Tuesday 4 March, 2008

Gameplay 2:
Not much to add to the gameplay this time around. I have managed to get up to level 6 or 7 on the timed and standard game modes. After playing for a while on both I have mixed feelings about the special gems you get for larger combos. While they are fun, especially using a 5 in a row cube to remove a bunch of gems from the board, the fact that they replace one of the gems that would otherwise create an opening for other gems to fall is somewhat annoying. Part of me feels cheated every time a gem doesn't fall to replace it.

I also spent a little time playing through all the puzzles (I've been playing the online version, which only has, I think, 7 levels of puzzle play). While they're interesting and a nice addition to the game they don't provide me much motivation to play. You can receive infinite hints, meaning that a player isn't even required to actually play, they can just keep doing what the hint tells them to. Also, there doesn't seem to be any real reward for solving the puzzle other than you beat it. It claims over 75+ more puzzles in the full version, which may add more variety, but it doesn't feel very meaningful to play them.

Design:
Visually, Bejeweled 2 provides a very nice update on the original game. I like the addition of different landscape backgrounds that change as you progress. Also, the pieces look cleaner and brighter than in the original game.

The design of gameplay remained mostly the same from the previous game, but it seemed odd to me that they added a level structure. For a puzzle style game like this the short term level goals seem overdone. While in the first game the bonus that would remove random gems was a nice regular reward. In Bejeweled 2 the level increase causes a break in the flow of gameplay without providing any clear reward to the player. That is, in the original you got bonus points as it destroyed random gems (and a subtle 'level up' as things went faster/were worth more points), but in 2 there is no clear bonus, just the level up.

The design of the puzzle mode was an interesting addition. The developers created a menu that lets you easily select and replay any levels you've completed already. However, there is also an infinite hint system and the undo button which lets you go back any number of moves, which eliminates a lot of the reward from the puzzle mode. Since the only reward is the accomplishment of finishing each puzzle, it seems somewhat cheapened that anytime you are stuck you can simply be told the next move.

Very well done gamelog. Good luck on your project!

~Sheena Marquez (TA)

Thanks for the detailed thoughts—totally agree with a lot of what you said. The special gems are definitely a double-edged sword. They're satisfying to use, especially the 5-in-a-row cubes, but yeah, I’ve also had that same “wait, where’s my chain reaction?!” moment more times than I’d like. It’s like they add excitement but interrupt the natural flow of the board, which can feel frustrating in a game that’s all about momentum.

Puzzle mode is kind of a mixed bag for me too. It's a cool concept, but without a real challenge or meaningful reward, it feels more like a side activity than something that keeps me coming back. The infinite hints and undos definitely water it down—I think I'd be more into it if there were optional difficulty settings that limited those features.

Visually, I agree—Bejeweled 2 really leveled up. The backgrounds are a nice touch, and the gems definitely pop more. But the level system feels kind of arbitrary. I miss the simplicity of the original where rewards felt more integrated and less like a pause in the action.
If you're curious to see how it all evolved, feel free to check out Bejeweled 3 here: [Bejeweled 3 Game Link https://hdpcgames.com/bejeweled-3-pc-download/ ] — I’d love to hear your thoughts on how it compares!