Sparkle 4 Tales Reviews

Wiggly worm.

You know, this is one of those games where it's such a mixed bag that it would be better if Steam had a "Maybe Recommend" option. If you've seen my previous reviews on the Sparkle series, then you already know what I'm going to cover but if not, here's a recap. [u]Overview[/u] Sparkle 4: Tales is the fourth entry in the Sparkle series published by Forever Entertainment and boy, it's definitely a step up from the previous two entries of Sparkle 3: Genesis and Sparkle: ZERO. You play as a serpentine creature called a Sparkle and through consuming resources called Elements, you can transform into one of three forms, each with their own unique ability. The Carnivore has a Lunge ability that grants a burst of speed and locks onto nearby Elements. The Omnivore has an Inhale ability that pulls surrounding Elements towards you for mass consumption. The Herbivore has a Shield ability that renders you invincible to all damage for a limited time. Your overarching goal is to reach the maximum level and defeat a colossal creature called the Leviathan while exploring the Shadow Void using vortexes to travel between depth levels. [u]What's Better?[/u] 01: [b]THEY FINALLY FIXED THE CAMERA!!![/b] In both Sparkle 2: Evo and Sparkle 3: Genesis, there was this really annoying issue where the camera swiveled in a circle around the Sparkle so you couldn't see what was right in front of you while moving. 02: Beautiful graphics and textures This is the main reason why I say Sparkle 4 is a step up from Sparkle 3 and Sparkle ZERO, that transparent aesthetic was really hard on the eyes, especially due to the presence of light reflections and bloom effects. While Sparkle 2: Evo will always be my top favorite out of the series, this definitely comes close in presentation. [u]What's Worse?[/u] 01: No Replay Value My initial gripe with Sparkle 3: Genesis was that adding a linear story to this kind of gameplay negatively impacts the replay value of the game itself because once you beat the story, there's not much else to do. Unfortunately, this title doubles down on the linearity in that you have only one overarching goal of killing the Leviathan but once you complete this mission, you're sent back to the main menu. Likewise, there's more emphasis on puzzle solving and minigames as opposed to environmental exploration. 02: They removed the ability to evolve and travel freely between levels. Perhaps it's not as egregious as I'm going to make it sound, but the ability to customize your Sparkle has always been a core feature within Sparkle 2: Evo and Sparkle 3: Genesis. Instead, Sparkle 4 has you transforming between Carnivore, Omnivore, and Herbivore using special stones as a means to solve puzzles and access color-coded gateways. Additionally, vortexes are one-way and automatically send you to another location if touched so if you accidentally missed something, you have to find another vortex that lets you get back to where you were. 03: A mandatory checkpoint system Level progress is only saved when you touch a golden stone that serves as a checkpoint in each region of the game, meaning if you die, you lose any and all progress made since your last checkpoint. Why they didn't just utilize an autosave function, I have no idea... [u]What's WAY Worse...[/u] 01: An added HP mechanic Normally, a health system would make sense for the Sparkle series given how Sparkle 2 and Sparkle 3 featured evolution stats. but since those were all removed in Sparkle 4, it's rendered moot. On top of that, bumping into any walls counts as taking damage so if you get stuck in a small space or move around too fast, you'll end up accidentally killing your Sparkle. 02: An added damage mechanic Instead of predators, you run into two types of enemies called Shadows, which deal damage on contact. However, if enough damage is dealt, they can actually remove a level from your progress, meaning it's possible to lose progress on getting to Level 50 just by getting hit. On top of that, certain Shadows can summon an infinite number of reinforcements until they're killed, which means you not only risk losing level progress but also evolution progress. 03: There is an soft-lock [b](Note: This might get fixed in the future but I doubt it will)[/b] At the end of the game, once you clear the five previous levels, the final boss portal will be unlocked and you'll be able to face the Leviathan. Once you kill the Leviathan, the game automatically sends you back to the main menu. [b]HOWEVER[/b], if you try to reload your save, because of where the Sparkle manifests, you're automatically sent to the final boss arena with no way of getting out since all of the levels are walled off from each other. [u]Conclusion[/u] Honestly, this feels like it should've been a demo, not a retail price product. Given what I've seen from each title in the Sparkle series so far, each one feels like a proof of concept for a much larger game so if I were to create my own title within the Sparkle series, I'd incorporate the following... Sparkle 2's gameplay and controls for that soothing replay value. Sparkle 3's evolution mechanics for increased player customization. Sparkle 4's designs and visuals for that unique aquatic aesthetic.