Puzzle Quest: Galactrix

One of the most irritatingly great match 3 games ever made. I finished the game 6 years ago and reinstalled it this year, It seems way harder now - but never TOO hard. Why great? Galactrix uses a mechanic I've never seen before in a match 3 game, where the direction in which you complete the match determines which way the new pieces fall in. It's meant to simulate anti-gravity, and really, it is brilliant. It makes every puzzle challenging. The space sim element and RPG elements also work for me. The dialogue isn't especially deep, but it's not bad, either, and you will get involved in personal stories of your crew (or ignore them if you choose.) Why irritating? Well, you will likely get into situations where you are trying to complete a mission in enemy space, and the further you get, the more you get attacked. If you quit the game before achieving your objective you will have to fight all those battles all over again, and these can be time-consuming. There is an option to use PSI points to avoid combat as you progress, but there is a certain amount of grindiness. And as other reviewers point out, yes, luck plays a big factor, and it can be frustrating when your enemy hits a chain of combos and suddenly you get wiped out in seconds. But the same luck can work in your favor, and as well, one does learn to anticipate how things can go wrong and thus play a bit more conservatively to avoid giving the enemy opportunities. It doesn't always work, but it adds an element of strategy missing from many match 3 games. But really, the positives so far outweigh the negatives here. This is an immersive, relaxing and fun game, and there are just enough variations in the enemy ships and the game boards to keep it fresh. The ending is a bit disappointing, but you'll likely have fun up till then. I would definitely buy a sequel.