Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns

Think of Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns as the definitive edition of a game that defined an era. [Issue #43 – November/December 2019, p. 20SW]

Aside from using different strategies for the various opponents, the match 3 battles themselves never change much throughout the game’s story. You’d think this would be a negative, but Puzzle Quest remains addictive throughout the crazy amount of content presented in this package. Even if you lose interest in the story (a kingdom under attack, precarious alliances, a lone warrior who must rise up, etc.), the gameplay carries itself well.

Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns is still the same game but that isn’t a bad thing. Bundling in all the DLC and adding some new classics, this match-3 RPG hybrid is just as addictive today as it was over a decade ago.

Despite my issues with Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns, the game is still one heck of a great experience, twelve years later. Battles are as exciting as ever, while the new wealth of classes and quests ensures that even series veterans will be able to get lost in this world all over again. The game shows its age in the visuals department, and the presence of difficulty spikes is bound to frustrate some. However, those willing to look past The Legend Returns' flaws are in store for a rich and rewarding experience. And for 15 bucks, where else are you going to get a sprawling RPG/puzzler like this?

Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns might be a relic of a bygone time, but that isn't the same as being a bad game. Most of the modern match-three games owe something to the original, and it shows. It might not have Marvel characters or shiny graphics, but it's an accessible, enjoyable and fun puzzle game that is excellent to play for a few minutes at a time. For $15, you'll get more fun than you would in spending that same amount on microtransactions in other games.

Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns may not be the most conventional RPG ever made and its obvious elements drawn from simpler, more direct experiences may raise eyebrows among more veteran players but there's a lot to enjoy here, mainly when it comes to its addictive, fast-paced gameplay, soundtrack and wealth of over two hundred missions in a surprising pack that will appeal to a wider audience than RPG fans.

There is certainly a lot to love about Puzzle Quest’s remastered return on Switch. The RPG-meets-puzzle battle system is just as deep and memorable, but almost everything else feels like something straight out of 2007. On the whole, that’s fine, but I can’t help but be dismayed by the bland visuals and presentation. But even failing that, you can just pick one of the 13 classes and romp your way through excellent and distinct battles. Purely based on its battle mechanics, Puzzle Quest is excellent, but it’s held back by the forgettable flourishes.

While the series may not be anywhere near groundbreaking by this point, Puzzle Quest still returns to its roots in strong fashion with all the previous content and more on the Nintendo Switch, making it great for prior fans and newcomers alike.

Even with all of the huge AAA games flooding the shelves, Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns manages to provide an addictive formula that'll easily hold your attention for longer than most big budget titles and it's a heck of a lot of fun, too.

It is not a very ambitious comeback, but it still is a great game full of content and does bring some interesting additions. If you want a mix of puzzles and RPG, give this a try.

More than a decade after its initial release, Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns is a worthy upgrade of a solid match-three RPG. It adds new quests and new classes for both veterans and newcomers to enjoy, and manages to resist the ‘freemium’ business model that plagues a lot of games in the genre these days. It falls down a bit on graphics and presentation, with the artwork particularly showing its age, but if you’re after a surprisingly deep puzzle adventure to get lost in, then look no further.

If you've never played Puzzle Quest before, The Legend Returns will be a nice surprise. Sitting underneath that humble presentation is a game with an awful lot of content to it. Existing fans would do well to jump in and remind themselves why Puzzle Quest is such a great game, as this release on Switch suggests, to the very subtitle of the name, that it's an active franchise again, and we may well see a new one in the near future. However, it's clear that Puzzle Quest is aging with anything but grace, so The Legend Returns also shows that this next Puzzle Quest, should it come, will need to do things significantly differently to have the same impact.

Having played numerous Puzzle Quest offerings, including Nintendo DS and Xbox 360, as well as iOS, Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns is the definitive way to play the first adventure, despite the slowdowns and occasional crash. It’s both beginner friendly with improved tutorials as well as veteran compatible with new content.

Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns is a good combination of addictive puzzle gameplay and RPG character-building. While it will likely play best to fans of the 2007 original, its central mechanics are still fun, if a bit dated. Despite sometimes slow battles that don’t always mesh its puzzle and RPG sides well, Puzzle Quest is still worth a look for fans of puzzle games.