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[DS/PSP] Puzzle Quest: It's a Bejeweled RPG
Lunker
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Who: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
What: The lovechild of Bejeweled and Dragon Quest, or a high-fantasy offline Puzzle Pirates
Where: On the DS and PSP
When: TBA
...Huh?: That's what I'm saying, man!
I love incongruent things: mash-ups, out-of-genre cover songs and games where RPG elements are added to things that have no ounce of RPG in them. Look at Mario Golf: Advance Tour or Bookworm Adventures. But I had no idea that a developer would have the stones to blend a puzzle game (a match-three puzzle game, no less) with what looks to be a by-the-books JRPG. Enter Puzzle Quest, a role-playing game where all random battles are resolved by playing Bejeweled!
http://ds.ign.com/articles/750/750593p1.html
IGN preview wrote:At first, Puzzle Quest looks like a typical RPG. Players choose a character among a pool of different types, as well as a gender and name. From there, the game dumps the newly formed character on top of an overworld map. Again, players will notice this looks a lot like a typical RPG setup complete with towns and castles. But here's where things shoot off in another direction. Instead of traveling the land and entering towns, players simply click on towns to bring up an options menu. They can visit a number of shops, receives quests or do whatever else happens to sit in the menu. Since the demo on display took place at the start of the game, there was only one quest available.
Once accepted, the quest has players visit a neighboring town to speak with an NPC. Whenever speaking with characters, the view switches to an anime-style dialogue screen, where text resides at the bottom and character models stand in the background. The graphics in these sequences looked clean and crisp, and the dialogue seemed perfectly decent. The character that the players needed to talk to reveals scintillating information that opens a new quest, and so the game goes. But that's not where things end, of course, since there's also the "puzzle" aspect of this "quest."
It's actually a little funny. When traveling the map, players will encounter enemies, like in any other RPG. Only here when enemies start frontin' the game goes all-out puzzle mode, letting everyone resolve their differences by matching symbols on a grid. It's like those matching slot machines and Bejeweled, only players earn experience and gameworld currency. Matching three skulls deals damage to enemies, where matching money symbols earn, well, money. In a nice twist, Puzzle Quest still offers some experience and money even when players lose an encounter. How thoughtful!
Experience points go to character attributes of a player's choosing, which then affect the flow of combat. Being an RPG, the game still has magic, armor and weapons, so if a player wants to succeed in the game, they'll need to strengthen these areas. It's possible to gain mana during combat by eliminating mana icons, just like any other symbol. As for the spells themselves, they range from basic elemental damage and protection, to spells that affect the symbols on the grid. Some, for instance, actually remove symbols that an enemy would find beneficial. It goes without saying there's a whole lot of strategy involved.
I remember hearing about this game very faintly earlier this month, but didn't think much about it until I saw another post on the 4cr News Get feed, and then I started reading about the game mechanics. Man, this sounds tasty.
http://www.siliconera.com/index.php/2006/12/21/figuring-out-puzzle-quest-with-help-from-producer-andy-pan/
(from the 4cr News Get feed)
Gameplay videos on IGNQ: How does the battle system in Puzzle Quest work out?
A: The battle system takes place on a puzzle board in an 8 x 8 grid. There are 8 elements on the puzzle board – 4 mana gems (fire, water, air, earth) as well as experience (the purple icons) gold (gold coins) and skulls and finally, the wildcard. The mechanics of the game is a turn-based match 3 (or more) system. Meaning, you take a turn trying to match 3 of something, and then your opponent will take its turn. The player’s goal is to defeat an opponent by reducing his hit points before the opponent wipes your hit points out. To do damage to an opponent, the player can either match 3 skulls or trigger a spell that does damage to the opponent. Before you can unleash spells you must accumulate enough mana to fulfill the mana requirements. Different spells will require different amount of mana as well as type of mana.
Q: After playing a little Puzzle Quest I noticed tricks like matching four pieces give an extra turn. What are some good battle strategies?
A: Matching 4 pieces is ALWAYS a good thing. You increase the amount of mana/money/XP you just collected and you get to keep your turn!
Strategies for the game will vary depending on how you spec your character and what spells and gear you outfit your character with. However, there are some strategies that will always apply no matter what you do.
For starts, always look for possible 4-of-a-kind matches. If you don’t match them, your opponent certainly will take advantage of it.
Also, like Chess, you should survey the board for possible pitfalls and traps. Just because a trio of gems is match-able does not mean it’s always a good idea to do so. Look at the board and think to yourself. What happens if I match this? How will the pieces fall? Will the end setting end up benefiting my opponent? For example, you may not want to match a set of gems that will end up giving the opponent the chance to match Skulls (therefore doing damage to you) or 4-of-a-kind (therefore giving him extra turns).
Ultimately, the process of winning involves a balance of:
• Getting the mana you need to unleash your spells
• Denying the opponent that mana he needs to prevent him from using his spells
• Leveling your character and outfitting him/her with good gear to be stronger in battle
Color me ... curious. I've always loved the strange flavor of Puzzle Pirates, but I can't really ever get into MMO-style mechanics. Having that weird gameplay in a single-player (and portable!) format might just be irrisistable.
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...anyway, this looks interesting, but I cannot possibly think of a worse title than "Puzzle Quest".
Concept could work, but I've got my doubts about this particular execution of it. The name and general aesthetics make it seem like it should be a budget release for a PDA.
THIS is my most anticipated rpg for early 2007. i wrote up my own hopes and fears of the game, but i really hope D3 puts out a gem with this.
boxart:
Darn, looks like this will be a singleplayer experience for me. Hopefully that part alone will justify a potential purchase.
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First Bookworm Adventure, now this.
What's next, I wonder.
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
I admit my interest is kind of pie-in-the-sky-ish, but I applaud the very strange concept for the sake of originality. Although this reminds me somewhat of Rebelstar Tactics, and the completely barebones production values of that game really turned me off. But I had just come off of playing Bookworm Adventures when I stumbled on news of this, and I'll be damned if it didn't hit me in the right place at the right time.
Inthegray ... I just can't quit you.
I have a craving for puzzle games damnit
If you aren't, I suggest you try the PC demo at the link below. It will change your mind.
http://www.gamedaily.com/canvases/gd/_a/download-puzzle-quest-demo/20070315101009990002
FROTHING DEMAND. I can't wait to try the demo at home, but ... the retail version of DS/PSP are shipping today?
Can anyone confirm?
I played the PC version and if it's identical to the DS version, I'm buying the DS version.
I went to Best Buy today to look for it and they didn't have any new Wii or DS games (Custom Robo).
Very pissed.
Here's a recent 4CR article.
I totally want this.
EDIT: Downloading PC Demo now.
No idea. Want to know why Nintendo Power killed it.
I also want some Custom Robo reviews!!!!
I'm having a good time with it, but I never played the Cube version so I can't tell you if it's better or worse than that.
It's plain HTML/CSS. I got the unfinished/beaten/completed images from drummond though. Feel free to lift whatever you like from it.
Sweet, I think i might have to do that. Awesome idea :^:
i can't wait to pick up the ds version, but i might also buy the PC copy. supposedly it will have online support.
gamespot has a review for DS and PSP. they both scores pretty well.
That happens a lot with new titles, though.
NNID: Glenn565