New iPad Games of the Week

The long awaited Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery has finally landed on the Apple App Store. As expected, it is an IAP-heavy freemium title with simple gameplay. App Store users seem to enjoy it anyway, giving it 4.5 stars out of 5, but critics dislike the timer heavy RPG. Developer Jam City has been praised for creating a new Hogwarts story with original actors from the film series voicing their characters, but their hard work been wasted by the inclusion of too many timers. The game has also been compared to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood for its tap-heavy gameplay.

The third game in Spiderweb Software's RPG series Avernum has made its way to the iPad. Avernum 3: Ruined World is a fantasy adventure title with over 60 hours of gameplay. It includes an enormous world that evolves over time. Players can explore both an underworld and surface continent filled with bizarre monsters. The game features over 60 spells and battle disciplines, a multitude of beneficial character traits to choose from, over 100 towns and dungeons to explore, and over 100 side quests.

Avernum 3: Ruined World is available now on the App Store for $9.99.

After being in beta for quite some time, Marvel Strike Force is finally available on the Apple App Store. The free-to-play RPG includes 70 playable Marvel superheroes and villains (including Wolverine), iconic locations like the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, 5v5 turn-based combat, and the ability to upgrade your characters to build the ultimate "squad." Players can battle through multiple modes with Iron Man, Captain America, Loki, Elektra, Dr. Strange and more.

The real battle royale is not happening between players in PUBG Mobile, it's happening right now on the App Store. Both PUBG Mobile and Fortnite have been ported to mobile and are fighting over iPhone and iPad users. It is kind of reminiscent of Android and iOS, if you think about it. Both games offer basically the same features, both are free, both were available on other platforms before coming to mobile, and most importantly both want to hook you on their ecosystem. The more players each game recruits the better the competition, and hopefully that leads to more players spending money on whatever DLC or IAPs each games decides to offer in the future.

Fortnite is currently the number 1 game on the Apple App Store even though not everyone can play it. As of right now the game is invite only, but people can still download the app on their devices. This has to be the first game to crack the number 1 spot on the App Store without being technically available. Downloading the app brings you to an option screen that asks if you've been invited to play. Selecting "NO" brings you to Epic Games' website so you can join a waiting list.

There's always a bit of reluctance when EA releases a free-to-play game to the App Store. The premium publisher is known for its over-the-top microtransactions and loot crates, and it's probably the same pay-to-play model for its newly released Sims Mobile. The App Store description promises all kinds of customization, like choosing the appearances of your own Sims, and building your own home. Long story short, if you like paying $5 for a digital bed, then The Sims Mobile is the game for your.

The long awaited sequel to Alto's Adventure is finally here. Join Alto and his friends as they sandboard through the windswept dunes of the desert. Alto's Odyssey includes a standalone, endless adventure with six unlockable characters, 180 goals to complete, and an one-touch trick system for chaining together combos. The game is now available for $4.99 on the Apple App Store.

Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition is now available on the App Store. The Pocket Edition is a mobile remake of the console version released last year. It follows the story of Noctis, the crown prince of Lucis, who must set things straight after Niflheim invades his kingdom on the eve of peace negotiations. You can download the first chapter for free, then pricing gets a bit weird. The next two chapters are $0.99 before they jump to $3.99. Or you can just buy all 10 chapters at once for $19.99.

Square Enix has released another Final Fantasy title to the App Store. The Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia release coincides with the launch of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT on PlayStation 4. The mobile launch includes special in-game offers through February for those who download the game and register. This includes 5,000 in-game gems, additional gems each day for the first 20 days, and more. You can download Dissidia now for free in the US.

Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle has landed early on the US App Store. The game will launch worldwide on April 14. It is a swiping puzzle title where players must slide Jason Voorhees around a tiled game board to kill camp counselors. The game features 8 different episodes with with over 100 puzzles, weapons and different Jasons to unlock, reflex-based kills and more. Killer Puzzle is free-to-play with the option to purchase additional skins and weapons.