Since the franchise's introduction in 2012, the Theatrhythm games have masterfully capitalized on the Final Fantasy series' incredible soundtracks. Using a gameplay system that's approachable yet deceptively challenging, while also mixing iconic scenes from past games in the background, the games act as a playable portfolio of FF's most memorable moments. Final Bar Line is speculated to be the final game in the Theatrhythm series, at least for a while, and if that's true, it's an incredible final act.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line presents 385 music tracks from across the Final Fantasy spectrum, with a healthy mixture of fan favorites and deep cuts spread out across 29 different categories. After selecting a song, players will press buttons along to its rhythm via three types of notes: red, which requires a single button press; yellow, where a button press is paired with flicking the joystick in a designated direction; and green, which must be held for as long as the green bar is present.

This traffic light-esque system sounds simple, but it can be downright devilish in practice, especially on higher difficulty levels. Keying in on which parts of the song the notes are corresponding to can be tough, especially with compositions as complex as what longtime composer Nobuo Uematsu and his peers have devised over the years. That said, it's still immensely fun being able to interact with these iconic songs in this way, as I found my whole body moving to the beat while I tapped along on the controller.

Tomb Raider Reloaded, on paper, sounds like every mobile gaming detractor's worst nightmare. A successful IP coming to mobile via a simple gameplay loop, coupled with a currency-laden enhancement system, should be the formula for another example of the worst of what mobile offers. Why then, after hours of fighting through dungeons and avoiding traps with Lara and her crew, am I so interested in coming back for more? Tomb Raider Reloaded sounds like it should be the next mobile disappointment, but instead it offers plenty of dungeon-delving fun.

Tomb Raider Reloaded follows longtime series lead Lara Croft as she plunders for hidden treasure all across South America. Each location on the world map offers multiple stages--from 10 to upwards of 50--where players must help Lara dodge traps and/or fight enemies in order to get from the bottom of the stage to the door at the top. Swiping on the screen will have Lara move through the stage in the direction of the swipe, and whenever she stops moving, she'll open fire on the nearest enemies to her. After every stage is complete, multiple rewards are given to the player, who can use them to upgrade Lara and purchase supplies before moving onto the next location.

In 2014, Ubisoft released Valiant Hearts: The Great War, a game that stood out by virtue of it being a smaller, more intimate tale amidst its many more action-oriented brethren. Instead of explosive set pieces and main characters that doubled as killing machines, the game focuses on the people who find themselves forever marked by war. Nine years later, Valiant Hearts: Coming Home continues the tale on mobile devices exclusively through Netflix, and it picks up right where the previous story left off. While a lack of challenging gameplay and a short lifespan could sink other games, brevity is used to its advantage to ensure the story hits just as hard as its predecessor..

Coming Home begins in 1917, just as American troops are entering the war for the first time. Familiar faces Freddie and Anna return, along with three new main characters: James, Freddie's younger brother; George, a fighter pilot; and Ernst, a German sailor who, through no fault of his own, finds himself an unwitting participant in the war effort.

The story is told across 19 scenes split into three chapters, which translates into about 2.5 hours of gameplay. On paper it sounds very short, but the story is efficiently told. None of the beats feel like they drag on; from the opening scene Coming Home does a remarkable job of being clear-cut with its narrative--even those designed to make the player feel uncomfortable. For example, the very first scene shows James's enlistment experience, which has him forced into racially segregated lines with one line receiving weapons and the other, James's line, being given brooms for custodial work. In another scene, the medic Ana frantically runs around a hospital healing wounded, putting the player in control as she removes shrapnel from limbs and administers bandages.