Cave Quest 2 Review

Game: Cave Quest 2
Genre: Puzzle, Match 3, RPG, Hidden Object
System: Steam
Developers | Publishers: MD Studio
Controller Support: No
Price: US $11.99 | UK £9.29 | EU € 9,99
Release Date: August 24, 2021

Review code used, with many thanks to MD Studio

Cave Quest 2 is a match-three puzzle game developed and published by MD Studio, set in the age of fantasy, knights and mages!

Match Three… Or Is It?

The story is told of a young apprentice who stole a sacred relic from the abbey. The young apprentice carried the relic to the mysterious cave city of Ermin-tara. Now the race is on to recover the mysterious relic before it falls into the hands of those that want to bring a terrible terror back to the land. To add to the misfortune, your sister has gone missing. It is up to you as Ryvon to find your sister and fight back the demon world that is intent on merging your world with theirs.

Cave Quest 2 is billed as a Match 3 game but it’s much more than that. It’s a game with match 3 puzzles in it as well as hidden-object puzzles and some adventuring is thrown in for good measure.

Chose Your Difficulty

At the start of Cave Quest 2, you have your first decision to make: what difficulty level you would like to play at. You can tailor both the adventures and the puzzle difficulty separately I tried out all 3 modes. The normal mode offers more of a challenge, and the hard mode is exactly as the name suggests. I didn’t try out the timed mode, for the simple reason I don’t like to be timed.

There is also a comprehensive tutorial section that you can read if you need help with some of the puzzles. If you do get stuck on a puzzle there is a hint system in the game set to a cool down, use it and you will have to wait until it can be used again.

Match 3, Hidden Object

You’ll follow the beaten track and visit several locations. Along the way, you’ll pick up various objects that you store in your inventory for later usage. You’ll also solve puzzles using some of these items, which in turn triggers a match-3 board to appear.

The match 3 parts of the game are the usual match three gems/items in a vertical or horizontal row by matching them. Usually, you have to remove the cobwebs or some other thing like chains that stop you from matching. The gems/items then dissolve and more items slip down the screen.

Pathing Match 3

There are some match 3 puzzles called “pathing”. In these puzzles, you have to guide the character (usually a hat) along a narrow path, making matches in front of them to clear the road. The path switches direction from time to time, and so do your matches. These are fun to play and a little strategy is needed to clear the level. You also have to decide what way to turn on the branching path.

Combat and Skills

At the end of the puzzle, you get to pick a new skill, skills like taking out more than one item on the match 3 board at once. This adds a nice variety of special skills you can use while matching.

There also is combat in the game. In the style of a match 3 game, with you on one side of the board and your opponent on the other. It is turn-based, and you can match red gems to harm your opponent. Matching 4+ of the same for an extra move, and of course, the opponent can do the same. Both you and your opponent can use spells and skills during these matches.

Visuals and Sounds

Cave Quest 2 looks good, with bright colours and lush scenery throughout the game. It is matched with suitable sound effects for your character and their surroundings. The music in the game is enjoyable to listen to while playing the game.

The game ran relatively fine on my laptop, it did, however, crash twice, since then any time I have played the game it has run without crashing. There are also plenty of added features in the game to check out, such as wallpapers, concept art, soundtrack, a guide with a complete walkthrough, and a ‘bonus’ chapter.

Conclusion

Cave Quest 2 is a great all-rounder in game styles. A little bit of hunting the hidden object, adventuring and match 3 puzzles with RPG mechanics. You won’t get bored that’s for sure. It is presented very well and wraps up into a decent game to spend a few hours with.

Final Verdict: I Like It A Lot