Marvel Puzzle Quest

 iOS
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. IGN
    Oct 11, 2013
    91
    What all of Marvel Puzzle Quest’s interlocking mechanics add up to is a game that's compelling at each level.
  2. GameCritics
    Jan 28, 2014
    85
    The use of Marvel characters is great, and the core idea of connecting special abilities to matching crystals is just as good now as it was back in the original Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. I was a huge fan of that title, and Marvel Puzzle Quest proves itself to be a worthy new-school successor.
  3. TouchArcade
    Oct 12, 2013
    80
    For anyone willing to buy into Puzzle Quest’s signature mechanics though, Dark Reign is -- perhaps surprisingly -- more robust than its fan service or freemium boondoggles would suggest, packing in enough content and new ideas to keep devotees matching jewels until the inevitable heat death of the Marvel universe.
  5. Gamezebo
    Oct 8, 2013
    80
    Eventually, you figure the match-3 machine is going to run out of steam. But so far enough developers have been able to find new ways to present it that it hasn’t given up the ghost, and it helps when they can hook specific audiences. For comic fans, Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign can definitely do that. Just don’t tell the heroes they can trade their powered armor and web-shooters for iPads, okay?
  6. Multiplayer.it
    Oct 22, 2013
    75
    Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign does a pretty good job in putting two popular franchises together, and the result is a fun, challenging match-3 puzzle game.
  7. Pelit (Finland)
    May 11, 2014
    72
    Although free to play is the biggest trend in mobile games at the moment, it doesn't fit too well with Puzzle Quest. I'd pay ten bucks for this in a heartbeat for experiencing the campaign, but now I'm left with monotonous grinding and replaying same missions over and over in order to level my heroes to the point, that I can progress to the next fight. Pvp-games are crippled, because the matches are won by those, who are willing to spend money on their hero roster. [Apr 2014]
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  8. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 28, 2013
    70
    Still enjoyable. [Jan 2014, p.82]
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  9. Eurogamer
    Oct 15, 2013
    70
    Fans of the previous games and lovers of Marvel's dynamic universe will find plenty to enjoy without having to spend anything.
  10. Edge Magazine
    Oct 9, 2013
    70
    It lacks the original’s elegance and surprise, but as F2P spin-offs go, this isn’t nearly as villainous as you might expect.
  11. MacLife
    Oct 8, 2013
    70
    There's nothing revolutionary here, but Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign does a good job of spicing up the match-three genre for comic fans with its hero-centric nerdiness, tense combat encounters, and strong collecting elements.
  12. Modojo
    Oct 7, 2013
    70
    How you approach Marvel Puzzle Quest depends on your expectations. It's not complete, and having to pay for stronger characters is a bummer. That said, the concept works, there's plenty of other stuff to unlock and the multiplayer will keep you entertained. Considering it's free, you have nothing to lose by downloading it.
  13. Arcade Sushi
    Oct 4, 2013
    70
    Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign isn’t completed at the moment but is still fun to try out for the time being. There will be a lot more levels and things to do as the game is continually updated in the coming weeks, but for now the it’s good enough to give a try.
  14. SpazioGames
    Oct 17, 2013
    65
    The game is a match-3 game with Marvel's universe. The gameplay is simple and intuitive and the graphic is nice, but the game is almost pay-to-win. The number of the characters in the game isn't so high either.
  15. Digital Spy
    Oct 8, 2013
    60
    For the die-hard Marvel fan, the annoyances will be worth pushing through. The puzzle combat is still immensely fun and the storyline loosely follows the Dark Reign plot from the comics, including fights against and alongside the Dark Avengers. The leveling structure is a sticking point that makes the superheroes feel a lot less super, but as fanservice goes, Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign is better than most.

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2013

User Reviews

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User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 26
  3. Negative: 12 out of 26
  1. Watersson
    Jan 15, 2014
    2
    Microtransactions everywhere! This is the motto of this game. It is impossible to derive pleasure if you do not pay! I would rather pay $ 5Microtransactions everywhere! This is the motto of this game. It is impossible to derive pleasure if you do not pay! I would rather pay $ 5 for the entire game than pay for unlocking each item. Because MPQ: DR is in itself good. But microtransactions ruined this game.… Full Review »
  2. Type4101
    Dec 8, 2013
    0
    An atrocious microtransaction rip-off of epic proportions. This game costs $170 to unlock all content. That should cost about $19.99 atAn atrocious microtransaction rip-off of epic proportions. This game costs $170 to unlock all content. That should cost about $19.99 at most, given the modest cost of a simple match-3 game. This game is one of the worst values I have ever seen, and both Marvel and the makers of Puzzle Quest should pull it off the shelves before its obscene price scheme alienates fans.… Full Review »
  3. Psyclerk
    Nov 7, 2014
    2
    Unfortunately, this game has gone from 'lots of microtransactions available' to 'pay to win'. This game puts a Marvel theme to the tried andUnfortunately, this game has gone from 'lots of microtransactions available' to 'pay to win'. This game puts a Marvel theme to the tried and true 'Match 3' formula. It starts off innocently enough, giving you a few heroes to play around with. However, being able to make any progress in the periodic story events or the player vs player tournaments requires more and more heroes, which in turn requires that you purchase roster slots. Early on, you are forced to buy roster slots in batches, as opposed to single slots, and the price-per-slot goes up as you buy them. Late game play has roster slots costing nearly $6 each.
    Powering up your heroes requires you to obtain new comic book covers for them, and of course the best heroes have the rarest covers. Previously, players had the option of spending $20-$30 on a 'pack' of ten covers, which would guarantee you would get at least one of the rare featured hero. However, sensing that they could make more money, D3 changed this 'guarantee' to 'increased chance' to get a featured hero. That 'increased chance', which in their defense they are at least transparent about, is only about 10%. So yes, you could spend $30 and have absolutely nothing to show for it save for some common hero covers.
    Player vs player is atrocious, pitting your team against another player's team controlled by the terrible computer AI. Pay-to-win is especially noticeable here, as players who outright buy covers for high-powered heroes ($13-$23 each, with 10 possible buyable covers, plus well over $100 worth of ISO points for hero levels after that), will simply dominate. D3 implemented a 'shield' system that allows players to keep their team from losing points on a defensive loss. High paying players exploit this by playing matches that reward a lot of points, then buying a shield while they recover and/or look for another high scoring match. It requires spending a lot of Hero Points, and you won't reach the upper ranks without doing it.
    While it *is* possible to acquire all the heroes and even roster slots without buying anything, it will usually take a very, very long time to do so, and I'm speaking in terms of years, not weeks. It's a shame that the Marvel license sees so much F2P abuse, and MPQ is no exception.    … Full Review »
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