Puzzle Quest 2 Coming to Xbox 360, Nintendo DS

A proper sequel to the addictive color-matching puzzle-RPG Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is slated to hit Nintendo DS and Xbox 360 (as an Xbox Live Arcade download) in the spring of 2010, D3Publisher officially announced today.

Original developer Infinity Interactive is handling the sequel, with studio owner D3 promising "an enhanced real-time experience using all-new weapons, spells, and shields that make every decision meaningful...in the deepest puzzle adventure yet."

A screenshot on the left, artwork on the right.

As before, the game's battle system relies on matching three or more gems of the same color, with four character classes--War Mage, Inquisitor, Barbarian, Assassin--playable across its four announced modes: Story, Instant Action, Tournament, and Multiplayer.

The original Puzzle Quest debuted on Nintendo DS and PSP in early 2007, and was subsequently ported to a variety of platforms. A space-themed spin-off, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, arrived earlier this year, but was not as well-received critically.