Gematombe from developer Route 5 Games and publisher Ratalaika Games is a game that is inspired by classic arcade games, combining puzzle elements, action and Vs gameplay into one fun package that is wrapped in a greek mythological theme.
The game plays like a mix of brick breaking genre games like Breakout/Arkanoid mixed with Puzzle Bobble. You have to fire your ball to hit a variety of colourful gems. Breaking consecutive gems of the same colour will cause a chain reaction. Unlike Puzzle Bobble is that your ball will come back down and you will have to catch it, failing to catch your ball will result in you moving closer and closer to failure. Oh, you also have to compete against various opponents who are also doing their best to make you fail!
The game features a variety of modes with the main one being Story Mode. This campaign will see you playing across 6 different adventures, as you play as each of the characters on offer. Each character has their own unique ability that they can use during a match. These vary from moving your opponents gems, to switching colours of gems etc. Some of these special abilities are much more useful and impactful than others, but having a nice variety to choose from gives the game more replay ability. There is also another secret character to unlock as you play. The Story Mode also offers multiple difficulties, easy mode is a pretty simple walk in the park so if you want a bit of a challenge I would definitely suggest starting on the higher difficulties. Outside of the story mode, you will also find practice mode and a survivor mode. This will see you go up against an endless stream of opponents as you work your way up a tower. If you lose, it's back to the bottom and start again.
The game features a bright and bold, cartoony graphical style. The Greek mythology can be felt in all the UI icons, and each of the battles will be played over different locations. The art style really harkens back to classic arcade games of old.
Gematombe shines brightest when playing in local multiplayer. Whilst playing against AI is fine, there's an extra level of chaos and competitiveness you can only find when trying to beat your partner or friends 1 on 1.
I really enjoyed my time with Gematombe. With its fun action oriented spin on classic gameplay styles, coupled with a very fun local multiplayer mode, it's hard not to recommend. The game oozes with bright and colorful graphics, and various difficulty levels mean its accessible to people of all skill levels. Plus its always great to find a game to play with the better half! TOTAL SCORE: 8/10
Gematombe was released on the 28th April 2023. It is playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The game is priced at £14.99 and can be purchased HERE. A copy of the game was provided for this review. A huge thanks for that.
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