Top 10 best iOS RPGs to play after watching The Hobbit

It's finally here.

Peter Jackson's long-awaited The Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is finally in cinemas around the world.

Tolkien's award-winning story has put the entire Pocket Gamer team in the mood for an adventure. We can't set off on a real quest, mind, because we have too many reviews to write. And it's ruddy freezing outside.

So, we're going to grab our iPhones and iPads to play a few fantasy-filled RPGs from the safety of our warm homes, instead.

Fancy joining us? Here's what we recommend...

According to Gameloft, its second Order and Chaos title is the App Store's very first Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA).

Let us explain.

In this free-to-play RPG, you choose one of 30 upgradable brave heroes and team up with three or five of your real-world friends to take down opposing teams and destroy their bases.

This all happens in real time, so you can set traps for your opponents and ambush them in an instant.

If slow turn-based battles and large open worlds aren't really your cup of tea, you should take the colourful Squids Wild West for a spin.

It's an action-RPG in which your team of explorers is pitted against evil sea critters in fairly small arenas, you see.

You can navigate each arena and unleash attacks by flicking your team in the direction you want it to travel. Then, you can use the experience you gain throughout each bout to strengthen your forces.

Originally a Nintendo DS title, The World Ends with You: Solo Remix is an enhanced port that features a modified combat system and some lovely new visuals.

Some fresh social elements have been added to the mix, too.

In this iOS edition, you can connect to Twitter, for example, and see your friends' tweets displayed as thoughts above the heads of in-game NPCs.

Dimensions is both similar to and different from the rest of the titles in Square Enix's most famous and successful franchise.

What do we mean by that?

Well, it features 2D sprites, lots of different jobs, and even more turn-based brawls. Nothing new there, then. It's the game's episodic approach that's rather new, though.

Arcane Legends
By Spacetime Studios - download free for iPhone and iPad

Arcane Legends is the latest massively multiplayer online RPG from the creator of similar MMOs Pocket Legends and Dark Legends.

In it, you can join your friends and set off on adventures through dimly lit taverns and majestic forests.

Oh, and you can collect pets that you can customise to suit your style of play. Lucky you.

Another enhanced port.

This time around, it's a port of traditional turn-based Japanese title Lunar: Silver Star Story, which has been refreshed on a number of occasions since it landed on the Sega Saturn 16 years ago.

In this classic top-down 2D adventure title, you follow Alex, his companion Nall, and his adopted sister Luna as they undertake a seemingly minor quest that will determine the fate of the entire world.

Not that minor, really, then.

Bastion is a lovely-looking game. In fact, that's somewhat of an understatement. It's utterly, utterly gorgeous, and its hand-drawn environments are as colourful as a variegated kaleidoscope full of rainbows.

You play as "the kid", a spiky-haired warrior who's tasked with traversing a post-apocalytic world in search of special shards of rock.

Bastion's best - and most unique - feature is its narrator, who recounts every move you make and action you perform as you play.

Final Fantasy III was originally released back in 1990, and was subsequently remade in 3D for the Nintendo DS back in 2006. This iOS version is an enhanced re-release of the latter.

Besides new controls and improved visuals for Apple's Retina display devices, this port is pretty much identical to its DS counterpart.

Expect lots of tough turn-based battles, basically.

Chaos Rings II is essentially a Final Fantasy VIII-esque title designed exclusively for mobile devices. So, if you love Square Enix's 1999 PSone RPG, you'll also love this.

As you can imagine, then, there's a little bit of exploration involved. There are also plenty of turn-based battles to slice and dice your way through.

Square Enix has always pushed devices to their limits and encouraged its development partners to do likewise. The iPhone is no different. Chaos Rings II looks absolutely fantastic.

Okay, so Dungeon Village isn't technically a RPG. It's actually more of a simulation, if truth be told.

In it, though, you're tasked with constructing one of those quaint little inn-filled towns familiar to anyone who's played a Final Fantasy title or a classic role-playing game like it.

Adventurers rely on your stores, so ensure they're fully stocked with potions, weapons, and essential supplies.