PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient [PSP]

How smart are you? To find out, you can take one of those IQ tests; but what fun is that? PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient measures your brain buffness through 100 challenging levels of puzzle-game glory. It's a good idea with some intriguing mechanics, but doesn't end up being the smartest buy on the PSP.

You're not on the outside looking in with PQ. Instead, it thrusts you inside the puzzles as a character interacting with various objects in 3D. Every stage acts as a "question" in the PQ test. You'll move blocks, ride conveyors, avoid lasers, calculate weights, and dodge flashlight-wielding guards.

Simply figuring out how to get to a question's goal is no easy task. The simple block puzzles and map-reading aspects are relatively harmless and enjoyable. Other mechanics -- the guards in particular -- aren't as entertaining. Poorly designed stealth segments should not be a factor in testing one's intelligence.

The pressure goes even further than that. You have a set time limit, as well as a set amount of object interactions allotted to you. Go over either of those, and you'll rack up penalties that will kill your overall score. You can retry a question at any time, but it won't reset your move or time limits. You can also just give up and pass to move onto the next level.

PQ gives gamers an overall breakdown of their performance -- but only after you've completed all 100 puzzles. Yes, it's neat to see how you rank on the international leaderboard, but going through the entire game is quite a large hoop to jump through. Most people will likely not even finish PQ in order to get to the final scoring point in the first place, which negates one of the coolest features this title has to offer. It may have been better if it broke the game down to be ranked after every stage of 10 questions, or separating each puzzle type into individual aptitudes. A multiplayer option would've been nice, too -- co-op, perhaps?

The game's art direction is attractive, with silhouetted models and Tron-like backgrounds. For being basically about blocks, PQ looks good. It does lack a good camera angle, however. While being able to rotate your view 180 degrees or get a top-down look at the level may take you out of the "inside" feel of things, it would've made some puzzles a lot more manageable.

Practical Intelligence Quotient is a great idea that suffers from lack of execution. Finding out your brain power from a video game is genius; doing so by reading maze layouts or running from flashlights isn't. PQ is a nice diversion from typical puzzle games, and will offer a good challenge to determined players; but gamers looking for the next Lumines are best off searching elsewhere.