Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

"Everyone loves Puzzle Quest!"

Take one part jewel-matching puzzle game, and another part role playing game, and you have Puzzle Quest, a game that anyone can pick up and enjoy. It's addictive and the price is well below many titles that simply can't compete with a game this fun.

Story:
There's a fairly simple RPG story, as you conquest through a derivative land of orcs and elves and all sorts of fantasy adventure cliches. The story isn't important nor is it compelling, but this doesn't hurt the game. It's here to provide us with some character names and monsters to fight. It provides that slight bit of context that allows Puzzle Quest to be much better than a simple puzzle game.

Gameplay:
You and your opponent take turns matching gems in lines of three or more in a row, on the same 8x8 field. There are also skulls, and groups of these inflict direct damage to your opponent. You each start out with a certain amount of life, and the point of each battle is to drain the life from your opponent.

Skulls aren't your only weapon. You also have a set of spells to cast, and each color gem that you can match will clear them from the board and add you your mana. As gems are removed, the remaining gems fall into place and new gems are added to the top. There are also gems for experiences as well as coins to add to your wealth.

With the experience, you gain levels which you can set for various aspects of your character, ie bonuses to mana, gold, etc. You also obtain access to new spell to bring to battle. The gold allows you to buy items that you equip and have certain effects during battle.

There are also special challenges for obtaining mounts, in the form of puzzles with no enemy, but you need to clear the field of gems. Mounts give you advantages in battle or on the world map.

The battles are addictive, and you will find that you want to play just... one.. more.. and if someone is in the room with you, they'll most certainly demand their own turn. If you can agree to share and take turns, this game is great in pairs and leads to plenty of good natured backseat gaming.

Graphics:
Very simple here, and that's all the game calls for.

Music/Sound:
The game has a decent soundtrack, but it can get repetitive. You can control the volume and just play songs you have on the Xbox 360 hard drive while playing instead. The sounds match the effects well and add a little excitement to the battles.

Replayability:
There's around 30 hours of playtime for one play through, but you can easily find reason to play more with other character classes, or by playing against other people online. Also, this game is easy to pick up months after you finally get bored with it, and you're sucked right back into it.

Overall, Puzzle Quest is an awesome game. When you consider the price, and then consider the thousands of full-priced games that are vastly inferior to Puzzle Quest, it's a no-brainer.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/14/08, Updated 01/14/09

Game Release: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (US, 10/10/07)