PSN Review: 4 Elements HD

What's this? A game that praises you for destruction? Sounds "Fantastic!"

By: Uma Smith

Another puzzle game that asks players to match three or more tiles??? Haven’t we seen this before in such titles as Bejeweled and Fish Tank? And now, Boolat Games has added its own debut title, 4 Elements HD, to the mix. How much more innovative can a match-three game get? Well, it depends on all the “elements” in the equation, and in this case, there are four (at least).

CONTROLS (4/5)

You have your choice of using either the DualShock or Playstation Move controllers. By holding X or the trigger button and moving either the left stick or waving your Move around, your cursor follows along pretty smoothly. Pressing the triangle button will bring up a map, which is appropriate given that a lot of games from other genres use this button for the same function.

To use power-ups, you hold either the left shoulder or move button and press the face button corresponding to the power-up of your choice. On the controller, it would’ve been better if the right shoulder was utilized (but I’m just being picky). However, on the Move, you actually end up using both thumbs to execute your power-ups, which feels awkward. It’s not a major issue but just a simple setback that could’ve easily been remedied if the buttons could be re-configured.

GRAPHICS/SOUND (3.75/5)

Although 4 Elements HD doesn’t have state-of-the-art graphics, every “element” (we’re talking the background, tiles and the effects) appears to be artistically presented with beautiful illustrations. Everything on screen is subtle yet gorgeous with crisp and vibrant colors.

In terms of the sound effects, there are explosions that take place, but instead of getting this heavy bass feeling, you get nice chimes that aim to please and calm your senses. Listening to the mystical background music will have you appreciating the instrumental genre, in particular those that play mostly the flute. It’s essentially subtle and blends appropriately with the game’s magical theme.

GAMEPLAY (3.75/5)

4 Elements HD is your typical match-three puzzler where you direct a flow of green energy to the altar. You must form chains of at least three matching gems, which will make them disappear from the board. This will have the tiles underneath to be cleared, making a path for this energy to flow on its way to your intended destination, thereby completing the level.

The degree of difficulty and craziness increases as you progress. You have tiles that shoot arrows and destroy tiles that are within their paths, which make your task easier. In addition, there are extra tile layers introduced under the gems that will need multiple matches to clear. You also get rocks, barriers and gems covered in ice, adding further challenge to the simple concept.

To combat these opposing elements, there are four power-ups in total that will make life easier: the Spade (which clears a single tile), Bomb (which explodes and removes all gems nearby), Swap (which changes the position between two connecting gems) and Reshuffle (which… reshuffles all the gems on the board… duh!). But in order to be able to use them, you need to create matches of the corresponding color of the gem and recharge. Once the power-up is at max, you can then use it… once! Then it’s rinse-and-repeat time.

In 4 Elements HD, the board in which your gems and tiles are arranged in is quite large. This is where the map function comes in handy as it will reveal where the altar is. Your screen will scroll over as the flow of energy moves within its path you create. As a result, you will see an arrow that will point to the direction of the altar. On occasion, it will hover over a tile, which is slightly annoying since it covers the gem, making it difficult to determine the color.

Each time you complete a level, you earn points that you can use to restore parts of your castle. It’s a good way to measure your progress through the powers of illustration! But once you play through the 64 levels in total, there isn’t much replay incentive. Nonetheless, it’s the experience during this “journey” that gives this sense of satisfaction. With the time limit for each level, it can be quite daunting to solve the puzzles as quickly as possible. But it also creates this sense of urgency to follow through, which spells addiction!

OVERALL (3.75/5)

I can name “four elements” that you should consider when purchasing 4 Elements HD: nice HD graphics, PlayStation Move capability, addictive gameplay and the $9.99 value. If you’re seeking even three of those four elements in a game, then this title is worth the look.