Earlier this month, publisher 505 Games acquired Infinity Plus Two, the Australian studio that created the hybrid match-three / RPG series. Puzzle Quest. This morning 505 Games were announced Puzzle Quest 3, a free-to-play sequel that takes place 500 years after the original.
A direct sequel to the surprise hit of 2007 Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, Puzzle Quest 3 will once again see players travel through the world of Etheria and compete in 1-on-1 battles against fantasy creatures by combining gems to harvest resources accustomed to use powerful spells and skills. The official announcement mentions a “3D game world,” which is new to the series, as well as some kind of gameplay twist that is not explained. I suppose we’ll find out more as we get closer to the initial mobile and PC release. Here’s a teaser trailer.
As one of the biggest, most passionate fans of the original game, I’m very careful as hell. I’m concerned about what moving to free-to-play means. What does monetization look like? Collectible characters? Purchaseable power-ups? I shudder to think. On the other hand, it is a numbered sequel and not another free-to-play licensed spin-off like Marvel Puzzle Quest, and it’s being developed by the original studio, so I’m hoping.