Thursday April 9, 2009
A galaxy of puzzles
PEW PEW LASERS : The PC version offers better graphics but the core gameplay mechanics remain the same across the different platforms. Lasers, aliens and ... hexagonal puzzle tiles? You’ve just teleported into the universe of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix which mixes puzzle-based gameplay with a sci-fi role-playing game.
By SHAUN A. NOORDIN
IF YOU didn’t get a chance to play 2007’s Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords, man, you missed out on a great game!
The first Puzzle Quest was an innovative and addictive puzzle/fantasy RPG, where everything from battles to crafting items were executed through Bejeweled-like puzzles.
As a big Puzzle Quest fan, I had big expectations for its younger sibling, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix.
Galactrix takes the Puzzle Quest series into outer space for a sci-fi adventure, replacing orcs with aliens and replacing the square tiles of its original puzzle system with hexagonal ones.
While the game’s available for the Nintendo DS, PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation3, this review’s for my fellow Nintendo gamers.
Space hex
Galactrix takes place in the future where mankind has colonised the stars, and four mega-corporations have risen above the other factions to rule the galaxy.
ASK FOR DIRECTIONS: The space map lets you visit different star systems to say hi to alien civilisations, strip mine their natural resources and raid their ships. You play a young starship pilot who’s sent to investigate a series of incidents which eventually reveal an enemy that plans to destroy mankind.
I can’t say anything really good or bad about Galactrix’s mission-based main storyline, because it feels like standard sci-fi fare.
It gives a good backdrop for the gameplay, but to be honest I was too gleefully engrossed in completing all the optional side missions to pay much attention. (Hey, it’s not as if the fate of mankind can’t wait until I finish levelling up.)
The core gameplay of Galactrix is the puzzle-based combat system, where the goal is to deplete the enemy ship’s hull points.
You and your enemy take turns matching tiles of three or more on a hexagonal grid, which gives the plain old Bejeweled mechanic a nice twist.
Tiles can be moved in six directions, and new tiles don’t fall from the top of the screen, but in the direction of the first tile you moved.
Matching red/yellow/green tiles give you energy to power your weapons.
Weapons do anything from blowing up selected tiles to making an opponent miss his/her turn.
Matching the numbered mine (bomb) tiles causes direct damage. Blue tiles recharge your shields, which protect your hull until it’s depleted.
PIMP MY SPACE RIDE: You can customise your ship(s) with different weapons to increase your combat effectiveness, or to impress those space ladies. White tiles give you intel (experience points) while purple tiles give you Psi points.
If that sounds confusing, don’t worry, the basic gameplay mechanics are actually pretty simple to understand.
The challenging — and fun — part is when you start to customise your ship with different weapon load-outs, creating interesting strategies to defeat the diverse array of enemy ships.
Mini-games
Fortunately, life in space isn’t just about meeting exciting new alien cultures and shooting them with lasers.
Galactrix offers a few mini-games (which use the same hexagonal grid, but with different gameplay twists) that are just as addictive as the ship battles.
The mining mini-game, where you match as many resource tiles before you lock the board (run out of valid moves), lets you gain commodities from asteroids.
The crafting mini-game lets you use these commodities to create new weapons, assuming you’re skilled enough to “refine” a requisite number of coloured tiles.
Certain star systems feature shops selling weapons and new ships, and if you do a good job at the haggling mini-game — where you have to clear all 55 gems on the board — you’ll earn yourself a good discount.
If you want to learn more about the backstory of Galactrix, you’ll have to be good at the rumour gathering mini-game where the challenge is to survive a number of rounds without accidentally clearing any of the nuke tiles.
There’s also the multiplayer mode which lets you challenge a friend, assuming you both have a copy of Galactrix and are in the same room.
Remember, this means you’re within physical punching range of one another, so don’t bully your friend’s puny MRI Blade ship with your overpowered Trident Battleship.
Problems in engineering
Unfortunately, there are some serious flaws with Galactrix that stops this ambitious game from taking its place among the stars.
The occasionally inaccurate touchscreen input didn’t bother me that much, especially since it improved once I replaced my screen protector. The loading screens on the other hand, oh boy.
Doing anything in the game requires you to sit through a loading screen, and this really kills the casual gameplay vibes. Jumping to a new system? Loading screen.
Get intercepted by pirates? Loading screen. Check your inventory? Loading screen! Argh!
This problem is exacerbated by the “leap gate” hacking mini-game.
To travel to a neighbouring star system, you’ll have to first unlock the leap gate by matching a sequence of coloured gems within a time limit.
Some of my friends enjoyed the challenge, but since I’m an impatient guy this felt like I had to pick the lock of every door leading to my toilet when I have diarrhoea.
Oh, there’s also a faction/reputation system, but it’s a bit odd.
Factions that dislike you (say, maybe because you blew up their ships) will attack you whenever you pass through their star systems, but their shops will still sell you weapons which you can promptly use against more of their own ships. Uhh, hooray capitalism?
Conclusion
While I really enjoyed playing Galactrix on the Nintendo DS, I’d recommend that you play Challenge Of The Warlords first if you can get your hands on a copy.
Or if you have a PC, download the demo from tinyurl.com/2x3w4t or play the online demo at www.playpuzzlequestgalactrix.com. Puzzle Quest: Galactrix for the DS gives you a whole new universe of innovative gameplay and puzzle-based fun, but its flaws puts it light years away from perfection.
Pros: Innovative and enjoyable blend of puzzles and space adventure; different mini-games keeps players of every species occupied.
Cons: Loading screens; the leap gate system (for some); loading screens to infinity and beyond.
PUZZLE QUEST: GALACTRIX
(Infinite Interactive/D3Publisher)
Puzzle/adventure game for Nintendo DS
Websites: www.infinite-interactive.com
Price: US$34.90 (RM125)
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