When it comes to role-playing games, there isn't a bigger name than Square-Enix. PopCap Games enjoys a similar reputation, albeit in the casual games market. When the company behind the Final Fantasy series and the developer responsible for titles like Peggle and Plants vs. Zombies announced they were going to join forces on a new project called Gyromancer, people wept for their free time. Now, the game is here, both on Xbox Live and Steam, and the enthusiasm surrounding the game certainly seems well-placed.

The bottom line is that Gyromancer is wonderful title, an amalgamation of the two companies' strengths. PopCap's fast-paced and addictive gameplay, coupled with the high amount of gloss and polish that Square-Enix is known for, is a winning combination. Everything about the game is fun, and once you start playing, you're not going to want to stop.

Title Gyromancer

Developer PopCap Games/Square-Enix Publisher Square-Enix Price 1200 MS Points/$14.99 (Steam) Platform 360 (reviewed), PC

Taking a note from Puzzle Quest, the game tells an epic fantasy story via still portraits and text narration. It's a tried-and-true method, and one that feels fairly appropriate here, thanks to the elegant-yet-dramatic style of the pictures and the extremely flowery wording. Players take on the role of Rivel, a summoner/knight errant who is on a quest to both bring a murderer to justice and recover his lost memories. True to the finest traditions of Square-Enix, it's all a little complex, and mildly ridiculous, but it's also entertaining.

In each stage of the game, you direct Rivel around a map that is crawling with enemy creatures, some mobile, some stationary, and some sub-bosses that reside in lairs. If you're willing to explore the maps, you can find extra items, cash, and new creatures to summon, too. While Rivel meanders across each of the game's twelve stages, he encounters monsters that randomly move around the map. In order to progress past them, he has to summon creatures of his own to do battle against them, in a style that seems like it's mixed from Pok?mon and Bejeweled.

Gyromancer is deceptively simple at first, incorporating play elements that will feel instantly familiar to anyone who's ever played Bejeweled or Puzzle Quest. However, it quickly and competently introduces players to more advanced/challenging modes of play as they start progressing through the game.

The core game mechanics of Gyromancer are pulled straight from Bejeweled Twist: you select four jewels at a time and rotate them clockwise until you can match at least three gems of the same color. These color matches generate energy that shows up in bars under your creature's portrait. Eventually, you can build up enough power to generate a charged gem, which can then be matched in order to deliver an attack on the match opponent.

Of course, things get much more complex pretty quickly. "Idle Spins" (when you spin gems but don't make a match) don't generate any penalties early on, but enemy monsters will gain a major power boost later on in the game from these. Eventually, things like locked jewels (which can be matched, but not twisted) and rocks (which block area effects and generally get in the way) start popping up to give higher-level players more challenges.

Which monsters you choose to use plays an important role in the jewel battles, too. Certain creature/color types have advantages over others, which can make a battle either a lot easier or much harder, depending on your creature choice. This is sort of like how color types in Magic: The Gathering or creature choices in Pok?mon work in their respective games. Also, every creature is attuned to a specific color, providing an additional power boost when you create matches from the corresponding crystals.

There's a ton of replay value in the game, too, as players can revisit previous stages with Rivel for multiple benefits. Trampling through these levels allows you to level up your character and creatures, easing your further journeys. Also, clearing out levels with increasing speed and effectiveness, as well as performing feats like eliminating sub-bosses, will unlock awards that eventually translate to Xbox Achievements. As a result, it's easy to spend four or five hours on the first couple of stages.

However, the one problem with Gyromancer is that, for the moment, there isn't a multiplayer mode to the game. This is a shame, mainly because it seems like an online battle mode could be a ton of fun. Granted, the single-player combat system, which doesn't trade turns between combatants, might be difficult to adapt into an online experience, but the end result could be stellar.

In spite of this one minor downfall, it's practically impossible not to love this creation from Square-Enix and PopCap. It combines beast collecting, puzzle/RPG elements, and Final Fantasy style to create something that is both familiar and unique. As a result, if you're a fan of puzzle games—especially ones that are challenging and fast-paced—then Gyromancer can do you no wrong.

Verdict: Buy