All of the high-quality games that came out in April didn't stand a chance next to the biggest iPhone blockbuster since GTA: Chinatown Wars. Solomon's Keep, Saving Private Sheep, and Blokus are great games, but they were always fighting for second place. We almost feel sorry for them, because Square Enix's Chaos Rings ran away with our top honors.
Chaos Rings is an epic RPG that tells a unique story spun from four different perspectives. Teams of couples are stolen away during an eclipse to fight to the death in the Ark Arena. As they train and develop their skills, they'll travel across desolate landscapes and encounter a variety of unique monsters.
The RPG system in Chaos Rings is one of the most complex we've seen on the system. Even though it may be a little shallow for some console RPG players, it's perfect for bite-sized play sessions or dedicated afternoons. This is simply one of the best iPhone games ever made.
Our runner-up for April is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, a port of the Playstation, Dreamcast, and N64 masterpiece that set the standard for extreme sports games a decade ago. A huge variety of challenges, levels stuffed with ledges to grind and ollie over, and a classic licensed soundtrack all help bring the full console experience to the iPhone intact.
Congratulations to Square Enix and Activision for releasing what we think are the best games of April 2010. Check back soon for our picks for the best iPad games of the month.
CHAOS RINGS
5 Comments
I had a feeling that Chaos Rings would win, although I have yet to play it.
I don't get what's so special about this game. After a couple of hours I was bored. There is no "deep, complex" RPG game play. You fight creatures, you gain genes. Genes are basically the equivalent of spells in any other game, with the advantage that you can use them at any time, whereas in most finely crafted RPGs you have to pick and choose what you want and then you're stuck with it, which means you have to learn to adapt to what you've chosen. If you ask me, that actually makes Chaos Rings easier than a traditional RPG. There is no real character customization other than the genes, there are no quests to solve, and there is very little NPC interaction. As a result, I can't see labeling this as anything more than an advanced combat simulator. While it may be better than anything else they've developed for the iPhone to date, I think it pales in comparison to anything they've published for other systems. I really wish someone could help me see things differently, because I really want to like this game, but no one's convinced me that it lives up to any RPG potential.
On a side note, I thought Solomon's Keep and Saving Private Sheep were both far superior to this as far as entertainment factor was concerned.
GTA: Chinatown Wars? Wtf? That was reviewed in January.
Was stupid enough to miss the dot between the links, nevermind. Anyway I agree.
@ RustySabre
Agreed on Chaos Rings. It's really overrated... Still waiting for a real iphone rpg!
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