Out of all the stops I had pre-arranged at PAX East the D3 Publishers booth, to see Puzzle Quest 2 was one I was anticipating the most. The original Puzzle Quest had dominated dozens of hours of my life on two platforms and while Puzzle Quest: Galactrix wasn’t the game I hoped it would be, Puzzle Quest 2 seems to be a return to the game's roots.
Arriving at the D3 booth I was happy to see some comfortable couches, an assortment of swag and of course Puzzle Quest 2 on screen ready to be played. Itching to grab the controller I was swiftly sat down by one of the designers and introduced to the new game in the series.
Puzzle Quest 2, for those that don’t know the series, is an RPG-driven, "match three" puzzle game. As you travel through the game world you encounter creatures and then wage battle in a puzzle game. It sounds simple and it is at the start, but if what I played is any indication it has the potential to be even more addicting than the first game.
Puzzle Quest 2 has a few subtle and not-so-subtle differences from its predecessor. The first and most visually striking is the change to an isometric view of the action; you have a clear view of your character as they move from space to space. Speaking of characters, there will be four character types in both male and female choices as well.
Movement is based on key points, so rather than navigate by ‘walking’, you tap on the DS or move to the desired destination and click X which causes your character to move there. Everywhere you need to go is clearly marked and identifiable as your destinations and goals. As in the first game you have missions that you can get from people, but this time they are tracked very clearly and visible when you speak to the person.
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Article comments
1 - April
I have not played Puzzle Quest, though have been tempted. This follow up game sounds like tons of fun as well!!
2 - Life
Isometric view? That's pretty sweet. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one.