Joystiq E3 hands-on: Puzzle Quest Galactrix
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.
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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.
