Luxor: Amun Rising Review

I cannot help but enthuse about this game that I downloaded from Yahoo Games, because it surpassed all expectations. I started by getting the free downloadable trial version, though believe me, the short trial period is really not sufficient to evaluate the game, and you actually only achieve a couple of levels. What it does do though is tempt the user to spend their 19.99 dollars (approx 12.99 GBP), because it really is so addictive that at the end of the trial, you want more. Even allowing for the extra minutes thrown in at the end of the free trial period, you cannot play this game or advance in the levels given the small amounts of free play available at the end of the trial like you can with other games. Downloading is simple and takes minutes, and at the end of the trial period, payment is by secure server, followed by an email with your personal code.
The game layout is very easy to the eye and the graphics first class. An opening screen shows a dessert and you are expected to make your way through the dessert by achieving the different levels. Going into the game, a line of balls which resemble the kind of balls you get on a Christmas tree in bright metallic colours form a chain which moves its' way around a labyrinth set differently for each stage of each level, although repetitions occur at later levels (though much more difficult in their configuration). At the bottom of the screen, you have your player, and here you are given a ball to shoot at the moving chain in order to eliminate colours by creating a chain of three or more balls, which then disappear. Sounds simple doesn't it, or even as if the game follows a familiar theme, but even though its' simplicity and addictability was what tempted me to part with the money, believe me when I say that it really is quite a complex game.

There are bonuses during the game play, such as coins which fall and which if caught count towards the 30 coins it takes to give you an extra life. There are also gems to collect, and round objects that look jewel-like, and these are where the magic lies, each of the different ones giving you powers that you can chose to use at any time during your play. It's very clever because I really did not know you could hold onto the powers for a while, but by right clicking your mouse, you revert to a normal coloured ball and keep the bonus ball intact. Changing the colour of the ball in play is simple as well, and I found that on the later levels, I had to do this rather more often than on the simple ones, and believe it to be a clever way of delaying the reactions of the player. It doesn't work with me. I learned to quickly click to another colour, and although I have advanced through the levels, after more than three weeks of play, have still not achieved that goal of getting through to the final level.
What is rather neat about the game is that once you achieve all the stages that complete a level, you never have to go back to the beginning. You can if you want a change or a different challenge, but you start at the level that you left off, and this gives you the choice of different challenges, i.e. Going back and starting out again to beat your original score, or carrying on the challenge. There are 88 levels in total, and I am sure that I shall still be playing this game in a years' time, which makes it exceedingly good value for money. Options and instructions are easy to find, and although it's a single player game, it does store the top scores of different players, so can be used as friendly competition between rivals.

Niggles ? Well I do have one. I really do not like the music and play it with the sound muted. It's horrible and distracting, and really irritating.
Age suitability : Anyone capable of using a mouse is capable of playing, though how well will depend upon their skill and judgment abilities. It really is a reflex game and one of the best I have played for years. Compared to Magic Match, this game seems longer lasting in terms of playability from an adult perspective.