Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

QUICK TAKE:
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (Nintendo DS)

The first time you play it, you won't get what all the fuss is about. The second time, you might even get a headache. But by the third time you sit down with Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, you'll be leveling up your character, capturing strange beasts, and purchasing heavy weapons. All in a game with its roots in Bejeweled.

Make that Bejeweled meets Final Fantasy. In what can only be called a genre all its own, Puzzle Quest has you traveling from village to village accepting quests to conquer dragons and orcs and a host of other nasties. But instead of simply following the tired RPG gameplay formula, Puzzle Quest drops you into a Bejeweled-like grid in which you'll try to match skulls to inflict damage on your enemy or combine like-colored stones to cast spells you acquire along your quest.

So what's the big deal? Combining the best of the RPG and puzzle game genres has resulted in one of the most addictive games we've ever played. Since Puzzle Quest is a puzzle game at its core, you'll pick it up thinking you'll just kill 10 or 15 minutes, but you'll soon find yourself accepting quest after quest, battling beast after beast in hopes of capturing that giant spider or scorpion and training it as your mount.

We've been playing the Nintendo DS version of Puzzle Quest, but it's also out on PSP. The PSP version is graphically more impressive, with pretty animations that shame the spartan DS version, but we can't imagine giving up the easy-to-use touch-screen controls.

Don't believe that Puzzle Quest could be this good? Check out the user reviews at Amazon.com. It was getting all 5-star reviews the last time we checked.

THE DIGITALBEAT.COM SCORE: 9 out of 10

PRESS RELEASE:
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (Nintendo DS)

from publisher D3, February 12, 2007:

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a brand new, genre-bending title that ups the ante on traditional puzzle games by incorporating strategy, role-playing elements and a persistent storyline.

Set in the Warlords universe, the game challenges players to save the land of Etheria from evil Lord Bane as gamers engage in battles fought by means of competitive, head-to-head "match-three" style puzzle games in one of three gameplay modes: Single-player, Instant Action or Multiplayer.

Victory will advance a player's customisable hero, magical arsenal, creature companions and more—ultimately rewarding gamers at nearly every turn and deepening their immersion into the richly diverse world.

The game's remarkable mix of classic puzzle gameplay and an abundant suite of characters, customisations, spells, companions, tameable monsters and more provides a fresh take on the puzzle genre that offers endless hours of replayability.

Designed specifically for handheld gaming systems, Puzzle Quest can be enjoyed in long or short doses, cultivating a casual but deeply satisfying and compelling gameplay experience.

Features

* Innovative Gameplay Style – Strategy and role-playing elements that function harmoniously in the puzzle gameboard setting offer a refreshing twist on classic puzzle gameplay, fostering an exceptional depth of investment and enjoyment.
* Head-to-Head Gameplay Mechanism – Competitive, turn-based gameplay encourages you to plan, think and strategize against opponents instead of just react like most traditional puzzle games; game difficulty and progression are related to outsmarting your enemies as opposed to difficulty increasing solely through level progression.
* No Penalty for Losing – If you experience defeat, you are still awarded experience points as well as partial gold and then encouraged to try again; this allows constant progression and avoids any feelings that invested play time is wasted.
* Continuous Reward System – At every turn, you will acquire helpful companions, collect or cast powerful magic spells, gather informational "rumours," and obtain items like weapons, armour and money to advance your hero.
* Short- or Long-term Play Sessions– Play in long or short doses since the depth of the game does not waver according to the length of a gameplay session; each battle ranges from 3-10 minutes.
* Create and Build a Hero – Choose from two male and two female avatars in each of the four character classes—Druid, Knight, Warrior and Wizard—to create, develop and customise your ultimate hero.
* Build Your Own Empire – Build an empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle.
* Three Distinct Gameplay Modes Offer Unparalleled Replayability
* – Single-player: Battle against the computer AI as you embark on more than 150 challenging quests
* Instant Action: Jump in and immediately play continuous battles to level up your character without participating in quests
* Multiplayer: Battle live opponents via wireless connectivity on both the PSP (PlayStationPortable) system and the Nintendo DS handheld system

REVIEW ROUND-UP:
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (Nintendo DS)
Amazon User Reviews: Puzzle Quest - Challenge of the Warlords
1up Review: Puzzle Quest - Challenge of the Warlords

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

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