Review: Paradise Quest

Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Dr Evan Finch is tasked to restore the wildlife of the Isabela island in Galapagos archipelago following drastic climate changes.

Gameplay
To restore the island, you have to collect resources by matching relevant items in a match 3 game. In each match 3 level, you have to break the seals surrounding artifacts to end the level. You can obtain power ups by clearing the sandy areas. After each match 3 level, the artifacts will turn into parts of a jigsaw puzzle showing an area on the island. Complete the jigsaw to open a new habitat and the opportunity to photo returning animals. Once you have gathered enough resources, you can choose to buy or upgrade certain areas, which in turn will attract the wildlife back to the island.

Thoughts
I found this to be a fun and educational game. There are beautiful pictures of Isabela and each animal has a short writeup which can be accessed anything in the journal. One thing I find really cool is that the pictures of the animals in the journal are using the photos that I have taken instead of just a generic picture of the animal. I am also shown various types of plants and what animals the plant would attract if I restore it. There is also a bit of story where Dr Finch finds strange pieces of artifacts during his task to restore the island.

I can chose between having a timed or untimed game. It is good that the developers included this option for people who like to play it at a more relaxed pace. But I found the time limit to be quite generous. The main goal of each level is to obtain the artifacts but there are also optional targets which I can meet to earn more points.

The game is mainly a match 3 game with some additional elements that keeps it fun. Unlike many match 3 games, only a portion of the board is shown and I move along the board by matching items in the direction I want to go. If I want to go up, I will have to match items in top portion of the screen. Each match will move the board a little. There are also other challenges like a board that is shrouded in darkness and as I move along, I have to keep lighting lamps to unveil the board. All this challenges adds a little bit of difficulty to the game but none is too frustrating.

Verdict ★★★★★
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