Android Central: Arena of Valor has arrived in North America, and it lives up to the hype!

Monday, December 25, 2017

Arena of Valor has arrived in North America, and it lives up to the hype!

What are the latest games worth checking out in the Google Play Store?

Update December 22, 2017: Arena of Valor has launched in North America, so get set for epic 5 vs 5 battles! Then, check out Gunstar Heroes Classic, the latest release from Sega Forever!

Arena of Valor

Arena of Valor has made its way to North America and it's absolutely worth checking out. My colleague Richard took a look at the game when it was exclusive to Europe and Asia and he had glowing praise. I can echo that praise after playing with it for a couple days.

Created by Chinese developer Tencent Games, Arena of Valor is an epic 5v5 MOBA that falls into the same category as other games in the category like Vainglory and Mobile Legends. So what sets Arena of Valor apart? Well for starters it does a really great job of easing you into the game with tutorials so you aren't overwhelmed out of the gate. This is also a skill-based game first and foremost, so while there are in-app purchases for unlocking new characters and skins you can learn to dominate with the set of heroes you unlock as you play.

There are multiple types of game modes to check out including classic 5v5 arena matches that typically last about 20 minutes, or a 3v3 arena which is better for quicker matches. We will warn you that this game is terribly addictive.

Download: Arena of Valor (Free w/IAPs)

Gunstar Heroes Classic

Gunstar Heroes is the latest game added to the Google Play Store via the Sega Forever program. I'll admit that I never played this game back on the Genesis, so I came into this one with fresh eyes and hot damn does it hold up on mobile.

This is a fast-paced run-and-gun platformer with a great variety of characters and weapons to use. The world is being threatened by a totalitarian empire that seeks an ultimate weapon to bring the planet to it's knees. Its up to the Gunstar Heroes to stop them using lasers, flame throwers, and homing missiles.

This game is a blast to play, and like other Sega Forever titles it supports Bluetooth controllers — highly recommended here! The game is free to play with ads, or you can unlock an ad-free version via an in-app purchase.

Download: Gunstar Heroes Classic (Free w/IAPs)