As far as gem-swapping puzzle games go, Vempire certainly looks the part. It even plays as one might expect, mixing it up here and there with some RPG style frills. To say that it leaves a lasting impact though would be a bald-faced lie. Vempire is simply okay.

In Vempire, the goal is to match four or more icons to clear them from the board, adding to your completion meter and, depending on what you matched, your gold or mana. This is done by rotating blocks of four to the left or right. Repeat this process until your meter is filled and BAM! You’re through to the next stage. But don’t call it Puzzle Quest! Not only would that piss Puzzle Quest rightly off, but it would also imply Vempire has any kind of depth to it.

Vempire’s difficulty comes in the form of a time limit and a detrimental “boss” creature that pops up periodically to screw things up for you. Each stage has its own boss and each of these bosses will try to thwart your match-making progress in their own, unique ways. It’s an admirable attempt at doing things differently but ultimately unremarkable. In the case of some bosses, it’s difficult to determine just what it is exactly they’re doing except for looking scary.

Vempire is fun, sure, but in the most generic way possible. It’s also extremely easy once you’ve hit your groove. You could easily rip through this game in a couple hours, with no intent to ever return to it. There’s not much for lasting impact here.

Artistically, it’s a cute little entry into the genre with exaggerated cartoony creatures and shiny, alchemical vials. Also cute is the terribly translated explanations of how to do things and what items actually do, which you might find reminiscent of old-school NES games. It may not immediately dawn on you how to earn or utilize your game-changing artifacts. Vempire’s lack of effective explanation is mildly irritating.

For those in the market for a good PSP mini, I would recommend you pass on this title. Vempire is neither awful nor exceptional. It’s simply okay.