Perfectly-paced action benefits from the addition of subtle play balancing effects. While frantic, especially on later stages, the blow-by-blow excitement never frustrates. Clear all balls from the board to fill a progress-tracking meter and travel further along a gorgeously rendered "cloth" map which looks like the backing for a plastic-miniature-strewn tabletop wargame. Alas, no negative power-ups are utilized, which robs the title of an extra layer of commonly-encountered challenge.Īny gaps created via this process are instantly eliminated if the orbs which bookend both ends of the space are similarly colored, as they'll instantly be drawn together, creating opportunities for giant combos. Or, for that matter, scorpions which wiggle along destroying all in their path and lighting bolts that arc forward in a straight line, cutting a swath through onrushing obstacles too. Don't forget bonus items that slow/rewind advancing chains either. Think color clouds that paint multiple balls the same shade. Match three or more balls of the same color and boom: Spheres shatter in a spray of colored sparks, boosting your score and potentially dropping power-ups as well.
(Left-clicking shoots, while right-clicking lets you swap out your current ammo for the next - and hopefully more conveniently-colored - randomly-generated ball.) Controlling a winged scarab located at the bottom of the screen with your mouse, blast varying-hued orbs at the onrushing horde. Run out of lives, and your progress comes to an abrupt end, so do what comes natural. Chains of colored balls sinuously snake along its pathways, drawing ever-closer to a gate/pyramid which - if reached - causes you to lose one of a limited supply of lives. (Stunning computer-generated objects like chalices, murals, temples, ruins and headdresses add spatial depth to 2D planes, creating the illusion of volume). While light on changes to the standard "group three like-colored spheres to make them disappear" pattern-matching formula, immense production values and a host of smaller-scale innovations make it a worthy heir to the throne.Įvery stage consists of a sumptuous, pseudo-3D backdrop.
Predictably, the powers that be have now brought us an equally ambitious sequel: Luxor 2, offering 88 new lavishly decked out levels and 13 power-ups, over a quarter of which are completely original. Case in point: Action-packed puzzler Luxor, which prompted 40 million-plus downloads and sold upwards of 500,000 copies last year on the strength of its addictive ball-blasting, Egyptian-themed play.
There are casual games, and then there are juggernauts - titles so popular, awe-inspiring and addictive they literally serve to define entire genres.
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