Joystiq

Puzzle Quest update to infect XBLA this Wednesday

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-21T23:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle, RPGs

Those jewels you've been collecting are about to get a whole lot more infectious, as D3Publisher announced that its player-christened Puzzle Quest expansion, Revenge of the Plague Lord, will infest Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday, July 23.

Develped by Puzzle Quest devs, Infinite Interactive, the 700 Microsoft Point update will offer a virulent mass of new content, including 25 new quests, 50 new spells, 40 new items, and four new heroes, as well as the ability to build up characters to level 60. In addition, Revenge of the Plague Lord will also add three new Achievements to the popular puzzler, giving us plenty to feed our fever until we look to the skies next year.

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Joystiq E3 hands-on: Puzzle Quest Galactrix

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-07-20T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle, RPGs

Puzzle Quest Galactrix takes the fantasy world of the original Puzzle Quest and injects it with a healthy dose of sci-fi. The "match three" gameplay is still present, as are the RPG elements, and it all comes together in a Puzzle Quest experience for those who prefer interstellar drama over orcs and goblins.

We're going to write the rest of this hands-on with the idea that the reader has played the original Puzzle Quest, because if they haven't, they should go out and rent/buy it right now. For those who played the first Puzzle Quest and didn't like it, Galactrix won't convert them, unless the sci-fi concept is the only thing they felt was missing from the original.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (XBLA/DS/PC)

The main change to Puzzle Quest's gameplay in Galactrix is that the board is hex-based and jewels can be moved in six directions. If the player completes a three+-of-a-kind, then the board will push in from the direction the jewel was shifted -- jewels do not just drop down from the top anymore.

Other changes to the original rules is that 4-of-a-kind now gives a multiplier, 5-of-a-kind adds an extra turn. There are no more wild cards. Also, instead of skulls, there are mine looking symbols with numbers on them. The numbers represent the amount of damage that will be done to the enemy by completing the segment.

Special moves are still exactly where they were in the original game and there will be several classes to choose from at the beginning to determine the type of moves the player will receive.

One of the major components of the game is that you play as a trading vessel, which at this stage is a little awkward because the trading screen doesn't give a sense of the galactic economy. This was actually a point we got stuck on and discussed heavily with the game's producer. The gameplay is still the Puzzle Quest we've come to love, but the economic aspects currently fall flat because there's no way to see where in the galaxy items can be bought low and sold high.

We were also a little confused as to how relationships with the 10-20 factions in the game affected trade relations with us. For example, when we brought up the trading screen, the cost for one type of product lit up in green giving the impression that this item is purchased in this system for a high price ... but, what it really means is that your faction rating is high so trade with the race receives a boost.

The economy of Galactrix, which is significant change from PQ, is something we'd like to understand a lot better than what we could grasp in our 20 minutes with the game. There is also several other side things we didn't have the time to test in detail. Once again, just like Puzzle Quest, Galactrix appears like it's going to deliver a lot of content.

There's still plenty of time for us to get an idea of the changes Galactrix will bring to the PQ formula as the title isn't expected until early 2009. As long as the sci-fi aspect isn't a total turn-off, Galactrix looks to bring a similar addictive RPG/Puzzle experience to fans of this new hybrid genre.

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First Puzzle Quest: Galactrix trailer is rather hexy

Griffin McElroy — 2008-07-13T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle, RPGs

We understand that trailers for puzzle games, even ones with strong RPG elements, aren't exactly titillating. With very few explosions, no dialogue, and the repetitive swapping of multi-hued bricks, the odds are somewhat against them. If you never played the first Puzzle Quest, the above trailer will probably look as bland as eating toast at a Kenny G concert -- however, those who have gemswapped their way through the Challenge of the Warlords understand the fancy-tickling capacity of this debut Puzzle Quest: Galactrix trailer. With looks at the new hex-based gameplay, the massive galaxy the game takes place in, and the new visual aesthetic, this one video should be enough to cause visions of hexagons to dance in your head until the game's Q1 '09 release.

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Help focus test new Puzzle Quest game in LA

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-04-10T19:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Puzzle, RPGs

D3Publisher of America is looking for volunteers to focus test the "next game in the Puzzle Quest franchise." If you live in the Los Angeles area and have played the original Puzzle Quest, contact lisa[at]mindofthegamer[dawt]com and place "Puzzle Quest Research" in the subject line.

Emails must be received by April 18 and participants will be chosen on a first come, first served basis; there will also be screening for "additional criteria." We spoke with a representative who told us participants will be mostly testing Galactrix, a little Revenge of the Plague Lord, and "other" Puzzle Quest related things. Those who score a golden ticket, let us know what you find out.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (XBLA/DS/PC)

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GDC08: Hands almost-on with Puzzle Quest: Galactrix

JC Fletcher — 2008-02-25T20:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle

D3 Publisher's big surprise at GDC this year was the newly rebranded Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, the sci-fi spiritual sequel to the hit Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. We weren't able to play the game -- we were forced to sit tantalizingly close as we watched the PC version of the game (also coming to DS and Xbox Live Arcade) being demonstrated. The new game explores the question "What if people didn't have souls?" in the medium of match-three puzzle games. No, we don't know what that means either.

Enjoy our gallery of spaceship concept art, screenshots, and this thing, and continue past the break for what gameplay details we could glean from the demo.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (XBLA/DS/PC)

Even more obvious than the difference in setting -- which features a power struggle between corporations in space! -- is the difference in gameplay. The familiar Tetris/Bejeweled-like well seen in original screens of Galactrix has been replaced by a hexagon, filled with hexagonal gems. Along with this change in orientation come new gameplay systems. Now, depending on whether the match happens in space or on a planet, gravity has variable effects on the movement of pieces. If you're on a planet (and thus subject to that planet's gravity) new pieces will fall down to fill the void left by captured gems (done by matching three in a line, as usual). In space, the pieces will fall in the direction you moved the matched pieces. Winning a match involves matching numbered gems to do damage to the opponent's shield, and then to their ship. The sum of the numbers on these special gems correspond to the amount of damage done to the shields or ship.

Click for larger image

Much like Challenge of the Warlords, the color of captured gems has an effect on gameplay. Blue gems, for example, recharge your spaceship's shields, while white gems add to your "intel," which is a mysterious stat that affects information-gathering outside of puzzles. Red gems power your ship's weapons, yellow gems provide engine power, and green gems power up your ship's computer. We don't exactly know how these stats work in gameplay. D3 wasn't terribly forthcoming with details! Purple gems add to your "psi power," which is a mysterious power that has some kind of use in minigames.

The player will have the ability (again, details are unknown) to collect spaceship parts and customize the ship in various ways, along with an entire fleet of ships with different weapons. This may involve collecting large stocks of the three ship power gems, or it may be randomly-dropped items found after battles.

The PC and XBLA versions of the game will both have online play, but it is as yet undetermined what kind of online features the DS version will have. We're hoping for "tons."

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Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (re)announced

Ross Miller — 2008-02-23T00:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle, RPGs

We've known a Puzzle Quest sequel was coming out for some time -- turns out, we've known longer than we thought. In April 2007, D3 Publishers announced Galactrix, a "blend of puzzle, RPG, and strategy games" with sci-fi twist. This week at GDC, D3 announced it again (via Gamespot), only this time re-branded as Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. (You can view the old screenshots here.)

The obvious gameplay difference from Puzzle Quest is the hexagonal board, adding to the board's complexity. Galactrix is due out this year for DS, Xbox Live Arcade and PC; a PSP version could not be confirmed.

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