Tag: Matching game »

The forces of good and evil, Heaven and Hell, are constantly at war. This time around, the conflict is being depicted through a kind of mish-mash of match 3, RPG, and Pokemon. It’s got the looks and it’s got the wacky combination of gameplay elements, but does Angel Salvation hold up under scrutiny? Yup, pretty much.

The general gameplay in Angel Salvation is very similar to most match 3 games with one notable exception: a given gem can be moved anywhere on the board - both horizontally and vertically - over any distance. Matching a given set of gems will power-up a team member of the same color and unleash an attack, which varies in strength based on how many gems complete the set. And individual characters can unleash special abilities when charged that run the gamut from healing to massive direct damage attacks. Then there’s all the collecting. Gems earned through combat and help points earned through, well, combat, can be used to earn new warriors that can then be incorporated into the group. And then enhanced with unwanted characters or evolved into stronger forms once they’ve leveled up enough.

Angel Salvation is a good looking game for sure, but it’s the combination of puzzle gameplay and monster collection that kept me playing until the wee hours of the morning. Matching up those gems and seeing them cascade into combo after combo, then watching the ensuing barrage of carnage is always a pleasure. And collecting, leveling, and evolving heroes is a major hook.

The same care and attention given to the visuals and the matching game hasn’t been given to everything, sadly. Menus are set up oddly at times; the way I can’t double-back to the main Heroes menu from any of the sub menus without hitting Back several times or jumping over to a different menu and back again is one example. The way fairly significant information - such as money required for enhancements - isn’t communicated clearly is another. But the largest issue is the need for a consistent Internet connection. Yes, for some strange reason Angel Salvation is an online-only game. Even though the online elements (namely friends) aren’t a major focus. It's still a great game overall, but being unable to play unless online is majorly restrictive.

Angel Salvation can feel unpolished in bizarre ways at times, and the Internet requirements create a pretty substantial obstacle in certain situations, but the game proper is actually pretty great. It combines role playing, collection, and match 3 elements incredibly well and it can be very difficult to put down when trying to earn enough tertiary characters to level up a favorite.

When it comes to having a bountiful variety of words at your disposal, as a writer, this is pushed to its limits on a near daily basis.  The new game Word Collapse turns that all on its ear, buy combining the worlds of crosswords and tile matching.  Instead of looking for the perfect match three, instead players are looking for words written vertically and horizontally that fit within a given theme.

Still fuzzy on what we are talking about?  Here is a trailer that spells things out in a bit more detail.



Needless to say that while the concept of the game seems simple enough, it would have the capability to twist our brain in knots in no time flat.  Better yet, players' incoming headache will come free of charge and feature thirty different puzzles.

If that doesn't seem like enough challenge, don't fret, because more upgrades are available from within the app, should folks choose to test themselves further. 

Give it a try and let us know what you think below.  I am certainly hooked.