Game Reviews

It's no secret that the first Puzzle Quest was a huge hit amongst iPhone users as well as more traditional gamers, but the overall package was actually a bit of a mess. Not only did gamers have to micro-manage a questing warrior around various towns and castles, but the single-player campaign had an overabundance of gimmicks -- mounts, captured enemies, property management, and so on -- that really took away from the main puzzle element. Thankfully, Puzzle Quest 2 on the DS is a much more streamlined experience, although it certainly could've benefited from some polish in the presentation department.

Unlike the previous Puzzle Quest, only four character classes are available, and much of your time is spent wandering in interconnected dungeons, rather than traversing from kingdom to kingdom. In a way, it's certainly a more focused experience, as the one-on-one battle mechanics are the most central part of progression this time around. Once again, there is an overarching story about the rise of an evil force in the game's peaceful kingdom, but it's largely a generic tale meant to provide some semblance of a background for the RPG-puzzle combat.Interestingly enough, the brutal downsizing in Puzzle Quest 2's battle system actually works in the game's favor. There's another element to offense now, thanks in large part to the new "gauntlet" gems that allow you to physically attack a monster with your equipped weapons. In addition to that, you can still dish out some additional damage by matching skull gems and casting color-coded magic. Instead of having to waste turns trying to gather money while your enemy pecks away at your health, experience and gold is automatically rewarded at the end of each encounter. While that may not sound like a lot on paper, it dramatically changes the pace of the game, so much so that a single poorly planned move can put your warrior on the wrong end of a lengthy gem combo.Thankfully, Puzzle Quest 2 isn't a punishing experience. While the majority of the game's enemy A.I. appears to be borderline psychic -- even on the normal difficulty level -- losing a battle only forces you to try again later. Each type of monster, from tiger-man-beasts to the undead, requires some degree of trial-and-error before knowing how to effectively deal with them.