Apple’s App Store will turn 5 year old on Wednesday, July 10 and to celebrate the success of the digital store the company has partnered with app and game developers to give 5 games and 5 apps for free.

The iPhone was introduced in 2007 and a year later Apple unveiled the SDK for developers to build native apps for the iPhone. The launch of the App Store saw 500 apps with notable apps from EA, Facebook, MLB.com and more.

It was both, the iPhone and the App Store that fuelled the growth of Apple’s mobile platform and mobile apps gained a new level of popularity that never existed before. 5 years since the introduction of the App Store, it has surpassed 50 billion downloads. 850,000 apps are available on the App Store for users to download and 350,000 of those are exclusively build for the iPad.

Apple takes pride is announcing the revenue paid out to developers which is now more that $10 billion. App Store has created a whole new industry for app developers and has also lead to the growth and emergence of individual developers who have made it big on the App Store.

We launched Touch Reviews in February 2009  just 7 months after the introduction of the App Store to review and share the best apps available in the App Store. Since 2009 the App Store has not just grown in numbers but has successfully lead to revolutionising the way we use our smartphones and tablets.

Some of the notable games and apps that have gone free include BADLAND, Infinity Blade II, Over and Day One (Journal / Diary). Download these great apps and games here.

Normally when a game starts I will attempt to skip through the numerous splash screens which detail the variety of parties involved in the production of the game, (much to their annoyance I’m sure). However, every now and again one splash screen will appear which fills your heart with hope that you are about to embark on gaming greatness.

In my case that splash screen is the one that displays the fact that the game is built using the Unreal Engine. A platform which has introduced us to some of the most rich and rewarding gaming experiences across all major devices has another hit to its armory in Horn.

If you’ve experienced the Unreal world before you know what to expect. Horn for iPhone and iPad is played in a expansive, rich and detailed environment that fools you into believing that you’re not on a handheld device but on a console instead.

This beautiful environment is the backdrop of the story of Horn, a young boy who finds himself in a world where all but a few humans have been turned into giant rock creatures called Golems. Horns task is to return these creatures back into humans.

Unlike some other titles where the environments are so rich that your character has limited interaction with them with Horn you are able to go where you wish, within reason of course, by simply tapping on the screen. This makes movement very easy although not always 100% accurately.

Combat makes up a large part of the game as you attempt to take down the many monstrous creatures. The combat system is similar to the Infinity Blade titles where timing is the key to avoid your enemies attacks and take advantage of their weaknesses. It works impressively well and I took great satisfaction in defeating each on the monstrosities that I came across.

Horn is not just another hack ‘n’ slash game though. For as many battles that you’ll encounter there are as many puzzles to be solved and this balance keeps things interesting and entertaining as you uncover the secrets of the world that you have found yourself in.

Even more depth is added to the game thanks to the various weapons and magic that you get to work with and upgrade as you progress through the game.

The game’s beauty is enhanced by the wonderful voice acting that accompany the story telling parts of the game and the orchestral score provides a wonderful backdrop to this engrossing game.

Zynga is a game company that some people either love or hate and if you are on the hate side of the argument then Horn could be the that changes your mind. For everyone else, just go out and by this game and be ready to lose yourself in a wonderful world of mystery, combat, puzzles and entertainment.

The only problem I’ve had with the game is the fact that even as a universal application there is no ability to sync your progress between multiple devices which would be nice.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

What we like

• Console like graphics
• Console like gameplay
• Engaging storyline
• Engrossing gameplay
• Easy controls

What to know

• No device syncing

Apple has opened up a new section in the iTunes App Store that highlights some of the Retina Enabled apps for the New iPad 3. On March 7th, Apple announced the New iPad, with high resolution Retina Display, A5X chip and an updated camera.

The section is called “Great Apps for the New iPad” and takes advantage of the higher resolution display of the New iPad. Games in the “Great Apps for the New iPad” section include Flight Control Rocket, Sky Gamblers, Infinity Blade II. Also listed are apps such as Tweetbot and Evernote.

The third gen iPad has already launched in many countries including the United States and is now available in very limited quantities. The new iPad now supports the highest resolution on a mobile device and as Apple explained it has more pixels than a full HDTV. The display also improves the saturation and makes photos, text and games look amazing on 9.7 inch display.

