Sparkle Unleashed (PlayStation 4) Review

While Sparkle Unleashed might sound like a budget brand of dishwasher tablets, it's actually the third title in a series that originated on the mobile platforms and has since spread onto the home consoles. It tells the tale of a mysterious, secluded world, smothered by an impenetrable darkness that can only be saved by illuminating a series of magical braziers (not ladies underwear btw… confirmed), which makes it sound more like one of the Trine games than the fully-fledged sphere shunter it actually is.

Yep, it's a colour-based, match-three, ball-centric puzzler, very much in the style of Zuma, which, for the benefit of the few remaining people unfamiliar with Popcap's bauble-banging series, sports a very simple and easy to understand premise. There are usually one or two pre-ordained paths that end with a hole, balls of varying colours start to continuously roll slowly down the path towards the orifice which can be removed from play when three or more of the same colour get matched together.

Matches are created by aiming and propelling the stream of randomly coloured balls from the player's moveable orb-sling towards the constantly creeping marble train, displacing the balls either side at its point of impact. If three or more are matched they'll disappear from play either leaving a gap or, if it's been planned well, roll back to re-connect magnetically providing that the colours match at either side of the gap.

Smart players will soon realise that a bit of forward planning regarding strategic ball placement can set off a chain reaction of events, as subsequent matches get made when the gaps reconnect. Toss a variety of obstacles (tunnels etc), and power ups into the mix to further hinder/aid the task at hand and the challenge is set. The game ends as soon as a ball drops down a hole - and if that makes Sparkle Unleashed sound like a blatant clone of Zuma, then that's because it is.

That's not to say that 10Tons haven't at least tweaked the formula with a few natty additions of their own, such as boulders that can only be removed when a match is made near them, or balls locked up with snow tyre chains that need to be busted free before they can be disposed of. Where Zuma was a big purveyor of the random power-up, Sparkle Unleashed only allows two 'braziers' to be selected in the loadout at any one time (ah… so the brazier is a power-up, then). There are 18 of these in total that gradually unlock with progress through the campaign, and while a few of them might feel familiar to Zuma's fans, there's enough difference to avoid the need for an angry phone call from Popcap's lawyers.

Presentation wise it's fair to say that this doesn't particularly shine or even sparkle for that matter, and It feels like 10Tons clearly opted to stick with the full on tablet experience, rather than take advantage of the increased horsepower the PS4 has to offer. Where clear influence Zuma bristles with charm, colour, and personality, Sparkle Unleashed feels like a direct contrast in comparison. with a soulless, bland aesthetic that betrays its mobile roots somewhat.

Ok, that possibly sounds harsh as it doesn't really put a foot wrong, and can be a fun little distraction in small doses, but it does little to elevate itself in a cluttered marketplace teeming with similar product. The jaunty and catchy classical soundtrack can, on occasion, get slightly repetitive but it does give the game a 'Sugar Plum Fairy' vibe that sits well thematically. Boasting 108 levels in total, as well as a Survival mode, there's enough ball-busting content to keep the high rollers busy for some time.