Developer: Playrix
Steam Release: Sept 2008
Hours Played: 5.5
Similar To: Cave Quest / Cradle of Persia / Rescue Quest Gold / Runefall
Rating: 3/5 Parsnips
Match 3s have rocketed big-time since Bejeweled and with the mobile market boombing since Candy Crush, their popularity doesn't seem to be waning. 4 Elements is an old-school classic where you link three or more gems of the same colour together by clicking and dragging a short trail over them with your mouse. Releasing the mouse creates a satisfying explosion which sees the layer they were resting on disappear. The absent layer then gets filled with a bright orange lava. The idea is to get the lava to flow towards the exit to signal the end of that level. All this has to be completed before the time gauge runs out on the right side of the screen. Four different power-ups become available as you play and can be used at will when fully charged.
The feeling you get while playing is one of relaxation. The game glitters and glows and it's very satisfying when you trigger a chain reaction allowing the lava to flow. It may generate the trance-like feeling you might get while playing slot-machines but it's good, clean, harmless fun. Every four levels the game rewards you with a good ol' spot the difference game which is a breeze - especially as hints are made readily available. After a book is finished you are given a hidden-object screen to get your teeth into. The early levels, it has to be said, are not particularly challenging but that's fine; it's not the type of game that is out to wind you up or frustrate - and that's the refreshing element of 4 Elements. At the beginning to middle stages, at least, you'll rarely if ever run out of time.
Scores will show you the latest score for each profile but you can't view scores for each level or replay a level. You just keep going from where you left off. Start takes you to the main map of the game which comes in the form of four quarters. Each quarter represents each of the four elements and contains an old antique book. Next to each book are four pictures of legendary creatures or characters and each of these has four small lights which turn from red to green when you complete a level. As you do this you're treated to a little animation which rearranges the mixed up letters on a page. The game does an excellent job in dividing itself up into playable bite-sized chunks. Sound and animations are crisp and clear with explosions and the crumbling away of rubble adding to the satisfaction.
64 can be quartered quite a few times and the game uses this concept to its full advantage with neat and orderly progress screens. Clicking on a book or a picture will take you to a page of text about dwarfs, goblins or some such fantasy-based nonsense; not anything useful like stats or best times for those nerdy gamers out there. Granted, the game does give you stats after you have successfully completed a level but the player is never given the chance to replay that level or of ever seeing those stats again. This begs the question: why have a stats page with six different stats at all when they're not stored and are going to be wiped after viewing anyway? Also, if I wanted to glare at a text-heavy page I'd go read a book.
With light spot-the-difference and hidden object games sprinkled in, 4 Elements offers enough variety to keep the player gripped. There’s always a buzz when hearing and seeing those gems shatter and the lava flow and as such it's a pleasure to plough through. Now if it allowed the player to replay levels, stored more meaningful stats or had some sort of leaderboard it may have that added replayability factor to keep the geeks satisfied. Also, some players may disapprove at the ease at which you can fly through the first half. On the other hand, it could be seen as a more forgiving match 3 game that doesn’t punish you every five minutes or hold you back from actually enjoying the content. Let's be fair: this is a well-paced, casual romp for players who like to take things a bit more gently with their match 3s.
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