The story begins by introducing players to a bookworm named Lex. One day, Lex is happily reading in the library when he is alerted by the cries of Professor Codex. The Professor has discovered a note from Cassandra the Oracle, which reveals she is being held prisoner in a book. Prompted to save Cassandra, Professor Codex uses his magical pen to transport Lex into the story.
Unlike previous games in the series, Bookworm Adventures combines elements from RPG and puzzle games. In order to progress, Lex must traverse through levels by defeating monsters until he reaches the boss. Players are given a 4x4 grid of letters, and their primary goal is to form words so that they can attack opponents. Similar to Scrabble, each letter is worth a different point value, so generally words made up of uncommon letters such as ‘X’, ‘Y’ or ‘Z’ will cause more damage. Additionally, once enemies are defeated Lex will gain experience, allowing him to level up his health, attack and defence attributes. The system is surprisingly engaging as it’s simple to understand, yet challenges players to dig deep into their vocabulary.
Awesome is stretching it a little.
Aside from these basic principles there are also a number of strategic elements to take advantage of. Firstly, at the end of each level you are rewarded with a treasure item which can be attached to Lex. These grant him special abilities such as decreasing the amount of damage he receives or increasing the attack power of certain letters. Another key component are Gem Tiles, which only appear if you create a word with a high point value. Essentially, Gem Tiles act as ordinary letters, but when they’re used in a word they’ll unleash a special effect. Depending on their colour these can range from simply healing Lex, to poisoning or burning the enemy causing extra damage over a short period. Taking this into account, it’s a good idea to plan out when to utilise each gem type. For example, if your enemy has low health then it would be wise to use the poison gem a little later.
To mix things up a little, the developers have also incorporated several mini-games that reward players with potions. Potions can be used at any time during battle to heal Lex, power-up attacks or cure status effects such as poison. The mini-games once again revolve around creating words, but each one is considerably different. One mini-game gives you a group of letters and you must create as many words as possible before time runs out. Another one sees you trying to guess what the secret word is by eliminating potential letters. There’s enough variety to keep players coming back for more, and it also offers a nice change of pace from the main game.
Visually, Bookworm Adventures is bright, colourful and neatly presented. Animations run smoothly and are appealing to watch, however, the game simply lacks extra flair to make it stand out. As for the soundtrack, each enemy has its own unique cackle or roar, which makes them feel menacing and fun to fight. There are only a handful of music tracks playing in the background and while they are suited to the style of the game, at the same time they’re completely unmemorable.
If a zoo had that creature we'd report them for animal cruelty.
If you enjoy casual gaming then it’s recommended you check out Bookworm Adventures. The gameplay mechanics are simple, but at the same time offer considerable depth and challenge to the experience. If you’re not into the genre however, then you need not apply.
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