Paul Acevedo
Writer
To me it's dummed down because you cannot move around a map and open chests or avoid encounters. There's no lockpicking or quests and the graphics are way worse. Yes, I know that's because it's based off of SOTN. They tried doing what Puzzle Quest does with the battle system and in my opinion they failed at it. It's still a fun game but it's a lot like PQ but it's just not nearly as fleshed out. The UI is terrible also.
I agree about the UI, but you definitely move around an expansive map in Castlevania Puzzle. There's just not as many side things to do, for better or worse. I love both games, but I find Castlevania Puzzle more exciting and it has a much better story and music. PQ 2 however has more staying power and perhaps a bit more variety, though the battles sure do go on forever (comparatively).