An Instant Classic

Charm Tale is one of the most satisfying games that I've played in a long time. The game's story is fleshed out and the prose is excellent, something a lot of games lack. You actually get the feeling that the game is going somewhere as you get more and more engrossed in the story, and eventually you're playing to see the story unfold. Add in the fact that the game itself is tremendously fun and challenging and you've got the recipe for an instant classic.

In order to lift an evil that has been cast on the people of Fairyland, you must travel through the land, winning round after round. Each round you're given a beautiful scene that is partially covered by a grid of shapes. You must grab the correct shape as it goes by (and before it gets to the end) and place it in its proper place in the puzzle to make it disappear, uncovering a portion of the background. Some spots require that you fill them more than once to make them go away. Figuring out the most efficient way of utilizing all of the shapes is very fun, and you'll constantly go back and replay levels to see if you can beat them faster.

You're given a large assortment of shapes that can fit in your puzzle in a variety of ways. Oftentimes I'll get rid of a centerpiece in my puzzle, only to ruin my chances of fitting in a larger piece and uncovering more. It's these little choices that make this game so darn challenging. To top it all off, you can't spend forever devising your strategy as you will eventually lose.

Along with filling the puzzle, each stage also has an artifact that you construct by using the pieces you get mixed in with the puzzle pieces. After these artifacts are built, you get to upgrade certain skills. What this boils down is two things: How often a certain item shows up and how effective a certain item is. This adds a tremendous amount to the game. You can build up your powerups to show up all the time and be extremely effective.

A Fantastic Outing

The possibilities are endless with so many little details, making this an easy game to come back too time and time again. Challenging yourself or your friends to your best scores adds a lot of replay value, and the main game itself is quite lengthy too. Gaming on the internet doesn't get much better than this.

Charm Tale presents an rich and illustrated fantasy theme, complete with fun and unique characters. If you're a fantasy fan then you will adore this game, as it's more than just your standard fare. It even has an enchanting score to go along with everything! This, along with it's addictive gameplay, make for an impressive package. This game has a lot to offer everyone, and I suggest that nobody pass it up without giving it a try.