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Puzzle Quest Galactrix
With the DS being
almost overrun by puzzle games, Puzzle Quest Galactrix is actually
something different to this genre and actually has a storyline and is
set in deep space, unlike Mayan Temples or underworld crystals. Needless
to say, the new gameplay and science fiction storyline actually works
quite well together and truly distances itself to its other puzzle
gaming relatives.
In its essence, the title could almost be considered a
sequel to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, however the
developers have ensured that their current puzzle epic is actually as
far away from their original title as possible. It's almost like a RTS
puzzle game in that respect and best of all, the battles or puzzles are
quite short, ensuring that you can play this game almost anywhere.
General Features
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Create a persistent
pilot who gains skills and ships as he completes more battles
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Each enemy you fight
will require different tactics
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Individual battles
require only 5-10 minutes of time
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Experience a
conquer-the-galaxy style campaign mode
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Find new objects to
make your pilot and ship all-powerful
-
Trade supplies
throughout the galaxy to increase your wealth
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Meet companions who
will join your crew and aid you in
The story behind Galactrix begins with a
horrifying scientific accident that has caused mankind to be targeted
for extermination. As Earth is destroyed, four corporations become the
new political power of the remnants of humanity and man has headed
toward the stars.
Fast forwarded several hundreds of years
and mankind has finally rebuilt its civilization and this is where the
player comes in as they must select a pilot for their mission and
uncover a dangerous mystery.
Without spoiling the story, it is actually
quite engaging and at times has elements of RTS and RPG and players
interact with a variety of planets and creatures from around the galaxy.
The main premise of gameplay is of course the puzzles and thankfully the
developers have ensured that there are some tutorials to assist you in
mastering the gameplay.
To make things a little more tricky, you
must also challenge opponents, however there are also some tools to
disadvantage your competitors and also free turns. Compared to those
classic games like Bejeweled and Zuma, Galactrix is a lot more
complicated, however in a good way as the gaming environment is quite
"3D" as opposed to those aforementioned games which are 2D. You also
need to watch your ship in order to prevent your opponent from
obliterating it.
The resource aspect of the title is that
you need find certain resources by mining planets which begins another
mini-game to change the tact of the main game. As you visit different
galaxies, just like Elite on the Commodore 64, each civilization you
encounter has their own agendas, currency as the like which truly gives
this title a unique look at the traditional puzzle games.
You can even own up to three different space ships at a time, each with
their own pros and cons that when linked to the various strategies to
completing the "puzzle", makes for some challenging yet entertaining
gameplay. The mini-games are also quite diverse such as the "hacking" of
leapgates which are used to transport your ship to various parts of the
universe and you need to match a certain colour in a specific amount of
time.
With great graphics, an immersive
soundtrack, Galactrix is a brilliant puzzle game that suits the DS
perfectly which we could happily recommend to a variety of different
gamers as they attempt to explore the galaxy through this wondrous
puzzle universe. Brilliant! |
