Last week Armor Games shared their most recent take on the match-3 genre. Battle Orbs (Free) is a game that mixes puzzle mechanics with limited 2D adventure elements along the lines of Puzzle Quest 2 ($2.99), Hero Emblems ($2.99) and the recently reviewed Guardian Sword.
As I start on the quest through the island of Battle Orbs I’m approached by a local Elder that asks me to help the inhabitants of the land as they have been taken over by legions of monsters. So here I was by the side of my trusty (and cute!) pet, with a mere stick on my hand and a few logs of wood clumsily tied together as a shield; I was more than ready to fight, or so I thought. Then my character was taken to the puzzle arena where an appropriate tutorial did his job and I was set on my way.
Battle Orbs’ take on the match-3 mechanics introduces a simple but compelling element of strategy, where matching swords is a more efficient way to handle ground monsters while by placing bows together we get extra damage when attacking ranged enemies. Both types of monsters are easily distinguished whether by a flying avatar to represent those capable of ranged attacks or terrestrial creatures for those using melee.
The loyal Pet is more than a mere cosmetic item as it’s also capable of performing useful attacks that when paired with our abilities may result in combos and further elements of strategy. Pets are obtained through combat by stacking combos or beating bosses that can provide the hero with a treasure chest that occasionally drops creature eggs – now that’s valuable loot!
The eggs must first be placed on an incubator with a timer until they are ready, so then they can be manually hatched by tapping until a little pet emerges along with a brand new ability that he can use to aid you in battle. During my questing throughout the island I was able to find several different creatures willing to fight with me, from a cute fire-breathing dragon named Lil Drago to a purple Night monster that daringly punches our opponents and even a silly sheep appropriately named Fluff that attacks by making the enemies sleep. Just keep in mind that your pet needs to be fed or it will ignore your commands.
The match-3 style here works like any other game of the same genre, where you can combine three orbs of the same type either horizontally or vertically. There are different types of orbs and not all are intended for attacking. Bow, Sword and Paw orbs are all battle-driven and activate melee, ranged and pet abilities, while Hearts and Shields are intended to increase lost health and boost the protective shield. Finally Wood and Stone orbs are resources that you should gather during each battle that will allow to unlock higher level stores with increasingly powerful items to develop your character.
The game encourages players to identify and match a higher number of orbs, resulting in a combined Super Orb – a match of four or more standard orbs – being capable of devastating attacks that can shift the course of battle in your favor and destroy the surrounding orbs allowing for a higher rate of collected resources.
The main objective is to combine a Super Orb with several different ranged, melee and pet matches in the same turn, resulting in powerful attacks that require a bit of thinking and planning. If those combos are mostly focused on weapon types even a single turn may cause for the enemy to suffer a most painful death. On the other hand strategic planning should also focus on resource gathering by including different combos with Stone and Wood. So never despair as even apparently lost games can be shifted in your favor by some well-considered (or just very lucky) plays and combos.
Around level four I found myself stuck and recurrently losing battles so I had to run to the store and update my gear. I realised that it was easy to save gold – the in-game currency – because I could afford all of the best items currently available at once. That’s where resources become an important factor for progress in the game, as higher-level equipment will require an upgrade to the store that can be done with a mix of Stone and Wood or an IAP to unlock it. In the store we can find an assortment of weapons and gear that can be purchased to increase our damage and protection. These items can be further improved through a fusion process by applying a gem that enhances its properties with a magical power such as deadly poison or the chance to freeze enemies. Those gems can be found within conquered treasure chests or in the store with saved gold.
For the impatient that desire for a faster and easier experience the store provides the hero with a few IAP that enhance combat effectiveness and gameplay such as potions, eggs and stacks of gold. Either way the game can be played for free as long as there is some strategic thinking involved in each battle, particularly taking in consideration the different types of attacks while not forgetting the resource-gathering component of gameplay. Additionally plan your levelling accordingly as each time you can raise one element of Power, Stamina and Luck, increasing strength and armour, maximum health or affecting the chance to dodge and land critical hits.
After spending some time travelling through this island I found it surprisingly enjoyable for a game of this genre. Although being a free to play experience I didn’t find it frustrating or raising walls to gameplay through timers and other limitations, being a good implementation for a casual game. The hand-painted artwork does not disappoint, being good looking and appropriate. Overall Battle Orbs is a good puzzle battler with simple elements of adventure that you can easily grab and leave for short periods of time anywhere you go.
