Fantasy puzzle game Spirit Horizon review: Good but not yet great

Developed by Singapore’s Daylight Studios and published by IAHgames, Spirit Horizon is a shiny new fantasy match-3 puzzle adventure mobile game.

It is less like Candy Crush and more like Line Jelly. Gems in Spirit Horizon come in four different elements — fire, wind, water, and earth. Players must connect three or more gems to create combos to fight monsters. The more combos you have, the more damage you will be dealing to the incoming Mist monsters. Spirit Horizon also attempts to add in some interesting challenges to the gameplay. For example, gems could be burning under a mob’s special power. You can still burst the gems, but the side effect is that you will be dealt burn damage.

To deal more damage, you can equip yourself with weapons bought using Spirit Shards or by purchasing power bombs using Zel, the game’s virtual currency. To venture into each stage, you need mana. This consumable resource will replenish on its own or if you’re impatient, you can (of course) pay for it using real cash.

In Spirit Horizon you play as Izec, who is the Spirit Warrior and the protector of Kaldera, the game world. Wickham is the old wise wizard who helps him out by giving advice. But Izec is kind of defiant, and his character slants towards arrogance, which makes the story’s dialogue a joy to read. The story is casually written and made me laugh, especially with phrases and words like ‘cool cucumbers’ and ‘belching’.

Spirit Horizon’s soundtrack is pretty good. Outside of the puzzle screen, the game has this very catchy tune that subtly instills a sense of urgency. In game, a ‘ding’ sounds out each time a gem combo pops. The more combos you string, the louder it gets. You can’t help but feel excited, hoping that you don’t screw up the next combo by hitting the wrong gem.

Last but not least, the game has Spirits, who are are fun-loving sidekicks that help to deal damage in battles. Your first spirit comes in stage 2-3 and they can be upgraded with materials as you advance through the game.

Good but not yet great

Spirit Horizon is a good game, but there are a few kinks that stopped me from scoring it higher. First (and probably my biggest concern), I feel that match-3 puzzle games should really be played vertically so both thumbs can comfortably and conveniently pop the gems. I had some issues popping gems and I found that kind of annoying.

Plus, the puzzle panel isn’t exactly at the center of the screen which means your right thumb will have to stretch over to pop gems. It also means that gamers can’t play Spirit Horizon using just one hand. But there are lots of times when it’s better to play that way, like when you’re stuck in the train, with one hand grabbing the strap hangers and the other on your mobile phone.

Second, while the ‘ding’ sound is great when gems pop, I thought the visual pop effect didn’t quite match the sound. Having played Line Pop and Line Jelly, I find these small details are subtly pivotal in driving gamers’ adrenaline. Third, the social aspect of the game is missing. I find it weird not being able to compare scores with friends or invite them on board so I can unlock some rewards or use them as my troops.