The world isn't perfect. Indeed, in this day and age it feels less perfect than ever. We're locked into an era where we're ruled by blonde egomaniacs, so undeserving of power. Injustice and inequality is rife, teenagers with autism are attacked by those in government, simply for trying to hold them to account, and our planet is choking on mankind's hubris.
We feel so powerless, numbed to the daily shocks.
Cynicism in the face of all this is, perhaps, understandable. Every day brings more bad news; abuses of power, environmental collapse, unsavoury revelations about those we might've once idolised... and we're all feeling battered and worn down.
It's perhaps best summed up by the word Weltzschmerz - meaning "world pain" - coined by the German author Jean Paul Richter, to describe a weary melancholy at that imperfection of the world. John Steinbeck referred to it in The Winter of Our Discontent, where he called it "Welshrats", for some reason.
Though it'd be easy to think that this was a relatively new term, Richter first used it in 1810, suggesting that - as bad as things might seem now - we're not the first generation to believe that the world could, and should, be better than it is.
Indeed, so coloured have we become by this all-consuming Weltschmerz that it's hard to notice when something comes along that seems to be pretty darn perfect.
Step forwards Apple Arcade.
We feel so powerless, numbed to the daily shocks.
Cynicism in the face of all this is, perhaps, understandable. Every day brings more bad news; abuses of power, environmental collapse, unsavoury revelations about those we might've once idolised... and we're all feeling battered and worn down.
It's perhaps best summed up by the word Weltzschmerz - meaning "world pain" - coined by the German author Jean Paul Richter, to describe a weary melancholy at that imperfection of the world. John Steinbeck referred to it in The Winter of Our Discontent, where he called it "Welshrats", for some reason.
Though it'd be easy to think that this was a relatively new term, Richter first used it in 1810, suggesting that - as bad as things might seem now - we're not the first generation to believe that the world could, and should, be better than it is.
Indeed, so coloured have we become by this all-consuming Weltschmerz that it's hard to notice when something comes along that seems to be pretty darn perfect.
Step forwards Apple Arcade.
NO BOTHER
I'd become so disillusioned by mobile gaming that I wasn't even going to bother with Apple Arcade. Simply, I couldn't envision a version of mobile gaming which wasn't ruined with ads or microtransactions. And if I could, I certainly would never have imagined it coming from Apple, which has done so much to spoil a lot of early promise.
I mean, when it was announced, Apple Arcade appeared too good to be true; no ads, no in-game purchases, games that could be played across the entire Apple family of products, for up to six family members - all for £4.99 a month (following a one-month free trial).
There had to be some catch, right?
But no: that's exactly what Apple Arcade is, and from the quality of the early line-up - which is approaching 100 games already, and includes titles from indie developers, well-regarded studios like usTwo, as well as big names like Sega and Capcom - it's hard to argue against.
It's even harder to argue against when you realise that most of these games are exclusive to Apple (albeit it on mobile; while none of Apple Arcade's games will be on Android, you might see some of these popping up on the Switch or whatever), and that the selection has been curated carefully, and showcase the breadth of what gaming can be.
I've barely scratched the surface of what's on offer, but of the 10 or 12 games I've dipped into thus far, the quality is remarkable. In fact, there's a case here to argue that this might be the strongest platform launch line-up of all time.
I'd become so disillusioned by mobile gaming that I wasn't even going to bother with Apple Arcade. Simply, I couldn't envision a version of mobile gaming which wasn't ruined with ads or microtransactions. And if I could, I certainly would never have imagined it coming from Apple, which has done so much to spoil a lot of early promise.
I mean, when it was announced, Apple Arcade appeared too good to be true; no ads, no in-game purchases, games that could be played across the entire Apple family of products, for up to six family members - all for £4.99 a month (following a one-month free trial).
There had to be some catch, right?
But no: that's exactly what Apple Arcade is, and from the quality of the early line-up - which is approaching 100 games already, and includes titles from indie developers, well-regarded studios like usTwo, as well as big names like Sega and Capcom - it's hard to argue against.
It's even harder to argue against when you realise that most of these games are exclusive to Apple (albeit it on mobile; while none of Apple Arcade's games will be on Android, you might see some of these popping up on the Switch or whatever), and that the selection has been curated carefully, and showcase the breadth of what gaming can be.
I've barely scratched the surface of what's on offer, but of the 10 or 12 games I've dipped into thus far, the quality is remarkable. In fact, there's a case here to argue that this might be the strongest platform launch line-up of all time.
RIDDLED WITH MESS
Just look at the furore with which Mario Kart Tour has been met: a microtransaction-riddled mess, that is unworthy of Nintendo's brand... all because it has come out as a mobile game. Yet Sega's take on the genre - Team Sonic Racing - is available on Apple Arcade with not a whiff of in-app moneygrabbing.
What's more, by offering an alternative to the freemium model, Apple has opened up the sorts of games developers can create. As well as traditional quick-fix games, Apple Arcade has more involved, narrative, experiences... quirky experiments... beautiful, borderline artistic, achievements.
It's hard to imagine a game like Assemble With Care - a gentle, story-led, puzzler where the aim is to repair the items brought into your repair shop - existing on the App Store a couple of weeks ago. Likewise Capcom's Shinsekai Into The Depths - a gorgeous, underwater take on the Metroid formula.
Then there's the brilliant battle-puzzler Grindstone, a brutal take on the tile-matching formula, and ludicrous comedy golf game What The Golf? - both of which, pre-Apple Arcade, would've stopped play every other level to beg you for money or show you an un-skippable ad.
