Battle Puzzle 2048 Queens of the Abyss – Technically a Puzzle, but not fit for Royalty

EpiXR Games is at it again with another technically playable game with little to no instruction. Battle Puzzle 2048 – Queens of the Abyss (By the grace of the editors, now shortened to BP2048) is a reimagining of the 2048 game everybody was obsessed with a few years ago.

If, like me, you were somehow living under a rock during that time, the idea is you get given a grid you can “tilt” up/down/left/right. Every time you make a move, a number is placed in the grid (specifically a power of two). If two identical numbers collide, they merge. In the original title, the goal was to create 2048. In BP2048, the goal is… Unclear.

After having the pleasure of playing Zumba – Marble Candy Rush, I decided to head to the store description, which EpiXR seems to treat as the instruction manuals of old, I have discovered that the endless mode retains that premise, and the rest of the time when playing BP2048 you’re supposed to “smash high-value tiles” into your enemies. I eventually figured out each girl has a health bar at the bottom of the screen, and if you hit her tile with a number, you do that much damage to her

The enemies in question are a selection of your typical anime waifu demon stereotypes, rendered in semi-acceptable 3D models, each with a different ability. It wasn’t until reading the store description that I realised I was fighting against these girls and not with them. I’ve won several matches of BP2048, and it was never particularly through any skill. The different difficulty modes just seem to increase the enemies health, and the only difference between enemies is the special ability they fire off. Sure, this technically introduces some variety, but there’s only so many times you can ram a multiple of two into a basic drawing of an anime girl before your brain begins to leak out of your ears.

Graphically the game is serviceable. Numbers are clearly readable, effects aren’t too distracting, and whilst models are basic, they do capture a small semblance of personality for each enemy. Your tolerance of polygonal pale skin and things may vary.

Of surprising quality is the smattering of backing music. Catchy pop jingle about tapping screens and matching numbers loop endlessly, and on the main menu you can listen to these songs freely and skip any that don’t catch your fancy. I have a feeling if you somehow get hooked on the gameplay, these songs could quickly become earworms. Sound effects do get annoying quickly though, so be wary.

If you happened to read my review of ZMCR, you’ll know what I’m going to say here. The game is technically playable, but there is no passion or care behind it. As of time of writing, it’s just over £5 on the store. Each enemy (other than endless mode) has 5 difficulties, so that’s 36 levels, or 8 different variations, if you’re feeling generous.

Battle Puzzle 2048 – Queens of the Abyss was reviewed on Xbox Series X, but is also available on Playstation 5 and Nintendo Switch.