I'm not a huge puzzle game fan, but I couldn't help but check out Puzzle Quest after seeing so much positive feedback last year. This is easily one of the best PSP games I've played and a consistently fun, addicting experience.
The basic Bejeweled-style puzzle game takes on a great twist with you playing as one of four traditional RPG classes -- druid, mage, warrior or knight (paladin). Each class gets perks via stats and spells that encourage you to actually play the game in a style traditionally attached to those classes. As a knight, you'll be playing a defensive game of attrition. As a mage, it's all-out damage burst as fast as possible.
The game fleshes out a surprising number of RPG conceits -- there's weapon and gear crafting, taming pets, learning spells from captives, forming parties with companions. This is by no means a one-trick pony. When you hear this game is a RPG/puzzle blend, that's the honest truth. This is a deep RPG statistical system that will remind more of World of Warcraft than anything else.
Another commonality with WoW is that Puzzle Quest is insanely addictive while being easy to play in short bursts. Play one fight on the bus, on the subway, in bed before going to sleep -- there's always one more quick fight to play and new spells to unlock and stats to build on your character.
There's even a storyline that won't make you squeamish. It's typical fantasy stuff -- defend this, escort that, fetch this, vanquish that -- but it never insults your intelligence or drifts into embarrassing cliches. Perfectly solid in the 20-some hours I've played so far.
I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of Puzzle Quest, which is remarkable considering the brief scope of so many portable games. If you have even the slightest interest in RPGs, either the tactical power-gaming side or just for the atmosphere and storylines, you owe it to yourself to get hooked on Puzzle Quest. At least for a little while.
