Sparkle 2 Review

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If you’re into puzzle games that are fast paced, then this is the game for you. Sparkle 2 is another one of those games that can be played between the bigger titles. It can sometimes feel somewhat repetitive, but overall the game comes together in a fairly respectable manner.

To put it simply, it is a matching game. A line of coloured marbles slithers along a selected path trying to reach the exit and it is your job to shoot the matching coloured marble to make a line of three, destroying the line as you can see in the image. Sounds easy, but I actually found the experience very rewarding each time as I kept finding myself in awkward situations but managed to match my way out of it. Alongside this, the gameplay works smoothly and simply and it is really easy for anyone to pick up.

Sparkle 2 Review Screenshot 1

As you play through the game, there is a progression system where you unlock skills that can be used to enhance your gameplay. These include changing the speed of the game, reducing the amount of coloured marbles and many more. I felt that these options were useful as it enables you to tailor the game to how you want to play it. However, the issue here is underneath it all, it’s still the same game. You’re still firing marbles upon marbles to stop them reaching the end, and this can become boring very quickly.

To combat this, the game offers different game modes – story mode, challenge mode and survival. All of which have defining qualities and vary the game to an extent. For me, the varying game modes are just there, but they aren’t individual enough to keep me changing between them. I felt that story mode was more than enough.

Surprisingly, this game has a narrative. I know, I didn’t expect it either. But don’t worry, this is nothing that you have to play real attention to. I certainly didn’t and I don’t feel like you would if you did the same. The story mode basically consists of 90 levels in which you acquire five keys before progressing to the end. After completion, the levels can then be replayed on a higher difficulty. The actual story behind this never felt important enough to pay attention to, and the disappointingly bland end reassured me that I hadn’t missed out.

Sparkle 2 Review Screenshot 3

Another aspect I feel was missing from the game is a multiplayer feature. This could have been as simple as online leaderboard to see who had completed particular levels in the quickest amount of time. Without it, the game doesn’t suffer drastically but I feel that it could have been another feature to enhance the replay value to force players into wanting to play again to improve their score. Furthermore, the lack of this makes you think it may get more value for money buying a cheaper or free app for a phone or tablet. There are similar games to this on app stores and you’ll be paying less money.

The audio however is brilliant. The fantasy-based music that is played out during every game really is a joy to listen to. It not only fits the background but also is at the right tempo to keep you fixated on trying to make sure those marbles don’t reach the hole. The accompanying visuals match the audio in regards to the fantasy style and the array of colours are pleasant to admire.

Sparkle 2 is not a game that is going to keep you entertained forever, but as a stand alone puzzle game it’s a great time filler amongst the other titles that you may be wanting to play. Rating 6

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Microsoft Xbox One code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.

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