Five to Try: DC Comics’ Injustice 2 renews the fight, Socratic does your homework for you

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 12 May 2017

Can’t decide which apps games to grab from the ay Store? Our Five to Try column can help you sort through the glut snag only the most enticing new releases.

Injustice 2 just hit Android, it continues the fight between Batman, nder man, Superman, more as you tap swipe through super-powered battles. Meanwhile, Socratic uses its impressive A.I. abilities to solve homework problems, OK Golf is more appealing than it sounds, Spaceplan transforms the freemium clicker genre into a surprisingly engrossing narrative adventure.

so, ’s official I/O 2017 app is out, in case you want to plan for next week’s big Android developers conference. In fact, this column is taking next week off, since we’ll be inundated with I/O coverage, but check out these apps for now—we’ll be back with more the week after. 

Injustice 2

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Assemble your top trio go smash a few supervillain skulls.

DC Comics’ biggest heroes villains are back at it in Injustice 2, the sequel to the popular Injustice: Gods Among Us. ke the original, this head-to-head brawler—from the makers of Mortal Kombat—pits your three-fighter team against another as you tap, swipe, press buttons to unleash attacks.

The combat system is a lot more fluid flexible this time around, more closely resembling a console or arcade fighter while still being approachable, while the graphics are significantly smoother more detailed than the previous entry. It’s also packed with stuff to uncover, with a new Gear system letting you augment upgrade your fighters in different ways. It’s very much a free-to-play game, though, with an energy meter, multiple currency systems, lots of opportunities to spend on fighters benefits.

Socratic

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Snap a photo, get an answer ( hopefully learn something too).

Homework: it’s the pits, right? ile technology sadly hasn’t yet eliminated the need for homework, it has at least made it easier to find the information solutions you need to get the job done. Socratic is the latest perhaps greatest such tool, letting you quite literally take a picture of your homework get an answer.

Yes, really! It’s not foolproof, but when Socratic works, it’s kind of mind-blowing. This totally free A.I.-driven service interprets the question on your homework sheet can often spit out a correct answer, or at least an explainer page that helps you underst how to solve it. And you’ll often get a couple of companion web searches that provide additional info, as well. Socratic works with math science problems, history, English, more. I suppose there’s a moral dilemma here if students just take the answers don’t bother learning anything, but you’ll have to let your own conscience be your guide.

OK Golf

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The chunky, diorama-like look is more than OK in our book.

The name doesn’t seem terribly confident (“Eh, it’s OK…”), but OK Golf ($3) is actually a pretty fun attractive streamlined simulation. Rather than give you sprawling, realistic courses to putt around, each hole is delivered as a self-contained diorama, which you can freely rotate examine as you make your way to the green.

OK Golf is decidedly very chill, with a minimal interface no pressure as you play at your own pace around the courses. Swinging putting are as simple as pulling back from the ball aiming, but there’s still a bit of challenge in placing the ball properly— incentive for taking smart risks. Right now, OK Golf has a half-dozen nine-hole courses included, with both local online multiplayer available beyond solo play, more courses are coming without added cost. 

I/O 2017

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The I/O app will be plenty useful next week, even if you’re not onsite.

’s I/O 2017 is the must-follow Android event of the year— the developers conference is happening next week, from May 17-19. ’ll be there following the action bringing you the latest announcements details, whether or not you’re also attending, you might want to grab ’s official app. 

It’s most fully-featured for attendees, naturally, letting them view schedules of panels other events create their own agendas; they can also reserve seats view a map. However, it’ll be helpful for anyone following at home, as well, as it’ll offer live video streams of both the big keynote address sessions, the detailed schedule lets you plan your own viewing agenda ahead of time.

Spaceplan

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Tap, tap, tap—oh look, things are happening in space.

Most idle “clicker” games—in which you tap the screen repeatedly to play earn rewards—are simplistic freemium affairs designed to push you towards spending real money. Spaceplan ($3) is different, the price tag should be the first sign of that. However, what’s most interesting about this intriguing little indie game is the way it uses that oft-tedious tapping approach to pull you into its narrative.

Spaceplan finds you orbiting an unknown planet in space from your satellite home, you’ll attempt to investigate it by building launching potato-based probes. As your energy reserves build through taps idle growth, you’ll be able to craft more more items upgrades to help your probes survive the trip uncover the mystery behind each new planet you face. Funny dialogue, an intriguingly minimal interface, pulsing tunes help keep things compelling as the tap-based tale builds.