modeps
07-12-2010, 04:56 AM
Title: Puzzle Quest 2
Platforms: Nintendo DS, Xbox 360
Platform Reviewed: Nintendo DS
Developer: Infinite Interactive (http://www.infinite-interactive.com/index.php)
Publisher: D3Publisher (http://www.d3publisher.us/)
MSRP: $29.95 or 1200 Microsoft Points
Writer: Ben 'kragg' Daniels
Puzzle Quest 2 Review
You got your puzzler in my RPG...again!
Ah, Puzzle Quest. A games beloved by so many, and the bane of my free time. The first became an instant classic among both fans of both the RPG and puzzle genres as it created such a superb blend of adventure gaming with the “match 3” style of puzzler. Then, sadly, it begat a very disappointing follow-up in the form of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. Now it’s official sequel, Puzzle Quest 2 has been released, and I’m happy to say it’s as good, and in many ways better than the original.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/bld3613/reviewphotos/VampiricMistVS.jpg
The first thing you will immediately notice if you’re a fan of the first PQ is that Inifinite Interactive has completely overhauled the graphical style of the game. Gone is the “manga” character design, replaced with a more classic, western style of fantasy artwork. I personally consider this an improvement as it is much more detailed and all the characters and items are drawn in much larger sprites that are easier to see, especially on the DS screen. The DS and XBLA versions each have their own customized interface, but unfortunately the handheld cannot display these shiny, new, hand-painted graphics in high definition. This new style also lends itself well to the more detailed viewpoint that the game play has been given. The sound effects and score have also been given a massive upgrade and are much higher fidelity than the original.
The most drastic change in Puzzle Quest 2 is the overhaul in game play. While the fundamental formula that made the original so much fun still exists, completing quests to level up while battling against opponents in puzzle matches, are still there, but they take place on a much more focused scale. The game now contains four classes. Barbarian, Sorceror, Assassin, and Templar. Each class has it’s own strengths and weaknesses, as well as their own dedicated set of skills. This time around though, there is a deeper focus on customization, including new weapons and items. PQ2 plays out as a more focused adventure all around, with your chosen hero beginning in the village of Verloren and travelling into a tower to defeat the demon “Gorgon”. Yes, gone is the overhead map, gone is upgrading towers and mounts, and gone are those obnoxious city siege sequences that made you backtrack over and over. This new adventure is much more linear, and the game is better for it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/bld3613/reviewphotos/VampiricMistBattle.jpg
It’s so linear in fact, that it makes use of a redesigned autosave feature that is almost too thorough. Puzzle Quest 2 saves after everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Even when you simply drop back to the main screen after checking your inventory there is a quick one second “saving” delay. This can become somewhat annoying since there is no way to turn it off, and can also be a detriment if you accidentally sell or destroy a piece of equipment in your inventory, because as soon as you leave the menu it saves and there is no going back. The flip side to this coin is that you are always rewarded, even in defeat, with at least a small amount of experience, so the games pacing doesn’t suffer too much.
The combat has seen changes and streamlining as well. The board still contains the four basic colors of mana, along with skulls that cause damage. Gold and experience points are no longer represented as gems. Purple gems are now a fifth color of “utility mana”, and gold has been replaced by fist gems that are matched to gain “action points”. Action points allow you to utilize the new weapons that can deal direct damage to your opponents. This provides a new layer of strategy to battles, and can help spell a quick end to either your opponent, or you, in a fight. There are also allies that can aid you in battle, and their spells (along with your own) are much easier to understand and use, allowing you to create skill sets that compliment each other well.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/bld3613/reviewphotos/SinVsTemplar02.jpg
Speaking of the combat, I will also clear up something right now. I played the game on “easy” because the computer still “cheats”. I started on difficult, had to rachet down to normal and finally ended up on easy because the only thing that changes with the difficulty setting is that the computer no longer receives an insane number of “coincidental” chain combos from lucky gem drops at the top of the board. Infinite claims they fixed the AI. They didn’t.
While certain elements have been removed, they have been replaced by new mini-games that take the form of everything from bashing doors, to disarming traps, to searching for hidden items and looting chests for rare items after a battle. These are a welcome addition and help to mix things up between battles as you scour the floors of the tower to complete quests.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/bld3613/reviewphotos/DisarmTrap.jpg
Multiplayer hasn’t really changed much on the DS, consisting of local wifi duels. However the XBLA version is apparently the one to get to take your hero online for some PvP gem busting action. Although I enjoy a good head-to-head match, the single player campaign and the new “quick battle” option is where the crux of the entertainment was for me, stealing hours of my life both at home and on the go.
All in all, Puzzle Quest 2 is an excellent sequel. It managed to remove a lot of the more tedious parts from the original game, and replaced them with more interesting ones. It is a more streamlined experience that still contains a fair amount of depth. This should satisfy both the returning diehards of the franchise and newcomers who may be interested by all the buzz from the original.
Score: 4 out of 5
http://evavhost.com/public/4.gif
The Good Improved graphics, streamlined gameplay
The Bad Things can still get repetitive after extended play sessions, autosave is a mixed blessing
The Ugly The horrible sound of goblin laughter.
