BioWare has already announced an upcoming iOS game for Mass Effect 3 called Mass Effect: Infiltrator, but this isn’t all that’s coming for fans. Yet another app has been announced by the developer, and this one is a bit different than an actual game.

The new app is called Datapad, and it is more of a social and interactive app. The Datapad app is coming to help fans “stay in touch with all of the info in Mass Effect 3.” Using the app, players can check the status of the ongoing war in the galaxy map, and they will even get test messages from in-game characters.

This is perhaps one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen come for a game, though it’s one many have imagined for a while now. To think that I could get a text from Joker, complaining about the crew on the Normandy? That would be awesome. I’m hoping that they can make some responses to send out if you were to actually reply to their messages too. Now that would be total win.

Independent game developers Spacetime Studios out of Austin, TX created a game in 2010 called Pocket Legends. This was boasted as the world’s first cross-platform, 3D, persistent mobile MMO. Last year, they became the first 3D publisher in history to give people the ability to play the same game on their smartphones, tablets, and desktop.

Seeing as they aren’t the types who would sit around twiddling their thumbs, another game is on the rise called Dark Legends. This game takes you into the secret societies of vampires, and puts you up against zombies, demons, and humans who will be after your hide. The combat system is supposed to be a lot faster, with a lot of content for solo and multiplayer alike.

If this sounds like something that will tickle your fancy, you can expect it sometime within the first quarter of this year. It will be available on Android, iOS, and Chrome, that way most everyone has the chance to get their hands on it. You can expect more information on the game when the Game Developer’s Conference happens in early March.

Well it looks like Steam has finally released an official app for mobile devices. You can pick up the app on the App Store or the Android Market, and it’s completely free. Of course there’s a catch. What’s that you ask? The app is currently in its beta stage, and without a beta account you can’t sign in.

The Steam app lets players connect with their online friends, as well as see who is currently playing games. Players can chat together with their friends and stay connected, even while on the go. The worst issue right now is that only those with beta invites can actually log in and use the app to its fullest extent. If you try and sign in without an account, the app will pop up with an error message stating the obvious: you don’t have a beta account.

There isn’t any word on when the beta stage of the app will be over, so for now we’ll have to sit tight. Those with beta invites can check out the full app, and if you think you’ve got one then you’d better be checking your email. You can get the iOS version here, and the Android version here. It certainly won’t hurt to have the app already downloaded.

Every gamer has no doubt come across a few RPGs in their day. In fact, some of the better games I can remember from my early gaming career were the 8-bit RPGs like the early Final Fantasy games, into the more polished 2D RPGs like Tales of Destiny. For many players, these types of games still remain a favorite even with new next-gen titles coming out every year. In looking at this, Konami and SRRN Games are ready to cater to these players and give them something worth playing.

The team have released a sequel to the hit 2D RPG Ash for the iOS. Titled Ash II: Shadows, this fresh release adds some great new features to an already interesting game that players will definitely like to see. Ash II brings with it new quests, a new storyline, new characters, re-drawn HD graphics, and an orchestral score that is hard to beat.

You can see the game in action below, with it’s official release trailer. Watching the gameplay definitely takes me back, and I’m positive it will for you as well. Ash II has a great and enduring story, and coupled with the stunning HD rendering, it’s one game you’ll want to make sure you grab on the App Store as soon as you can. Players can pick up the game right now in one of two packs. The first option is Gold, which will cost $4.99 and includes all six chapters of the game. Silver comes next for $2.99, and includes the first two chapters. Chapters three through six can be picked up for $.99 if you like what you see.

Any and every console player who owns an iOS device will often get games for their iPhone, iPad, or iTouch. The only problem that we face is the difficulty of switching from a controller to an awkward, thin, glass surface that has no real button definition other than visually on the screen. Not only will this cramp your hands if it’s all you have to play for a few hours, but you also have to cover up part of the screen to hit buttons. This can inhibit you from seeing oncoming obstacles in the midst of playing, which will frustrate anyone.

These reasons, among others are why the 60beat GamePad looks so awesome. Not only does it give you the comfort you know and love from a regular controller, it’s also plug-and-play, and means you’ll never have to cover the screen with your thumbs again. The controller looks like the love child of an Xbox and PlayStation controller as it has the bumpers, D-pad, and analog sticks, but the only real difference is having buttons labeled 1-4 instead of shapes or letters. The real icing on the cake is that this thing plugs into your iOS sound jack, and has no need for batteries.

Is it worth the $49.99 price tag it carries? I have no idea. Not needing batteries is pretty awesome, but that does mean more power from your device being drained, so having a charging station nearby may be a necessity. However, the plug-and-play factor is still pretty sweet, and having almost zero latency makes it a pretty tempting accessory.

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown is a new game on the App Store from Warner Brothers Interactive. It’s one of the best-looking games I’ve seen yet and it stands right up beside the Infinity Blade titles. That makes sense, because it even plays like Infinity Blade, and does so beautifully.

Arkham City Lockdown was developed by NetherRealm Studios, the same group who made the Mortal Kombat series, and it runs on the Unreal Engine. It’s got many of the crowd favorites, such as the Joker, Solomon Grundy, Two-Face, and a special nemesis for the iOS named Deathstroke. In the game you’ll take the role as the Dark Knight as he roams Gotham City, facing down these enemies in one-on-one battles. You can use power-ups in battle, and you’ll clean up the city one bad dude at a time.

