Be aware that there are spoilers ahead for the final version of the puzzle!
Magic Puzzle Company has been talked up quite a bit, and I'd been looking forward to doing one for some time now. It turned out that a recent Target sale that pretty much allowed me to get two for the price of one netted me my first pair of them! I've seen numerous people claim that MPC puzzles are the best they've ever done, enthusing about their quality and creativity. It was quite a lot to live up to, and I was a bit apprehensive that the experience might be a bit of a letdown after so much hype.
I was immediately impressed by the quality. The packaging was well-designed and sturdy, the pieces contained within resealable envelopes. One of these cautioned that it was only to be opened after the puzzle was assembled. I'd avoided all discussion about MPC puzzles apart from general comments about quality, so I had no idea what to expect from this. I set it aside and dumped the pieces from the main envelope into the box top for sorting, and set about my work. I wound up not actually sorting much, and mostly kept all the pieces together. I separated out the edge pieces, some of which were clearly intended to go within the puzzle's interior, and the various oddly-shaped pieces into their own tray. I grabbed one of the two included posters to help begin assembly, and things went fairly quickly from there. The art has a simple style that belies the complexity of the overall design, and I greatly enjoyed taking in the details as I pieced it together. The scene depicting the hero weeping as he is forced to kill a monster struck a chord with me, as someone who has been in situations in which I had to hurt another person to prevent greater harm. Regardless of circumstances, hurting someone else hurts you as well. There are many notable scenes depicted throughout the puzzle art, but this one held a particular poignancy.
Once the puzzle was assembled, I opened the secret envelope. Two more envelopes had to be opened to access the secret pieces, so there is definitely no possibility of seeing them by mistake! I knew by now that sections of the puzzle would need to be shifted around, and a sheet was included to show exactly which ones needed to go where. It was pretty obvious which ones needed to be relocated simply from looking at the art, but the sheet is a nice inclusion to ensure that anyone who does the puzzle will have a helping hand if they need it. Shifting these sections created an opening in the center of the puzzle, in which the portal is to be built. There is no reference image here, so box-peekers like me may find it a tad tedious to begin with, but the shape of the opening makes it easy to pick out the edge pieces. The art on those pieces gives you the clues you need to hit the ground running from there.
The overall experience was a lot of fun, and almost completely lived up to the brand's hype. The box promises no puzzle dust, and while there is a tiny bit, it's about as close to "no dust" as is likely possible. (Seriously, it's about the amount of dust you get from five Ravensburger pieces!) The pieces are my favorites I've ever encountered, and were a joy to work with as I assembled the puzzle. My one gripe is that the fit of the pieces was rather loose. Given that the interior sections that need to be shifted around have their own edges, the loose fit is not necessary for the secret section. On the contrary, the loose fit makes it more difficult to move those sections without them crumbling! Given MPC's attention to detail in every other aspect of quality, I can only assume that this must have been a conscious decision. I really have no idea why they decided on such loose-fitting pieces. It doesn't ruin the puzzle or anything, though it can be a bit annoying at times. It certainly won't prevent me from doing more of their puzzles in the future!
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