Beta software updates are available only to registered developers. The build number of the beta update released today is 12D5480a. Xcode 6.2 beta 5 with Watchkit was also made available today.

iOS 8.2 enables Watchkit features for developers. During its Q1 2015 earnings report Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced that the company is on track to ship Apple Watch in April. Developers are busy developing apps for Apple’s upcoming smart watch, adding glances and notifications for their existing iPhone apps.

Apple Watch will work only with an iPhone as it relies on its bluetooth connection to process information. Developers  are beginning to showcase some examples of AppleWatch apps they are working on. The smart watch could be a great way to unlock your car, check To-Do lists or even collect gold and elixir resources from Clash of Clans.

Apple hasn’t revealed battery life of the upcoming device however, it is obvious that it will vary depending on how often you use the device. Apple has hinted that it is possible to get a full days worth of use without charging in some use case scenarios.

According to a rumour Apple has asked one of its Apple Pay partners to have their app ready by mid-February. The company will be looking for a successful launch of its smart watch with major apps available for its new product category on launch day.

Are you excited about Apple Watch? Which apps would you like to see on launch day? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Mobile gaming is all about the ability to pick up and play a game and that’s not always possible with an in depth RPG, however, that may have just changed with Caligo Chaser from Com2uS.

You take the roll of a young knight who in order to repay a debt takes on the task of solving cases and builds his skills and abilities. While the story may not be the strongest aspect of the game it’s told with a degree of humor that keeps things moving along well enough. As with most games of this style the story is told via text but with the ability of being able to fast forward through the text it means that you won’t get bogged down.

A virtual d-pad and action button are all you need for the game itself and other than the d-pad being a little unforgiving at times the controls work well. The same can not be said for the navigation menu’s which in it’s current beta release are too small to navigate easily. The graphics are anime style and while they may not be ground breaking they also don’t detract from the game itself while the sound effects and music are your standard RPG variety.

Winning the battles can usually be achieved by your standard button bashing however that’s not going to make your progression through the game. Winning the battles using a variety of attacks, combo’s and speed will improve your ranking and earn you bigger points and rewards. Your rewards and points can be used to for items which in turn can be combined for even bigger, better and more powerful items which as you progress through the land will be more and more essential to your success.

If you’ve played similar games before you are going to be perfectly at home here and yet for a newcomers to the genre the difficulty level increases at a smooth pace which makes it feel the first few quests feel like a basic tutorial.

Caligo Chaser, even in the beta release, is a challenging and engaging RPG and it should ensure the Com2us’s success in the App Store continues where it left off.

Previewed By: Craig Willis

Beta Build Screenshots

Com2us have already produced some of the App Store’s big successes especially with Homerun Battle 3D (our review) and Sniper Vs Sniper Online which show how iPhone/iPod touch gaming should be done. So when they bring out a new game there is always going to be a buzz. Their latest title which is currently in closed beta testing is Heavy Gunner, a 3D inter-galactic shoot-em up.

As we’ve come to expect with Com2us games the graphics of the navigation menu’s and in game are gorgeous and navigating through the menu’s is a breeze with the slick military style screens.

The controls have been well implemented, controlling your movement and aim is done via the accelerometer which can be re-calibrated at anytime making it easy to play as you move around and change position without having to have the neck of a contortionist! During the game itself your two weapons are controlled via two large buttons in the bottom right and left hand corner of the screen. You’re aim can be controlled simply by using the accelerometer itself, however for increased accuracy you can also move your thumbs on the fire buttons to move your aim too.

The are two different game modes to choose from, the first is Campaign mode where your task is to make your way through 35 levels of intense action as you defend yourself and humanity against a seemingly never-ending supply of alien craft. Challenge mode meanwhile sets you different challenges where you can compare your best scores to other players via the online leader-boards.

As you complete each level you will be rewarded with points that you can use to not only upgrade your existing weapon which is a pretty affective gattling gun but also purchase new weapons including plasma guns, an EMP shockwave and a Avenger heavy machine gun. In total there are 8 guns to work you way through and upgrade while you can also upgrade your Integrated Combat Platform, which is your combat machine in which are are based.

As mentioned previously the game-play comes thick and fast, however while this is great it also leads to the games biggest problem, namely a slow-down in the frame rate when the action gets particularly fraught and unfortunately the action packed pace of the game is one of it’s selling points so for it to suffer slow-down is a major disappointment. However, with each beta release this has been greatly improved and if this continues before the full version is released the problem should be all but gone.

If you are a fan of shoot-em ups you are not going to be disappointed with Heavy Gunner, there is plenty of content, online leader boards, social networking integration and 3 levels of difficulty to keep you going for a longtime.

Previewed by: Craig Willis

Heavy Gunner Beta Build Screenshots