Review by: Brian Rowe

Mentioning Puzzle Quest in any discussion of Gyromancer is almost mandatory. Both games are journeys across puzzle-laden battlefields of medieval fantasy. You are Rivel, a powerful mage chasing a deadly assassin amid magical forests, but I hesitate to call Gyromancer a RPG. It is a much more straightforward adventure than its questing predecessor, with no keeps to invade or emotional attachments to under-developed characters. In Gyromancer, Hexic-style puzzles with deadly consequences are front and center.

Rivel rarely enters battle himself. This is the work of his beasts; immaculately illustrated creatures of mythological proportions. Giant spiders, flame-tailed foxes, and sentient trees are a few of the many beasts that can be discovered and added to a three-slot team. Cait Sith even makes an appearance in a nod to Square Enix’s history. Much like Pokemon, each beast has its own level, special abilities, and color-coded strength that can drastically affect the outcome of battle.

Disputes are settled on a vibrant grid of movable gems. You manipulate a ring to twist the gems, always in fours and clockwise, to create sets of three or more and collect the released energy in your action gauge. When the gauge is full, you can launch an attack by matching a glowing Ability gem. It’s a simple system, but one that requires strategic maneuvering to create power-enhancing combos and deal with unique obstacles, such as immovable gems.

Puzzle Quest was a fantastic experience, but one that frequently succumbed to an aggravating problem. The A.I. cheated by using its omniscient knowledge to form inconceivably complex combos with gems that hadn’t yet fallen on the playing field. Gyromancer’s solution is both peculiar and ingenious. The A.I. never gets a turn. Every twist of the ring adds energy to the enemy’s gauge, with certain colors providing more or less. Instead of Ability gems, the opponent releases Countdown gems, which detonate if not matched within a set number of turns. In other words, your worst enemies are your own mistakes.