candy crush sagaFormat: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch

Developer: King.Com Limited

US iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store

When it comes to puzzle games that require you to match up three or four of the same objects in a row. There certainly is no shortage of choice on the iOS right now. With that being said I think the fact that Candy Crush Saga is based around candy will probably gain more than a few peoples interest in the game. The fact that it appears to be free as well will also pull in some punters, but appearances can be deceiving can’t they?

Candy Crush Saga is pleasant enough to look at. It never really makes your eyes bulge and have you yelling out wow, but the visuals do get the point across. The screen is full of candy treats on a large grid. There is a background as well which sometimes makes moving the candy around a little on the tricky side, but I am sure this is by design.

The aim of Candy Crush Saga is to swipe along rows of candy and move three of the same kind next to each other. Like I said these games are very common so I would bet that the majority of people out there with an iOS have played a similar game to this at some point. It is fun enough to play and I have no real issue with the game play.

There are a few things as you progress that mix the game play up a little. For example later on you can connect four pieces of candy together in order to make some super candy. There are also items that can help by getting rid of whole rows of candy and other various items as well. These may not sound like much, but they do a great job of stopping the game from ever getting boring. The objectives and the layout of the candy on the grid will also change as you progress in the game.

So far this sounds great doesn’t it? I mean what could possibly be wrong? Well I am sorry to say that in order to really get the most out of this game you are going to pay for it. Yes it is free, but at the same time if you really want to get into it then this is far from a free game.

You can argue that the game does not force you to buy things like continues or other power ups to play the game. But when you consider just how stingy the game is with lives if you do not pay up for things then you will be spending a great deal of time waiting around before you can play again. This is something other games have done as well and I am not a fan of it there either.

The problem is that while this is a fun enough game. There are similar games that offer the same and in some cases a better experience without all the extra “add ons” that are required to really enjoy the game.

US iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store