Windows Phone Central Roundup: Windows 8 Games
When people think of tablet games, they can’t help but bring to mind apps like Angry Birds, Temple Run, and Bejeweled. Gaming on Windows 8 can be more than just flinging neon colored birds at green pigs though. Whether you want to blast away zombie guts or put some pedal to the medal, here are eight Windows 8 video games sure to bring out the gamer in you.
Judge Dredd vs. Zombies
Our first high packed action game is based on the 2012 British-South African Sci-Fi film – Dredd 3D. I’m going to be honest and say that I haven’t seen the movie, but the game is sure a blast to play. Venture through Mega-City One acting as judge, jury, and executioner to take out zombie hordes in this top down 3rd person shooter. As you make your way through the game you can earn weapon and gear upgrades to truly become an unstoppable force for the undead to fear.
Judge Dredd vs. Zombies is free to play on your Windows 8/RT tablet, just like the Windows Phone 8 version. If it wasn’t for the fact that the game is free we might complain about the short length of gameplay – hopefully we can expect some DLC content in the future to expand our zombie destroying adventure.
Download: Judge Dredd vs. Zombies
Drift Mania Championship 2
This game delivers the ultimate racing experience on Windows 8 as you slip behind the wheel of your race car and join over 15 million other players worldwide. As the title suggest, this game is all about getting your drift on and pulling that hand break around corners. The title is a blast to play and with the new online multiplayer mode, you and your friend can go head to head in a drift battle. Your car can be updated with licensed aftermarket brands including Royal Purple, Whiteline, Mishimoto, and more. You can even get down to the nitty-gritty details such as balancing the weight of your car and adjusting the suspension.
The game costs $2.99 (just like the Windows Phone 8 version) and is well worth the price. If you are feeling cheap, a “lite” version is available for Free – I can’t say what you will be missing out on though.
Download: Drift Mania Championship 2
SoulCraft
Maybe cars and zombies aren’t you thing, maybe you prefer to play the part of an avenging angel fighting back demons to where they came from. If so, SoulCraft is the dungeon crawler Action RPG game for you. Humans are on the brink of discovering the secret of eternal life and for some reason, this also means that the apocalypse is upon us. Be a warrior of the heavens and help fight to keep the apocalypse at bay with powerful weapons, magical powers, and mystic enchantments. The servers behind SoulCraft will also backup you data and ensure that if you are switching between multiple devices or if you destroy your tablet – your game will always be saved and ready to go.
The game is free to play and a great download for any Windows tablet gamer. Just ask yourself if you are ready to take on the gates of hell before you start.
Download: SoulCraft
Royal Revolt
It is possible that you like to kick ass in-game, but also enjoy cuteness. If that is the case, you need to check out Royal Revolt. The game is described as a reverse tower defense style game with beautiful 3D graphics and intuitive control. For me, this was the biggest time drainer of all the games on today’s list. Sure, it wasn’t the most hardcore and the level where you lead a collection of rabbits seems a bit juvenile, but it is all in good fun and all boils down to a create tower defense style game. Plus the backstory for the game is all about getting revenge on your relatives and who hasn’t dreamed of that before?
Pick the game up now for the great price of free in the Windows App Store. You can check out our review of the game on Windows Phone 8 here.
Download: Royal Revolt
Guns 4 Hire
Okay, enough of the cute games. We get back to high paced weaponry with Guns 4 Hire. Act out and control a squad of mercenaries to deliver pain and get paid. Your crew consist of the lieutenant, Faraday, Burns, and Boomer – and they are loaded with everything from Gatling guns to C4 explosives. The intense manly action doesn’t stop there, call in air strikes and engage in supreme tank battles. Guns 4 Hire is also free and ready to be downloaded from the Windows 8 App Store.
Download: Guns 4 Hire
Hydro Thunder Hurricane
If you want to put the petal to the medal as the same time as you get wet, then Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the game for you! If the title sounds familiar it is because its sibling, Hydro Thunder, was a hit arcade game in the late 90s. The action packed sequel delivers thrilling and fast boat races through a variety of environments. We also can’t forget Nitrous can we? Pick up cans of nitrous to boost your boat and fly over obstacles. The game connects to Xbox Live and should provide you with tons of fun. We were also very impressed by the graphics within the game.
Hydro Thunder Hurricane is going to cost you a whopping $9.99 in the Windows App Store – while that may sound expensive, the game is definitely worth it (otherwise we wouldn’t be talking about it). You can also pick up the game on Xbox 360 for 1,200 Microsoft Points (around $15) or get the Windows Phone 7 version, Hydro Thunder GO.
Download: Hydro Thunder Hurricane
Skulls of the Shogun
The next game on our list is probably the most popular and well known to date, Skulls of the Shogun. You, the powerful General Akamoto, have just become the shogun of Japan when you are killed by one of your adversaries. Now you are in the afterlife, but that doesn’t mean your control over others must end. Join forces with ghost-samurai warriors and magical monks to capture the Skulls of the Shogun and become an unstoppable force. The game is a top down turn based strategy adventure and features 20 levels of single player campaign. When you are done with that, you can hop online or on a local network to battle with four of your friends.
The game will cost you $9.99, but you can download a trial first to see if you enjoy it. You can check out our review of the game on Windows Phone 8 here.
Download: Skulls of the Shogun
Zombie HQ
Our last game is about surviving the zombie apocalypse and having a blast doing it. Zombie HQ doesn’t have a deep story line, but it doesn’t need one. Pick a quest from your rooftop headquarters and set out to smash in some brains. If you love gore and blood splattering all over your screen – this is your game. Make your way through the infested streets to upgrade and find new weaponry to assist in your missions.
The only aspect about the game I didn't like is that there is no way to save your data if you uninstall it – you lose your progress. That being said, the game has great replay value. Grab it for free from the Windows App Store now!
Download: Zombie HQ
Did we miss any of your favorite hardcore games, guys? What do you love to pull out and play on your Windows 8 tablet?
