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Review: ‘Bejeweled 3’ for PC and Mac
It would be silly to assume that a game like “Bejeweled,” the match-3-or-more-jeweled puzzle game that’s available on practically every game console and cell phone, could sustain its momentum after 10 years of ubiquity.
The franchise has become the “Tetris” of its generation (and it certainly draws from that Russian classic), spawning hundreds of imitators and derivations. Most recently, “Bejeweled” has split off into a version called “Blitz” that’s become popular on Facebook and can be played on smart phones.
“Bejeweled 3,” then, which is priced $20 and is meant to be played on Mac or Windows computers, would seem like a step back. Who wants to be tied to a computer to play this game when so many good versions are out in smaller, more portable form?
PopCap Games (“Plants vs. Zombies,” “Zuma”) has an uncanny knack for creating simple, yet addictive experiences and with this new version, they manage to breathe new life into the jewel game with well-thought-out new modes, improved eye candy in the form of HD-quality graphics and that secret sauce that can turn a five-minute play session into two unintended hours of gameplay.
The familiar “Classic” mode is enhanced with more robust pyrotechnics when you put together good combos of matching jewels and playing through it earns you badges and experience points that unlock other modes of play.
That’s where “Bejeweled 3” shines; it avoids getting boring by the sheer number of clever variations PopCap has introduced, from a form of Poker (where the emphasis shifts to matching consecutive series of like-colored gems instead of going for big combos) to “Ice Storm” where rising columns of ice threaten to end the game if you don’t match gems to cut them down.
There’s a Quest Mode that puts you through your paces in a variety of different game modes like “Diamond Mine” (uncover hidden treasures beneath the board) and “Butterflies,” where you’re freeing gem-colored butterflies trapped in the game.
And for those seeking a purer game experience, there’s “Zen” mode, where you can zone out while reading positive affirmations and listening to tones meant to soothe and relax. Funny, many of the game modes (especially “Ice Storm”) had the opposite effect for me: they amped up my blood pressure with stress as I ran out of moves.
PopCap does an admirable job continuing its streak with “Bejeweled.” I spent more than a few nights cursing it for sucking me in for much longer than I was expecting to play. It’s the mark of a good puzzle game that when you’re playing, time slips away and the game continues to delight and engage you into the wee hours of the night.
“Bejeweled 3”
Rated E for Everyone
$20, for Windows PC and Mac
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