Difficulty:

Easy

Time Spent:

10 Hours or Less

The Bottom Line:

"Uninspired"

Trine is best described as an attempt to make a modern version of Blizzard's Lost Vikings. It's a side scrolling puzzle and platform game that relies a bit too much on its physics engine to present its elements.

Just as in the original game, you get to control 3 different characters - this time a warrior, a rogue and a mage - and use their powers and abilities to overcome the platforming elements and solve puzzles, well, actually just finding out ways of reaching a certain lever or place on the map using different powers.

The warrior can attack enemies in close range, use its shield to defend against bolts, fireballs and spikes and also throw objects around. The mage can summon crates, that can be stacked and climbed upon, and ladders to cross chasms and reach higher places. The rogue uses her arrows to attack enemies from afar and a grappling hook that allows swinging through ledges. The game allows one to switch between characters on the fly.

The obstacles and combat have an open ended solution - meaning more than one way for one to overcome - so one can use the mage's summoning ability to crush enemies and climb over obstacles or just as easily use the rogue's arrow and grappling hook for the job. The warrior doesn't have the same versatility on its own but his ability to move objects around sometimes is more than enough to build up a structure to be climbed upon. The system is solid and interesting at first but it does not build well upon itself to keep the player interested. Add to that the fact that the enemies are not very varied - skeletons, bats and two kinds of bosses - and repetition sets in really fast.

The environments are very detailed and easy on the eyes and the light effects are impressive. Character models look sharp and so do the enemies.

The story is silly and so are the characters personalities and the way the narrator presents every chapter. One could say it was meant to be that way as the whole thing has an aura of a fairy tale but be that as it may, it doesn't add much to the desire to move the story forward.

It's a game with nice graphics but too much effort was given to the physics engine and the graphics in lieu of creating varied puzzles and game play mechanics. After the first 3-4 chapters, you've pretty much done everything required to progress through the entire game. Everything after that point is the same, game play wise, only in a different scenario and background.

I got it on a crazy STEAM sale for $4.99 and I dare say it's the most I'd advise one to pay for it.