14 DAY TRIAL // Infinite Interactive, best known for creating the breakout hit Puzzle Quest, is working on another videogame aimed at mixing a bit of role playing with adventuring and some match-3 puzzles that solve the battles which the game throws at the player.
Puzzle Chronicles, as it is called, will be released as a digital download on the PC, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, while boxed versions of the title will be coming to the PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS. There's no release date available and it's not clear whether the handheld version of Puzzle Chronicles will pack the same content as the digital download ones.
The plot of the game is quite simple, with an empire in trouble and you being the only hero that can take it on. The role playing aspect kicks in allowing players to unlock new and more powerful spells to cast while also spending experience points to unlock fresh skills.
The main activity will be to take on a varied array of creatures, from dogs to knights, which can only be defeated by matching three or more tiles of the same color and unleashing the spells that it powers.
When comparing Puzzle Chronicles with Puzzle Quest, the big difference is that everything in the former is in real time, which means that players must be witty, spot the best combinations in the puzzles, and quick, so that they deny their opponent the chance to create a combination first.
With each successful match, the player will have access to more of the board and increase the combinations he/she can use, while denying tactical options to the enemy player. It's an interesting system, although it might be a bit alien to those who have grown accustomed to the Puzzle Quest turn-based, drop down play mechanics.