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f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  Gaming  |  But is it Fun?  |  Topic: Puzzle Quest 2 - Infinite Interactive - PC 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
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Author Topic: Puzzle Quest 2 - Infinite Interactive - PC  (Read 4145 times)
Paelos
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on: August 15, 2010, 08:27:22 AM

Ok, I'll preface this by saying that if you haven't played Puzzle Quest, go out and buy it because it's awesome. I'm not going to tell you about the game mechanics, because if you want to play this game, you should play the original first. However, I will go into what changes they've made for the sequel, and if it's a worthy successor to the Puzzle Quest title.

For starters, they've changed from a map to an overhead view of your character ala Diablo or Torchlight. You interact with monsters or questgivers by clicking on them and bringing up menu options. You are NOT free to move about the screen on your own, however. Everything you do is done through clicks on either people, or arrows directing you to the next location. This change is actually a decent one, because it gets rid of the random pop-up encounters you had on the old map in favor of a more "dungeon crawler" type experience. It also adds something for explorer/completionist types would like to make sure they've looked in every room. A mini-map keeps track of where your quest givers and objectives are with the now-standard ! ? icons, and portals open up to zoom between the town and levels when you complete large objectives.

Loot has been overhauled. Items are obtained through a 5 icon loot minigame, so the better you are the more shit you can grab after a kill. Items follow the color system of terms of hierarchy, and lower level items can be upgraded in power through collecting crafting pieces in fights and exchanging them with the blacksmith in town. Weapons also play a much bigger part in this game. During the puzzles you collect fist icons to gain action points. When you have enough action points, you can forgo a turn and select your weapon to attack your opponent for damage. Your stats can affect how much your hit for, whether it's critical, and if you get hit, your armor can provide blocks which halve incoming damage. In total, the loot system is light years better, and it provides for more distinct play styles than the previous game. I chose to start with a 2h wielding Barbarian, but you can dual wield, sword and board, use staves, etc. all with different action point to damage trade offs, or damage over time components.

There are new mini-games and they are pretty fun distractions from main battles. There is a bash doors game, 2 types of locking picking games, a disable traps game, and an unlocking spells game. Those are in addition to the looting game and a "reveal secrets" game that shows you hidden things in a room. All of them play on the 3 match system with totally different objectives. For example, the disable traps game requires you to match certain numbers of different icons within a turn limit, but you cannot match skull groups or you lose. Also, if you hate one type of the door unlocking games, such as bashing, you don't have to use it to get by. You could play one of the lock picking games instead. The system provides for a lot more distractions in a good way, and more options if you get bored of doing one type of mini-game or you suck at it.

All the changes provide an even better Puzzle Quest experience. Lots of the core game remains unchanged: classes, spells, colored mana, skulls, levels, etc. The key to this game is how you feel about repetition. Battles are battles and you do them a lot. If you enjoy the system like I do, it very much has the one...more...battle effect. If you don't like the gameplay from the original game, or you found that it got old after a while, then this one will get repetitive to you as well. That's why I say you should certainly know the first game well before you delve into this sequel. However, once you do, I think you will find it a worthy buy off Steam for only $20.

Buy it.

CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
Mosesandstick
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Reply #1 on: August 15, 2010, 12:17:34 PM

Thanks for that. Do you still get the "wtf is with the 6 combos in a row" feeling on the higher difficulties for the AI?
Paelos
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Reply #2 on: August 15, 2010, 01:46:22 PM

Actually the AI is interesting. They made it ramp up from easier to harder in terms of recognizing optimal matches as you advance. In the early levels, opponents won't go after 4x combos at every opportunity, and will sometimes miss an obvious skull match. As you go later on, the computer maximizes everything it gets. In terms of ridiculous combos, at times you do get a very WTF moment or two, but it's not very often. The place where I notice the game cheating is on the spells that "convert x color gems into y color gems randomly" where they obviously get more favorably "random" switches that make 4 and 5x combos. The counter to that is you get to organize your spellbook by opponent, and you have much better gear and weapons than most of your opponents.

CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
Rendakor
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Reply #3 on: August 15, 2010, 08:06:19 PM

Thanks, I've been meaning to pick this up for the DS for a while now. Good to hear about all the nice improvements, it should hold me over nicely til EOIII.

"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
Sjofn
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Reply #4 on: August 16, 2010, 03:59:34 PM

Something I noticed is that they did away with the random wildcards spawning, and I am so very, very glad it got ditched. It used to piss me off to have a planned cascade fucked up because a wildcard popped up and kept my skull from falling to the right row or whatever.

God Save the Horn Players
Paelos
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Reply #5 on: August 16, 2010, 08:00:10 PM

Yeah wildcards just spawn when you get 5x combos I believe. I am noticing a gap between the early fights and the middle fights. Before you get the really awesome spells at 40 and 50, you have to go through some long battles in the 30s. Perhaps other classes play out differently than the barbarian in terms of leveling. The time between levels doesn't really change, just the time of the actual battles due to high hitpoints and lower scaling damage.

CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
pxib
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Reply #6 on: August 24, 2010, 12:02:39 PM

I want to second everything Paelos said. If you liked Puzzle Quest, this is everything Galactrix and Puzzle Kingdoms should have been. The original game, with almost everything that was awkward, arbitrary or unpolished improved. I'm especially impressed with the lack (so far) of ridiculously unbalanced abilities or combos. Somebody may have spent a few hours doing game balance.

if at last you do succeed, never try again
Paelos
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Reply #7 on: August 24, 2010, 12:29:28 PM

Barbarians past 40 pretty much own everything in the face if you can get yourself a good weapon and spec 10 levels into blue and purple mana instead of just pure red. At that point, you get a Destroyer ability which adds 50 action points for 12 r/b/p mana combined. Stack up to 150 action points, strap on a 30 AP 2H weapon that does 40 damage, activate Backswing (50% weapon damage ability), and start hitting for 60 and critting for 120. Nothing can survive that onslaught typically if they can't beat you down fast enough or lock you out of certain mana types.

CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
pxib
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Reply #8 on: August 24, 2010, 02:45:48 PM

Well yes. But it's fun to kick ass at high levels. I was mainly concerned about the early combos that show up in Galactrix and Kingdoms. Galactrix was particularly bad because that perfect combo is simply an improved version of what the first enemy ship you encounter is doing... badly, because the AI sucked. The length of time I've been playing PQ2 and feeling like I genuinely had to consider what moves I made (what resources I need, which ones I want to deprive the enemy of) rather than simply abusing the system makes me happy.

if at last you do succeed, never try again
Paelos
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Posts: 27075

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Reply #9 on: August 24, 2010, 05:26:06 PM

Yes, you do have to be smart about what to do depending on the enemy. Sometimes you just know that giving them a certain type of mana will spell your doom, even if it's irrelevant to your own spellcasting.

CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
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