Years of Puzzle Quest, Candy Crush Saga and Bejeweled have all been preparing me for this moment. Now is my time to dominate. To stand over the battered and broken gems of my enemies in Force of Elements.
Just released on Steam Early Access from developer Wicked Fun, Force of Elements could easily be mistaken for a MOBA at first glance. I know this because I excitedly called my young nephew/babysitter into my office to check out the game after completely destroying my latest opponent.
“Hey, come check out this awesome online competitive game!” I called.
“It’s a MOBA,” he said upon seeing the menu screen.
“Let me pick a character,” I continued.
“It’s a MOBA. I prefer HOTS,” he said.
“Let me just choose my skin.”
“I’ve seen MOBAs Uncle Michael.”
“Here we go!”
“Oh. It’s a match-three game.”
OK, so maybe he wasn’t as excited as I was, but as I proceeded to nearly lose to the person I played after jon.snow111 here, pulling off a last-minute comeback, we both cheered, just a little.
It’s pretty simple. Players take turns matching gems, with either quick timed rounds with unlimited moves or slower rounds with five moves each. Matching colours fills up the power gems at the bottom — attack, defence, utility and ultimate. On e they are filled, their powers can be unleashed.
Here’s a quick look at the game, including the match between jon.snow111 and I. Sorry about the trash-talking.
With the online competitive scene awash in multiplayer online battle arenas and shooters, it’s nice to see a game pop up that just about anyone who has played a mobile match-three game for any length of time could compete in. I imagine tournaments filled with housewives, businessmen and confused people who thought they were waiting in line at the bank.
It will be glorious, and if I play my gems right, they will make me their king.
Force of Elements is now available on Steam Early Access for $US7.99 ($11).
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