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View posts by ms255:
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ms255's Review - April 30, 2009 |
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$9.99
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| An epic match 3 puzzle challenge! |
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A puzzle game with RPG elements? Why, that sounds pretty addictive.
I'm going to begin by simply stating that this must be the most satisfying, addictive and deep game available to download from Reflexive Arcade. If you're wondering what to play, and you consider yourself a gamer, then this would be it.
Puzzle Quest is a match-3 mechanic puzzle game in an RPG shell. You choose one of 4 classes, you fight monsters and level up, buy items and so forth, but the core combat (and several non-combat aspects) revolves around a Bejeweled style grid, on which you switch adjacent tokens in an attempt to create matches. Unlike most games that utilize this concept, speed is unimportant, and thinking through a move can pay huge dividends.
Combat is turn-based, but both you and your opponent play on the same grid. As such, you can influence the board to the enemy's detriment, and missing a good move will cost you dearly. Matching 3 skull tokens causes 3 damage, but other tokens matching will give you mana of the corresponding colour, or bonus experience, or gold. As your character progresses in levels, more spells become available to cast with the specific mana accrued during a fight. The spells are very varied and fun to use, with effects ranging from simple damage or cursing/buffing effects to radically changing the puzzle board. You'll choose your spells carefully, and they will define your strategy in battles.
So, the combat is deeper that one might imagine, but Puzzle Quest offers significantly more than endless fighting. Within a short time you can begin to capture enemies or beasts to ride (both giving you a bonus spell to cast), forge items using optionally acquired 'shards', or capture cities for tax income. Each of these actions uses a unique spin on the standard puzzle rules to challenge you in new ways, but very little in Puzzle Quest is mandatory. It's also a rare case of a game that can be played for a short period or for a marathon session.
The core puzzle game is great, and the world is huge. Play this game. |
This review has an average score of 5 - Based on 2 ratings
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ms255's Review - June 8, 2008 |
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$7.99
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| Harvest the fun with this farm-fresh matching game! |
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Good-looking and original puzzle game
I was getting sick of match-3 or Zuma style puzzle games, so Little Farm was a lucky find. The concept of this game is refreshingly different: make rectangles that have 4 like tiles at the corners - this removes the tiles (which are actually crops, sent into trucks) and scores you points. I really like this mechanic, but unfortunately the game has other, less enjoyable 'features'.
Most irritating are insects. They seem to exist solely to break your concentration and waste your time, and the game would be significantly better if they were not present. Also irritating is the butterfly powerup - include it in a rectangle for additional points, all very well. However, it sometimes appears in unusable tiles (unless I am just being incompetently blind) which can make it worse than the bad insects for wasting your time. Another powerup - the coin - essentially plays the game for you. I fail to see the point in it, but it does not detract from the game.
The standard gameplay is actually very slick, fun and satisfying. This makes the "bonus" rounds (which are unskippable) very difficult to accept, since they are absolutely dire. The watering 'game' is literally a chore and had me despairing - at least this only comes round every so often.
The shop is a welcome feature, and upgrading to new crops gives a sense of advancement. However, you are forced to buy certain things when the game dictates (although it probably opens up later). Certain upgrades do add to the fun - the warehouse for example allows you to store unused crops for the next truck coming.
Graphics and sound for this game are above average, and the crops are aesthetically pleasing and nicely varied in colour. The music does not intrude on the gameplay, and sound effects do their job. As an added bonus, the art style for the storyboards is decent as well.
So, overall this game is original, satisfying and smart, and I am considering buying this game because I am left wanting more. |
This review has an average score of 4.5 - Based on 2 ratings
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ms255's Review - June 2, 2008 |
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$6.99
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| Come back to an underwater paradise of classic match-gaming excitement! |
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Possibly the most fun you can have with a puzzle game
Big Kahuna Reef 2 is a "match-3" type puzzle game (in the same vein as Bejeweled) which sees you trying to clear wooden tiles on the board by "reacting" over them. Pieces are switched with an adjacent one, and this must create a line of 3 to cause the tiles to disappear. Clearing the background of the entire board finishes the level - the basic gameplay is very simple.
This is one of those games that starts off very basic and becomes deeper through the addition of extra aspects - expect double strength tiles (steel), locks (which prevent blocks falling further), "poison" style blocks and narrow "bridge" designs or vicious holes in the board. However, it is the explosive power-ups that make this game quite so much more.
