Every week it seems that there are more and more casual games being ported from mobile systems to consoles. This week Lily’s Epic Quest for Lost Gems, from Studio Craft Development is the latest title to make the leap to the big screen.
Lily’s grandfather was an archeologist, and she wants to follow in his foot steps. Unfortunately she has a bit of trouble distinguishing between trash and real treasure. She will dig through layers of sand, dirt, rock and more to collect as many things as she can find. From bottle caps to ancient idols, nothing is off limits.
This is not your typical match 3 game. Your character moves around the board, which is several screens wide, and you have to move through the tunnels you create in order to complete level objectives. If you match 4 or more tiles you will earn a power up. Power ups range from a light that illuminates the entire board to drills and explosives. There are even shiny versions of tiles that if you match they will earn you extra moves – if you can move through the tunnels to collect them.
The game has dozens of levels, spread out over several areas. The areas have a specific theme, but it doesn’t really impact the game play. Each level has a specific objective that must be accomplished within a set number of moves. Goals can be as simple as clearing a certain number of blocks, reaching a certain depth, or finding a set number of treasures. Some of the more tricky objectives include finding secret exits at certain depths or finding a specific treasure. The issue with the randomness of the match 3 model is that many times you can’t complete a level because of bad item placement.
Graphics in the game are decent but not great. As you progress through the levels more items are added for you to match. Unfortunately, the later items look far too similar to the existing ones. This makes for many mismatches which slows down game play. The music gets very monotonous after 2 or 3 levels. The voice acting – there are really only 5 or 6 phrases – will have you looking for the mute button after only a few utterances.
Lily’s Epic Quest for Lost Gems is available now on multiple platforms. You can add it to your collection for around $7. This game is totally for the casual gamer. The slow pace will frustrate those looking for a puzzle game that will test their reflexes or challenge their thinking.
