This is one of those games that just snuck up and surprised us. It looks, on the surface, like another bubble-shooting clone, and honestly the marketing copy didn’t do it any favors. The opening screens and wrappers were also bland enough that we had prepared ourselves for another of the many, many games we simply don’t review based on our “only review good games” policy. And then the actual game started, and we sat up and took notice. This is a cool little game.

The basic mechanics are somewhat like Inca Quest or Bubblefish Bob in that you have a “Jewel Cannon” that you are using to shoot jewels and match-3. However, all similarity ends there. Your jewel cannon, if it does not match 3, makes a huge swath of new jewels – enough to fill the screen in a few shots. But that’s no worry – because they are all of the same color, so you can clear them just as fast. Your challenge is to use this mechanic to free a number of fairies from the level by shooting jewels at them. But you will have to clear a path to them first, which is trickier than it seems, because there are a number of explosive jewels, fillers, blockers, etc. standing in your way. All of this combines into a game where you either create or destroy dozens of jewels on almost every shot – which is extremely satisfying in a visceral kind of way that other match 3 shooters simply can’t manage. It’s a great mechanic, it’s completely original, and here’s the real point: they use it very well.

I will say it again, though I know our readers are tired of hearing it: Hand designed levels are simply better. These designers have gone through and made some very compelling levels that use all of their special objects to really give the game a puzzle-like feel that drives the game forward and encourages the player to the next level. They could have just filled the screen with randomly generated patterns, and it would have been cheaper and easier, but they took the time to make designs athat are not only visually pleasing, but challenging from a gameplay standpoint. We always love to see developers put that kind of love and care into their games, and here again, it really pays off. The level designers of this game did a splendid job of taking a neat design and making a great game, and the rest of the indie development community really should take notice: this is how good games are made great.

The levels have a great difficulty curve that makes each level slightly more challenging, but the game never gets frustrating. The gameplay is so simple that you pick it up by the third or fourth mouseclick. The only thing I didn’t understand at first is that I need to actually shoot the fairies to win the level – which could have been made a little clearer. Some users who don’t read the instructions (read: all of them) will likely be confused as to when exactly the first level ends. But that’s a tiny gripe in a really nice game.

As for stories, well, there is an evil wizard and some captured fairies, and a dark castle, and… well, admit it you don’t care. You are going to shoot some jewels and solve some puzzles, and there is a scroll covered map with some dots on it that tells you where and what the background will look like. If you read anything beyond the “play” button on that screen you’re a better person than me. But it doesn’t detract from the game at all, so no harm no foul.

The visuals are acceptably pleasant without being breathtaking. The game has a high level of polish – the effects for breaking and matching jewels are especially well done, but they are not so over the top that you would really recall them the next day. Like most of the production values, they are simply well done and serve the gameplay well, which is more than we can say for 90% of what we play around here.

The music is similarly unobtrusive and unmemorable, but at least it’s not annoying. However, the sound effects in this game are subtly but beautifully compelling enough for us to bump the overall sound score for the game to a 4. They are a little louder and punchier than in other games, and seem to perfectly fit the actions, so they give the game a chunky, satisfying feel. It’s one of the reasons the game is so subversively appealing, and more games should look at it as a great example of how to do sound right.

In the end, we were strangely surprised by how compelling this little jewel of a game was, and think you will be, too. Refreshingly original, strangely zen-like, and yet familiar enough to be immediately accessible, this game is a lot of what is good about casual games. And yet, because it lacks a little bit of the final polish and hype a lot of new releases have, we worry it will slip through the cracks. Please don’t let that happen: go check it out.

Graphics:
Gameplay:
Story:
Sound:
Overall Rating:

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...