Puzzle Quest 2

Common Sense Media says

Puzzle/role-playing hybrid offers compelling gameplay.

Age(i)

2
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Quality(i)

 
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What parents need to know

Ease of play

The basic controls are easy to learn and execute using the touch screen. Battles gradually become more complicated as new spells and more sophisticated enemies are introduced, but the learning curve is manageable.

Violence

Battles are a core component to Puzzle Quest 2, but occur as match-3 puzzle games where players cause damage to their opponents (typically monsters and aggressive animals) by swapping skulls, mana gems, and gauntlets to reduce a life bar. Players can cast destructive spells with names like "Bloodlust," "Breathe Plague" and "Spit Poison, and attack with a variety of weapons, but there's no graphic violence shown. Violent situations, like the ransacking of a village, are described in dialogues.

Sex

Some of the hero characters have over-exaggerated body types: bare-chested men with huge muscles, skimpy outfits showing cleavage and bare midriffs for women.

Language

Occasional use of "hell" and "damn."

Consumerism

A link from the main menu takes players to the Namco Games website, which showcases PC, online, and iPhone games to purchase.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

There are taverns in each town where players can chat with patrons to learn more about the game's backstory. Visiting these is optional.

Privacy & safety

Privacy is pretty safe. The app uses Apple's GameCenter network to track achievements, but there is no online multiplayer component.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Puzzle Quest 2 is an adaptation of the popular console/PC puzzle game, now for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Essentially it's the same game with new touch-screen controls and GameCenter support for tracking achievements. This fantasy-themed game contains a lot of combat, but the violence plays out through strategic, match-3 puzzle encounters rather than physical fighting, which makes it not very violent.

Parents say

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AGE
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QUALITY
 
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QUALITY
 

PUZZLE QUEST 2 is more streamlined than its sprawling predecessor Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords in terms of story and gameplay, but the changes make for a worthy sequel. The most dramatic difference is that instead of traversing a world map, players can now actually walk through the villages and dungeons they visit, interacting with characters and looting treasure boxes along the way. Other positive additions include the ability to upgrade equipment using collected raw material; match-3 mini-games for bashing down doors, looting, and finding hidden treasure; and new Gauntlet icons to match during combat that power up physical weapons.

These tweaks leave Puzzle Quest 2 feeling more like a Diablo-style dungeon crawl than an epic role-playing game, but the changes work very well nevertheless. The higher-than-average App Store price point isn't unreasonable given the game's impressive production values and length and, thanks to multiple hero characters to choose from, potential replay value.

App details

Devices:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$9.99
Release date:December 9, 2010
Category:Puzzle Games
Publisher:Namco Networks America Inc. Games
Version:1.0.0
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.1.3 or later

This review of Puzzle Quest 2 was written by

Erin Bell

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

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Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Adult Written byVaultBoy November 14, 2011
AGE
10
QUALITY
 

Great Puzzle/RPG hybrid that is on for most kids.

Quality-wise, PQ2 is an excellent time sink for the iPad, aside from the occaisional, easily fixed, screen freeze, there is little to complain about. Violence is negligable, and other thinks like language and sexuality are nothing worse than anything in the most mild PG movie. The only reason this game is rated 10is because the iPad is an expensive gadget that needs to be treated with care. And besides, what kind of 6 year old would be able to grasp and appreciate the nuances of the puzzle gameplay?
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much swearing
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