SYDNEY: Before Candy Crush there was Puzzle Quest, a terrible (but awesome) addiction that swept the gaming world in 2007. While “match three” games like Bejeweled had been around for many years, Puzzle Quest placed a unique spin on the gameplay: players were mighty warriors and wizards, with each matched set of tiles helping them to defeat their enemy in a magical duel.
As in a more conventional role-playing game, the character would earn experience and treasure from battles and gradually become more powerful. This added a more compulsive element that kept players hooked.
Melbourne-based Infinite Interactive, led by industry guru Steve Fawkner, created the original game, plus an expansion pack and two sequels, but it has been five years since they produced anything new in the series. In that time they were absorbed into publishing giant Electronic Arts, have subsequently struck back out on their own and their first big release is a return to the game that brought their international attention.
Like Candy Crush, Gems of War is a free-to-play game but is still very much Puzzle Quest to its core. Players still match coloured gems in a grid, with those colours powering up special abilities. Matching skulls still damages enemies, and getting four or more in a row still nets the players a free turn.
There are some differences, though. Gems of War takes on some features of a collectible card game like Magic: The Gathering. As a reward for certain tasks, players gain cards which feature creatures and troops with which they can build an army. Up to three troops can be taken into battle, adding their special abilities to their master’s.
Troops’ special abilities are extremely diverse. Some are outright attacks on enemies, and others inhibit enemies’ power by reducing their attack ability or putting them to sleep. Others heal or power up allies in various ways, and some can even affect the game board, destroying certain coloured gems or taking entire rows or columns.
Since each card requires a particular colour to power it up, and their powers are so variable, there is a deeply tactical Meta game between battles in which players can try to build an extremely efficient army whose troops’ abilities complement one another.
A gem is a true free-to-play game, in that it is possible to enjoy almost everything the game has to offer without paying a single cent. Even so, it is possible to buy extras that will make the game little easier, as well as flavourful add-ons such as special costumes for your hero. The game will occasionally nag the player to spend real-world money, but it is never required.
Infinity Plus Two is always adding new content, with new features popping up almost on a weekly basis, so its longevity is a little frightening for those with an addictive personality. The storyline and dialogue are dreadful (as they always have been in Puzzle Quest) but the art is colourful and the sheer variety of content is impressive.
Puzzle junkies looking for their next habit should try it out, particularly since being free to play there is no need for any payment up front. Gems of War is fun, though occasionally frustrating, and its hidden strategic depths will be a true delight for those who like a good intellectual challenge. The fact that it was made here in Australia is a very nice bonus.
