Review: Trine [PC]
josh, 22-Aug-09 » Trine Review, by Josh
Trine is the latest offering from Finnish game developer Frozenbyte, and despite not being familiar with their previous project Shadowgrounds, I’m definitely looking forward to the next one. Let me just start off by saying that this game is absolutely gorgeous, and will keep you playing even if just to see the next beautiful level design.
The intro story is told through pieces of art as well as voiceover, and it is suitably medieval platformer... if that makes any sense. Basically the king has died, and because everyone wants to be king now, a sickness has come over the land and is causing the dead to rise from their graves (this is old school rising from the dead, you’ll find no zombies here... only skeletons). This isn’t helping things because apparently this sickness is made stronger by people’s fear, so as long as the dead still rise the sickness will continue to grow stronger and more dangerous for the citizens. You start your adventure there, with the whole undead army knocking on the doors.
The knight can fight off waves of enemies with his sword and shield, but once obtained, can wield a sledgehammer.
In Trine, you play the role of three individuals stuck together by a magical object called... you guessed it, the Trine. Don’t think that just because you have three of them though that you will always have them. If one character dies, you have to choose another to take his or her place and continue playing on, and if you get stuck in a situation where you have lost both combatants of the knight and thief and are left with the wizard and enemies still on screen... you’re pretty much stuffed. The thief, wizard, and knight each have their own strengths and weaknesses that you can use in a variety of situations. The knight, for example, is excellent at fighting close up with his sword and shield, but if you have to use him to get up to a high ledge, there’s no way in hell you’ll be continuing. The Thief uses a bow and arrow for long ranged combat, and, being a thief, has a grappling hook that can latch onto any wooden surface and allow you to swing across gaps, launch yourself onto platforms, or (and this one is my favourite) swing kick an enemy across the area. The Wizard is perhaps the most unique of the three characters in that he cannot defend himself hardly at all, and yet when it comes to the platforming aspect he is the only one you’ll really need, with his ability to conjure boxes to stand on, bridges to get over gaps, and platforms that float in the air. Each character has things they are and are not suited for, but the overlap and the ability to change on the fly is what really makes the puzzles in Trine huge amounts of fun.
The thief uses her bow and arrow to fight off enemies from long distances, however can choose to avoid them entirely by using her increased agility to jump or grappling hook over them.
Gameplay wise Trine is pretty straightforward. You start at one end of a long level, and you have to make your way up, down, right, and left, to the exit. 2D platforming however has never looked so good, with a full 3D world around you that will keep you slack jawed for most of the game. As I said, the skeletons are out and about with swords and shields looking for your blood. Combat is either hand to hand via the knight, long range with the thief, or you can drop a box on them with the wizard (I wouldn’t recommend option 3, especially for the boss monsters and giant skeletons). The platforming is very well done with the obligatory pits of death, bridges missing sections, and helpful wooden beams which you can throw your grappling hook into to swing over certain death. The always popular swinging blades of death also make an appearance, and with the full 3D world they’re looking better than ever. If you’ve played a platformer before, and I assume if you’re reading this then I can count you among those that have, then you’ll know generally what to expect. The puzzles typically utilize the wizard’s ability to levitate and move things, while the platforming normally uses the thief’s enhanced agility, leaving the fighting primarily to the knight. It’s also worth noting that the checkpoint system is also really well done, with possibly the only criticism I have being that perhaps they are too close, although that does mean progressing through is more fun because you don’t have to repeat easier parts in order to get to more difficult ones right before a checkpoint. The checkpoint system also brings all your characters back to life in the event that you’ve lost one between the previous checkpoint and this one, and for any on low health, it increases the health to a point determined by the difficulty you’re playing on (particularly helpful if you have to fight a large group of skeletons immediately after a checkpoint, just go back and get health before moving on!).
Water is rendered beautifully, and enemies are unique and can be identified quickly before having to get involved in a fight with them. Also... skeletons cannot swim apparently, even though bone floats? I'm confused.
As I’ve said a couple of times now, the game is incredibly beautiful. Each different level has a completely different design and style unique to the type of action that happens in it. The worlds are inhabited by skeletons that breathe fire, use bows and arrows, and swords to attempt to kill you, and each has its own unique look so you can identify what you are going up against before it is right next to you. The characters themselves are also exquisitely detailed, from the knight’s slightly goofy looking spiked armour to the Wizard’s flowing robes and insanely detailed boxes (no really... just looking at the objects he conjures is really cool). Water and fire effects are equally as beautiful in both the forest and the chasm levels. You will not get sick of looking at this game, it really is that good looking.
The Wizard can conjure super intricate boxes and platforms out of thin air to navigate obstacles such as these massive gears.
Overall, I completely recommend this game. At the very least I say you should get the demo off of steam (see the link at the end for the demo and to buy). This game not only plays really well, but creates unique opportunities to do so because of the ability to switch instantaneously between the three characters and their unique skill sets. All the while you’re playing though you’re rewarded with experience to level up your skills and earn new ones, treasure chests containing helpful items (some make you take lower damage, some give you more energy, and other helpful effects), and the best visuals I’ve seen in a game that costs as little as this one does. Definitely worth a try, and in my opinion if you don’t buy it immediately after playing the demo you must be blind and have no sense of platforming fun!
Final Rating: 4.5/5 – Platforming isn’t for everyone, but this game should fix that.
Trine is now available as a demo or to buy from Steam for $29.99US. http://store.steampowered.com/app/35700/
Or you can download the demo straight from the developer Frozenbyte at http://trine-thegame.com/download_demo?file=demo (direct link)
http://trine-thegame.com/site/index.php?page=home (website link)
Trine is the latest offering from Finnish game developer Frozenbyte, and despite not being familiar with their previous project Shadowgrounds, I’m definitely looking forward to the next one. Let me just start off by saying that this game is absolutely gorgeous, and will keep you playing even if just to see the next beautiful level design.
