Puzzle Quest 2 - Preview, Screens, Trailer

Omega sends over this new preview of Puzzle Quest 2 from 1Up:

For the actual "puzzle" parts of PQ2, there are a few significant changes. Basically, it's the same match-three setup, with skulls used for attacking your opponents when three or more of those match. But this time, the purple gems are regular magic-giving orbs now, and don't contain experience points — XP is now naturally earned after winning battles. A variety of supporting spells return, and to help those along is a new purpose for weapons and armor: abilities. By matching and clearing action point gems (shaped like gauntlets), you raise points that correspond to abilities offered by equipment — which admittedly do very similar things as spells do (like instantly attacking opponents, or buffing you from receiving too much harm), but provide a nice "reserve" of added help should you need it. Loot is also in abundance, which can be sold to earn money for new equipment, or to upgrade existing gear.

….and screens and a trailer at Frisky Mongoose. Nice name.
More information.

Looking at the screenshots, everything looks a bit more "mature" to me. Gone is the manga-like look, it seems to me.

I still play PQ1 when I just want to play something for a few minutes. My daughter, who rarely plays games has finished it 4 times. I think this might just get on my buy list!!

I started playing Puzzle Quest 1 on my iPhone again and it's great! It's one of the few games with a story mode that you actually don't mind playing through again abd again (at least me). I have it on Xbox 360 too, but I feel it fits better on mobile as a pick up game!

sounds like they expanded a bit on using gem puzzles, for instance to bash down doors. Regular dungeon crawls part of the experience now? Sounds good!

Originally discounted it because I dont particularly care for match-gem games, but in time it turned into one of the most addictive games I'd ever played!

Sounds a bit like a step back without an overland map. I know it's basically the same thing with different backgrounds, but I kind of feel better on an open map