Bejeweled Blitz Live is yet another obsessively addictive
puzzle game from Popcap, available through Xbox Live Arcade. It is a stand-alone
version of the Lightning Mode from Bejeweled 3, and similar to the version of
Blitz available to play on Facebook.
This version of the sparkly gem-matching puzzle classic will
absorb your free time with the greatest of ease. The strict one-minute timer
will test just how well you can handle the pressure of a countdown. If you've
played any iteration of Bejeweled before, you'll ease right in, though the changes
may take some getting used to.
Mainly, the control scheme, while quite brilliant in its
obvious simplicity, is quite different than that of the old game. The face
buttons now indicate which direction to move the selected gem. For instance,
moving the cursor over a gem and pressing X will switch that gem with the one to
the left, the A button will move it downwards, and so on. It works marvelously,
once you get the hang of it. Though a lot of long-time Bejeweled players will
balk at this revolutionary control scheme.
Other changes include lightning gems, which are formed by
getting five gems in a row (or T or L shapes). These powerful items will
obliterate their entire row and column when detonated, usually guaranteeing a
multiplier being dropped on to the board. These multipliers, which show up
whenever a certain amount of gems are removed from the table in a single move,
are key to racking up crazy scores in such a short time.
Also new: online multiplayer. You can either go head-to-head
with one person, with both game tables on the screen at once (though you really
don't have time to be watching their board), or with up to a total of 16
players in Party Play mode. The party mode displays only your game board, but a
graph shows everyone's gamerpics as they move upwards in real time.
While these new features are great, there are a few things
missing from the features list.
If you've ever played Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook, you'll
notice something's missing. The Boosts which you could purchase with in-game
currency are gone, as is the entire coin-earning system. This significantly
reduces scoring opportunities, and was an unnecessary removal. They could have
easily kept them in and simply increased the high score achievement goals to
compensate.
Another dramatic change from the free Facebook version: the
timer no longer stops while the gems cascade to fill holes. This robs you of
precious seconds while you wait to see how things are going to line up. They
likely made this change for purpose of adding Online multiplayer, so everyone
is on the same clock… but I would have preferred if everybody's clocks stopped
each time rather than never.
One other major addition was made for the XBLA version…
Twist mode. I've never played Bejeweled Twist, so I don't know how the blitz
version compares to the regular, but I'm loving it here. You have to enter a
different mindset than in Classic mode,
as you are rotating blocks of 4 gems at once (I recommend using the triggers
for your rotation controls in this mode). You're still matching 3 or more gems,
but you're no longer limited to only making moves that make matches. Instead of
relying on lucky drops where you can use them, you can move gems wherever you
want, one rotation at a time. I average twice the score in Twist mode than I do
in Classic. Once you get the hang of it, it is great fun. More addiction awaits
you!
Only having to commit to a minute of gameplay at a time is a
fun break in your day, though playing for an hour really burns my eyes with all
the sparkling gems, flashy effects and pulsing screen effects.
Overall, I enjoy this game quite a lot. The addition of
Twist mode really helps offset losses from the Facebook version. However, it's
value is decreased with a similar product included in the full version of
Bejeweled 3. Twist mode is a fantastic inclusion, but with only 2 modes, fans
of the series may feel a lot's missing.
3.5 out of 4 stars
Recommended for: Puzzle gamers, fanatic and casual alike, as
well as anyone wanting a game to help train their power of observation.
Franchise Future: As much as I like the game, it is a bit
short on game modes. In the future, I hope they stick with releasing full
proper versions of Bejeweled.
Achievements/In-game Rewards: Bejeweled Blitz Live come with
a pretty straight-forward list of achievements, for making gems for the first
time, to achieving certain score & level benchmarks. I played off and on
for over a year before finally ranking up to Level 50.
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