Bejeweled Twist

Puzzle games - usually branded under the "casual" category - offer a distinct and satisfying route outside the hustle and bustle of the modern world. For that reason let me invite you to nestle yourself in a nice comfy chair with a cup of hot cocoa and read this review, play the one hour trial of Bejeweled Twist and then decide your next move. The fundamental question to begin with is this: what does Bejeweled Twist do differently from previous outings in the world of matching three bananas, elephants, or in this case, jewels?

A good place to start with this quest is my Bejeweled 2 review from yesteryear. In summary, I found the majority of that game too frustrating to enjoy, with the "Endless" mode - designed for pure escapism - the saving grace of the game. Bejeweled Twist keeps the same 8x8 board of different "jewels" types, but the "match-3" concept is rejuvenated by the player rotating (aka twisting) a set of four jewels in a clockwise direction, as opposed to the more traditional swapping one jewel with a neighbour.

Since reviewing Bejeweled 2, I think it would be fair to say I am now classed as a Bejeweled veteran, though I am undecided on if that is a proud thing to say or not. Nevertheless, rotating four gems in a clockwise direction just feels naturally right. After many hours of twisting I tried going back to swapping two gems from the last generation, and it felt exactly that - obsolete.

The ultimate goal in Bejeweled Twist remains the same however. Points are scored by matching three or more jewels of the same type, with jewels subsequently dropping from above to fill the remaining vacant spaces. This occasionally results in combos - known as "cascades", which score even bigger points. An extended range of special jewel suspects are also thrown in for good measure to spice-up the gameplay. I won't go into detail on these, but rest assured they are pleasantly diverse and well executed.

So far so good, but apart from creating a breath of fresh air in the core gameplay department, what else does Bejeweled Twist bring to the table? To start with, I particularly like the fact that in the event you rotate the four jewels and they don't match, they no longer revert back to their positions before you tried rotating them. This means getting the dreaded "no more moves" message is gone, and a whole new array of tactics is opened up. To counter the abuse of this there is a new score multiplier, which gradually builds up as you continuously manage to match up jewels in one rotation. This idea has been implemented well and works perfectly.

Other smart new ideas include the ability to watch an instant replay of big cascades. Seeing what just got you big points and why is actually very useful for helping you convert these luck tricks into skilled tactics. Again, the instant replay feature feels polished, though sadly it is only available in certain situations and didn't appear as much as I would like. There is also the ability to turn off the hints which prompt you should you not make a move within ten seconds or so - something I criticised Bejeweled 2 for not being able to turn off, so well listened developers PopCap!

Further to these minor gameplay tweaks, all four of the original modes seen in Bejeweled 2 have been reworked to some extent. "Zen" mode - effectively the legendary "Endless" mode I loved so much in Bejeweled 2 - has no "game over" to worry about, thus providing a chance to unwind with the joys of matching different coloured shapes with one another. In Bejeweled Twist, however, this experience just didn't seem as brain dead relaxing, possibly due to the greater mental challenge involved in rotating jewels rather than swapping them. Another likely reason is that the majority of the background music in Twist failed to instil the same affection I had for the peaceful Bejeweled 2. Only a couple of the music tracks stood out as good, with the rest seeming bland and forgettable. A shame yes, but all is not lost.

The traditional "Classic" mode still involves trying to reach score targets on increasingly tricky levels, but it no longer relies on giving you a harsh exit via running out of moves. Instead, "bomb" jewels are introduced to the board and tick down every turn until matched or upon reaching zero. Should they explode via the latter option, it's nearly game over. I say nearly because you are given a chance to escape death by playing jewel roulette. If you're lucky enough to spin and match up the right jewels it'll be diffused. Since this relies on luck you don't want to get into that situation too often, but you do at least have one last hope before having to start from scratch - a welcome idea. The moves you have to diffuse a bomb, and the chance of spinning lucky on the roulette, both diminish as you get further into the game, further increasing the overall difficulty on higher levels.

The two remaining modes - "Blitz" and "Challenge" - are both initially locked, but are essentially accessible after completing the first ten levels of the abovementioned Classic mode, which in practice isn't a hard hurdle to overcome. Blitz mode gives you five minutes in which to score as many points as possible, which genuinely turns the normal chilled-out gameplay into a frantic rush to collect as many points as possible. I tended to lose my head and make quick, unfounded moves, shouting "forget the score multiplier!" once the announcer reminded me that time was running out.

Finally, Challenge mode offers yet another gameplay angle to indulge in. This involves trying to solve 13 different types of challenges, such as destroying a target number of gems in one move, or blowing up a certain number of gems within a set time limit, with each type of challenge having seven increasingly difficult targets to achieve. With no turn restrictions or bombs to worry about, the brilliance comes in engineering a set up of gems to achieve certain challenges. For example, maneuvering jewels so that upon matching a set of three, a huge cascade effect is launched and the challenge target of eliminating gems is complete. The satisfaction of pulling off said tactics is enjoyable, and is matched in equal measures of laughter when a smart-alec plan spectacularly fails.

The graphics meanwhile remain relatively basic but are improved from previous Bejeweled outings. The background behind the main board is more varied and attractive. Transitions between boards and menus are smart and fluid, further retaining the overall feeling of an elegant game. Oddly, I also struggled less in differentiating the different coloured jewels; whether this is because my colour blind eyes are now attuned to the jewel set, or because the jewels don't seem to pulsate in colour as much, I'm a happier chap either way.

The continued lack of multiplayer is another gripe passed on from Bejeweled 2. The leader-boards are completely unrewarding; I really don't care that I managed to beat faceless Tom, Dick, Harry et al who populate the score boards. I can think of numerous ways of expanding the Bejeweled experience by playing online or even on one computer - battling it out on the same board or even two - but alas no. Another minor complaint, and more of a personal preference, would have been the ability to undo a move. Whilst this could possibly be mistreated, it would be nice when an over sensitive mouse rotates the wrong jewels, which in turn can waste precious bomb moves and reduce score multipliers.

Concluding a game is often a hard task. Not here. For £6.99 (on Steam) you can have a varied casual game at your disposal. Let us not forget the one hour trial of Bejeweled Twist either, which may just get you hooked. I still find Bejeweled 2 a finer choice for the brain dead type of relaxing, but Twist is superior in virtually every other way. It is still relaxing, just in a different manner; losing many enjoyable hours is still possible. Bejeweled Twist then is incredibly polished, clever and most of all: fun.