Game Review: Crystal Clear for the iPhone/iPod Touch

I used to be a video games journalist for a short time. I brought a unique sense of laziness and ennui to a branch of journalism uniquely identified with the word "granola."

I now return, in force.

Crystal Clear is a game available through the App store to Apple whores customers. Billed as an "action game with light puzzle elements" it is very easy to pick up and start playing. Gameplay is very fresh, and quite unique. I really have no way of describing the gameplay in terms of a previous game, which is saying a lot. The best I can do is "Bejewelled family." Basically, you swipe or use multi touch to remove as many same colored "crystals" (not jewels!) from the board. The empty spaces are then filled from the top. You need to hit a certain score before time runs out, and then you progress to a higher level, which makes the same task more difficult. How does it make it more difficult? By reducing the time you have to reach the score and (presumably) increasing the score you need to advance.

That's all there is to it, but it leads into one of my only gripes with the game, which is there tend to be some hidden elements in the game, a big no-no for me. For example, I can see how much I've scored when I make a move. But the score bar that indicates my progress through a level has no numbers in it. Also, every time you make a move you get a "golden egg" in the upper right hand corner. These eggs actually multiply your score when you make the next move. The multiplier does go down with time, and there are also special jewels which will max out the multiplier at 5x and keep it there for a short duration. Problem is, its almost impossible to see which crystals are sparkly and which arent. Why? Well, your goddamned fat fingers are always in the way. The wonderful mechanics of the game are marred by the limitations of the platform. I obscure my own view of the playfield every time I make a move. WHY APPLE??? WHYyyyYYyyYYYYyy!?

The developer of the game cannot invent a better device, but he sure does push the technology in a direction I had not yet seen. Also, a futher note: the sound effects are excellent. I just regret that there is no music, but as most users will probably opt to play their own in the background anyway, its no big loss.

Graphics: 4/5

Sound: 5/5

Music: N/A

Gameplay: 4/5

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: 4.3/5