Trine is one of those Indie games that uses some gimmick with an existing successful genre and makes it work. Through the uses of the physics engine, creative level design and crazy multiplayer co-op platforming, Trine provides a decent amount of entertainment to the players. Be it rushing fast-paced platforms, fighting enemies in challenging combats, or solving intricate puzzles, there is something in store for all players.
Graphics
The lush, 3D rendered environment set in a 2D style format draws the player in through its fairytale-like presentation. The physics of the objects is one of the highlights of the game as players manipulate crates, bridges, and pendulums to destroy obstructions, cross gaps and progress through the story. The style of art used in Trine is not necessarily realistic, but favors more to the theme of fantasy. The illuminations of flowers, branches of overgrown trees and such are extraordinary, but the look and feel of the physics in the game gave a sense of believability and immersion. The levels are extravagant in aesthetic as they are complex in design. The theme and characters are whimsical and fantastical which really added to the whole feel of the game. If there is anything I had to critique on the graphics, it would be that certain levels would have places too dark to see or the environments were too muddled into the background to see the hazards on the walls and ground. Graphics: 9/10
Audio
The music was superb and added to the atmosphere of the fantasy filled adventure. It almost sounds Celtic with the fiddle like violin, mandolin, and similar like wind instruments. It has an enchanting effect to the player with the beats emanating a sense of arduous travels of epic proportions while the strings and wind instruments lulls the player in with its memorable melodies. This is not to say all the soundtracks had this type of effect. Many levels had music that worked well with it, but I honestly don’t remember much aside from the main theme (played in the video and on the title screen of the game). The sound effects are done really well and appropriate for the cases of many non-existing objects (magic spells and necromantic enemies). I don’t recall whether the game had proximity in sound effects in mind (whether the sound effects are quieter and directional to know whether the enemies spawn from the left or right). The audio was pretty solid and really contributed to the success of the game. Audio: 8/10
Gameplay
I was skeptical on buying the game since it was an indie game (when I hear this, I expect it to be a short game) and that it was a platformer (which I like but know that not all platformers are good). I ended up liking the game a lot because of these two elements that made me skeptical. The indie touch to the game that utilizes the DirectX Physics Engine made for a unique experience when combined with the challenges of a puzzle platformer. The game is very simple; the three protagonists in the game are brought together by what is called the “Trine” and journey to the tall, dark tower to end the plague-like magic that overwhelmed the kingdom by using the Trine. These three characters, the wizard, the knight, and the thief, create most of the gameplay in how they differ. The wizard cannot use combat magic, but instead has the ability to create crates, platforms, and a floating triangle as well as move objects around freely. The knight is geared towards combat using sword, shield and hammer as his tools of fighting enemies. The thief wields a bow for combat and tool for progressing through a level as well as a hook of some kind that allows her to swing around. Combining these abilities of the three has an array of ways to progress through a level and becomes more entertaining (or hectic) when more than one player is present and methods of progression needs to be more creative. The basic concepts are grasped early, but how they are utilized later on will be entirely up to the player as the game does become more challenging (it does). The physics and jumps can be a little tricky and the physics will sometimes cause weird and undesired glitches (though humorous) to impede on the progression of a level. As hilarious as some of the problems with the physics may be, it can be frustrating when players are truly trying to complete the game. Gameplay: 8/10
Replay Value
This is debatable depending on the player. For those who enjoy breaking the game and playing it in a way other than fulfilling the actual goal, the game could last for quite a while. For those who want to play through the game, the dynamics change by its difficulty, the player’s willingness to collect 100% items, and the amount of players playing at once. The game is actually pretty challenging as it is already (I played on normal, there’s hard and insane levels) and upping the difficulty will only make the player go slower and more carefully. A more enjoyable alternative to a challenge would be to play the game with two more friends with all three characters in play. It’s more challenging when all players need to cross an area and does not have the abilities that the other one has. Other than that, it’s not a game I’d jump onto every time I felt like playing videogames. If I played it again, it’d be to get 100% items or to play with a friend. Replay Value: 7/10
Overall
Even after playing through it once, I think I’d be willing to play through certain levels again just to get 100% on everything. The gameplay concept is simple, but the complex level designs make those simple concepts more interesting. I personally really enjoyed playing the thief and playing as the wizard was such a gag as well as being one of the most important characters to my progression of the game. Playing the knight wasn’t as satisfying since it was more about head-on fighting. The music wasn’t beyond incredible to me, but it really did have that entrancing effect on me as well as the fantastical environment. I bought Trine for $5 on Steam, and I’d recommend it if it goes on sale for that low again. Overall: 8/10
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