Bubble Shot Review: Life’s Much Better Under the Sea

There’s not a much better feeling in any PVP game than hitting that perfect shot. You line it up, steady your aim, and let loose a projectile. The anticipation that builds while your shot is in flight and the satisfaction you get from it hitting its mark makes the whole thing so rewarding. I’m not talking about Call of Duty or Counter-Strike. I’m talking about Bubble Shot by Pocket7Games. While there’s no mistaking this bubble-bursting beauty for either of the two simulation-style titles mentioned above, this much more casual and relaxing game still provides the same rush you get from taking out an enemy.

The first thing you may notice when you log into the app is the variety of different game modes to play. Starting with the tutorial is never a bad idea, and Pocket7Games does a pretty good job of setting you up for success. Even though I’ve seen other bubble shooters before, I’d never actually played one. I saw that there were options to win real cash prizes by playing head-to-head matches with other people, but I decided to dip my toes into the Ticket reward games rather than cannonball into the deep end. I was awarded Tickets when logging in and was able to get more by coming back daily to collect calendar rewards. I did try out the PVP money games and tournaments later on with mixed success, probably due to my lack of experience. There was definitely a skill ceiling, but I found myself starting out on the seafloor.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Like I said before, the bubble-shooting gameplay is probably familiar to most of you. Bubbles of different colors slowly build up at the top of your screen, and your goal is to pop them by getting groups of the same color together. By connecting three of the same color, the bubbles are removed and new opportunities to access different groups open up. A timer at the top keeps you moving quickly, though you can also win the game early by clearing all your bubbles before time runs out.

One of the biggest helpers for me was the dotted line showing the trajectory of a bubble when trying to ricochet it off a wall. It took a bit more time for me to line up the exact shot, but I was much more accurate when I paid close attention. During my first few games, I realized that accuracy was far more important than speed, as one misplaced shot could result in a cascade of single or double bubbles with no way to clear them. I never really got close to running out of time, but things got a bit hairy when I rushed and created a mess on the sides.

Bubble Shot was at its best when things got tough. When things didn’t go my way and I got several colors in a row that didn’t help me, I had to get creative with my placement based on the next bubble available. I still haven’t mastered looking in a couple of places at once, but I did improve from game to game and that felt rewarding.

Player vs. Player

Once I had made it through the tutorial for the third time, I decided to mix it up and go into PVP.

There were loads of options available, ranging from tournaments to money games and I was able to choose between games that used Tickets and games that required real money.

The timer that seemed so unimportant to me during my first few runs quickly became a real focus. Most of my opponents were quite good at clearing the board, so it came down to who could do it faster. I noticed my accuracy suffering a bit because I was rushing to beat my human opponent, so I decided to go to the game’s Facebook page to see if I could pick up any new tips to help me win more games.

I talked to some veterans over there and then tried to find some more information on Pocket7Games’ website and was assured that it would be completed soon, so I’ll probably head back over in the near future to see how I can improve.

Whether I was playing PVP or just practicing on my own, it was always fun to hit a shot that I had lined up. I’ll be returning for more as my skills improve.