Mystika 3: Awakening of the Dragons

 
Developer: Unikgame
Steam Release: Jun 2017
Hours Played: 3.1
Most Similar To: 7 Wonders II / Atlantic Quest 2 / Jewel Quest 3 / Spooky Bonus 
Rating: 5/5 Parsnips

GAMEPLAY
The final slot of my Top 10 match 3 games was a close call but Mystika 3 just about clinched it over Atlantic Quest 2 and Secrets of Magic - both very worthy games. Mystika 3 is a match 3 of the switching tiles variety where a simple swish with a neighbouring tile is the name of the game. Like Jewel Quest, Unwell Mel and Spooky Bonus this moreish title requires you to match three tiles to break the underlying surface (or surfaces) to complete levels. All the tricks of the trade we know and love and hate are here: tiles with padlocks need to be matched with multiple times, crates need to be smashed with neighbouring matches and restricted areas with blocks and bottlenecks get more and more annoying as the game goes on. This is a time-based rather than move-based title so quick and efficient wins the day.       

BALANCE & PACE
Although it's all been done before, Mystika 3's winning formula works because of the way it all clicks firmly together... and I don't just mean the way the tiles fall dramatically and fade satisfyingly into the background with an absorbing animated flourish; or the comforting bounce that the tiles have as they're jostled around. It could be to do with special touches like the hidden object puzzle thrown in or the boss battles that rely on quick matches rather than "hits" that use dodgy random number generators. Or maybe it's the dig challenge where you find hidden secrets, or the signs that fall into place on the world map as you repair a bridge that then offer rewards for the gold you've collected. It could be those satisfying explosions caused by the bombs - whatever, Mystika 3 will keep you hooked and wanting to come back for more later.    

PRESENTATION & DESIGN
I like a decent match 3 game just as much as the next sad and lonely addicted wretch but there is something about the way the animations and sounds are put together that makes some just shine more brightly than others. Spooky Bonus has it, Unwell Mel has it... and, of course, Mystika 3 can be added to the list as well. In addition, I'd normally turn the music off in most games but the rolling tune in Mystika 3 (reminding me of that used in Warlords Battlecry 3) did the right job and stayed rolling on nicely throughout. You get a pleasant clickity-click as you go and those tiles really do fall away with a degree of elegance as well. Many won't resist the seductive tones of the female announcer either.   

 

PROGRESS SYSTEM
Like a few of the premium titles these days  but also as with Spooky Bonus, Button Tales and Atlantic Quest 2 we have the dots-along-a-path system to show progress. Furthermore, M3 adopts the star system where quick completion gets you three stars and the not-so-quick gets you one or two. Again, in line with others that incorporate a story or some sort of narrative, Mystika 3 has you being paid gold along the way. This can be used to buy buildings that, in turn, allow special powers and abilities to be used but you'll also get to broken bridges that need to be repaired. On repairing these, signposts will fall down from the sky and become embedded in the grass. These also will confer goodies upon you when you've paid up the corresponding amount of gold. The amount of levels total way over 100. 

CONCLUSION

The similar Atlantic Quest 2 narrowly missed out here as well as solid titles such as Gems of the Aztecs, Secrets of Magic and Tales of the Orient. All worth a try. M3 is here though because its presentation and style adds more to the party. Those dots I mentioned are not all ordinary levels as those with coloured shields represent different challenges. Red shields indicate a boss who will strike at your avatar, a la Puzzle Quest, as you play. You'll need to match particular tiles quickly to attack him and heal yourself before he kills you. Green shields indicate dig levels where you need to dig downward by matching tiles next to the soil, and purple shields are cage challenges where you have to do a similar thing but free a creature in a cage. To be sure, at such a low price, any match 3 fan should feel incomplete if this isn't in their library.