http://www.infinite-interactive.com/...quest/demo.php
I shouldn't even have to talk you people into this one, and they've gone an interesting angle on this game. Up above is a link to the PC demo. It's tiny and installs in seconds. Download it. Play it. Come back and tell me how badly you want to play this in DS format (PSP version apparently has a bug in it related to companion levels)
The pitch:
Standard RPG. You gain levels, learn magic spells, travel the countryside and destroy monsters for your queen. There are a fair few moral decisions to be made in this game (most "escort the prisoner" quests allow for you to be bribed for juicy items and gold, which affects the rest of your game obviously)
Further, you can create your own castle with various add-ons to research new spells (by capturing enemies through non-combat puzzle minigames and then torturing them for new spells), raise mounts (for faster and safer world travel), forge new items (earn Diablo 2-esque runes and combine them through puzzle minigames to create new and powerful weapons/items), or train your skills up for a hefty cash donation to your newly built temple.
Towns bring you quests of both repeatable and storyline varieties, an Inn to buy rumours at for storyline development (Sid Meir's
Pirates, a nod to you I think but if someone knows where else this idea originated, holler), and an armoury to equip yourself with armour, weaponry, and enhancement items.
The hook:
The combat is done through
Bejewelled puzzle action. You match coloured gems on a board to gain differently coloured magic points in order to fuel your magic spells to zap your opponent. Alongside the coloured gems are skulls which damage the enemy. Skill and luck take almost equal responsibility for your combat wins and the tide of combat can ebb and flow quite quickly with a few lucky jewel drops.
The combat is fairly short - five to ten mins an enemy depending on HP total really, and you gain XP and cash for failure so you can still build yourself up against powerful enemies.
The spells and abilities you gain differ between the four character classes (Druid - misdirection and board alteration, Knight - damage and healing, Wizard - straight burn and defense spells, Warrior - pure aggression and direct damage) and are fairly useful. You skip a turn to use most of your abilities, but it's often worth it. Character improvements add to your abilities and spells, as well as add new and interesting effects for making certain matches on the board.
The sinker:
The game is DS and PSP only at the moment, and despite having a PC Demo is not available for PC release (yet, anyways). The PlayStation Portable version has a known bug with companion leveling.
Also, it's bloody addictive as hell.
PuzzleQuest apparently had an EU release on March 16th, so it should be hiding somewhere - lurking in the game shelves while you bastards are playing Shrek's Great Adventure or Barbie Princess Maker or something. Go buy this game and stop reading the forum.