Even though the overall design hasn’t seen any major changes Apple continues to dominate the tablet market with a product design that is almost one year old. iPad (third generation) has witnessed huge demand and even after initial shipping delays Apple has recorded new sales record for the new iPad.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Infinity Blade 2 Review: Reviews are all about a persons honest opinion of a game and because of that I feel that I have a confession to make, I never played the original Infinity Blade, I know, pretty incredible right, one of the biggest games in iOS history, gorgeous graphics, intuitive controls and from what I read an engrossing storyline all combined to provide a ground breaking game.

But not for me, and because of that I come to Infinity Blade 2 with a slightly different perspective to many of the reviews out there and with some specific questions too.

Are the graphics really that good?

I’m always skeptical about the claims that manufacturers make about certain aspects of of their games, especially the subjective ones such how incredible the graphics are. However, I must say with Infinity Blade 2 the graphics live up to all the hyperbole that has be written already.

The graphics are simply amazing, from the first cut scenes though to the in game action there is no difference with the depth and detail being enhanced by the striking lighting effects that glint off of slashing swords, dance through the windows of ruins and soak into your battered armour.

One of the great things about this game too is the fact that you can take in all this beauty as between the battles you can peruse the scenery save in the knowledge that you’re not going to be attack as you do so?

Do I need to have played Infinity Blade to enjoy Infinity Blade 2?

Simply put, No! A brief overview of the back story is given to you as the game launches but I found myself more looking at the gorgeous environment than listening to the storyline to be honest. Regardless of that though it’s not to long until you are thrusted into your first battle and all thoughts of a storyline are soon forgotten.

That being said though the story is well presented and especially well acted as cut scenes and battles merge into a seemless journey to which I found myself soon becoming engrossed.

Isn’t it just another Hack ‘n Slash?

More honesty here, not that I haven’t been up to this point I should add, one of the reason I stayed away from the original Infinity Blade was due to that exact fear, however, if Infinity Blade 2 is anything to go by then I was surely wrong.

Yes, there is a lot of swiping back and forth across the screen but unlike the button bashing games of old there is an actual method the madness. Again, during the first few battles you are taken through the process of attack, parry, block and avoid and it’s reading your enemies next move that will give you your opportunity to take advantage and move in for the kill.

There are a great range of enemies too and some of them are so large they appear to be too large to fit on the screen but despite this there is no slow down and the game continues to crack on a quite a pace.

The other features that move Infinity Blade II away from the average button bashing fighting game are the RPG elements that not only allow you to upgrade you apparel and weapons, which is required if you are to progress without too much difficulty, but also magic which comes in very handy especially in the later battles and can be called upon to be the difference between life and death.

Another great decision by Chair Entertainment Group, LLC was to make the game a universal app for both the iPhone and iPad for just $6.99. It would have been easy for them to split the two apps to make more money but this was not the case. The only downside to this is the fact that there is no iCloud integration to keep your progress in sync between the two devices.

Infinity Blade 2 is a truly engrossing game, did I enjoy the battles? Yes. Did the game-play get a little repetitive at times? Yes. Do I keep coming back for more? Yes. Put that together with the eye-catching graphics, storylines and fluid RPG elements Infinity Blade 2 is clearly setting the standard that everyone has to beat in iOS gaming.

What we like:

• Graphics that have to be seen to be believed
• Battles that require brain and brawn
• Keeps you coming back for more

What to know:

• No iCoud support

speedbump studios the developers behind an upcoming Unreal Engine powered game for iPhone and iPad called “Dream:scape” have announced that the game will be available on App Store on June 9.

If you’re a fan of the realistic graphics and immersive environment in Infinity Blade then be prepared for another eye popping experience but this time it might just be a little scary!

Dream:scape for iPhone and iPad has been developed using Epic Game’s “Unreal technology” which enables developers to develop “lifelike scenes and fantastic worlds”.

speedbump studios have revealed that the game will be featured on Apple’s App Store on the launch day and the list of compatible devices include: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, fourth gen iPod touch, iPad and iPad 2.

According to the developers’ game description “Dream:scape” is, “an interactive, narrative experience, an immersive exploratory environment, a haunting journey that will become your world.”

You play the role of Wilson, a coma patient who relearns his past by exploring the dreamscape of his memories. The story of the game will unfold as you interact with objects and explore the spooky world.

The game will feature nearly 30 acres of open world to explore which will include objects and creatures for interaction.

It’s interesting to note that the game took three months to develop however, memory issues faced by older devices delayed the launch:

The game itself was completed in three months, however technical issues (regarding compatibility with older devices) took another two months to work through.

