Mahjongg Artifacts 2: One Game To Rule Them All?
How or why there are so many Mahjongg games in the App Store, I’ll never know. I don’t know many people around my age group that even have the slightest clue how to play, let alone buy a Mahjongg app. So I went into this game having no idea how to play or what the mass appeal might be for a game with a bunch of tiles. But man, G5 Entertainment sure know how to make the game addicting and fun for all kinds of gamers. Let’s get cracking’ on this.
Gameplay Modes:
Three modes are included in Mahjongg Artfacts 2: Quest, Classic, and Endless. Quest is quite interesting as there’s even a storyline to go with the gameplay to give the gamer some incentive on why he or she is putting together tiles. You’ll have 25 layouts of mixing and matching tiles to go through. The storyline is told in a “comic book” format and although the dialogue is a little small to read, it looks great on the device.
For Classic Mode, you get to choose up to 100 different layouts you wish to play in order to score your highest mark. Not only do you get to choose your layout but you also have the option of choosing your tileset, and what kind of background the gamer would to have as a backdrop.
Endless mode is pretty self-explanatory. There is no “getting the Golden Tiles” in order to complete the level; it’s merely just to see how your tile mixing and matching skills are and how long you can last trying to crack into that endless tile layout.
The concept is pretty simple: you match up the corresponding/matching tiles and you are awarded points for your exploits. You can only match tiles that are free on the left or right and that no other tile covers. Tiles that don’t match but are of the same theme can be paired together. Every suit contains Power Tiles that can be paired with any tile of it’s own suit. To complete a layout of tiles, you must match the Golden Tiles.
Controls:
There’s no too much to mention about the controls as all of it is based merely on a simple touch. What’s nice is that the game “highlights” very clearly in blue which tile you selected. On some “Power Tiles” and “Mighty Tiles” it’ll show you which one corresponds with that tile because it’s sometimes too hard to tell what kind of tile you got.
There’s an “undo” button as well as a “hint” option that both proves to be useful features in scurrying through piles of tiles. Like a good game should, it has a “Pause” and you can resume your game on upon exiting the application.
What We Liked:
+ Easy to pick up and play + Not too steep learning curve + Great sound effects and soundtrack to match gameplay + Slick in-game and narrative graphics + Three different modes + 27 gorgeous backgrounds + Five drawn tilesets + Manual and auto zoom in/out option + “Power Tiles” and “Mighty Tiles” + Responsive controls
What We Disliked:
- Some text is too hard to read – Some tile layouts feel too similar – If your vision isn’t the best, you’ll find this game quite difficult – Tile designs are miniscule
Final Verdict:
If Mahjongg tickles your fancy, you should go directly to the App Store and pick this game up along with it’s sequel. Mahjongg Artifacts 2 is one of the most polished Mahjongg games out there. It’s got loads of layouts and variety to keep even the biggest fan pleased for days. However, for other gamers, I suggest trying out the Lite version and seeing if the game interests you. Some will find it entertaining and others will be put off by the tediousness. Nonetheless, it’s a quality game worth checking out no matter what kind of gamer you are.
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- Mahjong Artifacts 2 Review
- Hopido: A bit too boring of a board game
- Enchanted Cavern – A Puzzle Game With Oodles of Character
Category: Games
