Hexa Blast is a colorful and challenging match-three puzzle game that is available in the Windows Phone Store. The game includes over 400 levels of gameplay where you have to create matches of three or more of the same colored monsters to defeat them.
While traditional match-three games have squared gaming boards, Hexa Blast relies on hexagons and odd-shaped boards. The free Windows Phone game includes over 400 levels of play, plenty of power-ups to earn during gameplay and a handful of in-app purchases to consider.
At launch, Hexa Blast gives you the option to log into the game with your Facebook account or play as a guest. The Facebook log-in is not required to play Hexa Blast but does open up a few social features that are tied to your Facebook friends. These features include inviting friends to play, asking for gaming lives or gifting items to your friends.
If you decided to play as a guest, you can always log into your Facebook account through the game's settings should the need arise.
Once logged into Facebook or playing as a guest, the game will walk you through an extensive tutorial on the mechanics of gameplay. The main menu for Hexa Blast is your gaming level map with the 400+ levels mapped out in a huge tower.
The storyline behind Hex Blast has a collection of friendly gingerbread people being captured by a horde of monsters and held throughout the tower. It is your job to defeat the monsters and save your gingerbread friends.
At the top of the main menu for Hexa Blast includes options to access your gaming profile, access your messages from Facebook friends, view your life and coin count and access the game's shop. In the bottom left corner of the screen is an arrow button that will expand a few settings options that include muting the sound or music, invite or share items with friends and view general gaming settings (notifications, turn on/off hints, language support).
Gaming levels will present you with a collection of various colored monsters that are populating a hexagonal shape. Each level will have a specific gaming objective that needs to be reached within a limited number of moves. For example, one level may ask your to score 16,000 points in 10 moves or another may ask you to collect 12 red monsters and 15 blue monsters within 15 moves. You will also face boss battles as you progress up the tower where you have to create matches to destroy barricades protecting the boss and ultimately defeat the boss. Just be careful with these boss battles in that the boss does have a few tricks up their sleeves (or tentacles).
Gameplay isn't overly difficult to pick up on. You swap monsters around to create a linear match of three or more of the same colored monster. You can swap monsters who are adjacent to one another on the hexagonal board. As you do, you will score points and additional monsters will fill the gaming board from the top.
The gaming screen has your move counter and any power-ups available displayed across the top of the screen. Your scoring and progress towards achieving your goals will be illustrated across the bottom of the screen.
Hexa Blast does start off a little on the easy side. This isn't a bad thing and allows you to get used to the game's mechanics without too much pressure. Should you fail to meet a gaming level goal, you will lose a life. Lives will replenish over time or you can replenish them faster with an in-app purchase.
The fewer moves needed to reach your gaming level goal, the better and your final score will translate into coins that can be used to buy power-ups, extra lives and other items in the gaming store. The same items (as well as additional coins) can also be purchased through in-app purchases.
Overall Impression
Match-three games are well represented in the Windows Phone Store and, in general, are a fantastic way to pass the time. Hexa Blast joins the ranks of the quality match-three options available and is a nice addition to the genre.
The hexagonal style of the gaming boards help set Hexa Blast apart from the other match-three styled games and I like the various goals you pursue during gameplay. Playing solely for points can get a little monotonous and changing it up to require a certain number of monsters to be collected or shatter a collection of obstacles gives the game a little more longevity and flavor.
All in all, Hexa Blast is a solid title to have in your Windows Phone gaming library. The free game has colorful graphics, challenging gameplay and is a fun way to pass the time.
Download Hexa Blast for Windows Phone
