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Denver, 11:31 PM
Mon Nov 30
53 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/28/09
11/27/09
I didn't have problems with the hexagonal matching, which was novel. The AI was less cheap, and it was harder for the computer to get extra turns (matching five for extra turns instead of four saved the game).
The simplified "character" (ship) customization wasn't too bad (there were a few easy mode spam attacks, but not quite as many as in the first game), nor was the silly story, which, let's face it - was just about as silly in the first game.
But the pacing of Galactrix was awful - particularly the endless, redundant warp gate hacking and the glacial plot. The hacking gets easy after a while, after a steep curve, but you still come to resent it.
In short doses Galactrix is still sort of fun. But the relatively complicated and drawn-out puzzle mechanic overwhelmed all of the other game elements - ship parts, story, enemies, etc. Good on them for being adventurous, but this retreat to their familiar mechanic proves that they were aware of these problems, too.
11/27/09
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11/28/09
I'd rather see squeenix and infinite interactive team up and make an awesome puzzle battle type game with an intricate and amazing story.
11/28/09
11/27/09
Or perhaps it's really been that long since I've played Puzzle Quest.
One thing I really hope they keep is the animated world map - it bugs me that Gyromancer just has a path and some psychedelic artwork in the background when you're moving around.
11/27/09
It looks like the screen real-estate has been tweaked a bit. It might differ between game versions, we we'll see.
11/27/09
DON'T SWAP THOSE GEMS TO GET RED MANA! Don't you see!? You're setting the goblin up for a 4-purple score and an extra turn! Go get those OTHER reds instead!
11/27/09
11/27/09
Then I read a preview for Galatrix that revealed they were doing both of those things.
After buying and playing Galatrix, I'm siding with PopCap.
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11/27/09
@CiremoIV:
I suppose there's always this.
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11/27/09
Galactrix was a big letdown for me as well, so hopefully they will return to the roots as it were with this true sequel and improve on the formula that made the first one so great without ...ruining... the magic of such a brilliant game. Oh and hopefully they don't try to get uppity and use Bejeweled Twist as the premise for the mechanics (like that unfortunate Gyromancer game) because that would just outright kill the fun of the game in one felling blow.
KISS as they say. Don't alter the fundamentals of the formula but maybe just add a couple more layers to it somehow, or ideally just expand the trappings but leave the core gameplay alone, that sort of thing would be just fine.
Hell is taking something that works just fine, making a sequel and changing the stuff that made the first one great for the sake of "improvement". See New Coke.
11/27/09
I do agree that the twist mechanic is different, but I found it kind of nice to play a game where an L shape of three gems was something I could finally use ;).
Plus the AI doesn't cheat hard like Puzzle Quest's did.
11/27/09
I feel the same way @Sobersean does. If they stay really close to the original in terms of mechanics and stop that cheatin' AI a little... also a better story this time would be nice... Okay a few things here and there and this could be totally rocking. I forgave the original Puzzle Quest a lot of its flaws because it was their first time out... now it is time to make the awesome refined sequel.
11/27/09
Ever since I realized that the main menu music is NOT supposed to be playing over and over again constantly during gameplay, well... it kind of ruined the atmosphere of the game for me...
Sure, you can just go in the options, turn off the music and turn it back on, but all it does is play a random track, and you literally have to do it everytime you start a fight/return to the world map.
11/27/09