Check out the latest trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments.

Gallery (click image to enlarge)

ChAIR Entertainment on Tuesday announced that their “award winning iOS game” Infinity Blade will receive a major content update. Infinity Blade: Arena will include all new game play modes and will also enable the highly anticipated multiplayer mode.

The update will be free and available this Thursday. New content includes the all new “Arena” where you can assume the role of Titan or Knight and challenge your friends to multiplayer matches online using Apple’s Game Center.

In addition to multiplayer mode the game will also include “Survivor Mode” which will put all your skills to test as you fight against a legion of Titans. The developers will also include new holiday helms, more than two dozen new magic rings, swords, shields and helmets.

The upcoming update will enable users to share game character on their facebook profile and it will also include new achievements to unlock, additional leaderboards and a few surprises too!

In our detailed review we gave Infinity Blade a 4 star rating and concluded by saying:

Infinity Blade is an extraordinary game with exceptional graphics which makes the unreal world look more real!

…if you are a hardcore RPG fan who expects exploration, interaction and control then you will be disappointed with the first version of this game as it will turn out to be too short and repetitive. We can’t wait to see how Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment decide to expand this title as it has great potential.

It’s great to see that the developers are committed to expand the title and offer free content updates which introduces new variations in the gameplay and also offer more replay value by adding new achievements, social integration, and multiplayer mode.

If you haven’t tried Infinity Blade as yet, then we highly recommend that you give it a try.

Gallery:
(click image to enlarge)

The super popular iOS Unreal Engine based medieval hack and slash app “Infinity Blade” (View in iTunes) has been blessed with a Christmas update.

The inevitable in-app purchases have reared their ugly head and you can now purchase gold in the game. But Epic have also added more headroom for those of you nearing the app’s level cap of 40. You can now advance to level 45.

On top of that there is more equipment to master, in the form of five new swords, five new shields, some new armour and helmets. As well as a new enemy called “Marrow Fiend”.

Epic have also got into the Christmas spirit with one of the new helmets called “Holiday Helm” being “Santa-themed”. Have you pulled down the new update yet? What do you think? Have your say in the comments

Epic Games have followed through on their much anticipated promise to release an update to their Unreal Development Kit which supports developing apps for iOS. In case you didn’t know this is the engine behind Epic’s impressive “Epic Citadel” technology demo released in the App Store earlier this year, as well as the multi-million dollar grossing “Infinity Blade” iOS app released a week ago.

In fact the “Epic Citadel” demo is included in the package so that you can pick it apart and learn from it. What’s more developers can get their hands on the tools for free, today, here, and unless they earn more than $5,000 for any app they ultimately sell they only ever need to pay Epic a maximum of $99 to publish using these tools. After that Epic would like a reasonable 25% cut of any earnings.

If you have any aspirations for developing games for iOS, Epic’s “UDK” is worth the relatively large download at least, to simply check it out. Even if you are a “modder” more than a coder.

And because the UDK offers a cohesive set of tools for creating and managing game assets with its “Unreal Editor”, as well as a very mature scripting language based on top of a feature full industrial strength game engine you can focus more on creating and less on the hard slog of low level game engine code (for some – I love that btw!).

If I wasn’t a code monkey I would now be faced with a very tough choice between the equally capable, but quite different development possibilities and environments that Unity 3D and Epic’s UDK offer.

I don’t think aspiring developers have had it so good for quite a while. And because of that those of us that also like to play games should be quite excited about what we may see appearing in the App Store in 2011.

Are you excited by Epic’s UDK and what that might mean for the iOS platform? I am playing with it myself today, and would love to hear from others who are doing the same. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Jazz Jackrabbit UDK iOS Tutorial Video

I distinctly remember saying on one episode of The International Mac Podcast that nobody wanted to play games on an iPhone. Apparently I was wrong! Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment, the clever guys n gals behind Infinity Blade have managed to shift at-least 274k copies of their Action-RPG for iOS. At $6 a pop that they have already raked in an impressive $1.64m in just 5 days.

GameIndustry.biz arrived at the above figure by counting the number of active Game Center users playing Infinity Blade after the first five days of its availability. These figures obviously do not represent the actual sales as the figures were not released officially and consindering the fact that not everyone playing Infinity Blade is on Game Center; this number could be way more than estimated.

Previous fastest growing app Cut The Rope from Chillingo was eclipsed by those numbers, making as it did a cool $1m in 10 days

This trumps the previous record for fastest-grossing App, held by the Chillingo-published title Cut The Rope, which turned over $1 million in its first ten days. However, the $0.99 title also boasted one million downloads over the same period.

