Atlantis: Pearls of the Deep Review

Atlantis: Pearls of the Deep is a standout match-3 puzzle game. The game is simple and yet it has enough depth to entertain for hours. Anyone who enjoyed the PC/Mac app of the same name should definitely download it.

The goal of Atlantis: Pearls of the Deep is to match three pearls of the same color together. Unlike most match 3 games, the balls are dropped from above as opposed to shot up from below. Another differentiating factor is that there is no limit to the number of pearls that can be dropped and that there is no consequence for the pearls falling off the screen.

The levels themselves are puzzles, so matching three pearls of a single color is only half the battle. Figuring out how to get them in the right spot is the hard part since the levels quickly expand to include wheels, rotating platforms, and other obstacles. Besides level obstacles, some pearls will be restricted with things like seaweed.

Thankfully pearls don’t actually have to be at rest for the a trio to be removed from the screen, so as long three pearls of the same color touch each other, they will disappear. This is particularly nice since the pearls bounce off of each other.

Each level has an objective and optional tasks. The objectives often times revolve around clearing all the pearls with items in them and the optional tasks are things like only using a certain number of pearls. The objective has to be met before the time limit expires to win and the optional tasks are there to earn a higher rating on each level.

Coins are the in-game currency and they can be spent on multiple things. First, instant power-up offers appear on the side of the screen and can be purchased with a single tap. The power-ups range from bombs to lasers. The price of the power-ups is completely reasonable, but they still aren’t something that can be bought every level. The in-game store also has the option to buy more coins with real money. Players can also unlock power-ups so there is a chance they will appear on certain colors of pearls.

Currently, there are three level packs. The first of which is free, with the next two costing gold coins. There are over 50 levels in total and every so often there are fun mini games.

Atlantis: Pearls of the Deep is a fun and enjoyable match 3 puzzle game. It’s casual and easy to play, but it has a lot of content and tricky levels. It’s not what fans of fast paced arcade games or hardcore games will particularly like, but any fans of the genre should give it a try.