Rescue Quest Review
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.0.4
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 5
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A lot like 4 Elements, Rescue Quest is a match-3 style game with a difference. It has more of a focus in that you have to lead a wizard down to a set point in the level, and for that reason it's a more enjoyable experience than most.
To traverse each level, you have to clear a selection of gems – of course. Each gem has a background to it, and by using that gem you clear the background and enable the wizard to move a few steps nearer to their goal. It's fairly easy to achieve early on with simple obstacles in your way, but as time goes by you have to start planning your routes for the best chance of success. By double tapping on a tile you can change your character's trajectory, with it sometimes proving more useful to go a longer route than the direct path.
That adds a reasonable layer of strategy to proceedings, meaning that Rescue Quest feels a cut above the rest within the genre. That trend easily continues as you encounter more troublesome challenges, too.
Where Rescue Quest falters a little bit is when it comes to those pesky freemium elements. You're restricted to only so many attempts at any one time via an energy meter, which can get in the way when you're trying to work your way through a particularly tricky stage. This ties into being restricted to a set number of moves for each level, but of course you can always pay for more. Money can also buy you power-ups that make all the difference when you're stuck, and do end up feeling quite appealing.
They're not hugely pushy about it, but it's something to bear in mind. Otherwise, Rescue Quest is a mostly enjoyable take on the usual match-3 format and should help those looking for a bit more of a focus to their casual gaming experiences.