Review
Release Date: 03.20.2007
Platform:
Nintendo DSDeveloper:
Infinite InteractivePublisher:
D3 Publisher of AmericaReviewed by
Ashton Liu on 4.4.2007
| Review Rating: 8/10 | User Rating: 7.83/10 |
I'm not a fan of puzzle games.
There, I said it.
Tetris? Boring.
Meteos? Sleep inducing.
Lumines? A big yawn. Again, that's just my gaming taste. So my expectations going into
Puzzle Quest were something like, "great, another boring puzzle game with or without some boring gimmick." If only I knew how wrong I was. That little "gimmick" I was expecting turned out to be a savior in an otherwise run-of-the-mill puzzle game - and I couldn't be happier.
Basic gameplay in
Puzzle Quest revolves around an eight by eight grid filled with pieces of various colors and shapes. Players take turns exchanging positions of adjacent pieces in order to line up three or more pieces to eliminate them from the grid, whereupon additional pieces will fall from the top to take their place, much like
Bejeweled. Fortunately,
Puzzle Quest adds far more to the formula than just being another
Bejewled ripoff you have to pay for. One thing that separates
Puzzle Quest from other puzzle games is that even when you're on single player, you never play alone. Every session is conducted between you and a challenger, whether it's the computer or another player. Different pieces produce different effects (purple stars grant experience bonuses, while colored orbs provide mana of their corresponding color), with the main objective in each session being to line up as many skull pieces as possible to bring the opponent's life counter down to zero. Of course, the aforementioned 'gimmick' plays a large role in adding a new layer of depth and strategy to this otherwise simple game.
Readers who checked out our
interview may already know that
Puzzle Quest incorporates RPG elements into its gameplay. At the outset of the game, the player is allowed to choose from four different job classes for their main character. Each job class has its own set of strengths and weaknesses as well as a unique list of abilities it can draw upon as it levels. These abilities have a wide variety of effects, from forcing the opponent to skip his or her next turn while doing damage at the same time to eliminating all the experience pieces from the grid and reaping their benefits. Naturally, these abilities are not free; the player must expend mana gained from the pieces he or she has eliminated from the board in order to use them. Leveling also allows the player to choose enhancing characteristics which can also affect the outcome of each battle played.
Further adding a new wrinkle to the base gameplay,
Puzzle Quest also has equip-able items that can enhance performance during battles, from swords that increase damage, to accessories that increase amount of mana gained with each move. Ability in battle can also be affected by the party members the player has in tow and the mount the player is current riding on. In addition to all of this, the player can also construct buildings in his or her hometown that open up a variety of different options, such as capturing enemy combatants, taking over cities for extra money, forging items, or learning new abilities. Each of these tasks also requires objectives within battles specific to the task at hand, too, so players will need to think their moves through well. With so many facets in its gameplay, unlocking everything in
Puzzle Quest can take a gargantuan amount of time.
Don't let the tremendous amount of customization and advantages fool you, however; while
Puzzle Quest has a very easy learning curve, the game has no reservations about hammering the player with its difficulty. The game can often be incredibly difficult; so difficult, in fact, that you'd swear the computer was cheating when it lines up five skulls and the ensuing shuffle causes an incredibly one-sided battle. Still, though, losing to an enemy in this game is much less daunting than in most others, as the player will still earn some gold and experience and live to fight again another day.
Puzzle Quest offers a huge amount of incentive for repeated playing, as the various classes are distinct and unique in appearances and ability, and the game features a large amount of side quests. The lack of online play is somewhat disappointing, but if you can find someone else with a copy of the game, multiplayer in
Puzzle Quest is a blast. Added to this is the option to choose any enemy in the game for a quick battle at any time, and replay value is near limitless.
There are a few problems, however, in the presentation of the game. The graphics can be blurry and hard to see at times, and all of the gameplay takes place in the lower screen. Also, stylus use is compulsory, and it's very easy to make a mistake when attempting to move pieces. Since moving a wrong piece expends a turn, this can turn into an annoyance when the opponent takes the combo you were about to use. The sound effects and music are forgettable, though they complement the medieval story that the game is set in. Speaking of the story,
Puzzle Quest's is rather well written. You wouldn't expect a story in a puzzle game to actually matter, but all things considered it's not as bad as it could have been, even though it's nothing spectacular.
Puzzle Quest blends the best parts of two genres that couldn't be more different into a single well balanced and incredibly fun game. It doesn't matter if you either don't like RPGs or don't like puzzle games, there's a good chance you'll like
Puzzle Quest anyway. But particularly if you enjoy both genres, there's no excuse for you not to play this game.
