"Bejeweled Twist" PC Game Review
by David Rosen

3 out of 4 Thumbs

I am writing this review the morning after a life-altering event: I achieved my first supernova in “Bejeweled Twist” last night. This is done by matching 6 gems in a row of the same color... Which is basically impossible, but I did it... And it feels damn good.

“Bejeweled Twist” is the follow-up to “Bejeweled 2,” Popcap Game's money-printing “most downloaded casual game in history.” Surely you've played “Bejeweled” or “Bejeweled 2.” Available for every platform known to man (or soccer mom), from the PC to the Xbox360 to your cell phone, the entries in the Bejeweled series are probably the most popular and well known “casual” games ever made. So Popcap had to make sure that it was good and ready to release a sequel that would live up to the series' name. Were they successful? Well the answer is definitely yes, but it's a little more complicated than that...

First of all, let me explain how “Bejeweled Twist,” is different. In classic Bejeweled, players were given a grid of different colored jewels and could swap 2 pieces either horizontally or vertically in an attempt to create 3 or more in a row of the same color. It was a simple premise that literally anyone could pick up and play. Non-traditional gamers such as housewives, grandparents and younger kids could get into the addictive game play easily, but hardcore gamers were also hooked by the game's intense strategy lurking underneath.

In “Twist,” however, things are different. Aside from a visual polish, the likes of which I've never seen in a casual puzzle game, the game board seems relatively unchanged. The difference though, is that instead of swapping two side-by-side gems, you are now spinning a 2x2 block of gems clockwise to try and create your 3 of a kind or better matches. It's a pretty huge twist on the classic formula... But is it as fun?

It’s seriously a blast. The new twisting mechanic makes for a faster paced, extremely exciting game. The only problem, however, is that if you're a casual gamer that's just looking to zone out (which Zen Mode allows you to do with no penalties or risk of losing), this game is much, much harder than classic Bejeweled. I don't know for sure if this is going to hold “Twist” back from reaching the same audience that the original captivated for so long, since it’s not exactly harder to play. It’s just harder to get great scores… Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about.

I'm a pretty hard-core gamer myself, but I love puzzle games, so I love Bejeweled. In “Twist,” one of the biggest goals is getting fruits, which are achieved by making a lot of good moves in a row and building your chain meter up to 11. Then, by breaking fruits and completing fruit bonus combos, you can make the fruit dance (yes this game keeps up with the Popcap tradition of having a healthy sense of humor) to get loads of bonus points. I usually do this at least a few times a game, racking up a nice score. The problem is that I'm not entirely sure that your average casual gamer will do this even once in their entire lifetime with the game, and forget about it with the aforementioned supernovas! I'm sure you see what I'm getting at here.

So “Bejeweled Twist” is hard... To which I say: so what? I love it! I'm sure a lot of people out there will love it too. It might not be quite as accessible as classic Bejeweled, but it's a great game all to itself. I think some gamers will try to write it off as a “rip-off” of newer puzzle games like “Hexic,” but believe me, as a fan of that game too, “Bejeweled Twist,” is a totally different experience (and also a lot more fun).

I also was told by some reps of Popcap at the launch event in Seattle (by the way, thanks Popcap!) that the game was specifically called “Bejeweled Twist” and not “3” so that there could still be a potential direct sequel to the regular swap-2 formula style Bejeweled in the future (let's all hope so!). But in the meantime, I really would recommend giving “Twist” a try. There's a free demo at www.popcap.com and it's really a lot of fun, and that's what casual gaming is all about.