The Best Android Games of the Month

Another month, another bevy of great Android games. Actually, October has been kind of slow, though we expect things to start jumping around here any minute, or at least as soon as the holiday releases take off around Turkey Day. Still, October was no slouch. We have this day for your time wasting pleasure the following: a freemium JRPG with a beautiful aesthetic; a platformer based on a YouTube sensation that everyone and their mother expected to be crap but wasn’t; a simple King’s Bounty clone; a Fire Emblem clone, both of which are slammingly good, and for our number 1 title we’ve got an action-filled indie that’s already turned a lot of heads. So same as usual, really, a fabulous layout for the Best Android Games of the Month, penned by our own Cruise DeShevy. Enjoy and see you next month.  ~ed.

5. Grand Sphere

The land of Astrum is invaded by Dark Spheres, creatures embedded with obviously destructive and menacing power. As the hero it is your goal to rid the world of this evil and restore peace to this once quiet planet. During your quest you will take on quests to exterminate these beasts through battles in a turned based fashion. You play the role of a Grand Sphere knight who has a rare ability to extract great power from Spheres and use it to release advanced Sphere boosting attacks.

The quest is not a lonely one however, from the beginning you will be greeted by a cast of colorful characters in their journey to work together to take down the growing number of Dark Spheres. The battles are separated over a sprawling map with many different themed areas and creatures for you to eliminate. Every battle set completed earns you gems which allow you to scout for new heroes to join your growing army of Sphere wielders.

Voice acting is refreshing and even though only a Japanese track is available, it provides a greater means of conveying the appropriate tone to the story. You will enjoy going through the story segments as they are mostly well-written and compelling.

The game is polished and well produced and overall conveys that special anime charm that breathes life into the best JRPG cut scenes. Most free to play games lack this sense of style and compelling gameplay. Grand Sphere sets the bar high for others who intend to enter this growing marketplace on the Google Play Store.

4. PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist

A throwback to a handful of Golden Age video games, The Legend of the Brofist throws you into the shoes of YouTube’s favorite gaming celebrity where you will overcome numerous hardships so that you can release your dedicated fans from captivity. PewDiePie himself covers voice acting in the game and generally does an excellent job of providing players with a funny and entertaining story.

Like many of the legacy games it emulates PewDiePie comes complete with a 16 bit graphic style, which has been enhanced by a host of newer effects and flying segments, intense high paced platforming, and interesting levels break up the majority of the game. Jumping is integral to the gameplay and jumping on enemies is the only way to destroy them. Coins can be seen everywhere and will need to be collected to unlock powerups and new iconic characters for you to play as.

The audio stays true to its inspiration and provides catchy music as you play through the story to release PieDiePie’s fans. Initially thought by some to be nothing but a cash-grab, developer Outerminds INC did the unexpected and delivered an authentic game.

3. Braveland Pirate

As in the tales of pirates of yore, you are tasked with the job of plunder and pillage. Defeat your opponents and reap the rewards of their fortune. Living the pirate life is a tale of danger from those who seek to steal the treasure you have amassed.  Though this concept seems simple, Braveland Pirate has you controlling your band of men in turned based strategic battles to determine the victor. As in the legendary strategy games it emulates (HOMM and King’s Bounty) one cannot run into the battle expecting to win by brute strength alone. Instead players will employ their best strategies and tactics to exploit their enemy’s weaknesses to gain the upper edge.

As you play through the game your hero characters will level up and unlock multiple different perks which grant new abilities for the various units in your armies. Pirates simple King’s Bounty style gameplay proves a perfect fit for Android devices and will definitely scratch the strategy and tactics itch for armchair generals and Android gaming fans in general.

2. Swords of Anima

A game that can bring you to think prudently and critically about your choices as well as tech you how to learn from your mistakes is usually a well-crafted game. Swords of Anima is just that and the storyline was inspired by all-time greats, like Fire Emblem and Shining Force. In standard tactical fashion it provides you with a small squad of soldiers each replete with their own strengths and weaknesses.

After each battle you will earn Forge Points which you can use to enhance your teams equipment. This is the only way to improve your stats and you will need to allocate these thoughtfully if you plan on surviving the game’s more difficult battles. Also deciding which teammates will join you in battle becomes a major deciding factor in your victory or defeat.

The approachability of the game edges you to complete the story and enjoy all that Swords of Anima has to offer.

1. Hotline Miami 2

An unforgiving challenge awaits those who have the skill to get through this masterpiece. A compelling story overarches the game and shows off the tainted nature of the inhabitants of Hotline 2’s Miami. Told through messages on your answering machine, the game’s plot unravels with many twisted incidents and outcomes, and largely involves the Miami criminal underground. The story takes place before and after the original game and from the point of view of several different protagonists.

Hotline Miami 2 plays from a top down perspective and has you scoping out your surroundings to view your threats in each level, giving you a chance to plan out a level before you embark on it, but remember that just because you know someone is there, doesn’t mean the battle will play out the way you were expecting as one wrong move can lead to your inevitable end. The more you play Hotline Miami 2 the better you will be mastering its levels and using the multiple available weapons. Eventually you will see yourself rushing around each scenario in a smooth killing spree. Expect to restart often as you are faced with multiple challenges. However, this is part of the joy of this seminal action game, which is hands down our choice for best Android game for the month of October, 2015.