After spending an extended amount of time with Hexic
HD, I decided to try my hand at a free demo of the Xbox Live Arcade version of a PC/mobile puzzle classic as
well: Bejeweled 2
Deluxe.
Among the two puzzle games currently listed on Live Arcade for the 360, Bejeweled is the more polished of the
pair, if only because it's slowly been refined for so long. The gameplay hasn't changed much from the Live Arcade
version from the original Xbox, which I downloaded a free trial of as well. That kind of consistency can be a good
thing for great games, but, after having experienced the complexity of Hexic, the timed limits to the gameplay
in Bejeweled seem just a little frustrating in comparison.
PC users can download the PopCap
plugin from the developer's web site and have at a free browser-based version without a 360, of course, but then
they wouldn't have the fun of playing one of the most popular casual games of the last few years on the first console
of the next generation. Just don't expect more than the first set of puzzles in this limited version.
Bejeweled is fun, but I'd rather be playing its 360 HD puzzle brother on my Xbox.
Overall Score: 7.5/10
Engadget
TUAW