Review Date: June 16, 2010
Developer: Playrix Entertainment
Publisher: Playrix Entertainment
Platform: PC
Genre: Puzzle
With all of the match-three puzzle games out there, it can be hard to make a game stand out from the pack. Developer Playrix managed to do this with the first Fishdom with a cleverly implemented aquatic theme, which let players decorate their own virtual aquarium. Fishdom 2 offers more of the same, and while it may not be all that original, it's still one of the best match-three games around.
It's Match-Three, But Underwater
The set-up of Fishdom 2 will be intimately familiar to anyone who has ever played the original game, or any other match-three puzzle game for that matter. You're presented with a grid of colored tiles -- in this case all of the tiles fit the theme of the game, with blue squids and yellow diving helmets -- and you have to match up three or more of the same colored tiles. In Fishdom 2, some of the grid is colored yellow, and in order to beat the level you'll have to make matches over all of the yellow spaces, which will turn them blue.
In order to keep things interesting, each stage is shaped differently. This affects the way new tiles flow into the grid, but also changes the difficulty as some spaces will be in out of the way places, which can make creating matches awkward. The stages tend to get more complex as you move along, giving the game a nice difficulty curve that ensures you're constantly being challenged.
There are also a few other twists on formula, such as chains that hold tiles in place until they are broken and steel spaces that need to be cleared twice. You'll also get treated with different explosive power ups if you manage to clear out large combos of tiles. Again, these gameplay twists help ensure that the different stages actually feel different, so you're not just constantly matching the same tiles ver and over again.
The Cutest Sea Turtles You'll Ever See
As you complete the various stages -- of which there are a whopping 120 -- you'll also earn money, which can be used for the second part of the game: tending to your very own virtual aquarium. You can buy new fish, decorations, as well as "comfort" items like filters and heaters. As you buy new fish and items you'll fill up three gauges (fish, beauty, and comfort) and once these are full you'll earn a trophy and unlock new content like additional tanks. Each tank has three different levels, so once you earn a bronze trophy you can continue to improve the tank and earn a silver or gold. Or, you could move on to a new tank and start from scratch, it's up to you.
What makes this portion of the game so compelling is just how great everything looks. The fish are absolutely adorable and simply watching them swim back and forth can be incredibly relaxing. Building off of this the game offers a number of neat little bonus features, such as the ability to use your tank as a screensaver when you're not playing or to take pictures of it and email them to a friend.
The Bottom Line
What Fishdom 2 lacks in originality it makes up for with sheer quality. The match-three gameplay is finely tuned and addictive, the aquarium decorating is a fun diversion, and the production values are top notch. There's even a simple hidden object game thrown in for good measure. And when you couple this with the incredible amount of content on offer, Fishdom 2 should please even the biggest puzzle addicts.