Article:
A Preview of Puzzle Quest 2

PAX East 2010 was packed with game developers offering exclusive sneak peaks at many of the upcoming video game releases this year. One such developer was D3Publisher, who is responsible for Puzzle Quest 2. Their team had two play test areas set up on the PAX East expo floor, allowing fans and the media a chance to play a demo. The Puzzle Quest 2 booth was packed throughout the convention, and almost always had a line of eager players. Why? Because Puzzle Quest is an addictive game with a loyal following.

What can users expect from Puzzle Quest 2? The most noticeable change is probably the look of the game itself. The developers have acknowledged that they've strayed away from the more “anime” look of previous iterations.

What are some of the other differences? For one, there is a new fifth mana (purple). Additionally, there are weapons available that take the form of gauntlets in the puzzles. Matching gauntlets earns the player attack power (AP) points. Earn enough AP points, and players can use weapons against the opponent. Another big change is the world map, which now allows players to walk about the cities.

While we were at the Puzzle Quest 2 booth, we caught up with a die hard Puzzle Quest fan, Kristen, who had been eagerly waiting for her chance to play the demo. After she was done, she agreed to talk to us for a bit about her thoughts on the new game.

Alltern8: You said you'd beaten all the Puzzle Quest games and you're a Puzzle Quest fan, what excites you the most about Puzzle Quest 2?

Kristen: I don't know. It's very different. I like the map, it's not like you're just sitting on the world map and just jumping around. It felt more immersive, like you were in the city, and it really felt more interactive in a way. And the gameplay was different. They added more mana, so more spells, and then the gauntlet opens up the weapons, so that's kinda like an extra spell too. So it changed the gameplay a lot.

Alltern8: What do you think about the change in art style? It kinda goes away from the anime style, and they've done something a little bit different. What do you think?