Pocket Gamer 20th anniversary: Victory royales and chicken dinners
We were eatin' good
In the latest entry in our Pocket Gamer 20th Anniversary series, we put 2018 under the microscope. It proved to be a pivotal year, with battle royales making their way into our pockets after finding immense success on PC and console. As someone who generally steers clear of multiplayer, it wasn't the blockbuster offering that 2017 provided, but there was still plenty for single-player stalwarts like myself to enjoy as well.
Before that, we need to take a potentially flippant look back at culture in 2018. On the big screen, the MCU film Avengers: Infinity War arrived, in which everyone decided they no longer liked Peter Quill because he couldn't keep a lid on his emotions for five minutes. Elsewhere, Green Book, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Roma were cleaning up with the bigwigs in the awards world.
As for music, sound the “Will he ever shut up about this band?” klaxon because Poets of the Fall released Ultraviolet, which I would argue is their best album. One of the songs, My Dark Disquiet, would also go on to feature in Remedy's Control. The answer is no, by the way. I will not be silenced. Beyond that, Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa were topping the charts with One Kiss while God's Plan from Drake found its way into many people's ears.
In PC and console world, it was a stellar year for open-world fans with Red Dead Redemption 2 promptly earning a spot on many people's all-time favourite lists. I only played it within the last few years and had a decent enough time. I was far more impressed with 2018's other massive release, God of War. It had delightfully chunky combat, and the personal narrative, while the threat of Ragnarok bubbled away in the background, was fantastic. It's a shame the sequel missed the mark. Meanwhile, indie fans were treated to Celeste and Into the Breach, the latter of which is now on mobile! Strategy fans, play it if you haven't. It's a masterpiece.
Here on mobile, the battle royale craze had arrived with two well-known entries we'll touch on in a moment. But it's a varied world, as you know, so Candy Crush, Fate/Grand Order, and Lineage M were making a lot of cash. It also saw hypercasual – another term I don't enjoy – taking off with the likes of Helix Jump and Bumper.io. However, we'll focus on the games that have a little more meat on the bone.
PUBG Mobile
While PUBG isn't the progenitor of the battle royale genre, as many think, it's as good as in many ways. It was the first to popularise the concept on a grand scale, with the household name status seeing it springboard to success when it came to mobile. And it's remained popular to this day. For me, though, I'll always remember it for the sheer number of sometimes weird collaborations it hosts with almost anything you can imagine. Cars, fast food, and even luggage brands aren't off-limits, it seems.
Fortnite
Before Epic decided to have a big argument with Google and Apple, Fortnite was on Google Play and the App Store. A lot has happened since, and the obscenely popular battle royale is now back on Google Play. However, it didn't leave Android for long. You just had to put some effort into downloading it, meaning mobile players have been besting PC diehards with touchscreen controls for years. It's genuinely impressive how naturally good some people are. I still struggle with a keyboard and mouse.
Donut County
As I've mentioned a few times, multiplayer isn't my jam. So while I have played Fortnite and PUBG, they're not a staple of my gaming diet. Instead, I prefer to consume the sugary goodness that is Donut County. It's not actually all that much about food. I just saw a lot of pun potential and ran with it. Anyway, Donut County is all about putting things into a hole, so that hole can grow bigger and consume larger things. Sounds silly, right? Well, it is and in the best way. The bonkers story isn't bad at all, either.
Florence
From mad to moving, Florence is arguably more of an experience than a game. Don't let that put you off, though. It's a delightful sensory package, with a lovely graphic novel art style and beautiful music that masterfully blends piano and cello as the narrative plays out in front of you. The story is emotional, too, so don't rule out shedding a couple of tears if you decide to sit down with this one.
Dandara
Despite being available on multiple platforms, Dandara feels most at home on mobile. It's a Metroidvania that sees you moving the hero from spot to spot by flinging her across the level. This isn't merely a way to get from A to B; you'll need to time your leaps to dodge incoming projectiles from your enemies before returning fire. It all comes together in a thrilling way that doesn't hit the same way on PC and console. Mobile is at the core of Dandara's design.
