Puzzle Quest is a great and addicting RPG/Puzzle game that every DS owner should add to there collection.
Battles take place on the bottom screen with your character and enemy on the top and they are turn based with each person taking turns matching pieces. All you really do is play Bejeweled but instead of jewels on screen there are orbs, skulls, and purple stars.
Orbs are in a variety of different colors ranging from red to yellow, matching 3 of a kind will give you a certain amount of power for that color. For instance red is fire, blue is water, and so on. Spells require a certain amount of each color before you can cast them.
If you match skulls you do direct damage to your opponent. Sometimes there will be red pulsating skulls that when matched to a considerable more amount of damage. And matching the purple stars will give you experience points.
The whole concept of the game is simple but there is a lot of depth to be had. As you travel around the map, by tapping the towns and castles on the bottom screen, you'll run into fights, pick up side quests, get new party members, and even train mounts that range from griffins to giant spiders. The game also has a story that is very interesting and well written. The story is somewhat of a mystery because the undead and orcs are becoming more vicious that usual and it seems as if they're teaming up to take over the land. As the secrets are revealed new ones are thrown at your making a great story that will grip you keep you wanting to truck forward.
While the game is as fun as it is, it does have it's share of problems. Sometimes the AI seems a little TOO smart and will get endless combos making their turns last forever and some fights will end in defeat without you getting a single turn in. There are also audio glitches with the sound popping and coming out at a low bit rate. The game also has a tendency to lock up on occasion. All in all Puzzle Quest has a lot to offer to the RPG fanatic and if your looking for a puzzle game for your DS this is a perfect choice. You'll just get the privilege of playing an RPG. It will also take you a very long time to finish with it running up to almost 30 to 40 hours in length.
I give Puzzle Quest an 8.5 out of 10 because it's a great RPG and puzzle game that's dangerously addictive, but it does have some glaring problems that should be fixed in a sequel. This is a game you should pick up without hesitation.