Honestly, it feels weird to be praising something so fulsomely - normally, as a critic, its our job to give a bit of balance, but it's hard to find anything to really beat Apple Arcade over the head with. The deal is that good, and the games so great, that Apple has literally, overnight, changed the game for mobile.
Oh, alright then... if I must. The one downside is this; the choice available already is overwhelming.
Frankly, it's hard to know where to start, and there are going to be games in among the 100-ish available that get lost in the mix. How Apple is paying the developers is anyone's guess (I read that for the launch they've been given a lump-sum upfront), but going forward a less-is-more approach might be better, just to ensure that every game on there gets its due.
That said, it's hardly the end of the world when the one criticism I have is: there's too much good stuff.
Just look at the furore with which Mario Kart Tour has been met: a microtransaction-riddled mess, that is unworthy of Nintendo's brand... all because it has come out as a mobile game. Yet Sega's take on the genre - Team Sonic Racing - is available on Apple Arcade with not a whiff of in-app moneygrabbing.
What's more, by offering an alternative to the freemium model, Apple has opened up the sorts of games developers can create. As well as traditional quick-fix games, Apple Arcade has more involved, narrative, experiences... quirky experiments... beautiful, borderline artistic, achievements.
It's hard to imagine a game like Assemble With Care - a gentle, story-led, puzzler where the aim is to repair the items brought into your repair shop - existing on the App Store a couple of weeks ago. Likewise Capcom's Shinsekai Into The Depths - a gorgeous, underwater take on the Metroid formula.
Then there's the brilliant battle-puzzler Grindstone, a brutal take on the tile-matching formula, and ludicrous comedy golf game What The Golf? - both of which, pre-Apple Arcade, would've stopped play every other level to beg you for money or show you an un-skippable ad.
Honestly, it feels weird to be praising something so fulsomely - normally, as a critic, its our job to give a bit of balance, but it's hard to find anything to really beat Apple Arcade over the head with. The deal is that good, and the games so great, that Apple has literally, overnight, changed the game for mobile.
Oh, alright then... if I must. The one downside is this; the choice available already is overwhelming.
Frankly, it's hard to know where to start, and there are going to be games in among the 100-ish available that get lost in the mix. How Apple is paying the developers is anyone's guess (I read that for the launch they've been given a lump-sum upfront), but going forward a less-is-more approach might be better, just to ensure that every game on there gets its due.
That said, it's hardly the end of the world when the one criticism I have is: there's too much good stuff.
THE BEST THUS FAR
Everything I've played on Apple Arcade thus far (and just to remind you, that's far from everything) I've enjoyed.
The breadth of what's on offer ensures there really is something for everyone, but I've been pleasantly surprised (understatement) to find so many games which seem to offer exactly what I'm looking for from games at the minute; bite-sized, original, unique, and seemingly authored, experiences.
Of everything I've played, here are my favourites:
Assemble With Care
From the team behind Monument Valley, this has a similar pastoral atmosphere, but is otherwise completely different. Disassemble items, find the fault, repair - while a sweet story plays out.
Grindstone
Draw a line through objects (here they're monsters) of the same colour to make them disappear. The twist here is the tongue-in-cheek fantasy battle trappings.
What The Golf?
What starts out seeming to be a regular golf game becomes something completely bizarre.
Shinsekai Into The Depths
A unique platformer from Capcom. As a diver fleeing encroaching ice, you must solve puzzles and keep an eye on your oxygen levels.
Where Cards Fall
Isometric puzzler, where you guide a boy on an adventure, using decks of cards to aid his journey. Sounds weird. Isnt.
Bleak Sword
If Dark Souls had an entirely pixellated art style, and bite-sized levels, it would be Bleak Sword.
Overland
Atmospheric, post-apocalyptic, turn-based, RPG. Sort of.
In short, Apple Arcade is a genuine triumph. We can all be cynical about Apple's ecosystem - boo, hiss: big corporation, and all that - but there's no getting away from the reality that here they're responsible for delivering something which everyone who plays games, at whatever level, should pay attention to.
SCORE: 1810 out of 1850
Everything I've played on Apple Arcade thus far (and just to remind you, that's far from everything) I've enjoyed.
The breadth of what's on offer ensures there really is something for everyone, but I've been pleasantly surprised (understatement) to find so many games which seem to offer exactly what I'm looking for from games at the minute; bite-sized, original, unique, and seemingly authored, experiences.
Of everything I've played, here are my favourites:
Assemble With Care
From the team behind Monument Valley, this has a similar pastoral atmosphere, but is otherwise completely different. Disassemble items, find the fault, repair - while a sweet story plays out.
Grindstone
Draw a line through objects (here they're monsters) of the same colour to make them disappear. The twist here is the tongue-in-cheek fantasy battle trappings.
What The Golf?
What starts out seeming to be a regular golf game becomes something completely bizarre.
Shinsekai Into The Depths
A unique platformer from Capcom. As a diver fleeing encroaching ice, you must solve puzzles and keep an eye on your oxygen levels.
Where Cards Fall
Isometric puzzler, where you guide a boy on an adventure, using decks of cards to aid his journey. Sounds weird. Isnt.
Bleak Sword
If Dark Souls had an entirely pixellated art style, and bite-sized levels, it would be Bleak Sword.
Overland
Atmospheric, post-apocalyptic, turn-based, RPG. Sort of.
In short, Apple Arcade is a genuine triumph. We can all be cynical about Apple's ecosystem - boo, hiss: big corporation, and all that - but there's no getting away from the reality that here they're responsible for delivering something which everyone who plays games, at whatever level, should pay attention to.
SCORE: 1810 out of 1850
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