2009 has made for some strange couplings; it seems gaming collaborations between eastern and western developers are the big fad nowadays, and while the end results have not always been positive (Bionic Commando), the potential for greatness is there (Castlevania: Lords of Shadow).

Not content with merely buying out other developers, Square Enix has been steadily dealing with their foreign friends to create smaller, more accessible titles commonly fit for portable and digital distribution. What originally started out as a joke with PopCap Games has resulted in an unlikely collaboration between the RPG giant and the puzzler pros, in the form of a puzzler/RPG hybrid known as Gyromancer. Instantly bringing to mind the similar but more well-known Puzzle Quest, Gyromancer shares much of the same concept as the fantasy-based puzzler, but with PopCap’s reputation for quick-solving gameplay and Square Enix’s strong presentation, does this bastard child have a chance of usurping the gem-stacked throne?

In typical Square fashion, Gyromancer’s narrative is lengthy and complex, telling the story of Rivel, an arrogant but dutiful Summoner who has been… summoned… to hunt down an insurgent group known as Temperance, who seeks to overthrow the throne they once swore allegiance too. With the help of fellow ranger/token hot girl Laska, the two follow Temperance and their leader Qraist to the Aldemona Wood, a massive forest laden with spirits and creatures, many which will help or hinder the heroes on their quest for justice.

Despite the lengthy introduction, as well as a database of terms and plot details, Gryomancer’s story is thankfully kept brief, setting the stage for each… stage… as they open up on the world map. Once the stage is selected, players move a character icon on a game board-inspired maze filled with creatures, treasures, and other interactive items. Running into monsters brings up the battle screen, which makes up the core gameplay through a one-on-one gem-stacking battle to the death. Prior to fighting, Rivel can choose one of three equipped beasts to battle for him, but the objective is always the same: using a radial cursor to rotate the rows of multi-coloured gems on the grid, players must stack three gems of the same colour, either vertically or horizontally, to fill up their beast’s offensive abilities, which are symbolized by a specific colour that is then dropped into the grid as a special, glowing gem; stacking red gems, for instance, will build up a dragon’s flame breath, while stacking blue gems fills up a water-based attack from creatures affiliated with blue gems. Choosing a creature whose gem affinity counters against an enemy’s before battle will also result in a slight boost on your side.

With each creature benefiting from stacked gems of its chosen colour and the lack of a time limit, it would seem that players can focus on stacking gems without effort, but don’t relax yet; for every turn of the radial cursor you make, your opponent builds up its own gauge, which once filled will toss enemy gems represented by glowing skulls; these skull gems have a number hovering above them that represent how many radial turns it takes to have them detonate, ultimately damaging your beast’s HP. Enemy gems can be stacked and promptly nullified, but a more useful strategy is to stack gems with each cursor turn, as it minimizes the enemy gauge while filling up your own. This incentive to carefully plan each turn gives Gyromancer more of a slow-paced feel that focuses on careful planning and pre-determined chaining over stacking blocks as quickly as possible, although finishing in a timely manner is indeed one of several bonuses obtainable after each match.

Items and gil can also be obtained from hard-fought victories, as well as collected from treasure chests on the stage board. Items can be used during battle to offer strategic boosts that can turn certain defeat into immediate victory, while gil factors into summoning new beasts (once they have been obtained during stages) that can replace your initial three on a rotating basis. Ever a Square Enix trait, levelling up is the most important aspect in Gryomancer, as every monster can earn experience points to raise their levels to a certain cap, resulting in dealing extra damage while toughening their defence.  These extra factors may sound like too much clutter for players preferring to get right into the puzzler action, but rest assured that these features are thankfully streamlined and don’t require nearly as much micro-managing as Puzzle Quest.

Another plus in Gyromancer’s favour is the artwork; ignoring Square’s usual repertoire of spikey-haired blondes and zipper-heavy clothing, Gyromancers character designs carry a refined western look to them that’s closer to Vagrant Story, while the dialogue also mimics the cult classic “Ye Olde English”’s manner of speaking. The music is also an adequate mix of RPG old-school, although the fast-paced battle theme may cause frustration for players trying to carefully plan their next moves without the urgent music rushing them to take action. The numerous beasts Rivel can summon (50 in total) also feature some fantastic designs, closely resembling the level of detail found in a Tolkien art book.

While Gyromancer may not have enough weight to be regarded as a puzzle classic, this unique blend of RPG and Puzzler is a fun and addictive experience that’s easy to get into, but hard to put down. With secret stages, hidden summons, and a set number of awards per stage, don’t be surprised if you find yourself clocking in the same number of hours as you would a full-fledged RPG. Let’s just hope the next collaboration is a revival of the beloved Triple Triad card game from Final Fantasy VIII.

When it comes to collaborations, anything is possible.