For someone like me, who stinks at side-scroller games, I have to admit I was somewhat wary of playing this game. But it won me over completely. The gameplay, the artwork, the music and even the simple storyline fit together really nicely and it felt like just the right length. At $20 it’s worth every penny and if you still don’t believe me, there’s even a demo you can download.
A magical artifact known as the Trine intertwines the lives of 3 characters: Amadeus the Magnificent, (a barely competent mage), Zoya the thief and Pontius the Brave, our fearless knight. They must use their combined skills to solve and battle their way to the end to free themselves. The mage can move most objects with magic, as well as conjure platforms and boxes for areas which might be difficult to cross. The thief can shoot regular arrows and fire arrows, but more importantly has a grappling hook which enables her to swing across gaps or travel up to areas no one else can reach. I found myself using her the most because she was the best at traveling and also seemed to jump slightly higher than the other two. The knight uses a sword and shield, which enables him to effectively block attacks or falling objects. With upgrades he can also learn to throw heavy objects and smash things with a hammer.
Along the way you collect vials of experience, health and energy. Collect enough experience vials and you can upgrade your characters (multiple arrows, higher damage, multiple platforms etc.). You’ll also come across chests, which contain armor or various accessories for all 3 characters. There are frequent checkpoints, so if all 3 characters die, you won’t have to restart the level.
The fantasy environments are stunning. Beautifully lit, detailed and rendered. Animation is great and so is the occasional voice acting. The 2D artwork at the beginning and end are a little disappointing considering the caliber of artwork in the actual game. My main gripe is the lack of variety in mobs. Skeletons, and lots of them. Sure, some wear armor, some are archers and others breathe fire, but they’re still skeletons. There are occasional troll/orc looking guys, bats and spiders, but I wish there had been bad guys that matched whichever board you happened to be in.
Figuring out how to get from point A to point B isn’t difficult, but depending how you upgrade your characters, there are many ways to approach the same challenge. As I mentioned, I preferred using the thief to travel, but you could just as easily conjure platforms and boxes to get across. It definitely got a little more challenging as the game progressed, but I never hit a point where I was so frustrated I wanted to give up. It was enjoyable enough and short enough that I would gladly play it again and try different tactics. This definitely makes my list of favorite games.
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