Puzzle Scape

The thought of Puzzle Scape sounded great. The screenshots looked good, if not a little simplistic. But as much as I anticipated the game's release, a small part of me couldn't stop fearing the fact that most puzzle games sound great on paper. Most look like they will be loads of fun to play. This made me just as nervous as I was excited. Will Puzzle Scape be a grandiose escape to new territory? Or will it be just another puzzle concept forgotten by the year's end?

Little did I know that the game was actually a new take on one of the best and most underused puzzle series: Tetris Attack. My first stage was one of awe (block switching!), one of inspiration (points are based on block linkage, not on block stacks), and one of disbelief (great controls, excellent puzzles, interesting block formations, etc.). Puzzle Scape was not merely another puzzle concept – it was just what the title hints at, an escape.

2x2 and Beyond

Most puzzle games require you to eliminate blocks by lining up three or more of the same color. The blocks may be diagonally positioned, go straight across or up and down.

Puzzle Scape uses a 2x2 system that halts single-color elimination through conventional methods. Blocks fall from above just as they did in the original Tetris, but they cannot be moved or guided as they fall. You must wait for them to land before taking action, at which point you’ll be able to slide blocks left or right using a reversal system that mirrors Tetris Attack. To remove blocks from the board, you must line them up so that no fewer than two are on top and two are on the bottom of your formation. It looks something like this (“R” = red block).

RR

RR

As simple as it may seem, this system may be confusing until you fully understand the concept. For example, you may have several red blocks lined up and wonder why they haven’t disappeared, as illustrated below:

RRRRRRRR

RYRYYYYR

Note that while more than three red blocks are touching, they do not create a 2x2 formation. The red blocks on the left and right sides add up to three (1x2), which isn’t enough to eliminate them. However, because more than one red block is on the bottom, you can slide those together to meet the 2x2 requirement and make every connected red block disappear. (The simplest and quickest solution is to reverse the red and yellow blocks on the bottom left.)

Once four blocks have been properly connected, you’ll notice that there is no end to how deep the combos can get. The 2x2 formation is only the beginning. By linking additional blocks together that don’t add up to 2x2, your combos will have the potential to grow to amazing levels. If you have 10 blue blocks going across and 10 going straight up, all it takes is one more blue piece – placed inside where the two lines intersect – to remove 21 blocks in one move.

Another way that Puzzle Scape is unique is its power-up system. Every successful elimination goes toward filling your power-up meter. Once full, one of several one-time-use functions will be added to your arsenal (up until now you probably weren’t aware the game had an arsenal!). Acquire bombs, slo-mo, eradicate (eliminate one color), capsize (flips all pieces), row buster (remove two rows of blocks), and other cool treats.

Combos are great for points and power but there is a more important reason to use them – they’re part of the single-player objectives. The game is broken down into two modes: Architect and Artist. The latter is an endless mode where you play until one line of blocks exceeds the height of the playing field, while Architect is a timed mission mode. Objectives, which include two numbers and a block, appear on the right side of the screen and are updated immediately as each one is completed. The first number determines the number of times an objective has to be completed; the second one indicates the number of blocks that must be eliminated. But there’s a catch – the block number may or may not be all-inclusive. If it says 1x14 yellow, you might have to knock out 14 yellow blocks simultaneously to complete the objective.

Puzzle Scape’s stellar ideas are enhanced by their execution but damaged by their lack of variety. The controls and mechanics are highly responsive. Frantic movement is a common occurrence and the game never once missed a beat. However, as you can probably imagine, the objectives are very repetitive. At first it’s an interesting challenge. You’ll work the entire game around the elimination of a specific block color. But after a while it loses its luster. The thought of being restricted to one block color doesn’t stay exciting. It stays challenging – but the fun fluctuates. The Artist (endless) mode is free of restrictions, but it too feels limited.

Gameplay: 7.0
I enjoy the puzzle genre because it’s a good place to turn for new and creative concepts. Puzzle Scape is another flavor thrown into the mix, merging elements of a Nintendo classic with ideas that had not been previously explored. The resulting product is one of challenge, one of entertainment, and unfortunately – without any significant challenges aside from a list of repeated objectives – one of slowness and repetition.

Graphics: 6.0
Three-dimensional textured blocks with a series of trippy/fantasy backgrounds.

Sound: 6.9
Puzzle Scape’s soundtrack ranges from super catchy to moderately annoying.

Difficulty: Hard
A tenaciously challenging and twisted take on Tetris Attack.

Concept: 8.4
The 2x2 block setup is excellent. Its expansive linking system allows players to be creative with their formations, pumping out combos (eliminating multiple blocks and block colors simultaneously) and chains (eliminations caused by other eliminations) with style.

Overall: 7.0
Like an old friend who’s had plastic surgery and spent nine months in therapy, Puzzle Scape is a game you’d swear you’ve met before. The objective system does get tiring, after a bit, but it still manages to keep you hooked for additional rounds. Credit that addictive factor to the various nuances that make up the 2x2 block system. Tetris Attack fans shouldn’t hesitate to pick up a PSP for this one, even if their primary handheld is the Nintendo DS.