Apple Arcade adds 30+ titles including mesmerizing RPG from creator of Final Fantasy

By Chris Davies/April 2, 2021 9:10 am EST

Apple Arcade is seeing a big influx of new games, with over 30 new titles – including one from the creator of Final Fantasy – landing on the subscription service. It takes the catalog to over 180 games, Apple says, and also sees the addition of two new categories alongside Apple Arcade Originals.

There are now sections for Timeless Classics and App Store Greats. As with the existing titles, the big promise is no limits on gameplay, no ads within games, and no in-app purchases.

Apple Arcade launched back in September 2019, as a response to criticisms by some that games in the App Store had come to rely too much on paid content and advertising. While some of the biggest titles available for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV were free to initially download, they often locked their continuing gameplay behind in-app purchases. At the same time, there were ongoing concerns that data tracking in the background was also a growing issue.

Apple Arcade, in contrast, does away with all that. 71 games were available at launch, with Apple partnering with high-profile studios and publishers like Sega and Konami, and there are also educational games beyond the usual categories of adventure, puzzle, and similar.

Today, Apple Arcade Originals are gaining titles like NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, Star Trek: Legends, and The Oregon Trail. There's also Cut the Rope Remastered and SongPop Party.

Of particular interest is likely to be Fantasian. That's a new RPG from Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, and something of a legend in gaming circles. He was responsible for creating incredible dioramas that are used for the scenery in the game, while the music is the creation of Nobuo Uematsu, also notable for his work on Final Fantasy/

In the new Timeless Classics category, meanwhile, there'll be titles like Good Sudoku by Zach Gage and Backgammon. App Store Greats will have games such as Threes! and Fruit Ninja Classic among others. One limitation worth noting is that, while Arcade Originals can be played across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, the Timeless Classics and App Store Greats will only be supported on iPhone and iPad.

Apple Arcade is priced at $4.99 per month, though if you buy a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple TV you'll get three months service free. Alternatively, it's bundles as part of Apple One's plans: they start at $14.95 per month for the Individual tier or $19.95 per month for the Family tier.