by Ana Montano

Created on: May 16, 2008   Last Updated: May 17, 2008

The sophomore version of the cute puzzle game QBeez does not quite live up to its predecessor but has a lot of cool new features. There are some good things about it and some bad but mostly, I find myself just wanting the old QBeez back.

The game is essentially a puzzle game. The objective is to cancel out same color blocks when at least two of them are connected; though, the more blocks you click out at once, the higher your score. What sets QBeez apart from similar puzzle games is that the blocks have cute little personalities, and they speak when you click them, they clap when you click on a large group at once, and they cry when they are left without other QBeez at the end of the round. The upbeat fun music is just as adorable and perfectly matches the tone of the game.

In the first QBeez, the QBeez are mostly British and that makes them even more charming. QBeez 2 seems to be a little more Americanized, with a lot less foreign accents and more age variations. While they're still fun and they each have a unique personality, the ones in the first game were far better. One of my favorite new characters is the gray one that seems to mock emo individuals by saying everything in a sad sigh.

They are also slightly different looking and not in a good way. In a classic case of trying to fix something that isn't broken, the game has their eyes looking wider and creepier and a little more rounded in general. There is no reason why they would have changed this, especially since they look worse.

The good thing about the game is that you can play the classic puzzle version or a quest version. In this variation, they introduce several "special QBeez" like bombs and chomping sharks that can help you eliminate blocks more quickly. It is fun to explore what these new blocks do and how they can interact with each other and it provides a new twist on the classic puzzle game.

The full game can be downloaded for $19.99. Since it's a puzzle game and it's always different, meaning you can play over and over, this seems like it's worth it. There is also a downloadable free trial if you are not sure but want to give it a test run.

The game is just as addicting as the first one and with all the different new items and levels, it is fun to play for hours. Though, you do eventually get used to the new QBeez, it's hard not to miss the British ones. If they had only kept the QBeez looking and sounding the way they did in the first one, it would be flawless.

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