Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition | PlayStation Review

Back in 2007, Puzzle Quest released on PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS. Although I didn’t discover it until it released on Xbox 360 (and other platforms) later that year, I immediately fell in love with it. The game combined two things I love: puzzle games and RPGs, and it did this in brilliant fashion. It spawned several iterations of the game. I even played Puzzle Quest 2 on iOS, which I enjoyed a great deal, but it never quite reached the level of the original for me.

Nearly twenty years later, it’s not as easy to play the game as it once was. Sure, you could fire up the older consoles, but the mobile version of the original has long since been delisted. Thankfully, Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition released last September. Not only does it make the game available on modern platforms, but it also offers updated visuals, all of the DLC, and even an added character and campaign. I’m very happy that this series isn’t dead and that more people can experience it.

You Are Victorious

If you’re not familiar with Puzzle Quest, let me break it down for you. If you’ve ever played match-3 games like Candy Crush or Bejeweled, the core gameplay is very similar. You’re presented with a grid of colored gems, skulls, and stars. Matching three like images causes them to disappear, leaving the remaining gems to fall into the gaps.

The difference here is that the puzzles take the place of one-on-one battles with enemies. When the game board is displayed, you and an enemy each have a number of hit points assigned to you. You and the enemy take turns swapping icons. If you or the enemy match three or more skulls, it causes physical damage to the other’s hit points. Matching colored gems grants you mana points for each of the four elemental gauges available. These points can be spent on magic spells to do direct damage, cause buffs/debuffs, or even manipulate the board in interesting ways to tip the scales in your favor.

You can also match purple stars which grant you additional experience points. Experience and leveling up are key in Puzzle Quest, as the game also offers an in-depth RPG. Not only do you choose a class at the start of your game which grants unique abilities, but you also increase your stats and learn new skills and spells along the way. All of these mechanics are wrapped up in a pretty cookie-cutter story, but it all works together in a perfect harmony of satisfaction.

Quest Complete

Why did I spend so much time explaining a game from two decades ago? Well, the older I get, the more I realize many people haven’t had a chance to experience a lot of games that I did. My hope is that someone reads this and realizes what they’re missing out on.

For those who do have fond memories of this title, I’m happy to report that the updates are very welcome. The game plays exactly the same way, which is exactly what I was hoping for. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” right? What has been changed is mostly cosmetic, but I’m very satisfied with the results. All of the characters, sprites, and map have been updated with visuals that are much crisper than before. The look of the game is still nowhere near realistic-looking, but it doesn’t need to be. I’m just stoked to have access to this classic title on my current hardware.

Additionally, the game offers an entirely new class: the Swordmaster. This class is unique to the Immortal Edition and focuses on martial attacks. So those who exhausted the classes from the original game and its DLC will have something new to look forward to.

Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition Final Verdict

Puzzle Quest is still just as much fun as it was all those years ago. Immortal Edition may offer very little in terms of new content, but for me, the price tag is more than worth it to not have to drag out older hardware.

The only real downside is that the game isn’t available on mobile devices. That would make me absolutely ecstatic, and I would purchase it immediately.

I take it back: there’s one thing that still frustrates me from the base game. The AI does seem to have a slight advantage that can really cause problems. Granted, I don’t think the game cheats as much as some people do. It does seem, however, that the AI is able to see what gems are going to drop from the top before I can. It would be something if the player could see this as well, but I would prefer the AI to stay as smart as it is but keep the playing field even between the two of us.

Regardless, it’s not enough to keep me from recommending this title. The sheer amount of depth at play when it comes to RPG mechanics is astounding. Whether you’re new to the series or an old pro, this is a game that everyone should experience.

This review is based on a PlayStation copy of Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition provided by Diva Agency for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox, Switch & PC.