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Crystal Cove ($1.99) by Andrey Spencer is a match-three puzzle game that isn't like anything you've tried before. If you enjoyed other unique match-threes like Kenshõ and You Must Build A Boat, then you'll enjoy what Crystal Cove brings to the table.

Life always gets a bit hectic for me, so I enjoy playing a wide variety of games to take my mind off of things for a bit. If you've been following my work here at AppAdvice, you should know that one of my favorite genres are puzzles, specifically, match-threes. I'm not sure why, but I'm always drawn to these types of games, as I find them relaxing and so easy to lose hours at a time to them. Plus, it keeps my mind ticking. Even though it feels like I've played almost every match-three game there is on the App Store, I still get a nice surprise every now and then. Crystal Cove is one of those titles that brings a smile to my face.

$3.99

Kenshō

FIFTYTWO, OOO

$2.99

You Must Build A Boat

EightyEight Games LTD

Crystal Cove features a super minimal 2D design that keeps the game simple yet elegant at the same time. The background features a clear illustration of what looks like a cove (hence the name), but it's not too distracting to take away from the foreground, which is where all the matching is done. The triangular game pieces pop out a bit with pseudo-3D, thanks to the three shades of one color. The color palette is basic with just three soft pastel hues, but I find it soothing and it goes well with the cove theme. There's also a color blind mode, where each color is represented by dots, so no one is left out. Animations are smooth and fluid, so I had no issues with lag or choppy frame rates on my iPhone 8 Plus. The ambient techno-like soundtrack is fairly calming, and helps you think about the moves you're making. The developer did an excellent job here with Crystal Cove's visual and audio design, as it's an overall tranquil experience.

Unlike most match-three games, Crystal Cove doesn't have levels. Instead, it gives players an endless escapade of relaxing block matching. You play until you're surrounded and have no more options except to restart and try again to beat your high score. While it doesn't sound like a lot, the game is surprisingly full of depth and strategy's involved, so you must think about each move if you want to do well.

At the start of each game, you have a colored triangle in the center of the board, which can fit a certain number of triangles. Along the top of the screen is a block that tells you the next three colors of triangles that will appear once you move. When you swipe left, right, up, or down to move, it places the next triangle in that spot. A light silhouette of adjacent triangles that you can move into get highlighted on the board, in case you don't know where to go.

As you match like-colored triangles in clusters of at least three or more (they must also be adjacent to each other), you'll fill up the colored crystals at the bottom. Once these are full, you can drag them to a triangle and change it to that color. They're useful for getting out of a jam, but you should use them often since they refill as you make matches.

If you make a mistake, you can undo your last move with the rewind button. Once you are surrounded with no where left to go, the game asks if you want to use a power-up crystal. Otherwise, you'll have to restart and try again.

Your final score in a round is determined by the number of matches you've made, obviously. However, there are other bonuses to earning points, such as clearing the board, getting consecutive matches and earning multipliers. Again, it looks like a simple game on the surface, but it requires thinking and planning if you want to nab the best score possible.

As you accrue points, they double as in-game money. You can spend these points in the shop for various skins with new designs. They are purely cosmetic, though, as they don't affect the gameplay in any way.

Crystal Cove takes the traditional match-three formula and spins it upside-down.

The Good

Crystal Cove is a fantastic gem of a match-three puzzler. The graphics are simple, clean, and look great with the pastel color scheme. Having the color blind mode is nice too, as it doesn't exclude anyone from enjoying the game overall. The music is upbeat, quirky, and rather charming, so it's delightful to listen to as you play. Controls are simple enough and work well, and having the game show you where you can move is helpful.

The Bad

There's a lot of good going for Crystal Cove, but it's not perfect. While the color blind mode is nice, I do wish that there were more themes available, in case one isn't a fan of pastels. It would liven up the game more I think, and add a bit of customization to it.

I also found that the controls get a bit unresponsive sometimes. It seems to happen when there are less options for me in terms of where I can move, but I'd swipe where I should be able to go and nothing happens. When this occurs, it takes me a few swipes before it seems to register properly.

And while I like the infinite play of the game, I think having some additional game modes would spice things up. Like a puzzle mode, where you must clear the board in a certain number of moves. I mean, variety is nice, right?

The verdict

As an avid fan of match-three games, Crystal Cove is one of my new favorites. I like minimal design that still looks elegant, and Crystal Cove has it. Plus, the music is fun, as it's on par with what I like to listen to regularly anyway. The game mechanic is interesting and brings a new spin on a tried-and-true puzzle formula. I was surprised at the amount of depth and planning that's involved here.

I just want to see optimized controls, more modes, and maybe new color themes in a future update, as it would add more variety to the game. Still, this is a solid match-three that fans of the genre should give a spin.

Crystal Cove is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $1.99. There are no in-app purchases.

7.9

OVERALL

Graphics 8

Sound/Music 8.5

Gameplay 8

Replayability 7.5

Game Controls 7.5

$1.99

Crystal Cove

Andrey Spencer

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Cytus II ($1.99) by Rayark is a musical rhythm game that takes place in a futuristic world that's ruled by the internet. If you were a fan of the original Cytus, or Rayark's other music game, VOEZ, then you're sure to love Cytus II.

