Welcome to the 517th edition of Android Apps Weekly, where we discuss the latest in mobile news and take a closer look at some of the most interesting new apps and games. Let’s jump right in and take a look at some of the biggest highlights from the last week:

• Google announced plans to remove more than 20 features from Assistant starting in January of this year. This includes features like music alarms and invoking a stopwatch. The company says they are doing this to free up resources to focus on features users care most about. And predictably, people aren’t very happy with this decision. 
• Google will soon let users unlink the Google Services they use and can even change these defaults and link in third-party options. Of course, this is all to ensure it complies with a new EU law, and it’s less clear if this change will apply to markets like the US. 
• Pixel Launcher may soon let you specify a browser. This is possibly related to the EU changes mentioned above, but the Pixel Launcher will also reportedly give users the ability to select the search engine of your course for things like web searches and other activities. 
• The Google Play Store will soon offer more real-money gaming apps starting in June of 2024. The app store already has pilot programs for things like Daily Fantasy Sports and Rummy but has yet to formally launch these to a wider audience.
• New screenshots of Assistant with Bard have surfaced giving us a closer look at the UX and in-development features. You’ll be able to choose the new Bard experience or keep the classic Assistant if you prefer. 
• Samsung is finally fixing a weird bug affecting several Galaxy phones. Basically, these devices got stuck on the May 2023 Play Update but the new fix allows them to receive the November 2023 Play System Update. 

Android Apps Weekly: New apps and games

Looking for some new Android apps and Android games to keep you occupied? This week we have four new games to highlight, and one really cool new app as well. 

WowMouse

• Price: $9.99

Easily one of the coolest apps out there for Wear OS, though it unfortunately doesn’t support the Pixel Watch series. For those with another Wear OS device that plays nicely, WoWMouse essentially turns your watch into a HID Bluetooth mouse that can be used with just about any Bluetooth device including computers, tablets, and phones. While this isn’t an app you’d use every day, it’s helpful if you need a mouse in a pinch or just want a quick cool way to control your mobile device. 

Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat

• Price: Free with in-app purchases

I was debating whether to include this one. This is a very anticipated mobile title as it’s part of the Devil May Cry series, so many were pretty excited about this one. Unfortunately, since it became available the Play Store has had tons of comments about installation problems, server issues, and more.

I ran into a similar experience myself, though it might just be down to too much server congestion for now. Still, if you’re a fan of the series you might want to download this one and just check on it throughout the weekend as they hopefully get it performing better.  Also as a side note, this game uses a ton of space, like upwards of 40GB. If you don’t have a lot of extra storage space, this could also prove an issue. 

Alphadia I & II

• Price: $9.99

The Alphadia series spans back to 2007 in Japan, though many of its later games have been released for Android in the years since. Now the first two games in the original series are back in a new remastered package that includes both titles for $9.99. While that’s a fairly steep price, these are pretty full-featured games that will keep you busy for dozens of hours or more. The new combined adventure features improved graphics, a great story, and several other enhancements. 

Magic Chronicle: Isekai RPG

• Price: Free with in-app purchase

Honestly, I expected this to be another generic mobile RPG, but this Gacha game is a bit deeper than I expected. Set in the world of Taelan, the game has decent graphics and character design, as well as a fairly compelling story based on the time I spent with it at least. I did run into a few minor bugs in the tutorial and found the combat lacked depth, but overall this isn’t half bad.  If you like Chibi graphics and are into Gacha, you’ll find a pretty solid game that’s free to play without overly invasive in-app purchases. 

Blade X: Odyssey of Heroes

• Price: Free

 Blade X doesn’t break any new ground as it’s basically a Diablo-style isometric action RPG, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a fairly generic experience but the story seems okay and the graphics and sound aren’t bad.  As for the gameplay? The combat works pretty well, but I felt the controllers could be a little wonky at times, even if they are certainly passable. I didn’t play more than maybe twenty or so minutes, but in that time I didn’t run into any bugs or other major issues either. If you’re looking for a fun Diablo-like that’s free to play, you can’t go wrong here.