Review: Bejeweled Twist (PC)
Bejeweled Twist (PC version)
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Minimum/Recommended Specs:
OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: 1.2GHz (minimum)
Memory (RAM): 256MB (minimum); 512+MB (recommended)
Free Hard Drive Space: 250MB
DirectX Version: 8 (minimum); 9.0c+ (recommended)
Sound: DirectX-compatible
Video: DirectX-compatible; 32MB (minimum), 64+MB (recommended)
Color Quality: 16-bit or 32-bit color mode (256 colors may not work)
Controls: Keyboard and mouse
Internet: Internet connection is required to register/unlock game trials – including those delivered via CD-ROM
I have to admit. I love Bejeweled Deluxe. I used to play it on my PC, now I play it on my phone. I love that I can play a game for hours or just a few min to pass the time. I got ahold of Bejeweled Twist, and once again I’m happy to be playing a Bejeweled game on my PC.
Bejeweled Twist is still a “match 3″ game, but it’s now much more interesting. You have a circular cursor, which you move around the board, rotating a block of 4 gems in a counter-clockwise motion. I had a bit of a tough time getting used to it, but after about 5 min of playing, it brought a lot more to the game.
You have to rotate and match 3 (or 4 or 5) gems to get them to disappear and drop some new ones on the board. It’s great when you can make a match of 3 gems, and subsequently make more matches when your original set disappears. You can get some great chains going; many are completely unexpected when they happen.
If you can manage to get 4 gems matched, you get left with a flame jewel that clears out more gems around it, and if you manage 5 matched, you get s spectacular blast that eliminates entire rows of gems in a “plus” pattern of horizontal and vertical rows.
Along with the special jewels, you can get bomb, locked, and coal gems. These can get tough, as a bomb counts down each rotation until it gets eliminated in a chain of 3, or counts to 0. If it hits 0 you get a “second chance” minigame, which you can only usually win once or twice before it lets the bomb end your game. The coal gems can only be destroyed by a blast, and the locked gems by a chain. Locked gems cannot be rotated, which makes them a pain…err challenge.
You start out the game with two modes open to you, classic and Zen. Classic is gameplay like you would expect with all the special gems and challenge. It starts you off easy, and adds the special gems with subsequent levels. After you complete a board, you get your ranking, and a pretty cool little space flight to the next board. It gets challenging as you complete the boards.
Zen mode is just the straightforward gameplay, without all the bombs and locked gems. It also changes the transitions between boards. This mode makes it easier to practice on, honestly, and you can finally make use of the multiplier that builds up, but decreases if you have to make more than one rotation. The music changes to a more low-key tempo, which makes it seem less frantic.
Challenge Mode gives you some insane challenges to beat. I only unlocked the first 4 of the 13 7-part challenges. None of them were easy, though the first one, Detonator wasn’t too hard to learn. Yes, I finished at least level 1 of each of these to unlock the next one for this review (whew!)
Detonator: You have to destroy a set amount of gems with 1 move.
Spectrum: You have to make a set number of matches in a row, which is tougher than it sounds, as they have to be one after another with no moves in-between.
Coal Mine: Makes you destroy a set number of coal blocks with one move. This one takes planning, or a good lightning blast when you get higher up.
Chain Reaction: You have a set number of matches in a row.
Gem Fall: You have to do a set number of cascades with one move.
Preserver: Has you keep a certain amount of colored gems on the board at one time…this is much harder than it sounds.
Firestorm: Has you detonating a certain amount of flame gems within a timeframe.
Stratamax: Has you clearing a set of gems in a certain amount of moves.
Arsenal: Detonate a set number of Flame Gems in one move. This was tough, as you wind up detonating those saved gems on accident.
Bonanza: Clear a set amount of gems within a timeframe.
Survivor: Have to just make it through a certain amount of turns. Bomb and Doom gems make it tough going.
Voltage: Detonate a set amount of lighting gems in a set timeframe. This is tough, as you have to create the lightning gems first! It took me 6 games to get past the first level of this challenge.
Enigma: Has you creating Flame or Lightning Gems with 1 move. I couldn’t do this one after 10 tries.
Blitz Mode is just a 5-min point-fest. Try to get the highest score in 5 minutes.
The graphics, as stated before are excellent for a puzzle game. The casual game market itself doesn’t usually see this level of polish for a puzzle game, and the explosion effects are just great eye-candy.
The sound in this is also a step above for your typical puzzle game, with up-tempo, engaging music in the classic, challenge, and blitz modes, and low-key and soothing in Zen mode. Also worth noting: Did they get the Mortal Kombat guy to do the voice for this one? I mean, I kept waiting for him to say FATALITY! when I made a cool move.
This one doesn’t take up massive amounts of hard disk space, or have major hardware requirements, but it will take up a lot of you free time, and if you’re a puzzle game fan, this doesn’t disappoint.
Rating: 4.75 of 5
Pros: New take on Bejeweled concept. A lot of variety in Challenge mode.
Cons: Challenges may be just too tough for the casual gamer.