Tumblestone Arcade DLC Review

Tumblestone Review Screenshot 1

Tumblestone is a charming little puzzle game that bursts with colour and life. In fact we liked it so much that we have reviewed the PC, Xbox One and Wii U versions here at Brash Games so make sure you check out the reviews for the main game.

The story mode of Tumblestone is enjoyable and lengthy enough to get to get your money’s worth, with eleven worlds and over 200 levels you wont run out of things to do quickly, and you certainly wont get tired of it. The game looks gorgeous, and has a hand drawn feel to it, with bright colours lighting up the screen. The character models are immediately endearing, and there’s plenty to choose from and unlock as you progress through the game, and playing as a sausage never gets old.

Aside from its unique spin on the match 3 genre, Tumblestone has another trick up its sleeve. The inclusion of multiplayer, both local and online immediately adds hours of playability to the game. Playing with friends on the same screen is always fun, but playing an already exceptionally fun game with other people is a wonderful experience.

Now onto the main topic of review. The Arcade DLC adds exactly what you would think it would, an arcade mode. Three of them in fact. We have ‘Marathon’, ‘Heartbeat’, and ‘Infipuzzle’. Tumblestone garnered such praise because it did the simple things exceptionally well, and this continues with the DLC, they are the arcade modes you would expect from a match 3 puzzler, and they are pulled off perfectly.

Tumblestone Review Screenshot 3

Marathon is perhaps the most classic arcade mode within this DLC, it is essentially an endless version of the base premise, with the goal to get the highest score possible, mistakes will lead to the glass lowering towards you, and the mode will end when the blocks hit the floor. Removing all the blocks under the glass pushes the glass up, which adds a nice back and froth dimension. Don’t make mistakes and try to clear as many blocks as you can, it’s a nice way to mix up this game with a reliably fun mode.

Heartbeat mixes the game up even further, no longer are the blocks stationary, and no longer do you have time to ponder your next move. The blocks are now moving slowly downwards, with you losing when they touch the floor, with every mistake pushing them down even further. I never thought that a match 3 game could get my heart racing but Heartbeat does just that. It’s stressful and anxiety inducing, but clearing some blocks when they’re a second away from hitting the floor is wonderfully satisfying. On a personal level, this is my favourite of the three arcade modes, its frantic and keeps you on your toes, and however frustrated I have gotten every time I play this mode, I know it’s only because I could have done better, and that has kept me coming back time and time again.

Tumblestone Xbox One Review Screenshot 1

Infipuzzle is much like heartbeat but with breaks. Instead of one large puzzle they are split up into smaller, infinite puzzles. The goal of this mode is similar to the others, get the highest score you can, don’t make mistakes, and don’t panic! What spices this mode up however are the modifiers that are unlocked as you make your way through the story mode. From firing two shots instead of one, to your second shot passing through a block, these modifiers change the game completely, and such a simple gameplay mechanic can add countless more hours to your playtime and enjoyment of this mode, especially when there are eleven of them to unlock.

Tumblestone Arcade DLC brings the classic modes to this delightful game, with enough variety to keep you interested, and solid leader boards for each mode, this is a great edition to an already brilliant puzzler.

Rating 8

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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