Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, developed by Infinite Interactive and published by D3 Publisher, made its debut in early 2007 on both the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP). Since then it has been ported several times, with versions being released for Windows, Mac, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, mobile phones and the iPhone OS. It is a game that combines both role-playing and puzzle elements, utilising a Bejeweled-style game interface to simulate key RPG situations, such as battles. Those who are already steadfast fans of its predecessors will struggle to get past the clumsiness of this iPhone OS port; illegibly small text, blurry graphics and an occasional slow-down in frame rate all contribute to a title failing to live up to the expectations set by its brethren. However, for those new to the world of Puzzle Quest and who are willing to look past these infidelities—including the hefty price-tag—may find themselves falling for what can be a truly addictive gaming experience.

Set in a fantasy world inhabited by Knights, Wizards, Goblins and the Undead, the player is tasked with a multitude of quests; roaming the land battling a variety of foes and collecting various weapons and artefacts to help them on their journey. Combat takes the form of one-on-one, match-three contests wherein the hero and their opponent compete across a gem-filled board with the main aim being to whittle down the foe’s health until it reaches zero. This is done by taking turns to swap the positions of icons to create a row or column of at least three, thereby gaining the benefit of the particular icon matched. Red, blue, green and yellow gems fill fire, water, earth and air mana, purple stars and gold coins increase the experience and money gained at the end of a battle and grey skulls drain the opponent’s health. The contestants are also able to use a variety of spells—access to which is determined by level and choice of character—which may help themselves or hinder their opponent but, as in most RPGs, these cost mana in order to use. Experience is converted into skill points which can be distributed among several statistics; mastery of the four separate elements, Cunning, Battle and Morale, and money can be used to buy equipment, hints, or buildings for your Citadel which will allow you to learn new abilities.

On-screen buttons and gems can be small and hard to single-out for all but the most dainty-fingered of players.

As has already been mentioned, the game has its flaws. We found several issues with the game that, while not making the game unplayable, certainly can hinder enjoyment of the title. A major bugbear is that of the small font; some instructions and labels are almost illegible due to the diminutive typeface, and coupled with the occasional blurry appearance you may be left slightly bewildered as to the minor details of a quest you have been given. Another problem we found whilst playing the game was the occasional drop in frame rate, slowing down on-screen for no particular reason. One final issue is that of controlling the action; there has been no adaptation as far as making the game intuitively controlled on the iPhone. On-screen buttons and gems can be small and hard to single-out for all but the most dainty-fingered of players. The game would be much improved if certain selectable elements were made bigger, or more isolated so that no other option was accidentally pressed as well/instead; several times we lost a turn during a battle because we clumsily chose the wrong gem to swap.

Despite all of its flaws however, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords provides a game of great depth and enjoyment. There is a choice of eight different professions, with a male and female option for each, and your starting statistics and available pool of spells are determined by this selection. Once in the game itself there is a lengthy story to follow, as well as many side quests to complete and even a Citadel to build. Within the Citadel you may use your hard-earned money to build a variety of buildings which will enable you to learn new spells, acquire mounts to ride and boost your abilities. We found the game’s playability certainly not wanting, and can envision ourselves playing this title for quite a while yet.

The game comes packaged in different ways on the App Store; Chapter 1, Chapter 2 or a double pack featuring them both, and essentially they are the original game divided into two parts. There is also Chapter 3, which is the iPhone equivalent of the expansion released on Xbox Live Arcade. This means that the full Puzzle Quest experience comes with a rather weighty price over its head, but if you can see past its imperfections and allow it to get its claws into you, you will be playing this title for a long time to come.

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