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Just how smart are you?
April 17, 2006 | 10:35 AM PSTVideo games have come a long way from the simple toys. The big thing about gaming now days is how far a developer can stray from the standard formula and branch out to new genres. Nowpro, makers of PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient are out to push the limits of what we define as a game. PQ is not as much of a game as it a tool to figure out what you know about spacial recognition. The levels are called “questions” and the way the game figures out your score is quite smart. There are some great concepts in the game but the overall package doesn't flow like it should.
Sound
While this game requires some intense thinking at times, the music is only helpful to give you headaches. It's best to keep the sound off while trying to figure out how to get to the exit. This is one case where adding your own music from the PSP memory card would have been a great addition because the repetitive electronic music does not lend itself to a peaceful experience while you are pondering your next move.
Control
The in game avatar walks too slowly for having a time limit on the levels. All the other controls feel a little unresponsive because of the slow movements. The camera control is terrible because it can never stay where you want it. This leads to frustration because if you only had a different view of the board, the “questions” wouldn't be as impossible in some parts. In a game where spacial recognition is what you are trying to score high in, tight and snappy controls should have been a top priority but the control falls short in many places.
Graphics
PQ's art direction is decidedly minimalistic. You deal with 4 sided boxes that either get moved or lifted. The “questions” are also large boxes with smaller squares in those. The character is a stark white color with no distinctive features. For the PSP it is underwhelming but it fits the whole brainy feel of the game. The menus were nice and clean which was a nice plus.
Making A Stairway To Heaven
Gameplay
The whole game revolves around solving a series of puzzles and getting to the exit, nothing more. How well you preform on these puzzles determines your practical intelligence quotient. There are a nice assortment of obstacles to overcome and solve. As the “questions” progress, they get more difficult, like many other puzzle games that can be compared to PQ. There are 10 stages with 10 “questions” each after the completion of all of them, you get a readout of what you scored in.
To keep PQ moving, there is a timer for all “questions.” To add to the urgency of finishing the puzzles quickly, there is also a move counter to make sure the puzzles are done efficiently. If you get totally stuck, you can always pass on a level thus failing the "question."
Once the game is done, there are different aspects of PQ to score in and the game will show you where you scored the highest. The score will also reveal if you are a impulsive thinker or if you take your time to think out the puzzle before moving anything.
PQ has a core flaw: once you complete the levels, that's it. There are no more levels to download or anything after the 100 "questions." You can try to score better next time but it seems pointless to go through the game again. The replay value just isn't there.
The controls make the score readout hard to believe with the unresponsive nature but this is a puzzle game at heart with a neat hook added to it. There are plenty of times where you will be left scratching your head as time ticks down and your move count runs out. PQ is one of the better puzzle games the PSP has to offer. It offers a new way to think about puzzle scoring other than some meaningless point value.
One of the neatest features of PQ is the ranking system. You can upload your highest score to the internet using the infrastructure mode and see how you stack up against the rest of the world. You can also see what country has the highest average and other interesting statistics like that.
Verdict
When I first sat down with PQ I wasn't sure of what to make of it. I was trying to determine if the game was fun or not. I then came to the conclusion, it was meant to be neither. It is a much more cerebral experience than what other puzzle games have to offer. You feel its your job to find your PQ and tell the world. It was a great hook to keep me playing until the end. Even though the controls make the actual number hard to believe, the scoring system gives a new perspective and meaning to those otherwise arbitrary high scores for other puzzle games. I personally love the visual style. Its minimalistic, clean and it reminded me of the Star Trek Holodeck. Nothing frilly to distract from the overriding goal of the game but the the visuals don't take advantage of what the PSP has to offer graphically, sadly.
Controls were the biggest source of frustration for the game. More control of the camera should have been included rather than that “swinging arm” camera that doesn't help at all. Overall, PQ held my interest and was a nice change of pace from other puzzlers out there. PQ has some great concepts with the finding your PQ and online ranking system which shouldn't be missed by any puzzle game lover.
Sound
While this game requires some intense thinking at times, the music is only helpful to give you headaches. It's best to keep the sound off while trying to figure out how to get to the exit. This is one case where adding your own music from the PSP memory card would have been a great addition because the repetitive electronic music does not lend itself to a peaceful experience while you are pondering your next move.
Control
The in game avatar walks too slowly for having a time limit on the levels. All the other controls feel a little unresponsive because of the slow movements. The camera control is terrible because it can never stay where you want it. This leads to frustration because if you only had a different view of the board, the “questions” wouldn't be as impossible in some parts. In a game where spacial recognition is what you are trying to score high in, tight and snappy controls should have been a top priority but the control falls short in many places.
Graphics
PQ's art direction is decidedly minimalistic. You deal with 4 sided boxes that either get moved or lifted. The “questions” are also large boxes with smaller squares in those. The character is a stark white color with no distinctive features. For the PSP it is underwhelming but it fits the whole brainy feel of the game. The menus were nice and clean which was a nice plus.
Gameplay
The whole game revolves around solving a series of puzzles and getting to the exit, nothing more. How well you preform on these puzzles determines your practical intelligence quotient. There are a nice assortment of obstacles to overcome and solve. As the “questions” progress, they get more difficult, like many other puzzle games that can be compared to PQ. There are 10 stages with 10 “questions” each after the completion of all of them, you get a readout of what you scored in.
To keep PQ moving, there is a timer for all “questions.” To add to the urgency of finishing the puzzles quickly, there is also a move counter to make sure the puzzles are done efficiently. If you get totally stuck, you can always pass on a level thus failing the "question."
Once the game is done, there are different aspects of PQ to score in and the game will show you where you scored the highest. The score will also reveal if you are a impulsive thinker or if you take your time to think out the puzzle before moving anything.
PQ has a core flaw: once you complete the levels, that's it. There are no more levels to download or anything after the 100 "questions." You can try to score better next time but it seems pointless to go through the game again. The replay value just isn't there.
The controls make the score readout hard to believe with the unresponsive nature but this is a puzzle game at heart with a neat hook added to it. There are plenty of times where you will be left scratching your head as time ticks down and your move count runs out. PQ is one of the better puzzle games the PSP has to offer. It offers a new way to think about puzzle scoring other than some meaningless point value.
One of the neatest features of PQ is the ranking system. You can upload your highest score to the internet using the infrastructure mode and see how you stack up against the rest of the world. You can also see what country has the highest average and other interesting statistics like that.
Verdict
When I first sat down with PQ I wasn't sure of what to make of it. I was trying to determine if the game was fun or not. I then came to the conclusion, it was meant to be neither. It is a much more cerebral experience than what other puzzle games have to offer. You feel its your job to find your PQ and tell the world. It was a great hook to keep me playing until the end. Even though the controls make the actual number hard to believe, the scoring system gives a new perspective and meaning to those otherwise arbitrary high scores for other puzzle games. I personally love the visual style. Its minimalistic, clean and it reminded me of the Star Trek Holodeck. Nothing frilly to distract from the overriding goal of the game but the the visuals don't take advantage of what the PSP has to offer graphically, sadly.
Controls were the biggest source of frustration for the game. More control of the camera should have been included rather than that “swinging arm” camera that doesn't help at all. Overall, PQ held my interest and was a nice change of pace from other puzzlers out there. PQ has some great concepts with the finding your PQ and online ranking system which shouldn't be missed by any puzzle game lover.
November 20, 2009
