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Candy Crush Saga Review Information
Candy Crush Saga is one of the first Android games I have played. I am finally going to express my thoughts on this iconic match three puzzle game.
Love it or hate it, you must have heard of Candy Crush by now. There even was a TV show!
I have played this game for too many years to remember, and the game has changed a lot over the years as well.
The last time I updated this review, I was on level 2056.
Gameplay Review
The Game Feels Good to Play
Candy Crush feels good to play. In the beginning, it was one of the things that stood out to me.
The game is extremely responsive and snappy. It feels fast-paced but at the same time slow and methodical. You need to carefully plan your moves, and make good matches.
The game performs very well, and for such an old game, I am quite impressed with the continued improvements and updates.
This is not the Candy Crush Saga, I started to play years ago, and this is a good thing. This version is much better.
The Too Many Levels Issue
Candy Crush has an issue. The pacing is extremely slow. The developers tend to add cooler and neater concepts at the end of the game.
The result is unless you can complete literally thousands of levels first, you won’t see these updates.
There are some things in this game I have never experienced myself. They sounded cool to read about, and I feel like I am missing out.
The problem with this is it leaves newer players playing levels that are years old and not as fun or exciting as the newer levels.
Some of the older episodes feel like a chore to finish. Because little changes and nothing new is introduced.
At the time of this review, there were over 10000 levels! At level 2056, I have only completed about 20% of the total levels in this game.
I am not sure how this issue can be fixed as it would require updating all of the older levels in addition to new ones.
I know at one point the developers have done this. As there used to be a blocker called the Toffee Tornado found in some levels that was removed from the game because of how annoying it was.
I also know some older levels get “nerfed”. That is to say, it made easier, over time.
The Game Feels Dated
Despite the best efforts of King to update the game often, it still feels a bit dated. I wonder if there are some hard limitations on the game or things that would be very hard or impossible to change.
While playing this, I thought about the upgrades and improvements added in Candy Crush Soda Saga. For example, in future Candy Crush games, you have levels that span multiple screens and multiple sections.
There are also are new powerups, the jellyfish and coloring candy. There are Jelly Fish in original Candy Crush, but they behave much differently.
The game does what it does well, but this feels a bit limiting. This is an old game with new coats of paint added to it to make it look shiny.
The Game Has Many Events
If you like activities and things to do in games, then Candy Crush Saga is a great game for you!
There is always something to do other than beating the levels. The game has many events, and they feel very nice.
Presentation Review
How the Game Looks
The game looks very good, and the game does not look old. The animations are smooth and quick, and they also look great.
How the Game Sounds
One of the things I remember the most about Candy Crush Saga is the music. It is not amazing or anything. But I have heard it enough over the years for it to be nostalgic.
I liked the sounds found in past versions of the more. The current sounds are good enough, I guess.
I often play the game muted. As not hearing anything doesn’t change the gaming experience.
How Does This Game Get You to Spend Money?
The Game Has a Lot of Microstransactions
Second, to being a match three game, I wager Candy Crush is most known for microtransactions.
The game sells a currency like most other games. It sells gold bars. These gold bars are used for multiple things in the game.
Is This Game Fair for People Who Don’t Spend Money?
Despite the pushy sales tactics, the game is quite fair. It is almost constantly giving you free things.
When I played my powerups and boosters, became a horde as I stockpiled and saved them for future levels.
There is one issue though I discovered after coming back to the game. The game does not save your powerups and boosters if you delete the game!
Maybe the game treats these differently if you are a paying customer. But when I came back to the game after a long time, all the free boosters and powerups I had were gone.
How Does This Game Annoy You?
The Game Pushes It Sales Hard
If there is one thing King does well, it is trying to pressure/guilt-trip people to spending money. The game does this in many ways. Some are more subtle than others.
When you lose a level, the game tells you how you have failed the level. The game also tells you how close you were to winning. It also shows you what you will lose if you give up. Don’t you want you to use gold bars to prevent this from happening?!
Another thing I noticed is if you are like me and choose to ignore the piggy bank in the game, after every level, it reminds you if it is full and how you are missing out by not buying it!
Look! No more gold bars fit. Why not buy it to make room for more!
It is these subtle marketing tricks and hacks that make this game feel annoying after a while. I almost miss the directness of ads and seeing them after every level over this.
The Game Has Popups
The game reminds you of other game King games semi-frequently.
There are many King games, and they seem to be using Candy Crush Saga as a free marketing platform to get you to see them.
My Overall Thoughts About the Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga looks and feels quite good for such an older game.
There is fun to be had, but the game feels dated. When compared to future Candy Crush games, it is not as fun or exciting looking.
Also, a lot of the fun in the game is found in future levels. These are things newer players may never see.
Do I Recommend People Play Candy Crush Saga?
I would recommend Candy Crush Soda Saga first as I think that is the much better Candy Crush game. Either way, the game is free, and you can always test it.
If you like a game like Candy Crush Saga, you probably know it by now as this game is not new.
Will I Play Candy Crush Saga After Reviewing It?
Yes. I play the game out of habit.
I also play Candy Crush Saga so I can write guides. I like to share tips and tricks on how to be better at the game!