I’m not sure what a “Blockle” is, but Puzzle Adventure Blockle is an adventure that is built around a long series of puzzles. You know, in case you couldn’t tell from the title. Joking aside, level-based puzzle games like these can make for fun bite-sized sessions. Naturally, the question would be “Is this one no exception?”
Story
Puzzle Adventure Blockle has quite the emphasis on its storyline. Before entering certain levels, RPG-style text boxes and character portraits would show up to provide the player with some dialogue. So what is this story? Well in this world filled with cute little animal critters, the mayor has sent this one critter on a journey to gather the seven World Stones. To give him company, the mayor tasks a ditsy anime-esque human girl to venture with him. She is the only character in this entire game that fits that description, and it’s nothing short of odd. It gets further amplified by the fact that the story has a tendency to ship her and the protagonist whenever possible. It’s silly, really. It’s all a silly series of dialogues galore that have no bearing on the actual gameplay.
Graphics
Visually, the game gets a pass. It’s not one of the most dazzling things anyone would ever lay their eyes on. For what it is, Puzzle Adventure Blockle is colorful and runs smoothly. The backgrounds and character portraits during the cutscenes are definitely nice, but it probably would have been more effective if the level tiles changed to suit each world theme.
Audio
Easily the thing that comes to mind regarding music is that only one track seems to play in each level of the game. While the melody itself is pretty decent, it can get repetitive listening to it often. I really think there should have been a fuller soundtrack, though. This is especially noticeable when there are themes for the world menus and cutscenes.
Gameplay
Careful planning and level rotations are all the player needs to get into this one. Each level takes up most of the screen, and everything is set in place as one has to figure out just how to maneuver through unscathed. Roughly the first half of the game isn’t so hard. The challenge does ramp up as the game progresses along. While games like these seem ripe for level editing and sharing (something the game oddly lacks), what’s here in Puzzle Adventure Blockle isn’t too shabby in its own right. I especially like that the variety in obstacles increases over time.
Verdict
Overall, Puzzle Adventure Blockle checks out finely enough. It is lacking in a few areas, but it isn’t enough to dissuade that the gameplay does have its merits. I recommend this one for players looking for a good navigation puzzle fix.
