You're shown two nearly-identical images side-by-side, and tasked with clicking on the dissimilar element. Identifying all ... 4 elements ... will unlock the card it represents, you'll get to read the accompanying story, and you're one-fourth closer to unlocking the book in which it resides.
From there, the actual levels get progressively more challenging with the addition of new ... why can't I think of anything other than the word "elements" here? New gameplay ... thingies.
For example, the path from start to finish begins to span multiple screens, and bends and turns. In order to know how best to push a path, the player will need to access the Map screen, which displays the entire layout of the level.
From there, the actual levels get progressively more challenging with the addition of new ... why can't I think of anything other than the word "elements" here? New gameplay ... thingies.
For example, the path from start to finish begins to span multiple screens, and bends and turns. In order to know how best to push a path, the player will need to access the Map screen, which displays the entire layout of the level.
Getting in the way of this are an increasing array of new tiles, the first of which is the stone, which is impassable by ordinary means. Only by causing the multiple-symbol explosion can the way be cleared. There are also frozen symbols, which may be thawed by using the entombed symbol as part of a three- or more match.
However, in the interest of fairness, you also gain access to special tools the farther along you progress through the levels. The first of these is a Shovel, which allows the removal of one symbol without needing to make a 3-match. The Shovel symbol appears at the bottom of the screen in a circular repository. To "charge up" the Shovel tool, the player must make matches of particular symbols -- in this case, the green eye-like ones. Once enough of these have been captured, the Shovel is activated, and it can be used; click on the Shovel icon, then on the target symbol. The Shovel doesn't work on frozen symbols or stone, but the next tool does.
The Bomb will destroy all symbols, frozen or not, including stone, within a given radius. It's particularly useful when trying to access the area in which the temple sits if the only access point is a single symbol. The Bomb is charged by collecting enough of the red paw-like symbols. Judging by the inclusion of two more empty repositories, there are two more tools to be had, but the demo had run out before I was able to access them.
All told, 4 Elements provides just enough of this new type of gameplay -- which is really just cobbled together out of many other games -- to entertain, yet as I said at the beginning of this post, it's done so well and so elegantly that any flaws are easily overlooked. I'm looking forward to purchasing this game to see how the difficulty progresses, and what the eventual payoff will be.
You can grab the demo for 4 Elements for yourself right here on Big Download by clicking the Mac or PC versions.
However, in the interest of fairness, you also gain access to special tools the farther along you progress through the levels. The first of these is a Shovel, which allows the removal of one symbol without needing to make a 3-match. The Shovel symbol appears at the bottom of the screen in a circular repository. To "charge up" the Shovel tool, the player must make matches of particular symbols -- in this case, the green eye-like ones. Once enough of these have been captured, the Shovel is activated, and it can be used; click on the Shovel icon, then on the target symbol. The Shovel doesn't work on frozen symbols or stone, but the next tool does.
The Bomb will destroy all symbols, frozen or not, including stone, within a given radius. It's particularly useful when trying to access the area in which the temple sits if the only access point is a single symbol. The Bomb is charged by collecting enough of the red paw-like symbols. Judging by the inclusion of two more empty repositories, there are two more tools to be had, but the demo had run out before I was able to access them.
All told, 4 Elements provides just enough of this new type of gameplay -- which is really just cobbled together out of many other games -- to entertain, yet as I said at the beginning of this post, it's done so well and so elegantly that any flaws are easily overlooked. I'm looking forward to purchasing this game to see how the difficulty progresses, and what the eventual payoff will be.
You can grab the demo for 4 Elements for yourself right here on Big Download by clicking the Mac or PC versions.
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