Sometimes these PopCap-y games get a little old. They’re either too easy or they’re simply another form of Tetris Zen, putting blocks here, switching jewels or shapes there, removing a stick or inserting a ball. Occasionally there are, ahem, gems in titles like Plants vs. Zombies or Puzzle Quest in which you are making some sort of progress, there is a definite end goal in sight and you will feel like you will have successfully consumed a game. It was a great ride and now is an appropriate time to stop, a lesson Runespell: Overture has taken to heart.
iOS gamers get ready for Little Chicken and Mystic Box’s remastered Runespell Overture, which combines Poker and RPG with Nordic myths, Battle Hardened Heroes and Heroines with alternate medieval Europe.
This week the guys talk about Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Deadlight, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Mass Effect 3, Runespell: Overture, Happy Street, MLB 2K12, Super Avatar Fighting Tournament, Rock Paper Lazers, The Undead Syndrome, I Miss My Girlfriend (yes, it's the game's name), some news and plenty more.
The puzzle-RPG genre is a fairly new one, though most fans of both RPGs and puzzle games should be fairly familiar with it these days. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, by Infinite Interactive, largely kickstarted the entire trend back in 2007, and the result was a smashingly successful series of puzzle games with prominent RPG frameworks. Despite numerous games by Infinite Interactive and the sudden popularity of the genre, it's rather surprising that it's taken as long as it has for a true direct competitor to spring up.
That's exactly what indie developer Mystic Box has attempted to provide in Runespell: Overture, a casual puzzle-RPG that trades out the gem-matching Bejeweled-esque gameplay of Puzzle Quest for poker battles. In fact, you'll see a lot of comparisons to Puzzle Quest in this review, but I think it's justified given the similarities and that there are so few other similar games on the market. Despite the overlap, though, Runespell: Overture's fantastic presentation and some addictive, strategic gameplay provide around ten to fifteen of hours of playtime, albeit best enjoyed in short bursts rather than long sessions.
