Mahjongg Artifacts Review

Written by: Dustin Arient Published: October 11, 2006 Mark Hawk is one of those lucky people whose job combines perfectly with his hobby. While working as an archeologist in China, he uncovers an ancient artifact which leads him on a globetrotting search for even more powerful relics, all of which he must obtain by first completing a Mahjongg puzzle. Mahjongg Artifacts is effortless to pick up. Classic Mahjongg rules are the order of the day. Matching two identical tiles removes them from the board. You can only select bricks that are on top of the stack and can be slid left or right. An added twist is the collection of Power pieces. Most simply allow you to remove a single tile of one of the several suits. The powerful Mighty Tile can be paired with anything else on the board, as can the Great Tile, which has the added advantage of removing all instances of the chosen block from the board. The campaign mode's best aspect is the system of achievements, given for performance in each stage. Some reward you for getting through a stage without using the undo command, others for winning without using specials. Getting all these goodies takes considerable effort and cleverness. In summation, Mahjongg Artifacts is outstanding. The graphics excel, with varied and vibrant tile sets and backdrops. Several play modes ensure replay value. Solid gameplay and balanced difficulty seal the deal. Alawar Entertainment's latest absolutely deserves five stars! Scoring (out of five dragon heads): Graphics: Ease of use: Gameplay: Difficulty: Sound effects: Music: Final analysis: Click here to download the free trial version of Mahjongg Artifacts.