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Azkend 2: The World Beneath (2016, Playstation 4) Review



DID JULES VERNE PLAY CANDY CRUSH SAGA?


Also for: Android, bada, iPad, iPhone, Macintosh, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, Symbian, WebOS, Windows, Windows Apps, Windows Phone, Xbox One


When it comes to choosing what game to play next, how's this for a reason: I needed a game that starts with an 'A', because my review index was missing one. Similar omissions give me reasons to play games like Ziggurat and Xenonauts in the near future.

Out of humble beginnings like that, I did not expect something this good to come out. Azkend 2: The World Beneath is an engaging and challenging Match-3 puzzle game (like Candy Crush Saga) from 10tons Ltd that I unfortunately played for the wrong platform. The controls are simply atrocious on the Playstation 4 and impossible to get used to. The way the game got me totally transfixed, in spite of this, might indicate how good Azkend 2 really is.


I steer a cursor over a board under the pressure of time. The board is full of symbols of different colors and shapes, and by linking at least three adjacent symbols of the same sort, I can make them disappear. This will contribute towards level completion in some way. The longer the chain, the better the result. Different levels have different objectives, the vast majority have a time limit, and some of them even have enemies. A handful of tesla coils at the top of the screen discharge at regular intervals, helping me clear the stage.


On the PS4, however, the analogue stick is the toughest opponent. Whenever I'm attempting to chain more than three pieces, the cursor might very well decide to take a wrong turn, cutting it short. This means I have to double back and course correct, wasting valuable time. With a very narrow time limit, this can be my downfall. Azkend 2 was clearly designed around touchscreens, and playing it on a smartphone would make more sense.

The Jules Verne-flavored story takes place in 1896. It retells the accounts of female explorer Jules, who narrates a fantastical journey across unexplored lands. After being sucked down into a maelstrom, she awakens in a strange new land. She solves puzzles and discovers rare sights, gradually revealed through beautifully hand-drawn backdrops. The music channels amazement and wonder rather than fright. But in the end, she must find a way back home.



I progress through the 17 chapters with an obsession that borders on insanity. Whenever I beat a level it's often by a hair, and when I fail, I am on the verge of succeeding. That dynamic of triumph and tease makes it impossible to feel indifferent - no matter if I win or lose, it's with a strong emotional response. To spice things up even further, every few stages comes with story progression and change of scenery to let me cool down. Azkend 2 bravely resists your attempts to put it down.

Most stages add something new, be it a new game mode, an obstacle like ice or padlocks, or some new invention to support me. For instance, the dynamite removes all adjacent board pieces, and the compass lets me chain pieces of different colors. The curiosity of seeing what the game conjures up next makes my play sessions last for too long. And the way different inventions can be combined can open up whole new avenues I'd never considered.



The most impressive levels are the bug infestations. Here I need to repel a slow assault of bugs from the bottom to the top of the board. By removing pieces surrounding the critters I hurt them, until they finally croak. These are the toughest levels overall, and also the most ingenious. Out of the basic mechanics, they transform the game into a rudimentary real-time strategy brawl.

Azkend 2: The World Beneath revolutionizes nothing. Instead it tweaks and combines existing concepts into a solid middle ground between hard and addictive. The link between story and gameplay often feels arbitrary, but that's where your creativity should step in and make sense of the symbolism. How do you feel upon finishing each stage? Whatever's your answer, that's how Jules feels. And to me, that's all I need to know.

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