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Puzzle Quest
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords delivers classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good vs. evil. Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Match skull tiles to inflict damage on other players or use your matches to earn money, experience and manna for spells. You can use your new found wealth to buy helms, weapons, armor and more! Puzzle Quest...it's like nothing you have played before!
A puzzle game with RPG elements? Why, that sounds pretty addictive.
I'm going to begin by simply stating that this must be the most satisfying, addictive and deep game available to download from Reflexive Arcade. If you're wondering what to play, and you consider yourself a gamer, then this would be it.
Puzzle Quest is a match-3 mechanic puzzle game in an RPG shell. You choose one of 4 classes, you fight monsters and level up, buy items and so forth, but the core combat (and several non-combat aspects) revolves around a Bejeweled style grid, on which you switch adjacent tokens in an attempt to create matches. Unlike most games that utilize this concept, speed is unimportant, and thinking through a move can pay huge dividends.
Combat is turn-based, but both you and your opponent play on the same grid. As such, you can influence the board to the enemy's detriment, and missing a good move will cost you dearly. Matching 3 skull tokens causes 3 damage, but other tokens matching will give you mana of the corresponding colour, or bonus experience, or gold. As your character progresses in levels, more spells become available to cast with the specific mana accrued during a fight. The spells are very varied and fun to use, with effects ranging from simple damage or cursing/buffing effects to radically changing the puzzle board. You'll choose your spells carefully, and they will define your strategy in battles.
So, the combat is deeper that one might imagine, but Puzzle Quest offers significantly more than endless fighting. Within a short time you can begin to capture enemies or beasts to ride (both giving you a bonus spell to cast), forge items using optionally acquired 'shards', or capture cities for tax income. Each of these actions uses a unique spin on the standard puzzle rules to challenge you in new ways, but very little in Puzzle Quest is mandatory. It's also a rare case of a game that can be played for a short period or for a marathon session.
The core puzzle game is great, and the world is huge. Play this game.
This review has an average score of 5 - Based on 2 ratings Login to rate this review
ottyott's Review - July 29, 2008
Full Version (PC)
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Best casual game ever. Period.
This is the best casual game ever released. Period. It has been out since last year and it is so good to see Reflexive finally get it. It has been out for Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, Xbox 360, PC, and cell phones. Games For Windows Magazine rated it a perfect 10 out of 10.
When I played through this game the first time it took me 50 hours to finish it. The game is so replayable, that you can always start again with a different character and play it with all new strategies and spells.
So what is Puzzle Quest? It is a surprisingly in-depth and nuanced match-3 game filled with all sorts of new strategies. the match-3 game is actually just the battle engine in a full RPG (role playing game). You have to think several moves ahead to prevent your opponents from getting the matches they need to defeat you. You can play with brute force or go the magic route and try to collect the mana you need to cast devastating spells.
I could go on and on about this game. It's not only the best casual game I have ever played, but it is right up there with the best games ever to grace a computer. Why? Well, for one thing it was developed by the same company that made the Warlords games on the PC, some of the best fantasy strategy games ever made. they have successfully taken their brand of in-depth and entertaining strategy/rpg gameplay and fused it with a supercharged and addictive version of Bejeweled.
Be prepared. This is NOT an easy game. You will best be served by spending a lot of time leveling up your character and learning how to use all of your spells effectively. But it is well worth the effort! You will love this game if you haven't already played it on one of the game consoles or handhelds. And of all those versions, this one is by far the best looking and best balanced gameplay. You can even play your friends online or over a network.
This review has an average score of 4.3 - Based on 33 ratings Login to rate this review
djura984's Review - July 30, 2008
Demo Version (PC)
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Perfect, perfect, perfect
Hi,this is my first review so far.Why?Because none of other games didn't keep my playing and playing, until this one.
This is the most beautiful 3 match game I've ever played. It have all: perfect gameplay, perfect sound, perfect story, it's not so easy so you can't complete it in a few hours. This is no end game, because creatures keeps summoning and summoning,and that is great.You have many ways to improve your character, so it's some kind like RPG games.
Like I said, sound is perfect, it's not annoying. Your ears will like it.
Graphic - perfect. It doesn't 3D, and it don't need to be.
In the end, this game is worth buying, even if you don't like 3 match games, this game is more then simply 3 match game.
Perfect,perfect,perfect.
This review has an average score of 3.8 - Based on 14 ratings Login to rate this review
Forged items are generally the best equipments (it depends on your hero class, though). Using Rune of Axe and Rune of Shield with Rune of Plague, you can forge powerful weapons and shields which can inflict diseases while you do damage.
1. Spells that destroy certain types of gems
2. Spells that change certain types of gems into another
3. Death Gaze
...click to reveal spoiler...
Recommended Mount:
Giant rat is a slow mount, and provides you with an important Cunning bonus, so it is a very good mount for early levels. For middle to end game I use Dragon Spider which has a very powerful direct damage spell - breathe fire and add fire mastery.
Think carefully what you choose when quest has split.
Example:king's daughter needs to merry some kind of lord but she doesnt want it and you must escort her to wedding.
And there are 2 things you can do:
1)take her to other town.
2)obey king and take her to wedding
So it is hard choice.I took example from game so these are rewards:
1)you get 2500 gold,queens ring and her as companion.
2)you get nothing.
...click to reveal spoiler...
Another example is the first that happened in game for me:
You captured skeleton socrecer with your friend undead hunter(forgot his name) and he tells you to take him to some kind of keep where knights live.(undead hunter cant come with you cause he is banished) While you travel evil skel socrecer tells you to take him back to his castle and says he will give you artifact sword and info about undead invasion.
You again have 2 choices...
1)help skel socrecer
2)do what undead hunter says
Rewards:
1)i dont know but i think skel socrecer will give you sword and tell info about undead invasion.
2)you will get undead hunter as companion.(Even if skel socrecer will give good reward i suggest companion cause companions give good passive effect)
For all of you who speaks german, spanish french or italian and want to play the game in your language, do as followed:
right click the game icon (on the desktop or startmenu) and select property.
add to the text in "target" (it's where the executable is written)
'-GERMAN', '-SPANISH', '-FRENCH' or '-ITALIAN' (without the ' and seperated by a blank)
This will translate the text in the game to the corresponing language.
Example: (Default installation)
Game Icon points to: "c:\program files\puzzle quest\puzzle quest.exe" make it
"c:\program files\puzzle quest\puzzle quest.exe" -FRENCH
in order to play the game in french.
try to edit lua/xml files at assets with notepad. you can increase XP, Gold rewards for quests, giving bonuses for items (i gave +20 dmg at my mirror armor), changing capture puzzles, monsters details, spells like editing manas, cooldown times etc.
The four classes have completely different play style: Druid uses their spells to change the board; Knight takes advantage of purple stars; Warrior and Wizard deals direct damage.
