The best Android games this week - Valiant Hearts, The Shadow Sun, Twisty Planets

Every Friday, Pocket Gamer offers hands-on impressions of the week's three best new Android games.

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There have been many games about war, and among all of them, Valiant Hearts stands out.

It trades the usual cavalcade of the first-person shooter for more of a focus on stealth and puzzle-solving. But its greatest effort is in drawing you into its characters.

The interwoven narrative focuses on a group of characters that care for each other but end up separated. It's about their relationships and the hardship that World War I brought to them.

One German man is taken from his French wife and must battle against his French father-in-law. A young nurse searches for her father who has been kidnapped by the enemy.

Among the boss fights, musical sections, and amusing clothes-stealing puzzles, there's real heart to be found here. And a gut-wrenching ending, too.

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We've previously described The Shadow Sun as a rough mix of an Elder Scrolls game and a tabletop RPG. We weren't wrong.

It's not the most complex RPG out there, nor is it the best one, but The Shadow Sun lets you soak yourself in its world. And that's what matters when it comes to role-playing.

You can create your own character and will have to make various choices as you progress through the story. So there's some room for you to put yourself into the game.

When negotiations turn hostile, the battle system does well to make fights a challenge while still being manageable on your fingers.

Most importantly, there's plenty to do in this world, and the setting and characters should hopefully make you want to explore as much as you can.
If you're after an RPG to sink some hours into, level up stats, and get lost in a story, then The Shadow Sun should serve you well.

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If mobile gaming over the years could be defined by one action it would be collecting stars. And, as is often the case, this action proves compelling in Twisty Planets.

I want to get as many stars as I can. But that involves solving some perplexing puzzles at times.

It's one of those games that feels great on the fingertips. You're moving little cube-based planets around - spinning, turning, and yes, twisting.

You do this to guide Qub to the stars and then to the level exit. Nothing new there, but Twisty Planet's TV-headed characters and 3D puzzle-solving proves a compelling concoction.

What's great about it is that you can play it for a minute or two. Or, as is probably going to be the case, for at least an hour at a time.