Welcome again to Gaming on a Budget, where I try and highlight one game per week that you can get your hands on for under $10. You don't need to have a large budget to get a top notch gaming experience.To quote Monty Python(as I've been known to do from time to time): and now for something completely different! This week we're looking at a game that is quite unlike anything I had played before. I am talking about PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords, available on Steam for $9.99.
PuzzleQuest endeavors to bring together two genres that usually remain firmly on opposite ends of the room, awkwardly looking at their feet to avoid eye contact. These are Puzzle games and RPGs. At first glance, there is little to bind these two together, being so disparate in structure, content and mechanics. But PuzzleQuest manages to fuse them in a way that not only works, but creates a compelling mixture guaranteed to consume your night.
The basic story structure is about as typical as it comes for a traditional RPG. Mysterious kingdom lead by a benevolent monarch, long ago wars, a rising external threat, hero must journey forth to stop it, you've heard it all before. But lets be honest with ourselves, you are not playing a game called PuzzleQuest for a sweeping and rich narrative. So lets talk about mechanics.
The game takes the form of an overworld map, where you follow your quests - both of the main and side variety - across the land. Most quests will consist of one or more scripted 'combat' sections, with other random encounters appearing along the road. Why the quotes around combat? Because this is where the Puzzle Element comes in. Each combat takes the form of a Bejeweled-style puzzle game, where you must make lines of skulls to damage your opponent. Additionally, the lines you create of other items(normally colored tokens) give you different coloured mana, which is used to cast varying spells based on your class and level.
Additionally, as you go through the world, you'll be able to purchase various equipment to augment your combat numbers, and apply experience points to various areas. As you follow your main quest you will also find a number of companion characters who will give you aide in battle(and who's backstories are often far more interesting than the main quest will ever be. The implementation of some focused RPG mechanics offers a large amount of strategic depth and replayability that puzzle games normally lack.
All in all, PuzzleQuest is a unique experience and is well worth your money, especially if you've ever felt an inclination towards puzzle games in the past. Give it a try!
