WP reports:
''Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords was one of those games that slipped under the radar. Released for the DS and PSP, not a lot of people paid attention to it until they actually got a chance to play it. Once they did, they found that Puzzle Quest was one of the most unbelievably addicting games to come out in the past few years, mixing a well-designed and enjoyable puzzle element with the fun of building up an RPG character. Even nagging problems like a fairly consistent freezing glitch and a slightly cheating AI couldn't reduce the overall fun of the game, and before long, it was ported to every system under the sun, seeing releases on everything from the PS2 to Xbox Live Arcade. With such an addictive and intelligent game design, it's no wonder that sequels and spin-offs are on the way. While the first sequel Puzzle Quest: Revenge of the Plague Lord is already available on XBLA, gamers' eyes should also be focused on the upcoming sci-fi spin-off, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix.
Galactrix trades in the fantasy for science fiction, but the basic concept is simple enough that Challenge of the Warlords veterans should be able to jump right in. You're placed in control of a novice pilot who is sent to investigate a mysterious set of experiments being performed by an ubercorporation, and you must do so by traveling to multiple solar systems and following the path of the information you find. You begin in a dinky ship in a small planetary system, but as you travel from planet to planet, you'll find new information and new paths to other solar systems. Along the way, you'll be getting into a lot of fights because there are pirates, mercenaries and other ne'er-do-wells who have made it their goal to stop you from uncovering the truth. You'll have to use your dinky little ship to blow them into space dust.''
Hardcore Gamer: The Puzzle Quest games have been big hits in the digital era and have breathed new life into puzzle games by applying some RPG gameplay mechanics to the genre. Now, instead of spending $10 for the Galactrix and Challenge of the Warlords entries, you can get them both for only $1 each.
In this second of four parts, we discuss how games based purely on luck are little more than immoral cash cows for the people who produce them - and represent some of the worst design choices out there.
In this episode the guys talk about Quantum Conundrum, DayZ, Rainbow Moon, Heroes of Ruin, SCHAR: Blue Shield Alliance, Sushi Castle, About To Blow Up Part 1, Wushi, Grand Slam Tennis 2, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, some news and plenty more.