Platforms: Nintendo DS, Xbox 360
Platform Reviewed: Nintendo DS
Developer: Infinite Interactive (http://www.infinite-interactive.com/index.php)
Publisher: D3Publisher (http://www.d3publisher.us/)
MSRP: $29.95 or 1200 Microsoft Points
Writer: Ben 'kragg' Daniels
Puzzle Quest 2 Review
You got your puzzler in my RPG...again!
Ah, Puzzle Quest. A games beloved by so many, and the bane of my free time. The first became an instant classic among both fans of both the RPG and puzzle genres as it created such a superb blend of adventure gaming with the “match 3” style of puzzler. Then, sadly, it begat a very disappointing follow-up in the form of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. Now it’s official sequel, Puzzle Quest 2 has been released, and I’m happy to say it’s as good, and in many ways better than the original.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/bld3613/reviewphotos/VampiricMistVS.jpg
The first thing you will immediately notice if you’re a fan of the first PQ is that Inifinite Interactive has completely overhauled the graphical style of the game. Gone is the “manga” character design, replaced with a more classic, western style of fantasy artwork. I personally consider this an improvement as it is much more detailed and all the characters and items are drawn in much larger sprites that are easier to see, especially on the DS screen. The DS and XBLA versions each have their own customized interface, but unfortunately the handheld cannot display these shiny, new, hand-painted graphics in high definition. This new style also lends itself well to the more detailed viewpoint that the game play has been given. The sound effects and score have also been given a massive upgrade and are much higher fidelity than the original.
The most drastic change in Puzzle Quest 2 is the overhaul in game play. While the fundamental formula that made the original so much fun still exists, completing quests to level up while battling against opponents in puzzle matches, are still there, but they take place on a much more focused scale. The game now contains four classes. Barbarian, Sorceror, Assassin, and Templar. Each class has it’s own strengths and weaknesses, as well as their own dedicated set of skills. This time around though, there is a deeper focus on customization, including new weapons and items. PQ2 plays out as a more focused adventure all around, with your chosen hero beginning in the village of Verloren and travelling into a tower to defeat the demon “Gorgon”. Yes, gone is the overhead map, gone is upgrading towers and mounts, and gone are those obnoxious city siege sequences that made you backtrack over and over. This new adventure is much more linear, and the game is better for it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/bld3613/reviewphotos/VampiricMistBattle.jpg
It’s so linear in fact, that it makes use of a redesigned autosave feature that is almost too thorough. Puzzle Quest 2 saves after everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Even when you simply drop back to the main screen after checking your inventory there is a quick one second “saving” delay. This can become somewhat annoying since there is no way to turn it off, and can also be a detriment if you accidentally sell or destroy a piece of equipment in your inventory, because as soon as you leave the menu it saves and there is no going back. The flip side to this coin is that you are always rewarded, even in defeat, with at least a small amount of experience, so the games pacing doesn’t suffer too much.
The combat has seen changes and streamlining as well. The board still contains the four basic colors of mana, along with skulls that cause damage. Gold and experience points are no longer represented as gems. Purple gems are now a fifth color of “utility mana”, and gold has been replaced by fist gems that are matched to gain “action points”. Action points allow you to utilize the new weapons that can deal direct damage to your opponents. This provides a new layer of strategy to battles, and can help spell a quick end to either your opponent, or you, in a fight. There are also allies that can aid you in battle, and their spells (along with your own) are much easier to understand and use, allowing you to create skill sets that compliment each other well.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/bld3613/reviewphotos/SinVsTemplar02.jpg
Speaking of the combat, I will also clear up something right now. I played the game on “easy” because the computer still “cheats”. I started on difficult, had to rachet down to normal and finally ended up on easy because the only thing that changes with the difficulty setting is that the computer no longer receives an insane number of “coincidental” chain combos from lucky gem drops at the top of the board. Infinite claims they fixed the AI. They didn’t.
While certain elements have been removed, they have been replaced by new mini-games that take the form of everything from bashing doors, to disarming traps, to searching for hidden items and looting chests for rare items after a battle. These are a welcome addition and help to mix things up between battles as you scour the floors of the tower to complete quests.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/bld3613/reviewphotos/DisarmTrap.jpg
Multiplayer hasn’t really changed much on the DS, consisting of local wifi duels. However the XBLA version is apparently the one to get to take your hero online for some PvP gem busting action. Although I enjoy a good head-to-head match, the single player campaign and the new “quick battle” option is where the crux of the entertainment was for me, stealing hours of my life both at home and on the go.
All in all, Puzzle Quest 2 is an excellent sequel. It managed to remove a lot of the more tedious parts from the original game, and replaced them with more interesting ones. It is a more streamlined experience that still contains a fair amount of depth. This should satisfy both the returning diehards of the franchise and newcomers who may be interested by all the buzz from the original.
Score: 4 out of 5
http://evavhost.com/public/4.gif
The Good Improved graphics, streamlined gameplay
The Bad Things can still get repetitive after extended play sessions, autosave is a mixed blessing
The Ugly The horrible sound of goblin laughter.