sorceress there. In the meantime, you’ll talk with peasants, complete quests and kill lots of thieves, guards and bad guys.
The nifty part of Conan is that you won’t just be hammering away at virtual buttons. Conan’s attacks are determined by swipe controls that you draw on a small pad on the right of the screen. The direction of the swipe determines the kind of blow Conan initiates. The game includes 50 quests to complete and plenty of opportunities to get into fights, as well as Game Center support for achievements.
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