Jewel Quest III
The world of gaming is quite diverse and sometimes you just want
to play something relatively simple but still challenging and
this is where the latest Jewel Quest III comes into the picture.
Dubbed a casual game and reminiscent of other gem games before
it, the player must match similar colour jewels which in turn
causes the number of gems to decrease and change the colour of
the board to gold. Once the entire board
has been changed to gold, provided you have beaten the timer,
you then proceed to the next level.
Even though the game seems quite simple by matching colours,
there is some strategy involved and somewhere in our brains,
this repetitive task becomes quite enjoyable which perhaps
harkens back to some primeval connection within us. That is the
core element of Jewel Question III but most casual games these
days such as Plants vs. Zombies or Puzzle Quest now include a
story which only enhances your game playing experience and Jewel
Quest III is no exception to this rule.
For Jewel Quest III, the story revolves around a curator named
Rupert who has been the main protagonist of the series and
through his puzzling around the world, he has collected a
healthy amount of artefacts along the way. Opening a museum with
his wife Emma, it seems that this happy family can now move on
with their life but unfortunately for Rupert, his arch-nemesis
Sebastian Grenard refuses to let this rivalry go. Setting a trap
in one of the artefacts for Rupert, his daughter Natalie
accidentally triggers it, causing her to go blind and once
again, Rupert must now don his puzzle hat (such a rip-off of
Indiana Jones) and search the world
for a cure.
As
Rupert scours the world for a cure, he will visit a variety of
themed locations from South America to even Australia in Jewel
Quest III which contains some great mini-games and subplots
along the way. The main mode of play is of course to match three
gems of the same colour, however certain levels require you to
perform other tasks such as playing against others and unlocking
secrets which makes this a very entertaining casual game.
It’s the incorporation of a story and the specific tasks that
must be performed on the jewel board which truly moves this game
away from just a stock standard puzzle title. I should also add
that some of the levels are quite challenging, especially when
you perform certain tasks that had me replaying quite a few
levels time and time again.
Even though it can be frustrating at times, once you do
break through, the rewards are more than enough to keep you
playing, even with that accursed timer. Another highlight of
Jewel Quest III is the inclusion of online play which allows you
challenge other Jewel Questers from around the globe and there
are some very impressive players out there.
Graphically, Puzzle Quest III is interesting. It may not be the
latest PlayStation 3 title or Wii arcade game but the graphics
are sharp with a great colour palette and some interesting
backgrounds. It is a little clichéd in this department but
thankfully it helps keep things fresh and flowing. The musical
score and sounds effects go hand in hand with the gameplay and
it’s enough to keep you glued to your PC screen.
In
the end, Jewel Quest III is a thoroughly enjoyable and addictive
game, albeit a frustrating one and considering the cost, it’s
definitely value for money. This is the new face of casual
gaming and once again the developers have hit the nail on the
head with a variety of different gaming modes from one off’s to
story and even the tournament mode for online.
Definitely one to
check out!
