Tons of addictive fun, the stylus only gameplay is annoying at first but becomes an ingenious gameplay mechanism after
You start by creating a very standard fare character amongst 4 types and you play the game as you would any other simple RPG with obtaining quests and gathering gear and fighting mobs. But it's in the way that you fight the battles that makes this little gem unique (I'll defer to the GS review for details).
But the game doesn't end there; you have the ability to create a virtual castle with such addons as the dungeon where you can capture your foes (if you've beaten them 3 times) and then learn their spells. There are other addons as well, but I have not made it that far yet.
You want more in this little package? Exit the game, and you can just do battles (i.e. puzzles). You can pick your foe, scale them to your level, or just let the game pick. And if that wasn't cool enough; any gold or XP you gain from these side battles count toward your main character! Perfect for if you just want to do a puzzle while waiting in line.
The graphics are quite nice, however, I happen to have good eyesight. There is a lot going on and plenty of detail in both of the screens, so if you wear glasses, you'll probably need to wear them. But the colors are bright and there are some basic visual effects.
The sound is nice as well with some actual voices (such things as "quest completed", etc.) The music is interesting, although I have already found it to be repetitive and have started to turn the sound off.
I have one complaint, however, the DS version is absolutely unplayable without using the stylus. this is completely ANNOYING... I happen to hate using the stylus for gameplay and so usually do not use it, however, in Puzzle Quest, you are forced to use it because the buttons/D pad do absolutely nothing. The GS review mentions that this increases mistakes; well, I was fine until riding the train today and ... tons of of mis-strokes due to the jerky ride. So, if you happen to have a PSP, I would probably recommend getting that version.
In short, this is the funnest game I've played in a long time, but the stylus only gameplay distracts significantly.
----------EDIT----------
I wanted to edit this review: I changed my rating of the gameplay from a 6 to a 10 based on the fact that:
1. The stylus gameplay becomes second nature after just a few hours of play, and 2. The stylus actually allows you to choose gems in the puzzle very rapidly; this is essential in some of the higher level puzzles when you are playing against a clock - I can't imagine having to do this using a D-pad to scroll around the grid.
So, Get this Game! It totally "Works"!