Ingenious Creations lives up to their namesake with a magical new Match 3 puzzle game with a fun (and admittedly absurd) fighting game twist.
It seems like Match 3 puzzle games are everywhere in the app stores. Everybody has matched a few like-colored shapes in sequence at this point, and making the formula exciting seems quite difficult. However, YOLO Rush successfully breathes new life into the genre by implementing a wild and wacky combination of Match 3 puzzles with the atmosphere of a 2D fighter.
YOLO Rush pulls this off by keeping traditional Match 3 gameplay, where you match a series of shapes of the same color in a single line and try to eliminate as many as possible before the end of the round. Where the game really gets exciting is in the one-one-one combat. Battles give all the matching a purpose: As you match up lines, you allow your character to engage in combat against an opposing enemy character.
With each victory you’ll earn points towards an upgrade, allowing you to strengthen characters for future matches where the difficulty is sure to increase. As your collection grows, you’ll also get the opportunity to switch out your heroes between each battle. Every hero has their own statistics and abilities, so it’s important to play to the strengths of each.
There are two modes in YOLO Rush: A single-player adventure called Egg World, and a multiplayer mode called Arena.
Egg World is where the game truly excels. During the course of this lengthy adventure, you’ll traverse many themed stages in order to level up your heroes and earn more gems, hearts and plane tickets (which can also be used to unlock more levels). Each stage closed by a boss fight, which has to be won within a certain time limit. Because the battles between you and the rest of the enemies in each world can get so intense, the game will constantly keep you on your feet, looking for more ways to match gems to defeat enemies faster. The drive for the player is the want to defeat the enemy, and the only way to overcome your adversary is to keep moving faster. In this way, YOLO Rush becomes a game of enhanced reflexes as you scramble to find matches and produce bombs more quickly.
Meanwhile, Arena Mode allows you to play online against other YOLO Rush players from around the world. Here, you’ll face off against other experienced champions in order to upgrade your heroes and gain more rewards. Your rewards in turn can be used to collect and upgrade more fighters. Online gameplay is thrilling, and the gorgeous array of vibrant and cartoony colors make a great complement to the hectic pace of battle. The game looks especially gorgeous when players activate the fever ability, triggering a cascade of colors onscreen.
YOLO Rush is definitely one of the most impressive matching puzzle games available today, for its fun and exciting atmosphere and its silly aesthetic. If you’re ever searching for a new Match 3 game that breaks the mold, YOLO Rush has just enough character and replay value to keep you invested for hours.