Critical Reception: Now Production/D3's PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient

This week's Critical Reception takes a look at the Now Production-developed/D3-published PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient for the PSP, a puzzle game that, like its title suggests, aims to test your intelligence. The consensus opinion from gathered game reviewers on PQ was an average rating of 71%, according to review compilation website GameTab.com. GameSpot's Ryan Davis explains the basic concept of the portable game: "PQ is structured similarly to a pen-and-paper intelligence test. You're given 100 'questions,' with each question being a 3D logic puzzle that you must solve. A score, based on the amount of time and the number of turns it takes, is given for each question, and once you've completed all 100 questions, your overall PQ score is calculated." As for the actual objectives, IGN's Juan Castro describes the game thus: "You control a virtual man in each of these puzzle levels and the point is always the same: reach the exit. Of course, it's not an easy walk. You'll contend with various obstacles such as doors, stairways, lasers, conveyor belts and watchful sentries." As far as possible praise for the title, GameSpy's Phil Theobald enjoys aspects of the game, suggesting: "The puzzles require a lot of thinking and quick reflexes to get through," and adding: "it looks all techo-cool." Other reviewers agree, with IGN's Castro stating: "Those looking for a deep, involving puzzle game will find it in PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient. There are a good number of puzzles, most of which offer enough of a challenge to engage puzzle nuts without distancing novices." In addition, GameSpot's Davis muses that the puzzles are "inventive and can provide challenging tests of your capacity for calculations, memorization, spatial relations, lateral thinking, and predictive reasoning, often all at once." In the complaint department, the only major issue concerns the camera. GameSpy's Theobald grouses: "It would also be nice if you had better control over the game's camera. Pressing the shoulder buttons rotates the camera around, but when you release the button, the view whips back to the starting position", and other reviewers share this oft-problematic issue. By positioning itself as an intelligence test, PQ, which is obviously a game that debuted after Nintendo's Brain Training became so popular in Japan, sets itself to target a very specific niche intellectual audience seeking another way to measure their brain power, and a unique PSP title. However, it may also appeal to a secondary audience, in puzzle gamers seeking a novel puzzle game fix away from falling blocks. Should enough of them pick it up, it may just enjoy modest success for D3 in America.