Judgement: Not Recommended
View review on Steam
It's a simple, Zuma-like casual game that fails short of other games of the genre in literally every aspect, while having some unique, annoying things to it.
To get the good things out of the way: game is playable/serviceable. Kinda fine.
The list of problems are a bit longer.
First of all, the publisher is lying about the game's release date. We know that games CAN be dated back to their original release - bigfishgames has this 2/5 (!) game with a review from 2012. Also the game is free to get on sites like doublegames.com.
The game itself is just directionless. The shtick of the game is re-re-re-re releasing batches of pearls that you need to disappear, but many levels is designed in a way that new chains block you shooting the one being on the front. Which would be kinda okay, but at the same time I'm fairly sure that new chains get released based on matches you do / if you're close to make a full chain disappear. Which means you can NOT just play fast to avoid being punished - the level design collides with the gameplay mechanics.
Also gameplay - the coding is faulty, there are repeated problems about how and when pearl matches work. Sometimes the "destroy first 7" bonus only destroys 3 because they aren't connected even though they belong to the same chain.
Another problem is the turnback-pearl, that makes the chains go back in a fast manner, then randomly either rocket them forward (impossible to get a shot while they are moving fast) or not.
There are levels where the pearls LEAVE THE SCREEN because the level loops outside of it - you can not see them but they catch the extra pearls.
And then the graphical problems - the game is visually unimpressive, vapid and noisy. Everything is washed out without real sense of contrast, every pearl has a lot of whitish shine on it, the bonuses are indicated but whitish rings and motifs around the pearls, and there is constant snowfall on the maps. Oh, and yellow, orange + "joker" pearl looks way too similar. And for some reason joker pearls change colour in chains just to make the visuals even more of a mess.
Games like these needs sharp, popping colours - one can't just wait a second or two to try to figure out which bonus is on which pearl.
Oh, and the pearl-RNG is a mess, the levels re too big / ball travels too slow and the sounds-music are mediocre at best.
Just go and play Zuma or Sparkle, something good.
To get the good things out of the way: game is playable/serviceable. Kinda fine.
The list of problems are a bit longer.
First of all, the publisher is lying about the game's release date. We know that games CAN be dated back to their original release - bigfishgames has this 2/5 (!) game with a review from 2012. Also the game is free to get on sites like doublegames.com.
The game itself is just directionless. The shtick of the game is re-re-re-re releasing batches of pearls that you need to disappear, but many levels is designed in a way that new chains block you shooting the one being on the front. Which would be kinda okay, but at the same time I'm fairly sure that new chains get released based on matches you do / if you're close to make a full chain disappear. Which means you can NOT just play fast to avoid being punished - the level design collides with the gameplay mechanics.
Also gameplay - the coding is faulty, there are repeated problems about how and when pearl matches work. Sometimes the "destroy first 7" bonus only destroys 3 because they aren't connected even though they belong to the same chain.
Another problem is the turnback-pearl, that makes the chains go back in a fast manner, then randomly either rocket them forward (impossible to get a shot while they are moving fast) or not.
There are levels where the pearls LEAVE THE SCREEN because the level loops outside of it - you can not see them but they catch the extra pearls.
And then the graphical problems - the game is visually unimpressive, vapid and noisy. Everything is washed out without real sense of contrast, every pearl has a lot of whitish shine on it, the bonuses are indicated but whitish rings and motifs around the pearls, and there is constant snowfall on the maps. Oh, and yellow, orange + "joker" pearl looks way too similar. And for some reason joker pearls change colour in chains just to make the visuals even more of a mess.
Games like these needs sharp, popping colours - one can't just wait a second or two to try to figure out which bonus is on which pearl.
Oh, and the pearl-RNG is a mess, the levels re too big / ball travels too slow and the sounds-music are mediocre at best.
Just go and play Zuma or Sparkle, something good.
Review posted on 15/11/2019, 01:40:00.