After Google confirmed Stadia at an event, Apple made its move in the gaming market by creating a game subscription system, Apple Arcade. The idea is to offer a "gallery" where subscribers can enjoy all 100 games available at launch, with the intention of increasing that number in the future.
Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said the following:
The App Store is the world's largest gaming platform. Now we are going to take games one step further with Apple Arcade, the first game subscription service for mobile, desktop, and the living room.
With no ads, the ability to play offline, and every game offering access to its complete experience, Epic presents all the highly interesting Apple Arcade games initially confirmed.
Fantasian
Developed by Mistwalker and led by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who was executive producer or director on nearly every main game in the Final Fantasy franchise from the first in 1987 through XII in 2006. The world of Fantasian is built from photographs of 3D dioramas, meaning they are making everything by hand, taking photos, and importing them into the game. Can you believe it?
The Pathless
From the same creators as Abzû, Annapurna Interactive is bringing The Pathless to every Apple platform. It appears to be an action-adventure game set in a vast jungle to explore. There is also an enormous, mysterious fiery rock floating in the sky. Intriguing.
Sonic Racing
Dropping the "Team" from the original Team Sonic Racing for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, this version appears to be an exclusive partnership between SEGA and Apple, as we previously reported. It will feature 15 different characters to choose from, dividing them into power, speed, and technique attributes, as is customary in games starring the hedgehog, such as Sonic Heroes or Riders.
Where Cards Fall
The small team at The Game Band has been working on Where Cards Fall for several years, and the game was featured during the Apple Arcade reveal. It is a narrative-focused game with a distinctive hand-drawn art style that tells a coming-of-age story about a teenager attending high school.
Beyond a Steel Sky
Yes, the days when "mobile games" had graphical limitations are gone. Beyond a Steel Sky is one of the major surprises among the Apple Arcade games and is a sequel to the "ancient" Beneath a Steel Sky, a point-and-click adventure game. Unlike its 2D predecessor, Beyond a Steel Sky features 3D environments. Protagonist Robert Foster returns, now seeing his city through the eyes of the AI he created at the end of the first game. The story will explore the pros and cons of living in a society overseen by an omniscient AI.
Overland
A post-apocalyptic survival strategy game based on squad play, in the style of games such as XCOM. Overland features small maps generated during play that form part of your journey to discover what "caused" the apocalypse on Earth.
Projection: First Light
Here you play as Greta, who embarks on a journey through several different cultures in the hope of finding enlightenment. This 2D platform game incorporates the history of shadow puppetry as it relates to the cultures of Indonesia, China, Turkey, Greece, and 19th-century England. The art style is somewhat macabre...
Hot Lava
A "serious" game. Hot Lava, or "The Floor Is Lava" to adults who had a healthy childhood playing among their household furniture, is a platform game with parkour elements. With gameplay reminiscent of Mirror's Edge, you move through environments that also take place in rooms inside homes, further celebrating that childhood game.
Oceanhorn 2: Knights Of The Lost Realm
If Nintendo is not careful, Oceanhorn 2 could take over other platforms with a game in the style of The Legend of Zelda that promises to deliver plenty of spellcasting, sword fighting, dungeon exploration, and open-world exploration.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Developer Simogo describes it as "a pop album video game." In an endless race, the emphasis is on the energetic soundtrack set against dark, neon-filled environments in rhythmic action.
Lifelike
Straight from the Deep Web to the app... I mean, Lifelike appears to be a relaxing, stress-relieving experience. Denis Mikan of responsible developer Kunabi Brother said they wanted to "have a calming effect on players" and that they "simply do not [want] to be responsible for adding another layer of chaos to the world."
Other games listed:
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- LEGO Arthouse / LEGO Brawls
- The Artful Escape
- No Way Home
- Repair
- Hitchhiker
- Cardpocalypse
- The Brandwell Conspiracy
- Yaga
- Down In Bermuda
- Winding Worlds
- UFO On Tape: First Contact
- Frogger In Toy Town
- Doomsday Vault
- Kings Of The Castle
- Sneaky Sasquatch
- Mr. Turtle
- Spidersaurs
- Atone: Heart Of The Elder Tree
- Enter The Construct
- Monomals
