Candy Crush is simple, fun, and very addictive. If you like Bejeweled I think you'll like this one even more. It has the basic "match these three of the same color" concept but it's a little more in-depth. This one has extra boosts if you match 4 or 5 in a row and even more when you match those special candies. Plus, it has a huge map that keeps you from feeling like you're just doing puzzle after puzzle after puzzle...
Enjoyability: 4/5
Candy Crush is an awesome app. It has lots of different twists that really keep the game interesting. Each level has a set of goals that you have to reach in a limited number of moves. I like how it's based more on the moves that you have and not how much time you have left. It makes the game more relaxed and lets you think more about how each move is going to affect the board. There are a few timed levels but, trust me, those are the easiest ones. Another thing I like is that you can connect it to your Facebook account and it will show the top scores on each level (blue has kicked my ass on too many of them.) Now for the downside of this game. You don't gain any power-ups. Sure, you can unlock them.. but then you have to buy them. They're usually $1.15 but then it's $20 for extra hearts?! What? You can hold up to 5 hearts which regenerate automatically but it's one every half hour. I'll be stuck on the same level all day sometimes. But $20 to hold 3 extra hearts is definitely not worth it. Blue and I are both on level 35 now and we have to either invite friends or buy "tickets" to continue our adventure. I don't like that.
Creativity: 4.5/5
It isn't very original when it comes to the concept of the game but King.com added so many different things. They turned a common puzzle game into one that doesn't lose your interest after a few levels. First, the map. Instead of it just being one puzzle after another, it feels like you're travelling through the game. It even has a little story to go along with it. And then there are the combos. You can make stripey candy with 4 in a row (clears a whole line) and chocolate candy with 5 in a row (zaps all of the candies of a certain color). Make a T or an L with two sets of three and you get a candy in a wrapper that acts like a bomb. Reminds us of Warheads (Blue - "The yellow ones should explode the most candy."). Then if you mix those candies they do ridiculous things that can sometimes clear the entire board. The goals of each level are cool, too. Some have you clear the jelly by making matches in particular blocks and others have you drop fruit to the bottom of the board, those are the hardest!
Beauty: 4/5
I love the design. It looks nice and it's set up very well. Easy to navigate through and it never freezes my phone up which is a huge plus for me. I really like the music in this game, too. It kind of reminds me of Animal Crossing. It's calming (even though some of the levels can be SO frustrating) and it doesn't get on your nerves. It goes along with the candy theme really well. The sound effects are great, too. It says things like "tasty" and "delicious" when you make nice combos. One thing that I don't like, though, is how similar the yellow and orange candies look. They're difficult to tell apart, especially when they're striped. Just a small detail but I can't really complain about anything else. It's a cute game. It has an almost childish feel to it.
Overall: 4/5
I love it. Candy Crush Saga has a well-known concept so it's easy to get started but it has many unique features which separate it from the other puzzle games. Great design, hard to put down, and it actually gets very difficult, especially when the number of moves you begin with starts to decrease (but of course, you can always buy more..). I just wish it didn't ask you to spend money on everything in the game. I can understand them trying to sell extra hearts, maybe not for $20. But I think you should at least be able to earn power-ups and continue playing without spending cash. Other than that, though, it's perfect. It's definitely one of my favorite apps right now. You can download it for free from the Google Store and probably find a link to it through Facebook since it's one of the newer games.
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Candy Crush Saga is a game that I really didn't think I would like at first. I avoided downloading it despite it's appearance and the top of several lists and being featured. Though, eventually how much I had been seeing it wore me down and I decided to try it. I'm glad that I did, though. It offers hours of free entertainment (or if you're bad at puzzles, days!). As soon as I started the first few puzzles, I realized I was crazy for prejudging this app, and immediately texted pink that she had to download it. I went from thinking I wouldn't like it to (almost) wanting to spend the $1.15 (note: you can do this for free by getting three Facebook friends to send you a 'ticket' to get on a train to the rest of the levels. They don't have to be new players, so it isn't that bad. Not to mention, I already had 3 or 4 friends playing the game when I first started it.) needed to unlock the majority of the game.
Enjoyability: 4/5
Puzzle games usually have a problem keeping my interest for an extended period of time. And while I just picked this app up off of the Play Store (for free) I can tell this one isn't going to have that problem.
If you've ever played bejeweled, then you already know the basics of Candy Crush Saga. And if you're thinking 'Oh, another bejeweled....' like I was when I first downloaded it, you will be pleasantly surprised. The game play is a lot more in-depth. Different modes, better combos, the works. Matching four of a color gives a super candy, and matching five gives the most delicious candy of them all (chocolate covered in sprinkles) that both have game altering mechanics behind them.
What really makes the game so great is the way it's social. Connecting the game to Facebook will import all of your friend's progress through the game. What level they're stuck on, their high-scores for each level, etc. As competitive as I am, I haven't moved passed a level without having the top score (though I'm worried Pink will do the same, and we'll both just be stuck on level one forever).
I took a point here because of how much I hate level 23 (update 1/27/13 - 23 is fine, but I despise 34) and also because the in-app purchases are very expensive albeit not required. (Like, $20 expensive. Definitely not buying that. I hope.)
Creativity: 4/5
The basic concept of the game isn't very creative. Get three of the same things in a row, get points. However, King took this basic concept and made it much more. For one thing, more modes. Limited moves, limited time, "clear the jelly," and "get the toppings to the bottom of the screen" are all a ton of fun to play and all work with the basic bejeweled mechanics.
Another thing that makes it even more unique is the way it handles combos. Four in a row gives you a candy that clears an entire row. Make a 3x3 'T' or 'L' shape, and you'll get a candy that clears an entire 3x3 grid--twice! The crown jewel though, is when you get five in a row. That candy clears out the entire board of one color. Mixing those special candies gives even larger effects.
Beauty: 4.5/5
The game is visually stunning--I love the art direction. The art and slight animations make the 'world' of Candy Crush Saga come to life, as it takes the monotony out of the game that usually plagues puzzle games that just have a list of levels. The art makes it exciting to unlock new levels to see what the next 'dragon in the lemonade lake' will be.
The music also compliments the game play rather well. It's relaxing to play, even when you're so frustrated that you lost the level by one move (something that happens to me quite often).
The sound effects keep the game upbeat. Large combos, and the announcer calls "Sweet" or "Tasty" amazing combos will have him saying "Delicious" or "Divine"
Overall: 3.5/5
I enjoy playing Candy Crush very much. It's fun and I definitely recommend the download. I know it doesn't make sense for me to give the game 4/5 and higher in all the categories then give it a 3.5 overall, so let me explain:
If any of these are corrected or changed I will readjust my score! Now go download Candy Crush Saga from the play store. (Edit: Google play refunded pinks $1.15, and she repurchased the train ticket. It worked this time around)
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TOTALS
Enjoyability: 8/10
Creativity: 8.5/10
Beauty: 8.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10
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Follow Up notes:
- There are 11 ticket requiring rail-roads in Candy Crush Saga. Each one costs either 3 friends or $1.15.
- The game appears to be adding new features each rail-road. First rail-road is boxed candies that need to be cleared twice. Second rail-road is chocolate candies that are similar to the whipped cream, but if you don't clear one each turn they expand by one block.