Apparently there’s a lot of money in that App Store!

Infinity Blade Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Games for the iOS platform have come a long way in the last two years. When the App Store was initially launched and we saw the first few games running on our iPhone many believed that the multitouch platform would be great for casual games while the more hardcore genres won’t be as popular. But, as these devices began to create a “revolution” in the smartphone market; gaming for handheld devices gradually started reinventing.

Today when we look at the kind of games available on the App Store it’s easy to realize that iPhone is a serious handheld gaming device. This is one of the reasons why this platform has successfully managed to attract major game publishers and developers to not just bring their popular titles but also develop exclusive games. The latest game which promises to push all boundaries and set new standards is Infinity Blade from Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment. Infinity Blade for iPhone has been widely discussed and was one of the highly anticipated games this holiday season. In this review we will take an in-depth look and see if it really lived up to all the hype and expectations.

Epic Games showed us what Unreal Engine 3 can do on an iPhone with Epic Citadel, a free app which allows you to explore a stunning 3D environment with undeniably the best  graphics and details which will make you wonder if you were still viewing the game on an iPhone. So, to a certain extent we were already aware of the kind of production value their upcoming game will feature.

The 3D graphics in Infinity Blade exude impeccable quality with almost the same resolution of characters which we see on a console title. When you first launch the game you can’t help but pan around and admire the realistic 3D environment. Every little detail shines on iPhone 4’s retina display. It’s the attention to detail like sunlight piercing through the walls, lighting, shadow effects and reflection which adds amazing realism to the gameplay. The game characters are also presented with equal amount of depth and personality which is great since Infinity Blade is essentially a role playing game. You will be able to notice the perfect skin tone, scars and ripped muscles too!

Generally, with all 3D intensive games the graphics look great as long as you are not interacting with the environment, the moment you enter into a fight or perform other actions you can notice glitches, as the ground would suddenly disappear or you might be walking through the wall. However, this is certainly not the case with this game. Even though the game characters wear heavy armor they will interact very smoothly and perform very clear actions.

The entire game has a very cinematic feel to it as the cameras dynamically pan around and build up the momentum before each combat. You will be able to appreciate the details when there is a closeup of the character and then suddenly you can view the entire three dimensional environment in bird’s eye view. Even the background score and sound effects are top class and perfectly match the mood. It will build up in one scene and then fade into a suspense theme while you are engaging your enemy.

Once the “wow” factor has settled down and you have bragged about your iPhone’s graphical capabilities; it’s the storyline and other gameplay elements which will either satisfy you or leave you wanting for more. The backstory is quite simple but yet with an unusual twist. You are a knight and you enter the game facing your first enemy where the battle acts as a tutorial to familiarize you with the swipe based controls and then you face the God King who defeats you rather quickly and then you die. The story actually starts after 18 years when you enter the game again as the first bloodline to avenge your Father’s blood.

You face one battle after the other trying to defeat your enemies with the ultimate goal to reach God King and defeat him. As you fight and win battles you gain XP points, collect gold and health potions by tapping when you spot them. Gold helps you in buying new weapons which include swords, shields, helmets, armor and magic rings while XP points enable you to master each of these and level up. Each weapon will give you different benefits so purchasing the right sword or the right magical ability might turn out to be a crucial decision before facing the enemy. You start at level one and always face a much more experienced opponent. Since each character has different skills so sometimes you might find it easier to defeat one over the other even though both might have the same level. For example, it’s easier to defeat an assassin who is on level 28 when compared to an executioner who sits on the same level.

The God King has 50 levels worth of experience so it can take you more than 5 bloodlines to be able to defeat him. This makes the gameplay very repetitive as you face your last enemy you would need much more experience level and you will eventually die and then enter the game again as the next bloodline to be able to have enough experience required to win. In most games we usually don’t know how the game will end or who we will face in the boss level but in Infinity Blade there will be nothing to surprise you except the fact that the game can have an alternate ending. When you face God King you can either defeat him and win the game or can cause enough damage and he will ask you to surrender and join him. The only odd thing here is that even if you choose the alternate ending you will quickly re-enter the last level and have to fight God King again.

With gorgeous high definition graphics one would expect to be able to explore the beautiful 3D environment just like you did in Epic Citadel but you will be disappointed here as the game does not allow you to freely roam or explore new area. The entire game unfolds in a very controlled manner and the game allows to you sometimes choose the opponent you want to fight first.

