Last month, LUXOR fans were delighted when MumboJumbo Games released their latest installment in the franchise, and for good reason; LUXOR 5th Passage is a ton of fun.
Now, my knowledge of LUXOR is a little limited as I haven’t played every single version that is out there, so if I gush over features that have been in previous LUXOR titles, I apologize. 5th Passage starts off with you getting a bit of some Ancient Egyptian mythology when the story between Osiris and Set is touched upon. Once that concludes, the ball busting begins.
LUXOR 5th Passage is, in my opinion, a long game. The main story mode has 100 levels to play through, with some being ridiculously difficult, and there is also a section where favorite levels from previous installments are available to play through. Isn’t it nice knowing that a game company out there actually listens to their fans? Kudos to MumboJumbo for going above and beyond for their customers.
Graphically, the game is standard LUXOR. There are a few things that stand out, like the amount of detail and authenticity in terms of how Ancient Egypt is portrayed, but when you’re actually playing the game it’s a little difficult to focus on anything else but the trail of marbles moving along the screen. The music is fitting for the game, but I never found it to be repetitive or annoying. I did like the sound effects, especially when I’d pick up falling gems or power ups.
As far as the gameplay goes, there were a few twists, like how you could switch the color of the marble you’re about to fire, and the different power ups, but it’s straight up classic LUXOR. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it… right? With only minor additions to the game, some people might question whether or not 5th passage is worth purchasing, but the changes that have been made make the game so much fun and so much more strategical than ever before. I even loved the bonus level section where you mash on the mouse button, firing little pinkish-red bolts at the marbles, with hopes of busting them and getting bonus points.
There are also 20 trophies you can win while playing the game, and they range from easy (playing through an entire level without taking a break) to hard (beating the entire game on the hardest difficulty – good luck with that). Having a trophy system adds to the replay value because odds are people will keep playing until 100% completion.
I did have one issue with the game, and that was how sensitive the mouse was in terms of reaction. I didn’t see an option to adjust that, but I do wear glasses so maybe my failing eyes missed something. Aside from that, I’d definitely suggest this game to fans of the LUXOR franchise, and fans of fun, casual games.
LUXOR 5th Passage is available now, and can be purchased right here. For more information about MumboJumbo Games, go to their official website or follow them on Twitter!
