Trine is a side scrolling, action, fantasy, adventure, puzzle/platformer, RPG. Yes, Trine incorporates all these things. It was released on the PC a while back to great reviews and it has made it’s way over to the Playstation Network, the Xbox Live Arcade version will be released sometime in the near future. I had never heard of the PC version and i only started to get familiar with the Trine name when i was sifting through news on the Playstation Blog and noticed alot of gamers complaining about the constant delays it had been suffering. I presumed it was another First Person Shooter and I paid it no mind, until it finally got released on the UK Store. I saw a few screenshots and the game looked decent, and then i started to do a more thorough search around the net for info and came across some great reviews, both text and video. It was only when i saw the game in motion that i decided to cough up the £15.99 and download it. Well i’ll tell you this, it was definitely money well spent. Trine is simply put, the most beautiful side scroller i have ever had the pleasure to experience. It really is a masterpiece for the genre.
As we all know the side side scrolling genre has had abit of a rejuvenation as of late thanks to services such as the Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and WiiWare/Virtual Console, and developers are still putting out quality Retail titles too, so the genre hasn’t just been segregated to a download only format. Games such as Shadow Complex, Bionic Commando Rearmed and Muramasa are really striking a chord with the modern day gamer to show that not every game has to include First Person Shooting and some type of Alien Invasion, and to it’s credit Trine succeeds in this genre with flying colors, even if there are some minor flaws along the way.
The story of Trine is your typical fantasy story, the kingdom needs to be rescued from the undead who have taken it over and it is up to the 3 main protagonists which you control to restore the kingdom back to it’s former glory. Spurred on by their own specific motives and trapped together as one being by the power of the mystical artifact known as the Trine, ou 3 heroes set out on their adventure. The story isn’t exactly above par but it’s fun whilst it lasts. It is told by narrative at the beginning of each level during the loading sequence which also houses the overworld map.
As I stated before you take control of 3 characters, a Theif, a Wizard and a Warrior, but because their souls have been trapped together you can only use one hero at a time but you can change between each of them by using the L1 and R1 buttons on your controller. Each character has their own set of special abilities. The Theif is the more agile of the 3 and comes equipped with a bow and arrow and also a grappling hook, most of the platforming sections in the game will be played by using the theif. The wizard is able to conjure objects into the world such as boxes and floating platforms which help our heroes to reach out of reach items and ledges. Most of the puzzles in the game will be solved using the Wizard. The Warrior is mainly used for combat as he comes equipped with a sword and shield, he was the least agile of the 3 because his armor weighs him down a bit.
As you traverse the world you will collect along your way experience which you can find as a stand alone item or something that can be retrieved after defeating an enemy, plus other secrets that can found throughout the games 15 levels. You need to collect 50 pieces of experience before you can level up your heroes. These are the RPG elements of the game. Leveling up allows your weapons and techniques to become alot more stronger. There isn’t any real depth to this system, but it’s there all the same.
Now in true side scrolling style there is a lot of platforming in this game and it stays consistently fun throughout the entire game. My only problem with the platforming came in the very last level when you have to ascend to the top of a tower whilst a sea a lava is rising from below you. Whilst you are going from ledge to ledge, there is this witch type thing that is putting objects in your way that you have to either try and jump over or breakthrough. Now it was only in this last level that the controls for some odd reason stopped responding aswel as they had done during the previous sections of the game. It was starting to get extremely frustrating, but i did manage to perservere and overcome the challenge and around my 7th try.
There is also a lot of combat in this game but it’s something that comes across as a bit of a disappointment, due to the lack of variety in enemies. In a game consisting of 15 levels the only enemy types were skeletons, both shielded and unshielded, bats, spiders and what some would describe as an end of level boss which all looked the same and provided no challenge whatsoever. I was expecting more of a variety to stop it getting too repetitive, but unfortunately the variety just isn’t there so it’s something you will just have to deal with.
In my opinion the games biggest accomplishment is the graphics. It really is stunning, and i stand by what i said at the beginning of this review that it is the most beautiful side scrolling game I have ever experienced. Color is used to magnificent effect, and you will see a whole range of color in this game, from lush green, to beautiful gold, it’s all here and it stays consistently gorgeous throughout the whole game The lighting really adds a different element to the game and it’s some of the best i have seen. The landscapes can be jaw dropping at times. It’s game where screenshots do not do this game justice. It has to be viewed in motion and preferably in HD.
I did find a few technical issues, sometimes enemies would get stuck between the environments and sometimes they would walk straight through objects. Also in the 2nd to last level I experienced quite a bit of slowdown, but it was only in this level. None of these issues are deal breakers, but they are noticeable and can you out of the experience when they happen.
A typical play through of this game can take about 10 hours, which isn’t bad in my opinion for the price of admission. Each level can take around 30-40 minutes, depending if you decide to rush through it, or you can take your time and collect all the experience and collect all the secrets. You can replay any level after you have finished them, and the game also keeps track of how many items were collected in any given level which allows you to see which ones you need to go back to finish exploring. It gives the game that bit of replay value, that is as long as you don;t find everything on your first play through, otherwise unfortunately there isn’t much here that will keep you coming back.
There is offline local co-op in the PSN version of Trine, it’s just not mentioned in the menus. You can press START on the 2nd and 3rd controller while in-game to join in. Even playing solo, the game is still well worth the money and i recommend it to anyone who has been enjoying this resurgence in side scrolling games.
There isn’t much i can find wrong with Trine, sure it has it’s flaws, but what game doesn’t, but the things it does well just outshines all the shortcomings, whether it’s the incredible graphics, the full on platforming or simple but effective puzzles, the game will draw you in and you will want to play to the end. That is the sign a great game.
UPDATE: After posting this review we received word from Frozenbyte that contrary to what we originally published there indeed is offline local co-op in the PSN version of Trine, it’s just not mentioned in the menus. You can press START on the 2nd and 3rd controller while in-game to join in. Great news! The review has been updated to take note of this.