I am honestly surprised at the game, and NetherRealm did one amazing job. It looks extremely polished, and performs at the top of the charts. It’s only $5.99 in the App Store right now, and it’s worth every penny. Be sure to boot up your Cave Computer and connect that iBat. It’s time to game the Arkham way.

Infinity Blade II may be the most popular game on iTunes right now, but players are chiming in from all over with crash issues that are causing a lot of despair. Most reviews are hitting the top ratings for those who can run the game, but the underbelly is brimming with frustration. Fans who own the game on an iPad seem to be having the most trouble.

In response to the issue, the game’s developer promises that a solution is coming.

“We’ve discovered an issue with some users who are running Infinity Blade II on iPad 1 and iPod touch devices. We are working to have a fix for this issue ASAP.”

Chair Entertainment offered this statement about the game in hopes to curb some player aggression. Infinity Blade II, as most reviewers have put it, is a “$7 loading screen.” Hopefully the fix will come sooner than later, but given the recent tough time the developer has went under, it’s easy to see why an issue like this can show up.

Of course, I am referring to the recent “crunch” that Chair stated they were under to push the game out on time. The developer created, polished, and finished Infinity Blade II in just six months, forcing a lot of stress to enter their office. They released a statement on this crunch period, saying that many of them were “burnt out” while working on the game. Though the game took these six months to complete, “it required for us, for the last two or three months, to just death march kill ourselves..We don’t look at that like that’s a good thing at all. We only did it because we definitely, passionately wanted to get the game done, and we wanted a little more in there,” as explained by Chair co-founder Donald Mustard. He commented that the team “definitely won’t do that again.”

Though it has some issues, Infinity Blade II is still a stunning game, and you can pick it up in the App Store for $6.99. As soon as a fix is released for the crashing issue, we’ll update.

For the past couple of weeks, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has kept players glued to monitors and screens without fail. Despite its glitches and issues, the game still has a tight grip on the gaming community. If you’ve had a chance to play the game then you’ll easily see why so many players have logged countless hours into the huge RPG. The map to Skyrim is just so huge that it’s almost deafening, and there’s much to see within the expansive world.

With the map being so large, the use of fast travel loses its touch. There’s so many different places to visit and they often don’t get fast travel markers of their own. This is quite the issue for the veteran adventurer, and it can get in the way of a lot of things. Well that’s about to change with the release of Dragon Shout, a new Skyrim app that will release soon on the iOS. Dragon Shout is a map companion that will help aid players when needing to find certain things in the world of Skyrim.

As noted by Apple, this is what the app consists of:

“The first version of the app contains an interactive map where you can drop annotated markers / journal entries down,” the developer told us. “For example, yesterday I played Skyrim and left a bunch of dragon scales and bones on the side of a mountain because they were too heavy.

I will come back and get them some other time so I marked it on the map so I know where it’s at in the future. Another example is I’m always looking for the right ingredients for potions, so when I come across an important ingredient, I mark it on the map so I know where to get it next time.”

The app should be releasing in within the next week for the iOS and can be found in the app store. The best thing about the app? It’s completely free. To find out more about Dragon Shout, visit either the app’s forum or its official site.

Do you remember back in the day when platforming games were at their best? Back when you could cruise through Super Mario on the SNES? It’s seemed like those days have long since been gone from our daily lives, and it’s quite sad. Developer Fire Fruit Forge embarked on a quest to bring these good ole’ days back and add to them their special twist. The result is Terra Noctis, and it’s coming to the iOS next month.

Terra Noctis is an old-school platformer that features some amazing pixel art and great game mechanics from the past. In the game, you control a little nightmare creature called Allen. He’s attending the local Nightmare School, but hasn’t quite got what it takes to be scary enough – at least, not yet. Following the failing of his recent test, he becomes motivated by a local legend printed in a book: “Eat the heart of the scariest nightmare and become a scary nightmare, too.” With that, his journey begins to become the scariest nightmare in the land.

The game features 40 levels, with various secrets to unlock and challenges to overcome. You’ll need to locate 15 red fairies and a collectible gold coin throughout each stage, along with letters that form the word “SCARE” for a classic 1-up reward. You’ll also pick up blue fairies, which you can use in return as currency in the in-game Shop. Here, you can buy helpful power-ups, including an umbrella (to deflect enemy attacks), balloons and bombs. You can see Terra Noctis in its beta gameplay below, and I think it’s well worth a peek. If you own an iOS device, keep a look out on the App Store when the game releases next month for $2.99.

If you own an iOS device, then next week you’re in for a treat. One of the best RPGs of all time, Chrono Trigger, will be making its way to the iOS. Square Enix is working hard to bring the game to every device possible, which obviously means that we will never sleep again.

While next week may be a bit specific, the actual post on the Square Enix Members blog states it will be available “before the end of December.” There’s no mention of a price, but since it’s Square Enix, it’s easy to assume it won’t be cheap. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions launched for $16, and other Square titles are sitting at no less than $9.

Chrono Trigger on the iOS has a touchscreen menu for making battle easier, and an on-screen joystick for movement. Better make sure you’ve got some cash in the account, because as soon as this game releases it will be burning up the download charts. As Square releases more information we’ll update, so remember to check back.