PopCap's latest keeps the central game the same as it ever was, and it's as terrifyingly effective as usual.īut built around that time-honoured jewel-matching mechanic is a web of bright new ideas, spun off into a range of chunky additional modes. Twist messed with the basics too much for the series' core audience so Bejeweled 3 represents something of a regrouping – albeit an elegant one. For this team, however, used to selling bucketloads of games every few seconds, it seems to have been a mild disappointment. By anyone else's standards, the sales of the polished and rather clever Twist would probably have led to champagne celebrations amongst the cubicles. PopCap's tried tinkering with the magical formula before and been gently slapped around for it. And it would be easy to ignore the fact that the series' latest instalment offers a quiet range of clever variations that bring new life to the game.īuilding on Bejeweled is not an easy gig.
Because of all that, it's easy to underplay how well it's put together. Offering criticism of a Bejeweled game is a bit like a medieval peasant giving you his opinions on the Bubonic plague PopCap's match-three classic is ready to chew through human society regardless of what people have to say about it.īejeweled's a force of nature.
