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<title><![CDATA[Crystalix comments:]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/</link>
<description><![CDATA[free licensed software daily]]></description>
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<lastBuildDate>Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:54:27 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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<title><![CDATA[By: Jeanne]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-43438</link>
<description><![CDATA[The graphics for this game are great. It's a blast playing it.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 29 Dec 2007 07:54:27 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-43438</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeanne]]></dc:creator>
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<title><![CDATA[By: Kenai]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41986</link>
<description><![CDATA[Well, I like it. So far I think it's the best game after Rocketball came out a few weeks ago. Alawar makes great games, and I really wouldn't mind paying for one or two later on when I actually have some cash. Thanks, GAOTD and Alawar, for another awesome game, sure to provide hours of enjoyment.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:51:01 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41986</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kenai]]></dc:creator>
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<title><![CDATA[By: Lockett]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41979</link>
<description><![CDATA[My review of Crystalix:

The first thing that I noticed about Crystalix was that it wasn't a Magnussoft game, which is good.  Would that be enough to make it a good game?

Well, not quite.

This game has an intro, but unlike Magnussoft intros, it's fairly decent - even though it has a ludicrous premise.  There's this fairy-tale kingdom, and it's prospering under a benevolent wizard-king.  But a comet fell from the sky and burned all of the crops with its shards.  The court wizards all got together and figured out that the shards could be destroyed with blocks of the same color.  They made a bunch of little blocks of different shapes and gave them to the king, who now has to go and destroy all of the shards.  I found myself wondering who came up with such an original, stupid idea for a story.

The gameplay itself is rather original.  Instead of moving blocks to clear them, you have to arrange shapes on them to cover them up, which then clears both the shape and the blocks.  The shapes crawl toward you on a little conveyor belt, and you pick them up and arrange them on the blocks before too many rafts appear and clog the conveyor belt.  All in all, it's pretty original, even if the shapes look like they were copied from Tetris.

However, despite the interesting gameplay, it was simply too easy to win.  The belt moved too slowly to make the game anything resembling a challenge, and the generous amount of "special item" uses(e.g. use the magic hammer to destroy extra shapes) didn't help.  It wasn't any different on "Hard" mode, for some reason.  I never lost, until out of curiosity, I just let the shapes fill the canal.  I was rewarded with a clanking noise, and, as I had expected, a "Game Over" screen.  What I didn't expect was having to use [alt+F4] to exit, as neither the exit button nor the restart button responded.  Ouch.

The graphics are shiny and well-made, with nice environments and menus.  Nothing special here, for a game published by Alawar.

The sound is mediocre, with forgettable music(I can't remember if there was music or not, so that shows how forgettable it was) and generic match-clearing tinkles.  The only memorable sound effect was the clanking conveyor belt, which I had to intentionally lose the game to hear.  Yes, mediocre is the word.

As with Snowy: Lunch Rush and Snake Time, I debated with myself about whether I should give the theme points for originality or detract points for stupidity.  I decided on the latter, but the atmosphere created by Gulny Games' top-notch graphics swayed my score a few points higher.

Overall, I give Crystalix a six out of ten(five for gameplay, eight for graphics, five for sound, and six for theme).  It could have been pretty neat, but the fun was just missing.  I'm sure that match-3 fans would like it, though.

&gt;Ernie LaVallee

"Why is it that some people rate a game based on how many similar types of games there are available?"

That's not the main thing that I rated it on, seeing that it was rather original, but it shows an incredible lack of creativity on the part of the developers.

"The only reason to complain about “another Tetris” or “another Zuma” is to brag to everyone how much of your life is spent sitting on your butt playing games. It’s like knowing every episode of Star Trek by heart. (Which I’ll bet some of you do.) It’s bad enough when kids do it, but when it’s adults it’s just creepy and sad."

You're missing the point.  We're not complaining that it's like other games, it's just annoying when all that we get are match-3s.  How would you like it if your local grocery store only carried steak, canned corn, and Cheerios?  You'd want to eat something else after a while, wouldn't you?

"Does this game download and play without trouble? Yes. Are there bugs or glitches? None that I’ve found. Yeah, there are similar games out there, but when will it sink into your heads that GOTD gives away what they can get, not what people like Phil and vilulf cry their eyes out for. (”Spoiled” is the perfect word, Phil.)"
I understand that this site gives to us what's given to them, but you have to wonder if the only companies donating are Magnussoft and Alawar.  And if there's something that someone doesn't like about a game, they are certainly free to say it.

"In all seriousness, you people whose serenity actually hinges on what is offered here need to grow up and join the real world. Brush the cobwebs off and get a life, period. I would truly hate the idea of having to spend Christmas with some of you miserable, depressing losers."

Ouch.  Someone doesn't like a game, so it makes them a "miserable, depressing loser"?  Maybe the real loser is the person who has nothing better to say in their comment than "You don't share my tastes in games, so I don't like you."  Oh, and I'm sure that they have better things for their "serenity to hinge on" than a giveaway site's offerings.  Don't you agree?]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:33:38 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41979</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lockett]]></dc:creator>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[By: Nana]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41977</link>
<description><![CDATA[Glad to see another Alawar game.  They're generally very enjoyable.  I'm dnloading immediately!  Grnadson loves to come over here and see what new games are on my PC.  He's got a faster hand than I do!]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:19:33 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41977</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nana]]></dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[By: Carl]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41973</link>
<description><![CDATA[Nice game.

Yes a variant rather than truly original but competent and pleasing. 

Just pondering the linking of "Adult" to "First Person Shooter".]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:35:35 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41973</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carl]]></dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[By: Penny]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41969</link>
<description><![CDATA[I have to say that I very much appreciate whiterabbit aka Stephen, and look for his reviews first and everyone else's second. Thank you Stephen for taking the time to do this. I did miss you when you were gone. Great game, Love the puzzle types! I can't get enough of those!  Thanks GGAOTD!!!]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:54:18 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41969</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Penny]]></dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[By: Tamarra26]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41951</link>
<description><![CDATA[Runs fine on my old Win 98-OS. Thank you Alawar. I have accuired 17 games from you now. Thanks to GGOTD for everyday. Much appriciated.
Tamarra26]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 13:18:26 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41951</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tamarra26]]></dc:creator>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[By: JC (Minion #1)]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41950</link>
<description><![CDATA[Very amusing game.  Thank you for bringing back Alawar... Magnussoft was beginning to force me to question my faith in the basic inner good of all mankind.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 13:14:27 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41950</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[JC (Minion #1)]]></dc:creator>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[By: sparklyneyez]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41948</link>
<description><![CDATA[Yeaaa Ernie LaVallee! (#19) You stated what most of us feel as we read the comments.
THANKS GOTD and ALAWAR for some nice enjoyable games the past few weeks that I have been coming to this site.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY 2008 to everyone!
(Oh, I love this game, and I am far from a kid :) )]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 12:51:02 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41948</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[sparklyneyez]]></dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[By: Sandra]]></title>
<link>https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41943</link>
<description><![CDATA[I just downloaded this game and I like it very much. I had no problems installing or playing it, this one's a keeper. I like the fact that you do not have to play it full screen, I look for that option in the games. I give it a thumbs up for any of you that appreciate the free games we get here. Thanks again GGOTD!]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:55:45 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://game.giveawayoftheday.com/crystalix/#comment-41943</guid>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sandra]]></dc:creator>
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