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Magnificent graphics and sophisticated combat system: "Diablo Immortal" is a lot of fun for a few hours - then the payment brake takes effect
Photo:
BlizzardEntertainment
Games, learning programs and smart everyday helpers: every month we trawl through the newly released smartphone apps and take a look at the useful tools and entertaining games that have appeared for iOS and Android in the past few weeks.
This time we're trying out how the new part of the legendary role-playing game series »Diablo« is doing on the smartphone, whether the Disney heroes' radiance is enough for a good game and how you should learn to cook with a quiz app.
Diablo Immortal - Monster Hunt Marathon on Mobile
Fireballs rain down on the cemetery, tombstones shatter and giant spiders spit out healing potions: the role-playing series remains true to itself in the smartphone adventure »Diablo Immortal«.
The game celebrates a monster battle marathon embedded in an easily digestible story.
But this time it isn't millions of mouse clicks that decide success, but constant tapping on attack symbols on the edge of the display.
But that in no way diminishes the fun.
The game world looks impressive, the characters move elegantly and the controls work really well even on a five-inch display.
Fans of the previous PC versions will get their money's worth.
The luggage menu and the equipment overview are pleasantly streamlined, and the battle buttons are clearly implemented.
Blizzard presented uninhibited gaming pleasure for almost four hours.
But then the app suddenly pulls the brakes and makes it clear: if you want to avoid waiting and reach the end at some point, you can hardly avoid the in-app shop.
The app has already been downloaded more than ten million times and generates more than one million dollars a day with in-app purchases.
The penetrating purchase incentives cause a lot of frustration among players.
Hence the recommendation: If you are prone to cleverly placed in-app sales tricks, you should put the game aside from character level 30.
»Diablo Immortal«
, for iOS and Android , from 17 years, free, with in-app purchases up to 100 euros
»Disney Mirrorverse« – fairy tale stars deliver comic brawls
Comic stars go into battle: Disney digs deep into the character box for »Mirrorverse« and unpacks almost the entire range of heroes.
45 characters from well-known Disney and Pixar films are available.
In addition to the mermaid Ariel, Donald Duck and Goofy fight alongside Pirates of the Caribbean Captain Jack Sparrow and Ice Queen Elsa.
The comic heroes compete in teams of three, firing arrows and magic balls at their evil twin counterparts.
The app ignites a firework of effects in the first few minutes and captivates the players with its smooth controls.
But the lure offers pop up here much earlier than in "Diablo Immortal".
After just half an hour, the first sales banners with offers for three-euro packages appear.
After almost an hour, the first 20 levels are done.
Then Disney tightens the difficulty.
From this moment on, the developers noticeably insist that players take the shortcut through the absurdly confusing in-app bazaar.
It is almost impossible to keep track of the exaggerated supply of splinters, flames, gold thalers, diamonds, glitter balls and scrolls.
The app offers too little variety for real money purchases.
The large selection of cartoon characters doesn't quite make up for the repetitive comic book clutter, which gets pretty tiresome after a while.
A fixed price would have been far more appropriate for the app.
»Disney Mirrorverse«
, for iOS and Android , from 13 years, free, but with in-app purchases up to 30 euros
»The Lost Treasure 2« – Homage to CD-ROM puzzle games
Use Angel mit Teich: The heyday of puzzle classics like »The 7th Guest« and »Myst« are over.
But the developers at Syntaxity are reviving the hype of the legendary logic adventures on smartphones.
Turning stone tablets, picking locks and solving sliding puzzles: »The Lost Treasure 2« is a homage to the CD-ROM classics of the 1990s.
In contrast to its role models, however, the app has mercy on the players.
The puzzles are tricky, but adventurers don't have to crack really tough nuts.
The disc puzzles can be solved with a little trial and error and if you take a closer look at the travel destinations, you will also find out what rods and honeycombs can be used for in order to unlock the next location on the island.
Nimble puzzle experts will find the treasure in around two hours.
»The Lost Treasure 2«
, for iOS and Android, from 4 years, about 3 euros
»Testio« – smartphone put to the test
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The »Testio« app can be used to check the battery, microphone and touchscreen of smartphones
Photo: Brilic Media
Is the microphone still recording?
Can the touchscreen recognize five fingertips at once?
Does the speaker still play sounds?
With the »Testio« app, the basic functions of a smartphone can be checked quickly.
The test tool is useful for making sure that something is really broken before the workshop check.
Anyone who buys a used cell phone can use the app to check whether everything is working as promised.
A speed test also checks how quickly the data is drawn from the WLAN and the mobile network.
However, it is a bit disturbing when dogs suddenly bark from the smartphone speaker during the battery test and zombie hordes appear.
But these promotional videos are the price of a free app.
If you want to check your battery, you have to endure at least three such clips.
However, the subsequent result is a little sobering: the users do not find out much more than the capacity of the battery and the current charge level in percent.
This can also be checked in the settings.
»Testio«
, for iOS and Android , free of charge
»Parsnip« – recipes are only available in bits and pieces
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Riddles for the recipe: With the correct solutions in the quiz, »Parsnip« unlocks the cooking instructions
Photo: Tapforce
Anyone who expects this cooking app to be presented with the recipe straight away will be disappointed.
The instructions for the tomato pasta are only available once the correct answers have been tapped and it is clear that there are hundreds of pasta shapes, dry pasta is usually just wheat flour and water and garlic cloves start to sprout if left too long.
The recipes have to be guessed bit by bit in »Parsnip«.
The English-language app playfully introduces cooking amateurs to snipping techniques and frying tips for simple dishes.
Experience points increase the kitchen level and unlock more recipes.
This is an entertaining quiz fun for would-be chefs who want to calm their conscience with the kitchen tips - in order to then order from the pizza service.
However, if you cook more often and know the basics, you may feel patronized - and slowed down by the app's strictly regulated activation function.
Parsnip
, for iOS , free
