Pretty much everyone with a smartphone has, at the very least, heard of a hyper-casual puzzle game called 2048, where you’re given the task of constantly moving tiles around, summing them up until you reach the coveted number 2048, which was easier said than done. I really like that game, but as a pastime; that kind of time waster when you’re waiting for an appointment at the dentist, without paying too much attention at its intricacies. Also, it’s free. Play a match, waste three seconds on an ad, and play another one. We didn’t exactly need a shake-up in its formula. But I guess the folks behind Pretty Girls 2048 Strike didn’t read the memo, and decided to grant us with a “brand new take” on it anyway.

Pretty Girls 2048 Strike follows the same formula as its predecessor, the maligned Pretty Girls Speed, by being a waifu-plastered version of a beyond basic casual time killer. The difference this time around, is the usage of the 2048 formula to deal with some combat sections. Your objective in each puzzle isn’t to simple reach the coveted number. You need to pile up these tiles in order to increase their value, and then slide them around to hit some waifu icons with them. Drain their HP, and the round is over. An interesting take? Well, it’s not terrible, but the level progression does an awful job at making this game feel engaging, at least up until the very last rounds.

For the first fifty rounds or so, Pretty Girls 2048 Strike is very simplistic, easy, and honestly, boring. Given how you don’t even need to reach the 2048 block in order to win a round, the game turns into an easier version of the mobile puzzler, just with some unappealing waifus and repetitive, albeit not actually terrible, music on the background. Even if you have access to some special abilities, such as rearranging tiles to your advantage, you barely need to use them. It’s simplistic and uninteresting.

Things only get more appealing once you reach the final dozen puzzles or so, when enemies have some annoying special abilities, and obstacles are put in the middle of the screen, making the whole act of sliding some damn tiles around more complicated than necessary. As a result, you will finally need to strategize and use your special abilities. By then, however, I’d say it’s too little too late. It took too long for the game to become somewhat interesting, and even then, it was just 2048 with a twist. A twist that didn’t exactly turn it into a must-have, even if you feel enticed by a handful of waifu PNGs with spine-shattering breasts.

I’m not going to say that Pretty Girls 2048 Strike is terrible because, honestly, it isn’t. Especially when compared to some other atrocious games released by the same publisher in recent times. Sadly, it’s just very unnecessary. By the time the game becomes somewhat challenging and interesting, you’ll be wondering why the hell weren’t you just playing 2048 on your phone, for free, while doing something else at the same time. Trophy hoarders and only the most die-hard of waifu enthusiasts must find some enjoyment in Pretty Girls 2048 Strike. Everyone else will be better off ignoring it, as they are already doing at this moment.

 

Graphics: 3.0 The core game of 2048 isn’t meant to be visually appealing. They are still less ridiculous to look at than the absurdly well-endowed waifus, though.	Gameplay: 5.5 It’s the core gameplay loop and control scheme of the classic 2048 mobile game, but with an added layer of strategy and combat. It’s not terrible, it’s just beyond basic.
Sound: 4.0 Repetitive soundclips that are lacking in variety. Weirdly enough, the few compositions included in the game aren’t inherently bad, not even bland.	Fun Factor: 4.0 It takes an eternity before the game becomes interesting and/or challenging. Prior to that, it’s just 2048 with some waifus. The game is not entirely bad, but its existence is questionable.
Final Verdict: 4.0

Pretty Girls 2048 Strike is available now on PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Reviewed on PS5.

A copy of Pretty Girls 2048 Strike was provided by the publisher.