I really love Luxor (Amun Rising) and did not hesitate long to purchase it's sequel (this game).

After spending a few hours playing through perhaps 20 levels I have come to the following (preliminary) conclusions

- it's definitely fun and addictive
- eye candy has been seriously dialled up
- nice sounds
- the 3D effects make aiming a bit harder

Luxor 2 is a very good game. That being said, though, I feel that Luxor 2, even though visually much more complex, is not necessarily a better game than it's predecessor. First, the 'true' 3D graphics do not really add anything to the game, but it makes aiming more difficult.
Also, some levels don't mesh background graphics and foreground play. The result looks strangely disjoint like early adventure games that mixed rendered computer art with real imagery.
The original game looked much better in that regard because it was more consistent. The levels are nice, challenging, and (with a few exceptions) fun. Some levels (e.g. 'lace') are stunningly beautiful and fun. Yet, some levels make it unnecessarily difficult to predict the path the balls are taking.

Sound effects in the original Luxor were spot on. The scraping sound of balls, the clicks, the scarab - all just right. The new version has great sound, but - to me - it doesn't 'feel' as perfect. I'm aware that this is purely a preference, but anyway...

The controls are of course the same (and I still have problems using the Mighty Mouse because of incorrect button 2 dedection). Luxor 2 adds a targeting recticle (sp?) that doesn't really help because it does not take into account ball velocity, and is more a distraction than anything else.

Just like it's predecessor, Luxor does not restrict your mouse movement to the screen you are playing on. This can create problems in a multi-monitor setup. If your mouse leaves the main monitor, and the monitors are of different sizes, you might get stuck, and lose crucial seconds trying to unstuck the mouse (i.e. bring it back onto the main monitor).
Also, the game has a 'Menu' button in the lower right corner. I've accidentally clicked on that button multiple times already, interrupting game flow (a better solution would be using the 'ESC' key to go back to the menu.

Still performance was great (even in 1920x1200), and I had a blast. The newly added Bonus Level and game modes are a welcome addition to the game that promises to increase longevity and re-play value.

I can recommend this game to anyone who is not yet tired of 'match three' type games (I can't seem to get enough of them).

-ch