...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Moderation will be sporadic over the coming weeks because both of my children are now at the start of their exams. My sons are extremely important becasue the levels he gains will detrimine whether he is accepted onto the Pharmacy course he was offered. He requires 2 A's and a B and definitely needs a lot of support during this time. My daughter (aged 16) started her GCSE exams last week . She still has around 25 exams to prepare for over the next three weeks). I may also not have time to post full reviews every week, especially when we get games on Friday and Mondays as well, though I will always endevour to post something, even if it's just a brief statement and some images and video links. We have another Steam based game tomorrow with thousands of keys available. It's a popular game with loads of positive feedback from thousands of community members and is worth almost £9.

Please only post comments about today's game giveaway; other comments either inappropriate, or not about today's game will be deleted at the moderator or administrators discretion; however a little light banter among community members and with the moderator to keep this a friendly place to visit is acceptable and welcomed. All comments not specifically about today's game giveaway will be judged by the moderator and if deemed not appropriate, will be deleted with no explanation. Please see the end of this review for a link to more details about posting comments, other game deals and other links. If you need to contact the give away team you can do so HERE and if you're unsure about posting comments the moderation policy is HERE and the FAQ's thread is HERE.

7 Artifacts

In Brief

Fragments of a secret prophecy are appearing all over Greece. The vital task of unraveling its code belongs to a young magician, Lidia. Follow her across Greece towards the regent of Athens, solving fragments of the prophecy along the way. Match gems to obtain letters, and activate the power of the artifacts! Untangle the mystery of this code and claim generous gifts and boundless gratitude as your reward!

Suggestions:

Whether you like or dislike 7 Artifacts please give some feedback about your opinion of today's game giveaway, for example, what you liked or disliked about the game, and how it could be improved from your point of view. If you don't like this genre at all, please explain why. What improvements would change your opinion? There are thousands of subscribers to the game giveaway of the day every weekend which makes this an ideal forum for giving developers ideas as to what their consumers (i.e you) would like to see in a game. For example, you could suggest extra content such as better or more original mini games, or a level editor that you would like to see that would make it more appealing to you. Maybe you think the graphics are a little dated and are in need of re skinning, or maybe you've just had enough of the genre and want to see something different or something with more originality? Giving such feedback instead of saying nothing or just saying this game is rubbish or good may bring more developers to the site, which could mean more and better games.

Would you give away thousands of copies of a game (or extra content for a game) to a community that complains all the time instead of giving useful feedback? It only takes a few moments of your time. This site could be transformed if only the community would be more forthcoming in their opinions of the games they are getting for free instead of complaining about the way this site has changed or that they don't like Steam games. If something isn't for you then move on to the next giveaway, or check out the extra's section at the end of this review; you never know, you may find something that interests you.

If you miss today's game giveaway you can always get the game via MyPlayCity 24/7 HERE.

Installation:

7 Artifacts downloads to a 34.5 MB zip file that unzips to three files, (a setup.gcd security wrapper, the set up file and a read me). Those with multiple hard drives are able to save games on any drive they wish. The newly installed game is 37.6 MB in size. The game installs to the following path by default, but can be changed by the user if you prefer:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MyPlayCity.com\7 Artifacts

Four shortcuts are installed to the desktop. three of which can be safely deleted (Play Online Games, MyPlayCity Games and shortcuts to a free online game which vary each week). Also, if you don't like icons installed to the quick launch task bar, make sure you uncheck the box when the additional tasks window appears (after the Select Start Menu Folder window)

Introduction:

Welcome to ancient Greece! The order had been restored in Olympus with Poseidon ruling over the seas, Acheron ruling over below ground world and with Zeus looking after the Earth. But one day the ruler of Athens catches the courier to learn the strange message and to find a box with gems in his hands. Being afraid of betrayal he asks a magician to decode the letter. The clever man and his best follower start doing the task. While de-crypting they learn the truth of the 7 Artifacts. Now you're to guess the sense of the message solving the riddle of the 7 Artifacts. Mix them to make lines of three or more to let the letters take their place in the magic sayings. But don't forget that gems are ready to help you till midnight only. Hurry up as you're pressed for time and you must help the magicians reveal the message to save people from possible disaster.

Turn over the pages of 7 Artifacts story to learn more about them. Pass level by level and you'll get all of them to overcome the difficulties the game has prepared for you. As you do this you will learn the secret spell against Olympus! You'll be charmed by perfect graphics and sounds, the capturing plot of the story will bring your to the Greek world full of myths, legends and ancient folk tales. It's a really good chance to relax and learn the chapters of the hidden books. Who knows, perhaps, you're the only one who can use the skills and imagination to find out the necessary information. The game is pleasant and really worth playing!

Reference accessed HERE. 20th May 2017

Main Features:

⦁ Activate artifact power-ups!
⦁ Immersive story line.
⦁ Stunning graphics!

If you have a problem installing or activating or getting 7 Artifacts to work please visit the problems section, which I've now incorporated into the FAQ's thread, and which you can find HERE

The Game:

Ancient Greece has been the setting of many a casual desktop amusement, and once again it does due diligence in 7 Artifacts. A pattern-making puzzler that’ll challenge your mind as much as it will your patience, the game scores with a stunning presentation and range of interesting extras. Unfortunately, it’s also not the sort inclined to push the bar, relies mostly on gimmicks to engage the player and boasts less than stellar translation work, making the title a fun, but ultimately fleeting diversion.

