Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

  • Summary: [Xbox Live Arcade] Designed specifically to entertain both casual and hardcore gamers with its deep immersion, five to fifteen minute play sessions and turn-based play style, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords incorporates strategy, role-playing elements and a persistent storyline in a puzzle board setting. Set in the Warlords universe, the game challenges players to create, develop and customize the ultimate hero in order to save the land of Etheria from evil Lord Bane. To advance their character, players battle in turn-based, head-to-head "match-three" style puzzle games in one of three distinct gameplay modes: Single-player allows gamers to battle against the AI as they embark on over 150 challenging quests, Instant Action allows gamers to jump in and immediately play continuous battles to level-up characters without participating in quests, and Multiplayer allows gamers to battle live opponents. Victory will advance the player’s hero, magical arsenal, creature companions and more - ultimately rewarding gamers at nearly every turn and providing endless hours of replayability. [D3Publisher of America] Collapse
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 29
  2. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. 95
    Anyone with even a passing interest in puzzle or role-playing games should take a long hard look at this endlessly addictive gem. Chances are that within an hour of downloading the trial version you'll be looking to purchase it.
  2. Puzzle Quest reinvents the puzzle genre with its unique RPG laden gameplay. It is the kind of game that will need its own support group to assist all the addicted in the near future.
  3. Somehow, the developers managed to take two distinct and different genres and blend them together into a seamless and wholly entertaining experience.
  4. A bit pricey for a game so close to "Bejeweled," but the RPG element genuinely adds to the package. [Christmas 2007, p.98]

See all 29 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. ThePuzzler
    10
    If you like puzzle games at all, you have to pick this up right away. And if you like RPGs, it's even better. It's simply fun to play.
  2. ThomasG.
    10
    This game is so addictive that I find it impossible to put down. The ingeniousness of the match 3 gameplay coupled with a bucket of good old RPG grind is a sure hit. Expand
  3. PhilC.
    7
    This is addictive, but it gets repetitive. While there are a lot of options in terms of 'spells' and 'mounts' and so on, the game amounts to an addictive puzzle game made to feel more significant by adding on a story and basic modifiers that affect how the puzzle game plays out. It gets frustrating once you realise that every new element, be it a spell or new companion, just adds another twist to the same basic puzzle game. I'm far in and it's getting very frustrating to have to 'fight' against the most basic monsters that just appear randomly on the map. My feeling is that a sequel will have to emphasise the human element. Perhaps a puzzle quest MMO? Now that would be interesting. Expand
  4. RegnorV.
    2
    My wife and I bought this game based on the advertised feature on the download screen: "features Co-op multiplay over Xbox Live". As good as the game might be, it does *not* have this feature and is falsely advertised. I don't know how many people are going to download it and find out that this promised feature isn't there, and then not doing anything about it, but at 1200 points, the highest price I've ever paid for an XBLA game (not to mention two copies), it's ridiculous that they fail to deliver a promised feature. They have what, a couple of paragraphs to describe their product, and of all the hundreds of things they can say about their game, they choose to say something that just isn't true? Getting two refunds tomorrow. Expand

See all 13 User Reviews