The intro story is told through pieces of art as well as voiceover, and it is suitably medieval platformer... if that makes any sense. Basically the king has died, and because everyone wants to be king now, a sickness has come over the land and is causing the dead to rise from their graves (this is old school rising from the dead, you’ll find no zombies here... only skeletons). This isn’t helping things because apparently this sickness is made stronger by people’s fear, so as long as the dead still rise the sickness will continue to grow stronger and more dangerous for the citizens. You start your adventure there, with the whole undead army knocking on the doors.
The knight can fight off waves of enemies with his sword and shield, but once obtained, can wield a sledgehammer.
In Trine, you play the role of three individuals stuck together by a magical object called... you guessed it, the Trine. Don’t think that just because you have three of them though that you will always have them. If one character dies, you have to choose another to take his or her place and continue playing on, and if you get stuck in a situation where you have lost both combatants of the knight and thief and are left with the wizard and enemies still on screen... you’re pretty much stuffed. The thief, wizard, and knight each have their own strengths and weaknesses that you can use in a variety of situations. The knight, for example, is excellent at fighting close up with his sword and shield, but if you have to use him to get up to a high ledge, there’s no way in hell you’ll be continuing. The Thief uses a bow and arrow for long ranged combat, and, being a thief, has a grappling hook that can latch onto any wooden surface and allow you to swing across gaps, launch yourself onto platforms, or (and this one is my favourite) swing kick an enemy across the area. The Wizard is perhaps the most unique of the three characters in that he cannot defend himself hardly at all, and yet when it comes to the platforming aspect he is the only one you’ll really need, with his ability to conjure boxes to stand on, bridges to get over gaps, and platforms that float in the air. Each character has things they are and are not suited for, but the overlap and the ability to change on the fly is what really makes the puzzles in Trine huge amounts of fun.
The thief uses her bow and arrow to fight off enemies from long distances, however can choose to avoid them entirely by using her increased agility to jump or grappling hook over them.
Gameplay wise Trine is pretty straightforward. You start at one end of a long level, and you have to make your way up, down, right, and left, to the exit. 2D platforming however has never looked so good, with a full 3D world around you that will keep you slack jawed for most of the game. As I said, the skeletons are out and about with swords and shields looking for your blood. Combat is either hand to hand via the knight, long range with the thief, or you can drop a box on them with the wizard (I wouldn’t recommend option 3, especially for the boss monsters and giant skeletons). The platforming is very well done with the obligatory pits of death, bridges missing sections, and helpful wooden beams which you can throw your grappling hook into to swing over certain death. The always popular swinging blades of death also make an appearance, and with the full 3D world they’re looking better than ever. If you’ve played a platformer before, and I assume if you’re reading this then I can count you among those that have, then you’ll know generally what to expect. The puzzles typically utilize the wizard’s ability to levitate and move things, while the platforming normally uses the thief’s enhanced agility, leaving the fighting primarily to the knight. It’s also worth noting that the checkpoint system is also really well done, with possibly the only criticism I have being that perhaps they are too close, although that does mean progressing through is more fun because you don’t have to repeat easier parts in order to get to more difficult ones right before a checkpoint. The checkpoint system also brings all your characters back to life in the event that you’ve lost one between the previous checkpoint and this one, and for any on low health, it increases the health to a point determined by the difficulty you’re playing on (particularly helpful if you have to fight a large group of skeletons immediately after a checkpoint, just go back and get health before moving on!).
Water is rendered beautifully, and enemies are unique and can be identified quickly before having to get involved in a fight with them. Also... skeletons cannot swim apparently, even though bone floats? I'm confused.
As I’ve said a couple of times now, the game is incredibly beautiful. Each different level has a completely different design and style unique to the type of action that happens in it. The worlds are inhabited by skeletons that breathe fire, use bows and arrows, and swords to attempt to kill you, and each has its own unique look so you can identify what you are going up against before it is right next to you. The characters themselves are also exquisitely detailed, from the knight’s slightly goofy looking spiked armour to the Wizard’s flowing robes and insanely detailed boxes (no really... just looking at the objects he conjures is really cool). Water and fire effects are equally as beautiful in both the forest and the chasm levels. You will not get sick of looking at this game, it really is that good looking.
The Wizard can conjure super intricate boxes and platforms out of thin air to navigate obstacles such as these massive gears.
Overall, I completely recommend this game. At the very least I say you should get the demo off of steam (see the link at the end for the demo and to buy). This game not only plays really well, but creates unique opportunities to do so because of the ability to switch instantaneously between the three characters and their unique skill sets. All the while you’re playing though you’re rewarded with experience to level up your skills and earn new ones, treasure chests containing helpful items (some make you take lower damage, some give you more energy, and other helpful effects), and the best visuals I’ve seen in a game that costs as little as this one does. Definitely worth a try, and in my opinion if you don’t buy it immediately after playing the demo you must be blind and have no sense of platforming fun!
Final Rating: 4.5/5 – Platforming isn’t for everyone, but this game should fix that.
Trine is now available as a demo or to buy from Steam for $29.99US. http://store.steampowered.com/app/35700/
Or you can download the demo straight from the developer Frozenbyte at http://trine-thegame.com/download_demo?file=demo (direct link)
http://trine-thegame.com/site/index.php?page=home (website link)
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| Category: | Game Reviews |
| Posted: | 22-Aug-09 7:21:01 pm |
| Author: | josh |