by Jillian Hahn

Created on: July 06, 2008   Last Updated: January 24, 2011

Puzzle Hero Game Review

Rating 5/5

Puzzle Hero is a classic turn-based fighting game, but the actions are done by matching three of the same symbols together in a puzzle grid. It is not, however, just another Match 3 game. Puzzle Hero is fun and addictive! It's a nice change of pace from all the monotonous Match 3 and Hidden Objects on the market today, that all seem to be alike.

The graphics are very cute and cartoony. You can customize your character in this game, but there is only a female character to choose from, and you can customize her hair color, clothing, and skin color.

The storyline is the only thing I found to be disappointing in the game. A vague story is told in a progression of dull, colorless panels. Your first goal is to kill your mother's garden pests, then it is to find your brother, followed by more in the full version. As boring as these story panels were, however, it did not detract from the game too much because the focus of the game was away from the story and more on making your character stronger.

The monster fights were a series of turn-based match 3 attacks. To attack, three swords needed to be matched together. To restore health, three health potions. Power-ups were available through shield matches and bull-head matches. To gain money and experience, gold and crowns matched up, respectively. A match of more than three in a row granted an extra turn, while an illegal match lost a turn.

There was some strategy involved to the gameplay. You had to decide if you wanted to sacrifice your turn for money or experience instead of something that would help your fight. Also, any sword matches that you left available were likely to be taken by your opponent, so thinking ahead was very important.

The best part of the game was the upgrading. During battle and for winning, you won gold to be spent in the town store. Here you could buy items with more armor, more attack, resistance, or magical power to be used in battle. Items that you chose were shown on your avatar during your next fight. It was fun to be able to upgrade your character, little by little.

The full version of this game is supposed to have 65 levels, and 9 towns. When the demo ended, I was only on town 2, so I can imagine the full version would have quite a few hours of gameplay. The monsters, as you continued in the linear storyline, gained in health and strength. Based on the fact that I quickly became addicted to this game, and the unique combination it offered of Match-3 and adventure, I would snag this game up after playing the demo!

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