Game Reviews

Spellfall

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iOS
| Spellfall
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Spellfall
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iOS
| Spellfall

I'm somewhat at odds with myself over Spellfall.

On the one hand it's from Backflip Studios, and Backflip Studios does good stuff. And while it is pretty yet another match-3 puzzle RPG, the team has done a great job livening things up with a colorful world and lots of memorable creature designs.

On the other hand, it's packed with in-app purchases, and isn't shy about shoving most of them in your face any chance it gets.

You've got the touch

That's not to say it's difficult to enjoy Spellfall. In fact it can be quite entertaining to fight your way through various enemies and use your hard-earned gold to buy better gear.

It's also very satisfying to string together a massive combo of special spells and enchantments, then watch as your character conjures up tidal waves and giant roots.

A wealth of items and abilities are available as well. There are plenty of weapons, armor sets, and powerful runes to buy from the shop.

And the shop's inventory is constantly being switched out, so you never quite know whether you should buy that sword that's just about to be removed, or hold out to see the new stuff that's coming in.

We've got the POW-EEEERRRRR

The problem is many of the items that appear in the shop are rather expensive, and saving up for them takes quite a while. There's always something to spend your cash on, but you never quite have enough.

Of course you can always just buy more gold. Oh, and look, there's a sale on gold. But it's only for a limited time. Best get in there quick.

Then there's your character's health bar, which is effectively an energy timer. Take too much damage and you'll have to wait to heal up.

And when you do run out of health in the middle of a fight, you'll either need to cough up 69p / 99c to continue or be forced to give up.

You'll probably enjoy playing Spellfall thanks to the colorful characters, nasty combo chains, and oodles of gear to collect.

However it requires a fair bit of patience to put up with the near-constant waiting, and the way it's always trying to part you from your cash.

Spellfall

Spellfall is a pretty looking match-3 puzzler that's not without its charm, but its free to play elements get in the way much of the time
Score
Rob Rich
Rob Rich
Rob Rich is the editor of 148Apps.com