Most puzzle games are fairly straightforward. They take a simple idea and make a game out if it. Generally speaking, games of this genre cannot be beaten, as the main goal is to last as long as you can or rack up the most points while surviving. This latest puzzle game to grace Xbox Live Arcade not only lets you win or lose, but it also adds a purpose to the experience. Puzzle Quest is basically a spin on Bejeweled, another downloadable title on the Live Arcade. However, instead of just matching jewels and trying to get combinations, you are doing so to gain magic points, gold, and experience, all while dueling an opponent. It may sound complicated, but it's actually very simple, and that's a large of Puzzle Quest's appeal.

When beginning the game for the first time, you choose what kind of character to create. There are several variations to each character, but you'll really only need to consider three things when creating an in-game avatar. Do you want to primarily use physical attacks, magic attacks, or mix in some of both? A physical character gets bonuses for attacking the opponent directly and their spells generally consist of offensive attacks as well. Magic users have a high chance of getting a bonus when matching the elemental crystals, and their spells are a mix of attacks and stuns. You can also combine the two philosophies to create a jack of all trades, which can have varying degrees of effectiveness. Once the character is created, a brief back story of the kingdom is told and then the quest begins.

The game's story mode sets you on a map and allows you to travel between towns and important locations. Major towns allow you to get quests, and while the main quest tells a story, it's really just a paper-thin means of getting you to the meat of the game - the battles. Winning battles earns you experience and gold. Earn enough experience and you can level-up you character with more hit points or stronger attacks. Hoard enough gold and you can purchase items from the various shops around the land. These items can make your physical attacks stronger, raise your defense, or give you magic bonuses. Some items even reflect some damage done to you back to your attacker, so it is important to properly equip your character before running headlong into battle.

Puzzle Quest is both a fun and extremely addictive puzzle game.

If you play long enough, you will have the gold to purchase buildings from your citadel, where each structure serves a different purpose. Dungeons allow you to capture certain beasts and ride them as mounts, which grants access to that creature's spells. Build a forge and you can create your own weapons from scratch. With the right materials, some powerful items can be constructed. And if you want to conquer the lands, build a siege tower, which allows you to defeat major towns and collect money from them on a monthly basis.

One thing that should be mentioned about Puzzle Quest is that it can become challenging, especially during some of the boss encounters. The challenge lies in the luck of what pieces are dropped on the screen. Sometimes it feels like the game is unfairly aiding the computer controlled opponent, but the game rarely cheap. Random drops will both help and hinder you, and smart gameplay almost always overcomes luck.

One nice thing about leveling up is that you can take your decked out character online and duke it out with fellow Puzzle Quest players. When beginning an online match, you can set how long players have to complete a move and turn on a handicap if you so desire. The handicap adds some balance to a match where two opponents have radically different levels. If one person is level 20 and the other is level 14, the game will give the level 14 player some extra hit points to balance things out. While this is nice in theory, it doesn't work so well in practice. The higher level person will generally have better equipment and spells, and the game doesn't seem to take that into consideration when applying the balance. However, when playing someone who is relatively the same level, the online component is a blast.

The graphics are sharp for an Xbox Live Arcade game. Everything is crystal clear and displays in high resolution. The puzzle pieces get the job done and offer a variety of shapes and colors, and the supporting art work is effectively combined with hand-drawn art. Inspired by Japanese anime, the art direction is well done and really gives the player a sense of being in the world. There isn't much animation to speak of, but there are some visually impressive effects when a nice combo is achieved, lending even more credibility to the overall presentation. Both the sound and music, however, are fairly generic, but that won't detract you from the experience. With most of the notable sound occurring during the actual gameplay, pieces make the noises you would expect. When a combo begins, with each successive match, the game raises the pitch of the sound just enough to lend an audible cue as to how well you are doing. It's a satisfying feeling to hear your combo quickly go higher and higher, and finally end with the phrase "heroic effort."

Puzzle Quest may very well be one of the best games on Xbox Live arcade. It is both highly accessible and truly addictive. Leveling up your character is rewarding, and the story, while somewhat thin, poses just enough motivation to continue on. But the real draw is the character development. Getting stronger through combat or by getting a new weapon is just a lot of fun, and taking your leveled character online can often be a blast. If you like puzzle games, then you should definitely check out Puzzle Quest. It is a puzzle game with a purpose, and that small detail helps make it one of the best of the genre.