“The Darkness overwhelmed the land, and even the plants stop growing” the overbearing narrator proclaims while the camera spans some infected mushrooms. You are tasked to light up this land by closing the holes where darkness come pouring out across the world. Sparkle Unleashed isn’t your typical match three game that flood the market these days.
The Art Style and Sound quality alone make this game worth the price of admission. Developer 10tons certainly spend hours ensuring that every little detail is meticulously crafted.
Gameplay
Sparkle Unleased certainly takes several cues from the mobile games we loathe that flood the marketplaces on our phones. However strangely enough it’s easier to use and play than on a phone. The controller scheme certainly compliments the game.
After several hours of gameplay I haven’t even scratched the surface of this massive game. You have to play 4 matches before you get to the Darkness and then winning lights up a new part of the map that you will have to take back from the evil that lurks there. It’s a simple mechanic but very well done.
The game offers you 1000 Gamerscore, but don’t think it’s going to be easy. The generous unlockable will take hours or maybe even weeks to get since they’re there to reward you for defying the odds. One achievement I unlocked was for winning the match after some of your marbles fell down into the darkness. Don’t think that was easy.
Sound and Graphics
Like I said before, this game is meticulous in its detail. The Narrator isn’t some odd person voicing the story either. This game gives you a sense that it had a significant budget. The music reminds me of movies such as Harry Potter. It certainly helps to keep you enthralled in the story. At one point I found myself wanting to win the game.
Graphics is also well done. Not that Match 3 games have ever had amazing graphics, or that it’s worth talking about. Nowhere will you find an out-of-place texture or low resolution flame. Every object, map and menu is almost like an AAA studio built it. 10tons certainly deserve a nod in approval for not dumping a half-hearted attempt at cashing in on the Indie Console craze.
Story Driven Marbles
So if you just rage quit Battlefield because of some camper, I would suggest grabbing this game and relaxing a bit. Sparkle Unleashed is a well-crafted story driven match three game that won’t leave you wondering why the hell Microsoft doesn’t have a refund policy. Is it worth the full price of admission? Definitely.
Indie developers have certainly made sure that gamers have had a sour taste in their mouths over the past year or so, and 10tons breaks that mold and gives you a decent game with months’ worth of gameplay for a fair price.