Puzzle Quest: Galactrix Impressions

[Boomerang Flash Z]

Well, I picked up the copy of the sequal and I'm still in the beginning stages of the game.  However, the game is drastically different than that of the prequal.

How so?  Well, here is the lowdown:

-Upon selecting a hero you can choose between genders.  However, you cannot change portraits.  So you are stuck with the person that is being displayed.  Which is a let down.  Name changes can be randomly generated or typed in also.

-Since it is the beginning of the game, mostly I'm roaming around doing the sidequests that are not highlighted in yellow.  Yellow "!" and "?" indicate story missions.  Font that is in yellow also represents a story mission.  Like the original Puzzle Quest, the gray/clear font are the sidequest missions.

-The game is different from the original as players have options to choose from when wanting to gain more items.  There are events called Mining, which is similar to basic combat except you are not fighting an enemy.  The player just moves the appropriate symbol to the similar tile and try to get a designated amount of the items that the criteria asks for in the mining process.  However, if you fail, then the mining escapade is over and you lose cargo/items that you have obtained from battles and such.  This game features an "Auto-Save" command, which will save no matter what even if you lose.

-Leapgates.  Okay, this pretty much allows players to warp to various points on a map, which would have been great for the first game.  But the player has to hack the gate first in order to use it.  The challenge on it varies, but it offers some difficulty. 

-Battling is the same.  Except it is setup in more of a hex grid rather than the traditional one.  It is a lot easier to manuever, and you can do diagonal match ups.  Though I am in the beginning, the challenge is not even a factor like the original one was.  Enemy encounter is FAR less than the first and whenever an encounter appears, there is a time limit on the enemy before it goes to attack you.

-The sound is not as loud on the DS, even with it maxed out.

So the game has some downfalls, but the story is trying to entice players with the mysterious villain that randomly shows up in a cutscene.   We shall see how the game plays out from there.  I'm a fan of the first game and it is too early to offer an opinion on it.

[MeshGearFox]

It doesn't work on my computer. Apparently it requires hardware T&L for the sprites to show up.

[Lard]

Does this count as an RPG?

[Tooker]

According to our site's definition, the first one didn't, so I doubt the sequel will either.  According to my own personal definition, though, the first one was, and I don't know enough about this one to say. :D

[Lard]

Just asking, not trying to raise a big stink.

[Boomerang Flash Z]

(Droops head in defeat)  Oh crud!  I was under the impression that it was an RPG.  No wonder the game does not feel like one.

(Sigh).  My apologies, everyone.

[Tooker]

Just asking, not trying to raise a big stink.

np - no stink raised.  And hey, most of us also like games that aren't RPGs, too.  :)

[Boomerang Flash Z]

Hacking Leapgates are annoying!

Thank you D-Rider for moving the topic!

[John]

I am supremely disappointed with the touchscreen interface in the DS version.  It is super buggy.

[Boomerang Flash Z]

The game is disappointing too me so far.  I don't want to say I had high expectations for it, but the first game was better.  The characters don't interest me and the tedious motion of hacking leapgates is hurting my playing experience.  At least in Puzzle Quest you would just fight an enemy and move on.

But perhaps the game will get better in time. I hope at least.  I agree about the DS controls having a problem.  It is not as smooth as I would like it to be.

[Boomerang Flash Z]

(Sigh) I give up.  I tried, but the game just does not compare to the original.  The whole gameplay setup is boring and annoying.  Plus, the characters don't interest me enough to make me care about the story.  I didn't get very far in the game.  Hopefully, the game gets better for those that have the game and managed to trudge through the ridiculous leapgate system.

[Boomerang Flash Z]

Some reviews have gamers expressing the same pains as I had.  But there are others that enjoy the game.  Though I am not going to pick it up again.  I hope players that do traverse the galaxy of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix have a good experience with it.  Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for me.

[D-Rider]

Man, this game is boring.  I loved Puzzle Quest to death, but this thing is as dull as is humanly possible.  It really could have used a class system along the lines of the first game instead of buying all your various special moves.  I never would have thought Puzzle Quest could be dumbed down, but that's exactly what happened. :P

[Solas]

Man, this game is boring.  I loved Puzzle Quest to death, but this thing is as dull as is humanly possible.  It really could have used a class system along the lines of the first game instead of buying all your various special moves.  I never would have thought Puzzle Quest could be dumbed down, but that's exactly what happened. :P

Yeah, I agree. Galatrix is just... meh... while puzzle quest was kinda awesome (until random battles were everywhere)

[Tooker]

Yep, tried it out and had the exact same feeling.  Not a horrible game or anything, just boring.  And for some reason, I can't get my brain to accommodate the way the pieces slide in.  I understand how it works, but can't think through to really predict what's going to happen when I slide the pieces.