Per a tale told via scrolling text superimposed over workmanlike still pictures, you’re Lydia, apprentice to the sage Arcanius, who’s called upon to help make sense of a mysterious parchment and chest of jewels. Your fellow mortals suspect a conspiracy – it is a time when mischievous gods wreaked havoc on mankind, after all, according to historical legend – and it’s up to you to decipher the conundrum.

No brainteaser-style challenges here though, unless you count memory-based mini-games, which appear periodically. This puppy’s a straightforward match-three mind bender cast in the classic mold, as you consistently attempt to swap two gleaming gemstones at a time to create horizontal/vertical rows of three or more like-colored baubles, which then disappear from play. Per usual, higher situated gems (each board’s a grid of stones set atop a bland, non-interactive background image) then fall down to close any gaps, offering up potentially massive chain reactions. And, of course, letters appear randomly at the top of rows on occasion, with your goal being to bring them to the bottom of the screen before a ticking timer strikes midnight.

Neither particularly interesting nor innovative in terms of gameplay basics, 7 Artifacts shines for its first-rate presentation, including both attractive visuals and a soothing orchestral soundtrack. Also of note: The multiple treasures referenced in the game’s title, which can be accessed by creating multiple matches using the same type of jewels in succession.

Remove several rows of green emeralds, for example, and the "Herald of Fortune" artifact is activated, generating random bonuses on-screen that can be tapped for gem-clearing aid. Obliterate the blue diamonds associated with an ice-based artifact instead, and the entire display freezes, letting you swap any gems you like, setting yourself up to reap huge rewards when the play field thaws out seconds later. Other relics blow up random gems in the middle of the screen, destroy petrified jewels or summon ghosts who, when freed by making matches using the stones they inhabit, allow you to access useful hints.

Taken in tandem with power-ups – created by matching four or more gems in one fell swoop, and yours to utilize with a click of the mouse – it all makes for an enjoyable, if relatively short 50-stage ride. Then again, even with helping hands like explosive gem-clearing meteors; horizontal, vertical and cross-shaped row-clearing lightning bolts; wild tiles that match with any jewels; and gem-repainting elementals, the adventure is hardly groundbreaking stuff. Mind you, the story line, told in pidgin English (seriously, you’d think someone fluent in the language would at least consider playing these games once or twice before publishing them) won’t captivate either. Nor will expert-level enthusiasts find their skills especially taxed to boot, since new letters can only appear at the top of stacks with available openings, and a clever player can effectively control their incoming placement.

Regardless, in terms of enjoyment factor and overall production values, we can’t fault the title – it delivers precisely the sort of thrills and spills you’d expect from a routine outing in such a well-populated category. But outside of audiovisual elements and the artifact system, the game never attempts to excel, and as such comes across as cute, but also wholly forgettable in the grand scheme of this year’s holiday shuffle. Try before buying, and see if it’s to taste – there’s much to like about 7 Artifacts, but plenty of other games pull off its shtick better, and that’s all we have to say about that.

Edited reference accessed HERE. Original review written by Scott Steinberg on 28th Nov 2007. Edited by Whiterabbit-uk 20th May 2017

Other Reviews and Videos of 7 Artifacts:

You can see community reviews of 7 Artifacts HERE and more information in the Big Fish forums HERE.

You can see some videos of game play HERE and HERE and a slideshow of 55 in game images of bonuses, tutorials and part of the story HERE.

Conclusion:

The Sound and graphics are excellent (though a little dated as this is a 10 year old game and with frequent combos you can build up some high scores. Also, the user interface is easy to navigate. That said the game is a little too gimmicky and the translation to English is poor, though that shouldn't detract from the actual game play. Personally I wont be playing this much as I prefer the Match Three RPG combo to straight forward Match three's. Plus I have much better versions still to play.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank MyPlayCity for giving away 7 Artifacts and also to the game giveaway team, as always, for securing other ways to get free games, in this case Steam keys.

Useful Information not related to today's game giveaway:

The problems section that used to be posted here in the Game review is now included in the Game Discussion FAQ's thread; which you can find HERE.

I've updated the games section that used to be posted with the review. The thread is now called 'Weekly round up of game deals', formerly the games section of the weekly reviews. You can find the new thread (which I've posted in the sticky section of the game discussion forums to make it easier to find if you are perusing the game discussion forums) HERE.

The rest of the information that used to be posted here can be found in the forums HERE. Don't forget, if you have an account with DOT.emu, you need to download any games you have before June, when the site closes permanently. Finally, check out Delenns thread over in the forums HERE. There are games available for free, some of which are limited to the number of free keys available.

The following information was taken from the previous time this was given away. Problems with duplicate keys or completing tasks, please contact the giveaway team HERE, and/or also the developer. Take a screen capture of the message you get either after completing all the tasks and/or when trying to activate the game on Steam, so that you have proof of the issue. The developers email can be found at the bottom of the developers web site HERE. I cannot guarantee a key would be given, but it's worth a try. The developer has given away keys previously and seems a decent guy