Captain Planet Would Be Proud

4 Elements takes place in a land of fantastical wonder. Everything is perfect in this fairytale land, until a mysterious disaster wreaks havoc and turns the once peaceful haven into a nightmare. Not knowing who or what is behind it or how to rectify the situation, you seek out an old mage for help. He tells you that in order to restore this utopia to what it once was, you'll have to harness the powers of the four elements - wind, earth, fire, and water. With a tiny Forest Fairy as your guide, you head out do just that.

A Smorgasbord of Gameplay

More and more products these days seem to be incorporating a variety of gameplay as opposed to one specific type. This is a trend that I am more than on board with, as it ensures games that are less likely to be boring and stale. 4 Wonders is the latest product to implement this idea and blends together elements such as hidden objects, match-3 puzzler, and spot the difference with positive results.

As the game begins, you'll play a unique and well-designed hidden objects level where you're ultimately in search of a hidden key that will open the book of Earth. To get to that key, you must find all of the parts to build all of the items required. Once you build an item, you can use it somewhere in the level to find even more hidden parts. It all fits together very nicely for one of the best hidden objects experiences I'd had.

Once I found the key, I was able to unlock the book of Earth. Each book has four cards that you must earn before going on to the next book. These levels played like match-3 puzzlers, but with a slight twist. Instead of trying to match and free up the entire grid, I was trying to destroy blocks to allow magical energy to flow through to an altar located at the end of the level. It made it more challenging and a lot more fun breaking blocks for this purpose, as opposed to just smashing all of them.

The match-3 section is what you'll be playing the most of and given how much fun it is, I'm perfectly fine with that. As you progress, new elements will be introduced, such as special powers. Your forest fairy friend will keep you up to date on everything you unlock.

The final step in unlocking a card is spotting the difference between it and a copy. When I unlocked the first Earth card, which depicts a dwarf, I had to spot four differences between the two. You then get to read a portion of backstory and continue on to the next card.

A Marvelous Wonder

4 Elements has everything that makes a great game: a presentation that grabs you, a story that keeps you interested, and a fun, addictive gameplay that keeps you coming back for more. If you're look for something magical, I think you've found it. Two enchanted thumbs up.