Puzzle Quest

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=75377


I must say I've been playing this for a while now, and it just gets etterer and betterer. Wrapping an RPG around a sophisticated "bejewelled puzzler" has really got me hooked. Its got all the things ou want in an RPG, levelling, items, quests, taverns and crafting(!), lus its got an RTS-lite style city building aspect. Its quick enough to play on short journeys and involved enough over time to still be of interest, and not just a novelty. I suppose your mileage will depend if you like the "bejewelled match 3 or more style play". The cunning thing is, the four coloured orbs are mana, and you have certain skills/spells you can cast only if you have collected the correct mana to fuel it. Also you only do damage to the enemy you're fighting against, if you match up the skulls, and do your best to prevent setting up your enemy for skull matches. Each opponent seems to have specials of their own, which adds a lot to the change in strategy you have to adopt, making each matching session slightly different. Along with bonus quests where its more like a traditional puzzle, and you have to find the correct solution to clear the map, there are also crafting puzzles where the objective is to take out hammers and anvils, to boost your chances to create a special item. For a surprisingly simple match 3 formula, they've managed to weave a lot of
variations into the mix, and theme it with a good dose of fantasy RPG.