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Review   

Jewel Master: Cradle of Athena Review


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On 10/25/2010 at 04:02 PM by Chessa DiMola

An enjoyable new edition of the Jewel Master series.
RECOMMENDATION:

For casual puzzle gamers.

When the previous Jewel Master game, Jewel Master: Egypt, released over one year ago, I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. I finally had a puzzle game that was far more difficult than any of the bargain flash games available online, and it had a sub-plot based on strategy that was actually intriguing rather than feeling tacked-on. Happily, its recently released brethren, Jewel Master: Cradle of Athena follows in its predecessors footsteps, although the difficulty has certainly been toned down.

The underlying goal in Cradle of Athena is for players to earn units of Food, Money, and Building Materials by completing puzzles. As players slowly obtain these items, during each level they use them to build their Greek world, one dynasty at a time. Each time players successfully add on to their empire, they are rewarded with an upgrade to one type of material. For example, they may earn an extra unit of food, allowing them to build up that particular item faster.

Like its predecessor, the puzzles in Cradle of Athena rely on matching at least three identical items in a vertical or horizontal row. Initially the puzzles are assembled on evenly spaced grids that make it easy for players to make multiple matches in quick succession; however, as players get further into the game’s 150 puzzles, the grids become more intricate and obstacles are also added. Once every obstacle is cleared from the grid, a golden ball will drop down and players must clear a path for the object so that it may reach the bottom. Failure to do so within the time limit will require players to start over.

Though the same types of obstacles are still present, Cradle of Athena is considerably easier than its predecessor. After only twenty or so levels in Jewel Master: Egypt, I found myself encountering extremely difficult puzzles that required many attempts. On the other hand, being nearly fifty puzzles into Cradle of Athena, I have yet to experience that type of challenge. While this aspect will undoubtedly make the gameplay much less frustrating for the more casual gamer, it will dull down the experience for veteran puzzle enthusiasts.

Despite being disappointed with the difficulty level, the game experience is still fun, especially in the later levels that are full of different challenges. Once players have acquired several power upgrades gained from adding on to the empire, an even deeper sense of strategy is developed. These power upgrades are varied, helping the player in multiple ways such as refilling some of the timer, gaining a large bonus to one of the three main items (Food, Money, Material), and clearing every similar tile on the grid. Since all of the available tiles are shuffled at the beginning of each new level, players never know what type of strategy they will have to utilize that time around.

While I wish Cradle of Athena was more difficult than it turned out to be, it is still a great puzzle game. Though not nearly stimulating enough for the average gamer or the veteran puzzle enthusiast, this title will make a great addition to the collections of casual puzzle gamers.

Review Policy

In our reviews, we'll try not to bore you with minutiae of a game. Instead, we'll outline what makes the game good or bad, and focus on telling you whether or not it is worth your time as opposed to what button makes you jump.

We use a five-star rating system with intervals of .5. Below is an outline of what each score generally means:


All games that receive this score are standout games in their genre. All players should seek a way to play this game. While the score doesn't equate to perfection, it's the best any game could conceivably do.


These are above-average games that most players should consider purchasing. Nearly everyone will enjoy the game and given the proper audience, some may even love these games.


This is our middle-of-the-road ranking. Titles that receive three stars may not make a strong impression on the reviewer in either direction. These games may have some faults and some strong points but they average out to be a modest title that is at least worthy of rental for most.


Games that are awarded two stars are below average titles. Good ideas may be present, but execution is poor and many issues hinder the experience.


Though functional, a game that receives this score has major issues. There are little to no redeeming qualities and should be avoided by nearly all players.


A game that gets this score is fundamentally broken and should be avoided by everyone.


 

Comments

Anonymous

05/09/2011 at 12:22 PM

I must be stupid, I started out and got to level 64, couldn't pass it after weeks of trying, so started another game and now have TWO games stuck on level 64. Its the level with 140 of them Ugly round things?

wahhhhhhhh

Chessa DiMola Assistant Director

05/11/2011 at 01:06 PM

I think the level you're referring to is the "boss" level with the spiked round objects. Unlike the earlier, similar levels, the later ones aren't very generous with the particular objects you need to eliminate. The only trick that may help you is to constantly reset the level until you get the right combination of power-ups. The hourglass one is great if you keep running out of time, as it will give you a decent time boost every time you fill it up. If you're running into a situation where all the matchable objects are segregated into an inconvenient area, then the bomb barrel power-up will allow you to blow away an unmatchable area and hopefully make matching a bit quicker and easier.

Also, not being able to pass a level in this game most certainly has nothing to do with a lack of intelligence, so don't feel bad. Sometimes success in games like this boil down to mere luck; the pieces being in the right places at the right time.

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