Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is a rich new addition to the beloved Puzzle Quest universe, incorporating a compelling blend of casual and hardcore game elements similar to those adored by fans of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords into a futuristic, science-fiction setting. In Puzzle Quest: Galactrix a horrifying scientific accident has provoked another race to attempt extermination of humankind. Each player creates a persistent pilot who gains skills, crafts items, maneuvers among the universe’s political factions, and upgrades the ultimate space fleet as they attempt to end the genocide. An all-new hexagonal puzzle board allows for deeper strategy as it heeds to gravity according to a player’s location in the universe. This, along with new gameplay elements like hacking jumpgates, negotiating with factions, trading commodities and collecting blueprints make Puzzle Quest: Galactrix a captivating new adventure to explore and conquer.

In Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, factions play an integral role in the way you interface with the galaxy. There are 14 different factions; the 4 most common are the Human Megacorps, while 8 more are Alien Races. The remaining 2 factions are always hostile and include the Pirates and one extremely dangerous faction that you will learn more about as the game progresses.

Each Star System is controlled by a faction. Every Ship is owned by a faction. Every Shop or Station is run by a faction. Even many of the missions you undertake will be sanctioned by the various factions.

Every time you interact with the world of Galactrix you are gaining or losing standing with various factions. For example, shoot down a Vortraag ship and not only will the Vortraag remember this and gain an active dislike to you, but the Trident Military Command will find out and you will gain a little more credibility in their eyes. Or undertake a mission for the Jahrwoxi against the Elysians, and your faction standings will likewise be affected.

But what do faction standings actually do? The most obvious effect is to make some factions hostile towards you. If you travel through a hostile system, then you are more likely to be attacked by their ships. If you don’t manage your relationships well with key factions, then getting around the galaxy can become very dangerous indeed!

There are other benefits too – buying and selling commodities in a friendly system will result in better prices for you. In fact, trading with factions is one way to slowly improve a bad standing, although helping them out with a few missions or attacks against their enemies will surely make you friends more quickly.

The Human Factions

The four main Human factions all grew from the four Megacorporations that created the LeapGate system.

• MRI: MRI (Multinational Resource & Investment) Group instigated the LeapGate project, providing funding and negotiating the collaborative agreement between the other three Megacorporations. They are staffed entirely by telepaths, and have challenged ethical and moral standards numerous times by embarking upon selective-breeding programs that try to enhance their telepathic powers.
• Lumina: Originally Lumina was not really a corporation in its own right; they were still a militaristic right-wing religious group. They were in the unique position however of being able to provide the researchers and libraries necessary for the development of this new quantum technology upon which the LeapGates relied. Lumina still inhabit the planet Earth, where they have secretly guarded and protected millennia of knowledge, research and discoveries.
• Cy-Tech: CyTech provided the Software and AI systems both that operated the LeapGates and helped their delivery to the correct location around distant stars. Growing from humble beginnings as a simple software company, theirinvention of intelligent worked drones propelled them into a position to accept a role on the LeapGate program.
• Trident: Trident Corporation provided the ships and engines necessary to move the LeapGates through space; they were the first group to develop faster-than-light travel, albeit it in unmanned ships. Trident are the easiest Megacorporation to understand. They build ships of all shapes and sizes, but mostly military ships. The Trident fleet is the biggest in the galaxy. Many of the other Megacorporations fear that Trident may be growing too powerful.

The Alien Factions

There are many dozens of Alien Factions in the galaxy, but only the most interesting and powerful are listed here.

• JAHRWOXI: These scruffy little hairy creatures are annoying and dishonest. They will steal anything that is not bolted down, and will lie about incessantly on almost any topic.
• VORTRAAG: These lizard-like creatures put up the strongest resistance of any race the humans encountered. Ultimately they were no match for the Empire, but their sheer ferocity in battle and willingness to die fighting inflicted noticeable losses on the Empire. A strong contingent of Imperial Military still exist on Vortraag Prime, to keep the locals in check. Many Vortraag flee their home planet and turn to piracy.
• KRYSTALLI: These silicon based life forms are like very slow-moving telepathic rocks. Sadly few of them are left; the MRI Group see them as some kind of telepathic threat and has made every attempt to track them down and eliminate them.
• ELYSIANS: These tiny frail creatures were no match for the Empire. Unfortunately, their planet was seen as somewhat of a paradise by the Empire, who promptly enslaved them and set up the planet like one enormous holiday resort.
• QUESADA: The Quesadans are a deeply religious tall, thin and elegant people. Their religion is one of the few officially sanctioned by the Empire, and probably only because their planet seems to be full of ancient secrets & treasures (the locations of which are known only to the Quesadan High Priests).
• DEGANI: Not only is the food produced in the Degani System renowned throughout the Galaxy, but the hospitality of its people is second-to-none.
• PLASMIDS: These creatures exist in a liquid state, composed entirely of small living crystals that move through a watery medium. They are almost invisible to humans until they try to communicate, using a strange gurgling sound.
• KECK: A widely-traveling merchant race, the bird-like Keck can be persistent and annoying.

The Enemy Factions

These factions are hostile to the player and should be avoided unless you are looking for a fight.

• PIRATES: Usually found in the outermost star systems, Pirates prey on transports and travelers passing through their systems. Systems such as Gomorrah are home to massive pirate bases where law has all but been forgotten.
• THE SOULLESS: Created by the MRI’s twisted experiments, these creatures are an improved form of humanity – smarter, faster and possessed of no morals or inhibitions – only a desire to perfect themselves even further.

Key Features :

• Strategy and role-playing elements that function harmoniously in the match-three puzzle gameboard are played out via head-to-head, turn-based gameplay that encourages you to plan, think and strategize against opponents; players are not penalized for losing and instead earn psionic powers for their efforts.
• Upgradeable spacecraft options allow players to create, develop and customize the ultimate fleet of attack and exploration vehicles for their persistent pilot to command; the futuristic setting and new innovative gameplay introduce telepathy and ESP.
• An all-new hexagonal puzzle board allows an extra layer of strategy for players who crave it, heeding to gravity according to a player’s location in the universe; board pieces consist of tokens that provide opportunities to increase Defense Systems and Ship Attack Power, upgrade Psionic Powers, gather Intelligence and activate opponent-damaging Space Mines.
• Explore the broad spectrum of gameplay available, some brand new and some familiar: negotiate with factions, mine for or trade commodities, hack jumpgates, recruit crew members, acquire companion aliens, collect informational “rumors” and obtain items like weapons, cargo and blueprints to create new items in order to advance.
• Mankind has spread its empire throughout the universe; four Megacorporations control the Empire, and internal struggles cause an experiment to go horribly awry, producing creatures who begin a systematic extermination of the human race. Players explore the universe via jumpgate technology as they battle to stop the genocide of humans and other life forms.
• Engage in unique experiences each time you play by choosing from the diverse field of pilot skills, ship customizations, opponents, collectibles, upgrades, 150+ battles, story elements and more, for hundreds of hours of gameplay.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, rated E10, is in development for PS3 (PSN), X360 (XBLA), scheduled for early 2009, while the PC and NDS edition are coming Feb. 24, 2009 for North and South America.