Puzzle Quest's Sci-Fi Sequel: Galactrix

Gamespot UK got a look at the sequel to one of last year's best games, Puzzle Quest. The new version is a sci-fi influenced riff on the old puzzle/RPG hybrid called "Galactrix," which not only updates the theme but abstracts the Bejeweled-inspired gameplay out even more, changing from a square to hex grid and allowing other tweaks like blocks that clear not just down but from side-to-side. (If that doesn't make any sense to you, go out and buy one of the many versions of Puzzle Quest available on PC, portables, or Xbox 360—you won't regret it for an instant. In fact, I kind of want to play again now.)

The basic contents of a puzzle board in Galactrix are quite similar to those in Puzzle Quest. You're matching three of a kind of various tiles colored red, yellow, green, blue, purple, and silver. Red, yellow, and green correspond to your weapons, engines, and ship computer. Mechanically, they act like the mana you used in Puzzle Quest because they'll power the various weapons and abilities of your ships in battle. The only special ability we got D3 to talk about was disruptor, which will prevent your opponent's shields from recharging for a few turns.

GDC '08: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix First Look [UK.Gamespot.com via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]