Azkend 2 HD – The World Beneath is a match-three adventure of mystery and myth

Azkend 2 2Match-three games like Bejeweled have come a long way since their early entrance into the casual game world. Players have a lot more to do in today’s puzzle games.

Azkend 2 HD – The World Beneath is a match-three puzzle game with all kinds of interesting additions. The best part is that, not only are you matching objects for points, but you will also unlock the secrets of an unknown island as you play this adventure game…

Design

The game is designed to look like a science fiction voyage from the late 18th century. The objects include things like brass binoculars, a wood framed compass, and amber encased ants. The lightning bonus that removes tiles is represented by good old-fashioned Tesla coils.

Players match objects that are displayed inside hexagonal tiles. You can match vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. Basically, you can match any objects, as long as at least one side is touching.

As you complete matching puzzles, you will unlock new items that will help you complete harder ones in the future. After you’ve completed a round of puzzles, you will play another puzzle game where you must identify objects on the screen.

You can play in Adventure, Timed, or Medal mode. In order to play Medal mode, you must first unlock the level by playing it in Adventure mode. Timed mode is based on randomly generated puzzles where you must earn as many points as possible within the allotted time.

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Game Play

The game begins with the start of the adventure. The main character tells the story of a powerful storm that is on the horizon. In order to better see what is coming, the narrator needs to repair a set of binoculars. Your task is to complete three matching puzzles to find the missing pieces of the binoculars. When you have completed the puzzles, the binoculars are repaired and the story continues.

Players match objects on a hexagonal grid by dragging a finger across all matching tiles that are adjacent to each other.  You need a minimum of three, but you will earn more points if you match more. When you match at least six, you will trigger the Tesla coils, which will throw off electricity that sparks one or more of the tiles, clearing them from the board for you.

Once all tiles have been cleared, one of the missing pieces appears at the top of the grid. To collect the piece, match objects below it until it falls all the way to the bottom.

In the Adventure campaign, puzzles are timed. Players have only a few minutes to complete the board and collect the missing piece. Once you’ve played a puzzle in Adventure mode, you can play a new game in Medal mode to earn gold medals.

Each object that needs to be repaired requires three or four rounds. After the missing pieces are found and the object is repaired, players are given a new type of puzzle for one round.

The new puzzle involves looking at a close-up view of something that is on the screen. The player must find where that portion of the image is and tap it. For example, the view port will show what appears to be a ship wrench. Look around at the image to find where the ship wrench is and tap it. Players must reveal seven close-up views in just a few minutes.

There are 17 chapters in this adventure. Each chapter features one object with pieces that you must find by solving puzzles and one close-up view puzzle.

As you collect and repair objects, they become bonus items that help you play the game. For example, the repaired glasses offer faster hints and the binoculars find and remove isolated pieces from the board. The more objects you collect, the easier the puzzles will be to complete. There are 16 bonuses in all.

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The Good

This game is lots of fun for fans of the match-three genre. Not only are there more than 60 puzzles, but you can also play a whole new puzzle in Medal mode and Timed mode for a completely different game experience. The artwork is high quality and the game’s mechanics are smooth.

I like being able to switch between Adventure, Timed, and Medal modes. It is nice to switch things up and play something different for a while.

The Bad

The puzzles are all timed. This makes what would otherwise be considered a relaxing casual game of match-three into a fast-paced adventure game. While I like the challenge, I’d prefer the option of being able to play the game without being limited to how much time I have to complete a puzzle.

Value

Currently, Azkend 2 HD is on sale for free. So, the value is sky high. It is normally priced at $4.99, so you are getting a real bargain. At full price, I’d say that this game is worth every penny for fans of the genre. Because the full price is a bit steep, gamers who don’t spend much time with match-three games might not feel it is worth the money. However, since it is currently free, it is worth it for everyone.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a new match-three adventure game and have not already purchased Azkend 2 HD, grab it now while it is free. If the game goes back to full price before you get a chance to download it, I recommend it for fans of the genre, even at full price. It is a well-made game with lots of different puzzles to complete. Azkend 2 HD is available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Download it for free before it’s too late.