Azkend 2 Switch Review: The World Beneath

Azkend 2 Switch Review by SwitchWatch

Developer: 10tons Ltd

Publisher: 10tons Ltd

Release Date: January 12th 2018

Price as of Article: $7.99 USD, £6.99 GBP

Surprisingly, Azkend 2 features a story, which is very rare in match 3 puzzle games. Jules is currently sailing on a journey from Liverpool, when a violent storm attacks her ship. She finds herself miraculously saved, as she wakes up in a mysterious land underneath the sea. Each chapter focuses on Jules getting a different item to help on her journey back to the surface. The story is not the best, but it adds a bit more character to the world, and makes the backdrops make more sense. While unnecessary, the story makes it stand out among the superfluity of match 3 games by adding a few more hours of longevity.

If you have played Sparkle, it is apparent that the music is top notch, as it usually is with 10Ton games. Azkend 2 continues that trend, with music that sounds similar to the Sparkle series, but is still nice in it’s own way. The tracks fit the tone of the game, and I never felt inclined to change the music to something on YouTube. That being said, the soundtrack isn’t the best, but it is better than most puzzle games.

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Like the soundtrack, the visuals of Azkend 2 are reminiscent to those of the Sparkle series. While they obviously have an Atlantis-sequel feel to them this time around, they still feel the same as the Sparkle games. While this isn’t necessarily a negative, it does make the game feel more generic, which is a flaw I notice many 10Tons games have. Azkend 2 looks very pretty, but it is also very similar to it’s predecessors.

There isn’t much to say about the performance, except that the game runs smoothly. This should be expected, as the game doesn’t seem to be very taxing on the Switch’s hardware. I don’t have any problems with it, it runs like an average game.

Like many puzzle games of this era, Azkend 2 features match 3 gameplay, similar to Bejeweled. While still fun, this type of gameplay has become over saturated in recent years, especially on the mobile game market. To be fair, the game does try to be unique by having bizarrely shaped stages and new powerups. Personally, I feel like this isn’t enough to make it feel unique, though that is most likely because I have become burned out with this type of game. The worst part about Azkend 2 becomes apparent when you try to play it. The analog stick controls for the game are very poor, as they are slow to move across the stage. The game is much better in handheld mode, since touchscreen controls become available. While certainly not bad, Azkend 2 feels a bit too similar to older games, but was still fun to play.

At $7.99 in the US and £6.99 in the UK Azkend 2 is on the cheaper end of Nintendo Switch games and whilst it is an old game (2012) it is still fun to play!

Recommend

Pros

Solid gameplay

Good Audio

Cons

Flawed controls

Unoriginal