Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 (3Ds) Review
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Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 offers one hundred levels of match three action, in a surprisingly robust game that offers hours of fun. While there isn’t much of a 3D aspect to the actual gameplay and the added mini game was a bit of a bust, it’s a solid match three game that didn’t really need those frills anyway. If you’re looking for a new outlet for your match three addiction, or a gift for a casual gaming friend or relative, it’s a solid choice that offers a ton of play time for a reasonable price.
Are you ready to get your match three on?
Match three fans are a numerous bunch. Very few gamers can boast of having never played the popular casual game that comes in so many forms, and most enjoy it. There is just something addictive about clearing that colorful board, one string at a time. And yet, regardless of the same simple mechanics being present in each and every one, not all match three games are created equal. In order to catch and hold a gamer’s interest, the game must be solid in both form and execution, all while holding some sort of factor that separates it from the crowd.
Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 brings an Egyptian feel to the game, in both the backgrounds and the puzzle boards. Rather than simply clearing the boards as quickly as possible, or for the highest score, in this game you’ll work to build a civilization. At the beginning of the game, you and your clan are nothing but simple farmers. Through earning money, supplies, food, and more, you’ll advance your society to that of the mighty pharoahs, one building at a time.
Like other games of the genre, your main gameplay involves clearing chains of three or more matching symbols off the board. This is done by swapping adjacent tiles to create the chains. As you advance in the game, the puzzles advance from simple to more complex, adding tiles that are frozen, locked, or otherwise marked. All of the marked tiles must be cleared from the board by creating a match on them, before the generous timer runs out. You’ll have a variety of tools at your disposal to help you in tight spots, but it all comes down to skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck in the end.
In Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2, which tiles you match are just as important as where you match them. Yes, you have to clear the marked tiles, but you also need to gather supplies for your growing clan. Each of the tiles on the board corresponds with a need for your clan. Gold coins and treasure chests represent money, bread loves and honey pots are food, logs and stone blocks are building supplies, and so forth. Matching three or more of these tiles will add supplies to your coffers, eventually earning you enough to buy the next building your civilization needs. You’ll also match tiles to fill up tools that you can then use in the level – these do things like blow up tiles, add time to the meter, and jumble the board, which can be a real asset when you get stuck on a level.
In addition to the match three action, there is a puzzle mini game that you enter each time you buy a building. They are all a rather aged looking sepia tile game wherein you must swap adjacent puzzle tiles to create a finished picture of the building you have acquired. While it does break up the match three action a bit, for the easily bored, it wasn’t really something I’m a fan of. They all rather look the same, and there isn’t a whole lot of challenge to it. These puzzles are skippable after a short wait, but it would be nice to see the wait eliminated for those who just want more match three.
Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 offers one hundred levels of match three action, in a surprisingly robust game that offers hours of fun. While there isn’t much of a 3D aspect to the actual gameplay and the added mini game was a bit of a bust, it’s a solid match three game that didn’t really need those frills anyway. If you’re looking for a new outlet for your match three addiction, or a gift for a casual gaming friend or relative, it’s a solid choice that offers a ton of play time for a reasonable price.