I admit, I like blowing things up, and this game sports enough dynamite, bombs and nuclear weapons to wage a small war. Bombs are created whenever five or more blocks are made into a line - something not particularly easy to spot until you are practised. As well as looking superb, explosions clear anything from a few blocks to a large portion of the board, and a skilled player will react under them to bring them to the desired height. Bombs are best used in irritating, hard-to-reach spots and they add depth to the game. They are also awarded if the "Tiki" reaches 100 - by removing blocks in quick succession for long enough. Getting this bonus is very satisfying indeed.
A true master must be able to work without explosives, and although it can be tedious, manipulating an endgame situation to react the most difficult of areas can be very rewarding - especially since the clock is always ticking down. I feel obliged to mention the Co-op mode, where multiple players (each with their own mouse) can go to work on the board as a team.
A few minor snags: the music is only OK, and seems to loop wrongly. There are only a few backgrounds. However, this game is good fun, addictive and packs enough levels for you to never play them all. Highly recomm |
This review has an average score of 4 - Based on 1 ratings
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ms255's Review - June 2, 2008 |
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$7.99
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| Use an arsenal of plants, bugs and more to defend your garden! |
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A sparkling example of the Tower Defense genre
I have played many Tower Defense games, but Garden Defense is easily one of the more enjoyable TDs out there.
The objective of the game is to destroy waves of bugs (land based and flying) using a selection of ornaments, plants and even your own insects. Towers (well, gnomes, cacti and so on) each have a different role to play, and all upgrade extensively.
So why is this Tower Defense better than others? Firstly, the balance is very finely tuned. Rather than exponential wave strength increase, GD takes a far more sensible linear pacing. This leads to close-fought battles to desperately take down escaping bugs, and the fair balance allows multiple solutions to each level.
The game has only 3 static defences. Plants grow stronger over time (but require fertilizing to speed things up) and are also self-perpetuating: you are given a free juvenile plant in the form of a bud once one plant is "maxed out".
Ornaments, on the other hand, can be moved (although they need time to set up again) to chase down bugs that have slipped through the net. They do not grow over time, but you can upgrade them more than once per wave.
The final type of defence is your own bugs, purchased at a small cost and sent backwards around the path to engage other insects. They can be surprisingly destructive and are an interesting option.
I have several niggles - my main one being that Sunflowers and Gnomes are sickeningly overpowered. As a single player game, this can be ignored until difficulty (a.k.a Centipedes) forces your hand into using them. Additionally, the game's upgrading system causes duplication of roles - Cacti and Nightbells (and Cherubs and Flamingoes) both upgrade to hit both ground and air, becoming near-identical in function.
That said, killing insects with pelted seeds, spines, rockets, poison or Cherub... water is just plain fun, and the squishy pulp of dead insects will bring tears of joy to your eyes. Give this one a go... just don't hold your breath for |
This review has an average score of 3 - Based on 8 ratings
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ms255's Review - June 2, 2008 |
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$6.99
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| Help save The Great Tree and spare your people from the Ixies! |
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A near-perfect game marred by several major blemishes
The objective of The Great Tree is simple: fly around as a fairy, collect pollen, deposit pollen, avoid enemies and free the "Swee" creatures floating around in a spell-induced stasis. Rinse, repeat, for 100 levels of addictive fun.
The Great Tree is somewhat of an artistic masterpiece, boasting an atmospheric, enchanting soundtrack and wondrous, immersing visuals. The 2-D player and enemies look good, but the backgrounds and "special" enemies look absolutely sublime, as well as being very menacing.
I don't have space to write more about how well it all works together as experience, but I must mention some serious gripes. Firstly, a fully-fledged storyline is an enhancement to TGT, but it suffers from irritating narration.
My other gripes are to do with poor choices on the developer's part. Firstly, killing enemies is almost a total waste of time until you can buff your magic skill up to give (often useless) power-ups. Secondly, certain enemies highlight the game's questionable hit detection - a chameleon's tongue was causing my blood to boil with rage after several undeserved, illogical deaths. Thirdly, despite the game informing me that the Aura Shield could protect me "even from special creatures", a frog clearly ate during the spell (the developer's cheaply made the frog ignore you only in its idle mode). Fourthly, your attack causes a 50% to your pollen's cash-in value, massively diminishing its usefulness until your Magic skill is sky-high. Finally, the unlockable wings are mostly unimaginative and wildly imbalanced in power.
It was a shame that these nuances cause the effect of "seeing the strings", but the overall experience of the game is very satisfying and, as mentioned, the graphics and sound are superb.
TGT's imperfections only mildly dull a resoundingly enjoyable experience... assuming you are comfortable with playing as a fairy. I am 22 years old, male and an established gamer,so fear not. This is simply a game that needs to be played |
This review has an average score of 2.5 - Based on 2 ratings
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