Puzzle Quest: Galactrix

Block puzzle games have evolved drastically over the years. After all, how many times can you line up sets of three or more blocks of the same colour for points before you get bored of the whole concept? Launched in 2007, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords introduced the idea of coupling the puzzle element of gaming with rich storylines and role-playing elements. The combination proved a success, with the title garnering a huge following and, as such, a sequel was inevitable.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix Takes the series into a barren future where human corporations have left the earth in ruins, forcing mankind to take to the stars in search of a new home. But as always, we have a habit of messing things up and space war and piracy are the new order of the day, with a new evil lurking in the shadows, ready to throw a spanner in the works.

From the off, the story is compelling. The Infinite Interactive team really know how to make coloured blocks interesting. The plot unfolds through a series of missions across the massive galaxy, complete with snippets of dialogue and story to keep things flowing well. You play a cadet straight out of the space academy, flying to a variety of locations, each with a different mission type.

For example, you can hunt for pirate ships by scouring asteroids or planets. If you discover one, the game enters battle mode. This brings up a hexagonal grid full of coloured blocks. Each colour represents a stat boost when you line up three or more of the same colour. With red charging your attack skill, white providing enemy intel, blue recharging your shield and so on.

The aim of each battle is to chip away at your enemy's defence until their craft is destroyed. You can dish out damage by lining up bombs or using special attacks. Each ship in the game has a certain amount of skill slots that can be assigned an ability.

For example, one of the first special attacks you receive is a laser blast which is charged by red blocks. The more you stockpile, the stronger your blast. More complex moves take a multitude of coloured blocks to recharge, so focusing on defence, attacking and recharging your specials becomes a tactical juggling act. Things really do get tense as you and your foe scrape by with minimal health, each trying to land that final, crushing blow.

Other mission types include hacking jumpgates to unlock new parts of the galaxy. This tasks you with a strict time limit, matching rows of blocks in sequence. This is tense stuff, requiring quick lateral thinking and an understanding of how the blocks move when erased.

Perhaps the most addictive and time-consuming puzzle variant is the space trading system. You can mine asteroids for raw minerals, food or contraband, again by lining up rows of three or more matching symbol.

This is where things get interesting. Like a true space trading game, you can play the market, with sale values changing each time you move location, you may wind up making a whopping profit or selling it all for less than its worth. Also, if you are hauling contraband, you can be chased by the authorities and challenged to battle so beware.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is massive, addictive and engrossing - a rarity for a game that places a simple block puzzler format at its core. It mashes several space combat themes and dynamics together, none of which feel underused or lacking polish and this is perhaps the game's biggest achievement. Brilliant stuff.