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Just over three years ago e-Funsoft introduced the game playing brigade to its Gaslamp series of titles.  This series is based on the cases of two Victorian detectives.  Rather than the more famous duo of Homes and Watson, these two detectives were named Morgan Johnson and Jack Brown.  Their recorded activities became the focus of Match 3 game play.  Now with this latest offering, e-Funsoft has returned to Victorian London but with a switch to the more popular detective duo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the game of Victorian Riddles - The Intrigue of the Annual Pearl.

The usual array of options are available when setting up this game.  Adjustments can be made to music and sound effect levels with the game being viewed in full screen mode with or without a tutorial that supplies information regarding different features.  The game can be played in either Relaxed or Timed mode.

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The game generally follows the usual style of action we have become used to with e-Funsoft.  Spread over five chapters is a series of Match 3 grids that need to be completed by achieving a set challenge.  Located to the left of the grid will be the current challenge that consists of the type and number of tiles that need to be removed from the grid.  This clearance is usually achieved by the creation of groups of three or more similar tiles by swapping two adjacent tiles.  To aid this clearance you are provided with a small selection of power-up tools to target certain areas.  Additional power-ups, in the form of bombs, can be created by the creation of groups of five or more tiles.

Apart from some slight improvement in the appearance of the grids in this Match 3 offering, the grid action remains constant.  The grid will be displayed against a backdrop of Victorian London scenery while some cells will feature various types of additional protection.  Certain cells will keep changing their emblems until clicked on before they can be used. There are also some cells identified as artefacts which can not form part of a group.  To remove them you need to create a pathway beneath them so they fall to the base of the grid.

The completing of each grid will bring a reward of coins  These coins can be used to pay for four upgrades that need to be carried out to complete each chapter.  Following each upgrade, and at other various stages throughout the game, there will be a linking cut-scene.  The graphics displayed in these cut-scenes remind me of those featured in earlier e-Funsoft titles with static characters positioned at either side of the screen.

While many aspects of this Match 3 title has remained the same over several addition, this title does benefit somewhat from an extra element.  At various intervals during the game, you will be faced by an additional challenge.  This will be in the form of a mini game puzzle.  At random intervals you could be asked to find Hidden Objects within a scene, identify pairs of face down cards, create a path from start to end using pipes, spot the difference between scenes and recreate a scene by sliding or swapping elements.  These mini game puzzles do come with a set time limit for their completion.

I was certainly impressed with the various improvements featured in this e-Funsoft Match 3 series of title.  Hopefully this will be just the start of a trend.  I downloaded my copy of this title from Gamehouse.com where it is priced at $9.99.  The game is also available from Big Fish Games priced at £7.73.  The game requires a 1.5 GHz processor with 1024MB of RAM and 216MB of hard disk space running Windows 7 and later.

Victorian Riddles - The Intrigue of the Annual Pearl | Big Fish Games

Victorian Riddles - The Intrigue of the Annual Pearl | GameHouse