Ever since my high school days, when Guitar Hero and Rock Band reigned supreme, I developed a love for music games. I would go to arcades and play the aforementioned games with friends, or watch others partake in Dance Dance Revolution (I'm not a dancer). I'd even venture out into other music games, such as DJ Hero and Beatmania. Even though I'm not an expert at rhythm games like other people I know, I have fun with them. My first Rayark music game was VOEZ, which I even bought on my Nintendo Switch, because it was that good. I didn't play the first Cytus game, though, but I was eager for something new from Rayark, so I decided to pick up Cytus II. As someone new to Cytus, I'm not disappointed.

$1.99

Cytus

Rayark International Limited

Free

VOEZ

Rayark International Limited

Visually, Cytus II is incredibly impressive. If you're a fan of Japanese anime and manga, then you'll love the art style. The futuristic, cybernetic world looks like it came straight out of some anime series. The characters themselves have their own unique styles and aesthetics, and are incredibly well drawn, in my opinion. The digital world that everything takes place in is believable, with plenty of blues, grays, and neon lights to represent cyberspace. All animations are super smooth and fluid, so I did not get issues of lag or choppy frame rates on my iPhone 8 Plus. As a newcomer to the Cytus series, I'm definitely impressed by the graphics.

Since Cytus II is a rhythm game, the soundtrack is rather important, even more so than the story. The game has a total of about 50 songs to play, with many of them needing to be unlocked through progression. Cytus II features songs composed by songwriters from all over the globe, including Japan, Korea, US, Europe, Taiwan, and more. These songs span all sorts of genres, including electronic, rock, and even classical. Your choice of songs to play also depend on which character you play as, giving you reason to try out other characters.

One thing that should be mentioned, though, is the fact that while there are five characters total, you only get three with the initial purchase. The other two must be bought via in-app purchase, and they're $9.99 each. To me, that seems a bit high for a mobile game. So if you want to get access to all of the content in this version, you'll have to shell out over $20. A little steep for my tastes, but I digress.

In Cytus II, there's an interesting story that unfolds through the music. You see, in the cyTus internet space, a mysterious DJ by the name of Æsir is charming everyone worldwide with his music. Turns out he's holding the first mega virtual concert, with an idol singer and popular DJ opening acts, so the frenzy begins. Everyone wants to see what Æsir looks like.

The story unfolds through digital messages that users (other characters in the game) post, similar to forums like reddit. You'll be able to unravel the plot, get to know other characters through their replies and comments, and see what songs you've unlocked.

Each song that you can play has a few different difficulty levels. By default, you start with Easy and Hard. But as you play, you can unlock Chaos difficulty, which is not for the faint of heart. But keep in mind that the higher the difficulty, the higher of a score you can end up with.

Playing Cytus II is pretty easy, but takes some time and practice to get used to it. The game utilizes the "Active Judgment Line" rhythm play style, which means you must tap on the notes that appear as the judgment line hits them. There are five types of notes: regular blue ones need a tap, a circle that requires a long-press for a brief amount of time, an arrow that must be dragged, a bigger circle in the middle that needs a longer long-press, and double notes. While it's easy to tap them at the right time, things get harder when many notes appear on the screen at once, and it only gets more challenging with Hard and Chaos difficulties.

Like any other music game, it's important to hit the notes at the right time, since you'll rack up a combo. The higher your combo, the more points you'll get thanks to the multiplier. And the closer to perfect you get on a song, the better grade you'll receive at the end.

The grades are important, as you may unlock more songs by getting high marks on certain songs. The player you choose also gains experience points after successful performances. As they level up, the story advances, and new songs are unlocked as well.

The futuristic world of Cytek returns with even more music rhythm gaming for you.

The Good

Cytus II has a lot of good things going for it. The art is gorgeous, everything runs smoothly, and the variety and choice in song selection is amazing. The story is also rather captivating and engaging, which is a plus, since you don't normally play music games for the plot. I've always enjoyed Rayark's sense of progression in the game, since it motivates you to try higher difficulties to unlock more content.

The controls in Cytus II are also easy and intuitive. It does take some getting used to, but if you've played their music games before, or any rhythm game in general, then you'll feel right at home. I like the variety of notes that are in the game, as it keeps you on your toes.

The Bad

While I'm liking Cytus II as a newcomer to the series, I still think that the $10 price tag for the other two characters is a bit outrageous. However, that's my only qualm with the game, because everything else is pretty great.

The verdict

I'm enjoying Cytus II a lot so far, and it's definitely my new favorite musical rhythm game. I'm in love with the anime art style, and the music is quirky, upbeat, and catchy. The game's tutorial is helpful in terms of showing you what to do with each note type, and controls are simple. I recommend playing with your device on a table or other flat surface, so it's easier to see upcoming notes without your hands blocking your view. I just wish that the price for the other two characters were cheaper.

I recommend Cytus II for anyone who likes music rhythm games, or was a fan of the original Cytus. You can find Cytus II on the App Store as a universal download on your iPhone or iPad for $1.99.

9.4

OVERALL

Graphics 10

Sound/Music 10

Replayability 9

Gameplay 9.5

Game Controls 8.5

$1.99

Cytus II

Rayark International Limited

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews