Gyromancer
Encyclopedia
Gyromancer is a puzzle and role-playing
video game developed by PopCap Games
in collaboration with Square Enix
. In the game, the player moves through a map of an enchanted forest, battling monsters using their own summoned monsters through a puzzle-game battle based on PopCap's Bejeweled Twist
. In these battles, the player rotates groups of four in a grid of gems to line up three or more jewels of the same color; when enough lines have been created damage is dealt to the enemy. Between battles, a story is told through a series of cutscene
s, while the player and the summoned monsters gain experience and power using role-playing game
elements.
The initial idea for the game was inspired by Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
, a 2007 video game which members of both companies were playing at the time. The game was proposed to Square Enix half-jokingly by PopCap's chief creative officer Jason Kapalka during a meeting between the two companies in 2007, and was released on the Xbox Live Arcade
and on the Steam platform for Windows PCs by Square Enix on November 18, 2009. Gyromancer received a generally positive reception from reviewers. Critics took issue with perceived limited graphics, some aspects of the music, and a weak and confusing plot. Despite these flaws, in general they found the game to be fun and addictive, and to have a great deal of replay value.
who ventures through the enchanted
Aldemona Wood. He has been tasked to track down the rebel group Temperance, led by Quraist Kingsley, who have assassinated a member of the royal family. The forest at times magically seals itself, trapping visitors inside, and is rumored to hold a source of mystical power for which Quraist is searching. The game consists of twelve stages, which are large branching maps that allow the player to move from points represented by stars to adjacent points. Each stage contains its own objectives, from defeating beasts that block the player’s way, to solving puzzles before time runs out. Additional stages are available for purchase as downloadable content. There are multiple optional objectives per stage, in addition to a main goal. Many areas of each stage are initially blocked off, and can only be entered by replaying the stage later in the game.
While moving through the stages, the player encounters many monsters, and is forced to battle against them using one of their own monsters in a puzzle battle based on Bejeweled Twist
. The creatures are "variations on fantasy archetypes" and include demons, giant spiders, giant frogs, and beasts inspired by Dungeons & Dragons
. The player can only bring three creatures into a stage out of all of the ones that they have, and selects one of the three when a battle begins. A grid of different colored gems is displayed, and the player can select blocks of four jewels and rotate them clockwise. If a line of three or more identical gems is formed, the gems disappear, allowing all of the jewels above the now-vacant spaces in the grid to fall down a row to replace them. New gems appear at the top of the screen to fill any holes in the grid. If new lines of gems are formed from this movement, the process repeats. Whenever lines are formed, a gauge is filled slightly for the player; when it is full a special gem appears on the board. When that gem is formed into a line, damage is done to the enemy. The enemy also has a gauge, which is filled every time the player performs a rotation, and damage is dealt directly to the player when it is filled.
Later in the game, non-rotatable gems can be found, and the player is punished for rotations that do not lead to a match by having the enemy's gauge fill faster. The amount of damage that the player can take or deliver is dependent on the monster used in battle, and using a beast in battle earns experience points which can increase the power of that summon. Each monster has a corresponding color, and matching gems that are the same color as your chosen monster or the enemy makes your gauge fill faster or theirs slower. Enemy monsters can change gems on the board to skulls, which cause damage to the player if they are not lined up within a certain number of moves. After being defeated in a battle, enemy monsters are added to the list of creatures that the player chooses from when they start a stage. New monsters can also be found hidden in the stages, along with items that can be used during battles.
with Bejeweled-style gameplay, calling it “Final Fantasy Bejeweled”. Kapalka was envisioning creating a similar game to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
, a 2007 video game which members of the development staff of both companies were playing at the time. The idea attracted the attention of Yuichi Murasawa, designer of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
, and the game began formal development. To differentiate the game from Puzzle Quest, the gameplay was based around Bejeweled Twist rather than Bejeweled, which Kopalka feels fit the art design of the game more. Other candidates considered were Zuma and Peggle
, but they were dropped as the developers felt that they did not fit in with the combat theme. PopCap developed the early prototype for the game, then allowed Square Enix to complete the bulk of the work in designing and creating the game, especially in regards to the RPG aspects. Square Enix and PopCap announced the game on September 24, 2009. It was published by Square Enix on the Xbox Live Arcade
and on the Steam platform for Windows PCs on November 18, 2009. A downloadable pack of maps and a pack of items were made available for sale a week after launch on November 23, 2009 for both versions of the game.
The game was directed by Murasawa and produced by Yoshinori Kamei. The story was written by Kyoko Kitahara, who had previously worked on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
with Murasawa, and the art direction was led by Yuki Matsuzawa. The soundtrack was created by Tsuyoshi Sekito
. Matsuzawa was asked to make the art style that of a "dark fantasy" and to focus more on making the visuals realistic rather than fantasy-oriented, so that it would appeal more to players outside of Japan.
, and similar praises were made by Daemon Hattfield of IGN
and Eurogamer
's Oli Welsh. Welsh claimed that it had a great deal of replay value, and praised the "surprisingly varied story missions". Game Informer
s Matt Miller disagreed slightly, stating that while the game had some replay value, it was limited by the lack of depth to the RPG elements of the game. Although the paintings of the monsters and game world were rated highly by critics, the art direction itself was criticized. Todd called the graphics "murky and grainy" and noted the lack of animation in the battles or cutscenes, in which two-dimension
al pictures of the characters speaking "slide back and forth like cardboard cutouts" rather than perform realistic movements. Welsh added that the stage maps were "crudely portrayed". Hattfield did not share those concerns, but did note say that they felt that the portraits of monsters were reused for different monsters too often. Miller disagreed completely with the other critics, saying that the game "looks great" and that "even the map screen between battles has a polished appearance". A reviewer from GameTrailers
also enjoyed the aesthetic of the game, saying that despite the "still images" and "simple effects", the game made an "effort to look and sound the part" of a deeper game, which they felt would increase the player's enjoyment.
The plot was similarly criticized, with Welsh calling it "endearing, largely unpronounceable rubbish", while Hattfield termed it "not Gyromancers strong point" and "a bit hard to follow". Miller dismissed it as "generic" and "lackluster", while the GameTrailers reviewer said that it was "somewhat thrown together". All the reviews, however, noted that the plot was largely irrelevant to the game next to the gameplay elements. Todd criticized the tutorial system as very inadequate, as well as the "beyond cheesy" music, a criticism that Hattfield left only to the "Japanese videogame metal during boss battles", rather than the rest of Sekito's "rousing orchestral tunes". Overall, however, the reviewers felt that Gyromancer was a fun, casual game.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
video game developed by PopCap Games
PopCap Games
PopCap Games is an American video game developer and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs about 400 people...
in collaboration with Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
. In the game, the player moves through a map of an enchanted forest, battling monsters using their own summoned monsters through a puzzle-game battle based on PopCap's Bejeweled Twist
Bejeweled Twist
Bejeweled Twist is a puzzle game of the Bejeweled series created and published PopCap Games, released on October 17, 2008.- Gameplay :Instead of switching the positions of two gems vertically or horizontally, the cursor in Bejeweled Twist is a circular lens that rotates four gems clockwise on the...
. In these battles, the player rotates groups of four in a grid of gems to line up three or more jewels of the same color; when enough lines have been created damage is dealt to the enemy. Between battles, a story is told through a series of cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s, while the player and the summoned monsters gain experience and power using role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
elements.
The initial idea for the game was inspired by Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a game developed by Australian company Infinite Interactive and published by D3 Publisher. The game combines role-playing with strategy and puzzle elements...
, a 2007 video game which members of both companies were playing at the time. The game was proposed to Square Enix half-jokingly by PopCap's chief creative officer Jason Kapalka during a meeting between the two companies in 2007, and was released on the Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and on the Steam platform for Windows PCs by Square Enix on November 18, 2009. Gyromancer received a generally positive reception from reviewers. Critics took issue with perceived limited graphics, some aspects of the music, and a weak and confusing plot. Despite these flaws, in general they found the game to be fun and addictive, and to have a great deal of replay value.
Gameplay
Players assume the role of Rivel, an immortal summonerConjuration
Conjuration is used in many video games, mainly RPGs, where it is usually referred to as summoning.* A notable example is the Final Fantasy franchise which incorporates summoning of monsters to fight alongside the characters....
who ventures through the enchanted
Incantation
An incantation or enchantment is a charm or spell created using words. An incantation may take place during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer, and may invoke or praise a deity. In magic, occultism, witchcraft it may be used with the intention of casting a spell on an object or a person...
Aldemona Wood. He has been tasked to track down the rebel group Temperance, led by Quraist Kingsley, who have assassinated a member of the royal family. The forest at times magically seals itself, trapping visitors inside, and is rumored to hold a source of mystical power for which Quraist is searching. The game consists of twelve stages, which are large branching maps that allow the player to move from points represented by stars to adjacent points. Each stage contains its own objectives, from defeating beasts that block the player’s way, to solving puzzles before time runs out. Additional stages are available for purchase as downloadable content. There are multiple optional objectives per stage, in addition to a main goal. Many areas of each stage are initially blocked off, and can only be entered by replaying the stage later in the game.
While moving through the stages, the player encounters many monsters, and is forced to battle against them using one of their own monsters in a puzzle battle based on Bejeweled Twist
Bejeweled Twist
Bejeweled Twist is a puzzle game of the Bejeweled series created and published PopCap Games, released on October 17, 2008.- Gameplay :Instead of switching the positions of two gems vertically or horizontally, the cursor in Bejeweled Twist is a circular lens that rotates four gems clockwise on the...
. The creatures are "variations on fantasy archetypes" and include demons, giant spiders, giant frogs, and beasts inspired by Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
. The player can only bring three creatures into a stage out of all of the ones that they have, and selects one of the three when a battle begins. A grid of different colored gems is displayed, and the player can select blocks of four jewels and rotate them clockwise. If a line of three or more identical gems is formed, the gems disappear, allowing all of the jewels above the now-vacant spaces in the grid to fall down a row to replace them. New gems appear at the top of the screen to fill any holes in the grid. If new lines of gems are formed from this movement, the process repeats. Whenever lines are formed, a gauge is filled slightly for the player; when it is full a special gem appears on the board. When that gem is formed into a line, damage is done to the enemy. The enemy also has a gauge, which is filled every time the player performs a rotation, and damage is dealt directly to the player when it is filled.
Later in the game, non-rotatable gems can be found, and the player is punished for rotations that do not lead to a match by having the enemy's gauge fill faster. The amount of damage that the player can take or deliver is dependent on the monster used in battle, and using a beast in battle earns experience points which can increase the power of that summon. Each monster has a corresponding color, and matching gems that are the same color as your chosen monster or the enemy makes your gauge fill faster or theirs slower. Enemy monsters can change gems on the board to skulls, which cause damage to the player if they are not lined up within a certain number of moves. After being defeated in a battle, enemy monsters are added to the list of creatures that the player chooses from when they start a stage. New monsters can also be found hidden in the stages, along with items that can be used during battles.
Development
The game was first thought up in 2007 during a meeting between PopCap and Square Enix, which had published several of PopCap's games in Japan. Jason Kapalka, the co-founder and chief creative officer of PopCap, claims that he "half-jokingly" proposed a game collaboration between the two companies that would combine a role-playing gameRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
with Bejeweled-style gameplay, calling it “Final Fantasy Bejeweled”. Kapalka was envisioning creating a similar game to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a game developed by Australian company Infinite Interactive and published by D3 Publisher. The game combines role-playing with strategy and puzzle elements...
, a 2007 video game which members of the development staff of both companies were playing at the time. The idea attracted the attention of Yuichi Murasawa, designer of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
, and the game began formal development. To differentiate the game from Puzzle Quest, the gameplay was based around Bejeweled Twist rather than Bejeweled, which Kopalka feels fit the art design of the game more. Other candidates considered were Zuma and Peggle
Peggle
Peggle is a casual puzzle video game developed by Sukhbir Sidhu and Brian Rothstein of PopCap Games. Initially released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X systems in 2007, it has since had versions released for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, the Nintendo DS , Windows Mobile, the iPod, the...
, but they were dropped as the developers felt that they did not fit in with the combat theme. PopCap developed the early prototype for the game, then allowed Square Enix to complete the bulk of the work in designing and creating the game, especially in regards to the RPG aspects. Square Enix and PopCap announced the game on September 24, 2009. It was published by Square Enix on the Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and on the Steam platform for Windows PCs on November 18, 2009. A downloadable pack of maps and a pack of items were made available for sale a week after launch on November 23, 2009 for both versions of the game.
The game was directed by Murasawa and produced by Yoshinori Kamei. The story was written by Kyoko Kitahara, who had previously worked on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
with Murasawa, and the art direction was led by Yuki Matsuzawa. The soundtrack was created by Tsuyoshi Sekito
Tsuyoshi Sekito
is a Japanese video game composer, arranger, and musician who has been employed at Square Enix since 1995. As a composer, he is best known for scoring the video games Brave Fencer Musashi and The Last Remnant...
. Matsuzawa was asked to make the art style that of a "dark fantasy" and to focus more on making the visuals realistic rather than fantasy-oriented, so that it would appeal more to players outside of Japan.
Reception
Gyromancer received a generally positive reception from reviewers. While many critics noted its similarity to Puzzle Quest, the gameplay was still described as being "fun and addictive" by Brett Todd of GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, and similar praises were made by Daemon Hattfield of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
's Oli Welsh. Welsh claimed that it had a great deal of replay value, and praised the "surprisingly varied story missions". Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
s Matt Miller disagreed slightly, stating that while the game had some replay value, it was limited by the lack of depth to the RPG elements of the game. Although the paintings of the monsters and game world were rated highly by critics, the art direction itself was criticized. Todd called the graphics "murky and grainy" and noted the lack of animation in the battles or cutscenes, in which two-dimension
Dimension
In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it...
al pictures of the characters speaking "slide back and forth like cardboard cutouts" rather than perform realistic movements. Welsh added that the stage maps were "crudely portrayed". Hattfield did not share those concerns, but did note say that they felt that the portraits of monsters were reused for different monsters too often. Miller disagreed completely with the other critics, saying that the game "looks great" and that "even the map screen between battles has a polished appearance". A reviewer from GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
also enjoyed the aesthetic of the game, saying that despite the "still images" and "simple effects", the game made an "effort to look and sound the part" of a deeper game, which they felt would increase the player's enjoyment.
The plot was similarly criticized, with Welsh calling it "endearing, largely unpronounceable rubbish", while Hattfield termed it "not Gyromancers strong point" and "a bit hard to follow". Miller dismissed it as "generic" and "lackluster", while the GameTrailers reviewer said that it was "somewhat thrown together". All the reviews, however, noted that the plot was largely irrelevant to the game next to the gameplay elements. Todd criticized the tutorial system as very inadequate, as well as the "beyond cheesy" music, a criticism that Hattfield left only to the "Japanese videogame metal during boss battles", rather than the rest of Sekito's "rousing orchestral tunes". Overall, however, the reviewers felt that Gyromancer was a fun, casual game.