It's hard to believe that two years have passed since Apple decided to foray into its own Netflix-style subscription service for games. Launched on 19th September, 2019, Apple Arcade took the world by storm and has gone on to create genuinely some of the best gaming experiences you can find on mobile today.
Now packed with over 210 titles, including everything from the likes of Team Sonic Racing and Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm to Beyond a Steel Sky and Pac-Man Party Royale, the collection is a steal at $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99 per month. It's also packed with numerous top tier premium experiences designed for the mobile platform, as opposed to free-to-play that can more often than not be found guilty of trying to nickel and dime you at every turn.
Apple regularly updates the list, and occasionally will just drop a whole load in one go, to keep subscribers entertained. For those newcomers though, it's hard to decide where to start. So, to celebrate the two-year anniversary of Apple Arcade, let's take a deep dive into what are some of the best games you can play today.
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The Pathless
There are many games that take inspiration from Breath of the Wild, and while there's very few that will ever match up that standard, The Pathless from Annapurna Interactive comes close. The action-adventure sees you control the Hunter as they must find a way to cure the curse on a marooned island.
What makes this game stand out is its use of traversal that has the player firing off arrows rapidly at targets, which in turn grants a speed boost to zoom across the land. It's also got some great heart-pounding boss fights that show off the scale of just what the mobile platform can do. Just terrific.
Monster Hunter Stories+
Originally a Nintendo 3DS release before making its way over to Apple Arcade, Monster Hunter Stories is a delightful JPRG about collecting monsters, levelling them up and battling them against one another (sound familiar?). It's a good size too at easily over 35 hours worth of content if you mainline the story, while also having that universal appeal whether you are eight or 80.
Grindstone
Grindstone continues to be the hidden gem within Apple Arcade, only growing with updates and further tweaking to make this puzzle-adventure shine brighter. Taking place on a grid, players move Jorj the Viking across a sweeping direction taking out as many enemies as possible to progress. It's incredibly addictive, super satisfying and packed with over 200 levels.
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
An open-world adventure where you focus on conserving the wildlife on a Mediterranean island is exactly the sort of escapism you need when locked out from much of the world in real life. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is sweet, charming and console-quality. It's easy to pick up and possess a gorgeous palette that only expands further the more you explore. Spend some time with Alba and you shan't be disappointed.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
If you've heard of Apple Arcade, there's a strong chance you've heard of Sayonara Wild Hearts. The soundtrack alone is enough to make it onto this list! Visually, it's stunning too, blending poppy music with kaleidoscope-like effects. It's a short experience but hugely memorable and instantly replayable. It eventually made its way to Switch, PS4 and PC but it never feels more at home than on mobile.
- Of course to experience these games in the highest quality, you need one of the best gaming phones on the market.
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