Puzzle Quest 2 Reviews
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Well, the aesthetic changes have spoiled things somewhat. The attractive isometric map is clunky to navigate with your pseudo-3D character, and you don't get a sense of the scale of the game world. A decent script is ruined by lame sound bites for each character, and the revamped top screen makes it harder to see how much mana you've collected in battle. Another battle-related gripe is that you now have to pull up a menu to see how much mana you need for each spell, which slows things down a little.GamesRadar 8/10.
These may sound like minor problems but they've made Puzzle Quest feel a bit laborious, which is a shame when the core game has actually been improved. Also, with Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes lighting up our lives, the Quest formula feels a little tired. But we'll give it an extra point for the inclusion of an evil gelatinous cube.Extreme Gamer 8.6/10.
'Puzzle Quest 2' is a true sequel that improves on the original while keeping all the aspects that made the original a hit. 1200 MS points is a small price to play for a game that will virtually last forever. I am still playing the original '˜Puzzle Quest' years later, which is a testament to the quality and addictive nature of this extraordinary mash-up. If you like gem-styled matching games and want something more out of your average match-up, 'Puzzle Quest 2' is a safe bet.Gaming Trend 79/100.
One of the most prevalent new wrinkles in PQ2 is the addition of weapon attacks, which are gained by matching 3 or more hammer icons to gain Action Points. Once you gain enough Action Points, you can spend a turn unleashing an attack from your equipped weapon, which typically causes direct damage to your opponent. My guess is that these weapon attacks were intended to be used sparingly, but the frequency of action points available causes most matches to devolve into both players hoarding their action points, then unleashing a barrage of damaging attacks. It takes some of the intrigue out of the battles when you know your opponent can drop an avalanche of damage on you at any given moment late in combat. This becomes even more glaring when the typically brain-dead AI could finish you off in one or two very obvious attacks, but chooses instead to dink around making more matches instead of closing the deal.Gaming Bits 4.25/5.
Artistically, Puzzle Quest 2 is a bit generic, but the enemies seem to have a differing amount of powers and weapons. The problem here is that they all don't seem to play that much differently. I found myself just determining what type of gems they needed and blocking them from getting them. The worst part about the AI was the way that they seemed to get 4-of-a-kind combos much more frequently than me. This is especially true when performing the combo suggested by the computer. I could not tell if that was a consequence of using that help, but I just ignored it later on in the main story.NerdMentality no score.
The best thing about this game though is it's pausability factor. I don't know about too many other people, but I'm a busy girl and don't really have the time anymore to devote endless hours back to back to a game in order to play through it. Games that you can play for ten minutes or so, put down, do stuff in the real world, and then be able to jump right back into are really fantastic. Whether it be waiting for your name to be called in a doctor's office, the train/bus ride to work, in between commercials, etc., we live in a world full of waiting and simple games like this can really help not only get your mind off everything, but gives you something to keep your mind active while breaking up the doldrums for a few minutes at a time. All in all, I'd say that Puzzle Quest 2 is a solid, fun game, upgraded from the original in just enough ways to keep things interesting, while keeping all of the good elements and improving upon them.Extreme Gamer 8.6/10.
Continuing on with the changes, a few additional gem-matching mini-games been added to your endeavor, or simply as a fun diversion outside of your campaign. These include matching gems to bust down doors, loot treasure and more. The basics are the same as the normal gem-collecting action, however the add some extra flavour that helps keep things fresh. Treasure mini-games are especially fun because you know you are earning some coin while playing, and better yet, you can unlock some rare items to help give you an edge on the battlefield. It's not rocket science, but it works to make 'Puzzle Quest 2' more diverse then the original.
