Puzzle Quest first became popular when a host of match three style games were the go-to for mobile users. We first played it on the Xbox 360 and at the time it proved to be a decent distraction which successfully merged a simple but addictive puzzle mechanic with elements of the RPG genre. All these years later the series is still going and now we have this seemingly complete edition, backed with all the additions and extras added over the years.
The concept is simple, the interface of the game follows the
template of a retro style RPG, something that reminded us of adventure games on
the Amiga for a reason we can’t quite place. After picking from a preset host
of characters that fall into the classic fantasy moulds of thieves, wizards and
warriors, you move around a map going to locations of interest such as towns
and castles. Here, you can find quests and information and visit shops to buy
items and weapons to increase your stats.
Quests generally involve taking on a number of enemies in turn,
sometimes with a boss monster at the end. These start out as things such as
sewer rats and skeletons but quickly move on to more threatening members of the
classic fantasy menagerie. All encounters are handled in the same way which is
in the form of a match three battle. You are presented with a grid containing a
host of shapes and colours. All of which do different things when matched. Three
colours, when matched fill up bars which can be used for different types of
special and magic attacks. Matching skulls inflicts damage on your opponent,
while you can also get experience points and host of other bonuses.
The key is to balance attacking your opponent with making
sure that you don’t leave yourself open. You also need to keep an eye on the
potential to match four or more of a shape or colour as this allows you to take
another turn. Matching is simply done by swapping a shape or colour from its
current position with an adjacent one. It starts out simply but quickly
develops into something with far more depth. Even early on the game moves quickly
away from its basic format and introduces all sort of bonuses and special
symbols. It’s often easy to find yourself in serious trouble even with middling
opponents if you let your guard down so players will always have to be thinking
a few steps ahead.
There are a host of spells and skills which can be utilised
as well, and the effects are wide ranging and varied enough to have a major impact
if used properly. It’s easy to amass many skills which do everything from
causing more damage to destroying a certain colour or shape on the game field.
Despite its initial casual nature, it’s amazing how much of
a time sink the game becomes. It may have casual roots, but we found hour after
hour drifting by on occasion, and it certainly has that one more go appeal to
it. The combination of the RPG elements and simple but addictive mechanics make
this a difficult game to pull away from once you get into its zone.
Overall, Puzzle Quest remains a solid fusion between two different
genres. It has enough depth to keep you playing for long periods but is also
perfect for on the go play on the Switch. It comes to life in handheld mode and
is packed with content that means when it sucks you in, you’ll be with it for hours.
All the mechanics work well and there’s even concessions for colour blind
players with use of both colours and shapes. If you haven’t played the game in
any of its version so far this is a great place to start.
Overall 8/10
