Trine 2 Review

**Smore ninja** · January 15th, 2012

The sequel to a popular Indie game that was formerly only available for the PC, Trine 2 follows the exploits of three heroes of varying skill sets. This fantasy physics-based puzzle platformer is my first experience with Trine, and while it isn’t as mystical as the relic that the game is named after, it still has some magic.

Trine 2 starts off with a nice scenic vista that changes based on the time of day; this is a very attractive gimmick that accents one of Trine 2’s strengths. The narration between levels is really enjoyable, doing a good job of setting the mood for a mystical fantasy adventure. Each character has their own special set of abilities for both combat and puzzle solving. In the puzzle solving section Zoiya has a grappling hook where she can swing on surfaces, allowing her bow to shoot objects beyond reach. Pontius can smash through obstacles while using his shield to protect himself from fire or projectiles. Amadeus can conjure boxes and levitate objects in the environment. When in a fight the characters are just as unique; Zoiya can use her bow for long range attacks, Pontius uses his sword and shield or hammer while Amadeus flees from anything wanting to hurt him while you decide on which of the other two to use in the fight. Amadeus’ flaw in combat isn’t that his magic is weak but that it isn’t practical. While it is possible to lift an enemy into an environmental hazard or to drop boxes on the heads of enemies, but in regular combat this is impractical and will normally result in Amadeus being turned into Goblin soup. Every now and then Trine 2 will launch a boss fight; some are slightly puzzle oriented while some are combat oriented and both are fun changes of pace. Several of the regular puzzles have interesting mechanics, especially later in the game.

Trine 2 has it’s share of issues; the game is more designed so you can use each character more effectively, but the trade off is that it opens up multiple solutions and more often than not it feels as if the solution was cheating the game, making it less satisfying. There are also cases where it feels as if a puzzle is missing an important part and in some cases it is because a mechanic hasn’t been properly explained or isn't easily recognizable. While the level up system is interesting, it has its positives and negatives, with the negatives having more weight than the positives. To level up you need to collect orbs by solving extra puzzles in the level, which is a nice way to reward exploration and experimentation, but the issue does arise when the reward for leveling is skill points for extra abilities. Some are optional but a few are essential to continue the game; mandatory or unessential, they are both optional. To ensure that you don’t paint yourself into a corner, there is a reset button to redistribute your skill points; this could have been avoided by just having the optional upgrades be a bonus for exploration and experimentation while the essentials are provided when they are needed.

One thing that really stands out about Trine 2 is just how amazing everything looks. The scenery is always amazing to look at, no matter what the area is. Swamp, forest, coastline, snowy mountains, all of these environments look amazing in the game. With such fantastic scenery it is a shame that the music is not just as amazing. The music is nice but not on par to the artistry. The last thing that I was less than impressed with was that the story is rather slow in its start, which makes you lose interest as you don’t actually know what the goal is until a few levels later. Fortunately, the three characters do have enjoyable conversations with each other, which will help keep you going until you find out what you need to do.

Trine 2 is an interesting game with some very nice mechanics, albeit with some shortcomings, but not enough to be considered a bad game; in fact, it is still enjoyable. The good combat mechanics with co-operative gameplay and fun puzzles, mixed in with some impressive visuals make this a good game to play.

Overall Rating:
7/10

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