Swipe based gesture controls have not always worked well for games which require heavy action as there is no set direction or angle in which you can inflict damage. But since this is a sword fighting game flicking your finger on the screen to attack feels very intuitive. In addition to attacking you can also perform a “parry” which is basically copying the direction of the attack of your opponent and you will be able to perform a mega hit which will cause heavy damage.

Be sure to follow the tutorial in the first level closely as if you ever feel that you didn’t quite understand how to perform a “parry” or dodge then you won’t be able to learn it again unless you reset the game. The game does not feature a detailed help section so it can be difficult to figure out the combinations you can use to defend and attack. I would like to see a practice mode and more attack/defend modes which could add more variety to the game.

The game has a great collection of armor and weapons which gives your character a new look every time you equip yourself with a different sword, shield or helmet.

Currently the game features only one area however, the developers have promised that in an upcoming update they would be adding new areas, swords, shields, helmets, magic rings and enemies. A future update will also add a multiplayer mode.

The game integrates with Game Center so as you progress and unlock all 48 achievements available you will be able to see the ranks of your friends and other players worldwide.

I did run into a few bugs where in the middle of a battle the enemy would suddenly stop attacking and even though you would continue to attack it won’t cause any damage. On another occasion the action would just freeze where neither you nor the opponent could perform any action. We hope that the developers can fix these bugs in a future update.

Infinity Blade is an extraordinary game with exceptional graphics which makes the unreal world look more real! However, if you are a hardcore RPG fan who expects exploration, interaction and control then you will be disappointed with the first version of this game as it will turn out to be too short and repetitive. We can’t wait to see how Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment decide to expand this title as it has great potential.

$5.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Dec 09, 2010
Version: 1.0
1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
318 MB
Language: English
Seller: Chair Entertainment Group
© 2010 Chair Entertainment Group, LLC
Rated 9+ for the following:
Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence
Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later

Gallery

“Infinity Blade” is Epic Game’s Unreal Engine based Action-RPG for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. It has been as eagerly anticipated as much as id’s “Rage : Smash TV”. Early comments are that it looks and plays great, makes good use of iDevice control options, but again lacks the first person roaming depth and scope that many are hoping to see from iOS games now.

I lost an arm wrestle with our editor, and so he is going to review “Infinity Blade”. We thought an arm wrestle was fair, and far less dangerous than actually fighting to the death with ancient swords. We are geeks after all.

If you can’t wait for the review and want to play some virtual sword fighting then it is available right now here for $5.99.

Have you tried “Infinity Blade” yet? Let us know it the comments…

ChAIR and Epic Games recently confirmed the release date for one of the highly anticipated iOS action-RPG sword fighting adventure game. The game will be available worldwide on Thursday, December 09. Infinity Blade will be priced at $5.99 and will be a universal app which will allow you to install the app on iPhone 4, 3GS, iPod touch 4th gen, 3rd gen and Apple iPad.

The developers have promised graphically intense game environment with “adrenaline-fueled sword battles and epic boss fights set in the realm of a fully 3D castle.” It would be interesting to see how well the controls work as the combat interface is gesture based. If you’ve played Samurai II Vengeance you would remember that the original game also featured swipe based controls but the sequel featured a more traditional D-pad which to a certain extent provided more robust and accurate controls. So, we will definitely love to see how well the developers have implemented the control mechanism.

In Infinity Blade (previously known as Project Sword) you are a knight and you engage your enemies in battle while gaining experience and unlocking various items to better equip yourself.

It’s great to know that the developers are already talking about planned updates which will include integrated multiplayer mode featuring online battles via Game Center.

I have been playing Hero of Sparta II recently and am hoping to complete the game on time before Infinity Blade’s release to see if the game lives up to all the hype and anticipation.

Project Sword, the tech demo/game previously showed off by Apple at their September keynote has been given a new name, and shall henceforth be known as Infinity Blade. In order to show off the game’s stunning visuals thanks to its Unreal Engine, developer Epic has released a trailer for its upcoming iOS game.

An Epic (see what I did there?) RPG, Infinity Blade will feature an entirely swipe-based control system and drop-dead gorgeous visuals – especially on the Retina Display enabled iPhone 4. Now just imagine it on a similarly pixel-endowed iPad mk2!

We’re all super-syched for Infinity Blade, what about you? Is this where iPhone gaming really comes of age?