[quote]A review copy was provided by the developer.[/quote]
[quote]Follow my Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41363546-Fruit-N-Doggie-Reviews/]Fruit N Doggie Reviews,[/url] so you can be updated whenever I post a new review.[/quote]
[h1]Overall Rating - High Quality ★★★★☆[/h1]
[h1]First Impressions[/h1]
Spark and Sparkle (SS) caught my attention with its unusual premise, combining a jigsaw puzzle and SHMUP game. Adding to it, you're always playing against an opponent, as SHMUPs don't usually have a versus mode of any kind. My main curiosity stemmed from how this would even be functional, as these are such distinct tasks from one another. With only one way to find out, I accepted a review key.
[h1]Gameplay[/h1]
If the concept didn't already hint at this, your multitasking ability will be put to the test by this title, as you always have multiple things attracting your attention. You have to kill enemies, pick up the gems they drop as those are what generates jigsaw pieces, deal with distraction attacks your opponent sends over, collect jigsaw pieces before they scroll off-screen, and of course place them in the correct spot. Between all of these factors, it can be incredibly distracting, with your focus switching from one thing to the next.
There are three main modes available in SS: Match, Arcade, and Online. Match Mode has you play a single match against either a human player or the AI, with options such as which puzzle you play, if there's any handicaps, and how difficult the AI is. Arcade Mode allows you to play through a series of opponents, trying to beat all of them in order to complete the run. There are currently five available, with each being harder than the last. You can't jump straight to the hardest one. They have to be unlocked by beating each sequentially. Online Mode allows you to play against other people who also have the game. Unless you have somebody on your friends list that already owns SS, it's very unlikely you'd find someone online randomly, as that can be hard with even semi-popular games, let alone a title that's not well known. I commend them for having this option available though.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2262608464
[h1]Controls[/h1]
This was one of the elements I was most curious about, and it works reasonable well. You're able to choose between using the keyboard or controller, and I opted for a controller. There's a special move you can use a limited amount of times, and placing pieces in the right space fills it back up. One problem I encountered was when trying to pick up and put down the puzzle pieces, as they sometimes seemed to be unresponsive.
[h1]Story[/h1]
I was hopeful that with the various characters to choose from that there would be some sort of plot line behind why they would be battling (puzzling?) against one another. It could have had something to do with acquiring a magical artifact that would grant them a special power. However, you learn almost nothing about any of the characters, the world they're in, or what is even going on. At most, they exchange some dialogue before they face off against one another, but there's no follow-up after you win, nor is there a meaningful ending screen after you beat everybody else.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2262608811
[h1]Visuals[/h1]
SS is made up of pixels, and when looking at the size of them, they're small enough that it's more than possible to give everything crisp detail. Certain aspects of the visuals take advantage of this, such as the lighting and shading in the jigsaw puzzles and character portraits. However, I wasn't fond of the overall aesthetic and art style that was chosen for the game. It lends itself to a cutesy look, which isn't inherently bad, but it doesn't look clean and polished the way other pixel games do.
[h1]Sound Design[/h1]
There's a nice variety in the soundtrack, with most of them having a slight dreamy vibe to them. They have a relaxing and calming essence, which helps prevent the game coming off as too intense, when puzzle-solving is still a significant basis of the gameplay. By contrast though, the blasts that go off as you blow up enemies seems at home in the SHMUP arena.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2262607451
[h1]Pros[/h1]
🌟 Some of the unlockables, such as character skins, are quite difficult to earn. However, there's a reason for playing Arcade Mode multiple times, as it'll develop your skills and unlock new puzzles you can choose from.
🌟 The developers have expressed interest in further updating SS, particularly based on suggestions made by people who have played it.
🌟 There are eight playable characters, all of whom play differently from one another.
[h1]Cons[/h1]
❌ I think the characters need rebalancing. For instance, the Frog Prince has the disadvantage of needing to get up-close to attack, but has one of the hardest to see distraction attacks. Since it creates a U-shape in its flight pattern, it can hit you coming from either direction, with no way to know when it'll veer off and go back up. Stripe and Mermaid Princess have similar distraction attacks, but they're much easier to dodge.
❌ The AI is programmed in a way that's perplexing. When facing against them at higher difficulties, they place each puzzle piece without any hesitation or error, which is so unfair. Oddly enough though, even they seem to get overwhelmed by everything, as I've been able to dodge all the hazards, and they will be hit multiple times in a row, losing a few puzzle pieces in a short duration.
❌ If you screw up a match early on, there's no way to restart quickly. You have to wait it out until the opponent finishes. I quit out of the last match in Arcade Mode, because after messing up early, I had no patience to sit it out.
[h1]Tips[/h1]
🔍 Each puzzle is made up of the same # of pieces, 20. There are 14 edge pieces, which are the easiest to place. The six center ones can be oriented in any direction, and take a while to figure out. Being able to pick up a piece, rotate it once, and try it again repeatedly becomes a fundamental skill in SS.
🔍 Keeping up with waves of enemies is crucial, as even if you don't take damage, you'll lose simply because your opponent is getting more gems and pieces than you. Your puzzle can be messy for a while, and you'll eventually get a chance to sort it out.
[h1]Final Thoughts[/h1]
I actually have played another game where you tried to put together a jigsaw puzzle before your opponent did, and that was Pieces for the SNES. It wasn't particularly interesting or fun, but for most of my life, it was one of a kind. SS is the only game I've seen since that's taken on such a concept, and does so in a way that's pretty enjoyable. The learning curve is fairly steep, as my first attempts led to spectacular failure. However, now that I've gotten more practice with it, I have a better appreciation for the game, and how you're supposed to beat the AI. Based on remarks made by the developers to make further tweaks, I'm hopeful it will improve, with perhaps more options available to ease or increase the challenge. I'd say it's a mite steep at $10, but if you want a novel puzzle game to play, I'd suggest getting this on sale.
[table]
[tr]
[th]PC Specs[/th]
[th]Performance[/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ryzen 2700
RTX 2070
16GB RAM
ADATA SSD
1920x1080
[/td]
[td]The game ran without incident on default settings.
💖 - SS is healthy
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
