Ready to Go Exploring Again?
It's been some time since you last dove in a field of jewels, looking to create matching sets of three, forming gold tiles that would pave your road to greatness. This time around, your path is a little unclear and it is obstructed by a bevy of obstacles. From the unpredictability of the sea to the violent tribes that stand in your way, there is plenty to fear. Then again, you are a brave explorer, willing to transverse any landscape if it will only lead you to a grand adventure with many new tales to tell. Well, grab your shovel and equip your spear, because we're hunting down some precious gems again in the highly anticipated sequel, Jewel Quest 2.
An Abundance of Riches
The task sounds familiar, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Just as you had done in the first Jewel Quest, you will be presented with a field of intricate jewels and relics, and you must swap adjacent pieces in order to create matching rows or columns of three. The ultimate goal in each stage of your journey is to transform those drab brown tiles sitting beneath the jewels into golden tiles that are so much more valuable.
The layouts will slowly go from being nice and uniform -- wherein the gems can fall freely -- to completely haphazard designs where it will become increasing difficult to transform certain tiles into gold. For instance, there will be single tiles are by themselves, shot off on one side. It will be difficult to make a match involving these tiles as it must be horizontal. The same can be said about a few single tiles protruding from the bottom, forcing vertical sets of three. Some gems may even be hidden beneath a layer (or two) of unsightly rock, and you must "unlock" these pieces before continuing.
The Heart-Wrenching Story
One thing that I really liked about Jewel Quest 2 is that it affords you the opportunity to delve into the fascinating story of Rupert and his quest for regaining the adoration and admiration of his beloved Emma. At the same time, for players that just want to get down to jewel-matching business, the diary entries and so on can be very quickly skipped. In this way, if you want to read the story, you can (it's certainly worth your time). If you don't, you don't have to sit through lengthy animations, cutscenes, and prolonged pages of text.
The game is designed around a series of "chapters", each of which containing a good number of levels to enjoy. They read as thus:
- Rupert's Heartbreak
- Emma's Apology
- Grenard's Revenge
- Hani's Regret
- Back to Africa
Keys to Success
Here are three tips that will surely aid you in your quest to match jewels:
First, it is best to focus your attention on the most difficult portions of the board first. Start out by unlocking the jewels trapped beneath rock. It is also best to spend most of your time near the lower half of the board, as chain reactions can often do the work for you in regards to the upper half.
Second, collect those "specials" by matching up sets of three gold coins. When you have a special, it can miraculously remove any given jewel on the board (thus turning the tile gold) or remove the rock encasing hidden gems.
Third, time is of the essence. If you want to maximize your score, you'll want to finish each level as quickly as possible. The more time left on the clock, the greater the bonus. Run out of time and the level is over.
