Gyromancer
Score: 88% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Square Enix Developer: PopCap Games Media: Download/1 Players: 1 Genre: Puzzle/ RPG
Graphics & Sound: It's not often that two developers as diametrically different as Square Enix and PopCap Games collaborate on a project. In fact, I'm not sure the products of these two companies could have less in common; one being a Japanese RPG juggernaut, the other an American leader in the casual market. I could go on about how strange this is, but the purpose of this review is to determine if this was a match made in Heaven or Hell. Here's what you need to know: Gyromancer is pretty freaking great. When it comes to technical prowess, you've seen better-looking games than Gyromancer. However, I didn't dock any points from the final score based on that -- puzzle games find their own ways to visually impress. That's where the art comes in. There may not be anything in the way of animation, but the still images of characters and monsters look really fantastic. It's soft and dark at the same time, but make no mistake, none of it is ugly. Watching gems explode in different ways never gets old, even if you're on the receiving end of a devastating attack. Gyromancer doesn't sound quite as nice as it looks, but you won't be racing to mute your television. The music doesn't leave a very good first impression; the very first thing you'll hear is an aimless bagpipe melody that is drowned out by the main theme after about five seconds. You'll soon forget about it, though. Battle themes (especially boss themes) feel like they've been developed specifically for an epic role-playing game. Granted, nobody should be expecting the brilliance of a Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy) or Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts) soundtrack, but this one gets the job done. If Puzzle Quest's stock fantasy music got on your nerves, don't worry: Gyromancer's soundtrack won't bore you. Voice acting might have been nice, but I'm not sure anyone would want to hear all that archaic dialogue coming through their speakers.
Gameplay: You are Rivel Arday, a world-famous summoner. Count Laertes and his family have been slain by Qraist, the leader of a rebel faction known as Temperance. Your quest is to hunt him down and bring Temperance to justice. Conveniently, Qraist has fled into Aldemona Wood, an enchanted but deadly forest teeming with monsters. You know the rest: go into Aldemona Wood, fight legions of monsters and bosses, and grow powerful enough to exact the kingdom's vengeance. The story's not that good and the dialogue is cheesy, but none of that is important to how fun Gyromancer is. Gyromancer's combat system is essentially Bejeweled Twist meets Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords; for a full explanation, check the Game Mechanics section. There are a number of levels for you to tackle, and they are presented in the form of an old-school dungeon. Several paths wind themselves around each dungeon, and there's a lot to find. However, it consists of little more than moving a board game piece along a series of nodes. Of course, you can get into battles with monsters, which appear on the board as skulls. Many of these monsters move around the board on their own, though they almost always move along a set path. More often than not, you'll have to beat the boss before being able to explore the majority of each dungeon. Still, there's a lot to find in Aldemona Wood, and taking the time to explore is very rewarding.
Difficulty: Gyromancer isn't a very difficult game at all. First off, you can twist gems at your leisure, as long as you're mindful of the fact that your opponent is working on his attacks while you set up that perfect combo. It's more forgiving than Puzzle Quest and you'll find yourself getting unpredictably insane combos much more often than you do in most other games of this sort. As long as you know which monsters to use and what you should do with each monster, you'll be fine. Gyromancer borrows a idea from BioShock, one that actually works better in the context of this game. Whenever your beast falls in combat, you can immediately summon an able contender and challenge the exact same beast. Boss or no, your enemy's health bar will be exactly how it was when it defeated your last monster. This makes sense, and it helps make this game a bit more forgiving to those who don't necessarily want to have to grind through the same long level over and over for the same benefits -- which, last time I checked, is everyone. Each dungeon offers a number of awards, and the conditions for each award is displayed on the dungeon select screen. It takes a lot of time and effort to unlock all of these awards, but this is where most of the Achievements are. It's also where most of the replay value is.
Game Mechanics: Gyromancer makes use of a clever combat system that is fast, fun, and accessible. When you come across an enemy, you must choose a monster for the fight. Once that's done, the puzzle board falls and the combat begins. You can rotate four gems at once, but only in a clockwise direction -- unless you use a Magick Mirror, which allows you to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. By lining identically-colored gems up by threes or more, you will fill up your ability meters. These meters, which differ in length, indicate which attacks you can use and how long each will take to charge up. Once the meter is full, a gem on the field will activate. Including the activated gem in a set will unleash the ability and damage your enemy. It's thrilling to see multiple ability gems on the screen at once, and even more so to see all of them activated at once. It's not a good idea to spend too much time setting up a single combo. You must be mindful of your enemy's actions. Remember, the other monsters will fill their ability meters. If they fill a meter, a gem with a number will activate. The number on the gem represents how many twists you will be able to make before the ability is unleashed on you. If you manage to destroy the gem, the ability is cancelled, leaving you safe for the time being. Before each fight, an indicator will let you know your creature's affinity; that is, what element it is most aligned with. This can have a huge impact on the outcome of the battle itself. Lining up gems that represent your specific affinity will fill your ability meter at a greater rate. That's not all: damage potential is maximized (or minimized) when affinities are called into question. For example, a monster with fire affinity will have the upper hand over one with earth affinity. All of this is clever, but by no means is it innovative. Still, it's one of those mechanics that encourages careful planning. Gyromancer may not be as deep or as chock-full of options as something like Puzzle Quest, but it's special in its own way. The lack of multiplayer is a shame, but managing your own creatures is a thrill in and of itself. Plus, the combat system doesn't look like it will get old any time soon. If you're a fan of puzzle-RPG hybrids, give Gyromancer a shot, and soon enough, you'll be watching the hours melt away.
-FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos
Related Links: Official Website of Gyromancer Game Vortex's Review of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
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