6 highly anticipated mobile games to check out

From high-octane race-car soccer and pistol-toting parkour to befriending multicoloured llamas, there's a whole new crop of mobile games that promise a wide range of adventures. These titles are getting a lot of hype for their versatile appeal to gamers of all levels. So, whether you're an avid gamer or an occasional player, there's something on the horizon you'll want to take for a spin

My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge

Release date: Aug. 5

Preregister: App Store | Google Play

The plot of My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge borrows from the classic film genre of a one-person army with a "very particular set of skills," as in the movie Taken — but imagine Liam Neeson as a masked banana-worshipping hit man. In the game, you take on the role of an anonymous protagonist led by Pedro, a husband, father and floating sentient banana whose family has been kidnapped. To rescue Pedro's wife and kids, you run, jump, swing, steer and skateboard through 37 side-scrolling levels, all while eliminating enemies who want to "split" up Pedro's family (pun intended). 

The folks at Devolver Digital said their team had been "wearing out" their phones ahead of the game's wider release, calling it "the wildest game your phone has ever seen." Ripe for Revenge is a cute, free-to-play spinoff of the popular PC and console game My Friend Pedro. If you find yourself really getting into this universe, you can also look forward to the original game's upcoming adaptation for an R-rated TV series by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. 

Pokémon Unite

Release date: September

Fans are already immersed in the Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Unite since its release on July 21. But its mobile follow-up next month expands the game's multiplayer online battle arena for more intense Pokémon showdowns. Given the popularity of Pokémon and the ability to play on console and mobile, Unite will appeal to new and diehard fans of all ages. Gaming blog VG247 said Unite could see similar success to Pokémon Go if its touch-screen gameplay feels comfortable and its multiplayer format is easy to follow, giving it a "flying colours pass on all of these fronts." They also laud Unite as the "most important" Pokémon game since Pokémon Go. That says a lot, considering PoGo continues to be a massive success even after five years, and fans still can't put the game down. Unite promises even more opportunities to be "the very best like no one ever was." 

Townscaper

Release date: August

If you're looking for something more relaxing, you'll enjoy Townscaper's simple, satisfying and minimalistic user interface. The game's developer Oskar Stålberg describes the indie city-construction game as "No goal. No real gameplay. Just plenty of building and plenty of beauty. That's it." There are no objectives or narrative elements — just empty space waiting to be developed via a few on-screen controls. Just tap a spot on the screen and the game's algorithm dictates whether your action translates into a bridge, road, house, tower or something else entirely, as the structure expands perfectly with its surroundings. 

It's especially interesting to watch an urban designer play the desktop version of Townscaper. "This is really well thought out," Mikael Colville-Andersen says in the video. "This is, like, original urban planning right here — the original format of cities." And PC Gamer called the game "the perfect breather from the stress of modern life." With Townscaper providing a blank canvas for on-the-go creativity, it'll be fascinating to see what mobile users come up with.

My Time at Portia

Release date: August

There's no shortage of feel-good simulator games out there. But as this reviewer at GamesRadar writes, "My Time at Portia has swallowed me whole." When the wholesome life-building sim hits mobile platforms, you'll get to start anew in an enchanting town named Portia. You'll inherit your dad's old workshop and restore it to its former glory by growing crops, raising animals and befriending — or even dating and marrying — the quirky locals. Of course you'll have to navigate abandoned ruins and battle in dungeons; but you can also feed, ride and tame adorable multicoloured llamas that wear fashionable sunglasses. Need we say more?

Disney Mirrorverse

Release date: 2021

If there's one upcoming game that has fans in a frenzy, it's Disney Mirrorverse. The role-playing game reimagines iconic Disney and Pixar characters and storylines so you can suit up as your beloved heroes and villains in extremely badass power armour. The action-packed combat game is still in beta testing in some regions, so early reviews are still trickling in, and a launch date has yet to be confirmed. However, the game's action figure line is already set to be released in August and September.

Rocket League Sideswipe

Release date: 2021

For those familiar with Rocket League, you know just how easy it is to get sucked into this wild, fast-paced vehicular soccer video game. And for those who aren't familiar with it, yes, you read that right: vehicular soccer. It's as chaotic as it sounds, and every edge-of-your-seat match is an absolute spectacle of networked physics. Matthew Sholtz, a reviewer at Android Police who has logged nearly 1,000 hours of Rocket League gameplay, has so far enjoyed Sideswipe. "I thought for sure that I would hate the touch-screen controls in Sideswipe, and I'm delighted that I was wrong," he said. "So, don't dismiss the game because it's a mobile title. The controls hold their own." He said players can make the same highlight-reel moves they did with the original since Sideswipe gives you the ability to boost, jump and double jump.

Jes Tongio is a Toronto-based freelance creative producer who specializes in graphic design, video editing and writing. She streams her try-hard console gameplay (she has a reckless hero complex which often gets her and her teammates killed) and live singing weekly on Twitch. You can also follow her obnoxious overenthusiasm on Twitter.