This week’s must-have apps roundup kicks off with Real Racing 3, arguably the most anticipated racing game for iOS to date. Following its announcement last August, it’s finally — slowly but surely — making its way to App Stores worldwide. We also have an awesome new weather app called Haze, the latest game from Chillingo, and more.
Real Racing 3 — Universal (Free)
As a fan of Real Racing and Real Racing 2, I’ve been itching to get my hands on Real Racing 3 since it was first announced by EA way back in August 2012. I got even more excited for it when the company demonstrated the game at Apple’s iPhone 5 event last September. But finally, the wait is now over.
Real Racing 3 has hit the App Store, and it’s the first title in the franchise that’s free to play, with in-app purchases for virtual currency and additional content. It’s also the first Real Racing game to be built upon the Mint 3 Engine, which further pushes the boundaries of mobile gaming.
Like its predecessors, Real Racing 3 boasts console-quality graphics that’ll blow you away. The level of detail is incredible, from the fully functioning rear-view mirrors to the dynamic reflections. There are more than 900 events to enjoy on real tracks, with over 45 meticulously detailed cars — that’s the largest roster of vehicles in Real Racing to date — from makers like Porsche, Lamborghini, Dodge, Bugatti, and Audi.
NOTE: At the time of writing this piece, Real Racing 3 is only available in Australia and New Zealand. However, we’re expecting it to rollout to international App Stores at any moment, so if you don’t see it yet, keep checking over the coming days.
Kickstarter — iPhone (Free)
Kickstarter finally has an official iOS app, making it easier to discover new projects on your iPhone. You’ll be able to enjoy project videos, get updates from projects and your friends, and make pledges towards products you love. And if you’re a project creator, you can also use the app to stay connected with your backers, to track your project’s progress, and to post updates on your page.
Haze — iPhone ($0.99)
Haze is a gorgeous new weather app for iPhone that promises to “put some color on your forecast” — whether it’s bright and sunny or pouring with rain. Its fluid animations and unique audiovisual interface provide you with a weather app unlike any other, that’s both simple and accurate.
Haze’s aim is to give you a “radiantly crafted forecast at a glance,” and most of that is done with simple swipe gestures. It gives you a five-day forecast with sunshine hours, UV, cloud coverage, and sunrise and sunset times. You’ll also get high and low temperatures for the day, windchill, windspeed, wind direction, precipitation chance and amount, humidity levels, and more.
Haze might look simple, then, but it provides you with tons of information. And it’s only $0.99. What more could you ask for?
Flick Champions Winter Sports — Universal ($0.99)
Flick Champions Winter Sports is the latest iOS game from Chillingo, and it’s heaps of fun. Pick a country and lead them to victory across six winter sports, including slalom, ski jumping, ice hockey, and more. You must master the art of flicking to collect the gold trophy in 18 challenging cup events, and when you’re done with those, you can create your own Olympic playlists in Champ Mode. There are also some fun daily challenges that give you something new to play everyday.
You’ll earn experience points as you play and unlock up to 30 items — such as speed boosts, perfect finishes, and more — which will help you become champion
Horizon Calendar — iPhone ($1.99)
Horizon Calendar is another unique app for iPhone that combines two utilities into one. Not only is it a great calendar app, but it also gives you your weather, too. It’s not as in-depth as Haze when it comes to weather, of course, but it’s still pretty awesome.
Horizon integrates the weather into your calendar, so when you’re looking at your schedule for the day, you’ll also see what the weather’s going to be. It has a 14-day forecast, and it supports all the calendars supported by the iPhone’s native Calendar app. It also offers a great month view that lets you see your schedule at a glance, and a night mode that lets you check your events in bed without disturbing your other half.
Horizon is on sale at $1.99 for a limited time, and it’s well worth that. I’d grab it while it’s cheap!
What’s Your Favorite?
So that concludes our list of this week’s must-have iOS apps. If you’ve picked up something that you think we should have included, be sure to let us know about it in the comments.
