Trine 2 allows three players to play the iconic roles of a wizard, a thief, and a knight in a simultaneous cooperative mode. It is the sequel to Trine and was released on Windows, OS X, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade on Decemand for Linux on March 31, 2012. Trine 4 is a series of middles sewn together with the thread of great puzzle design.Trine 2 is a side-scrolling action platform and puzzle video game developed by Frozenbyte. The story offers no cohesion either, being far too lightweight to sustain interest. I breezed through most of the final stage, while three hours earlier I was struggling with how to progress. The final boss is anticlimactic and overly simple, whereas the second boss had me stumped for a while due to its reliance on puzzles. Then I consider things holistically, and it clicks-or, rather, it doesn’t.Īs a whole, the experience doesn’t feel complete and consistent. The puzzles, which I really do love the art, which nails the dreamy fairytale vibe the music and sound effects, which support the atmosphere of the graphics perfectly the inclusion of a talking badger with a curious number of platforming puzzles in his house. Nonetheless, something soon starts to feel off about Trine 4, and it takes me a while to identify what it is. For a game that leans on its superb puzzles for its appeal, this is very much a good thing.Īs a whole, the experience doesn’t feel complete and consistent. Not once during my 12 hours or so playing Trine 4 did I see a game over screen. Checkpointing is generous, characters resurrect almost instantly outside of combat, and during those horrible fights, a fallen comrade can be brought back to life within a few seconds. The blow of the terrible combat is softened somewhat by the overall determination to make the whole experience gentle and friendly. My reaction to each and every one of these fights is a roll of the eyes and a desire to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. The thief’s bow and arrow is a fair second choice, while hitting things with boxes as the wizard is awkward and silly. The best tactic is usually to get the knight in there, mashing the attack button and using his shield to deflect any projectiles. Rather than dotting enemies throughout each level, the developers have created enclosed single-screen arenas for fights with multiple foes, triggered when a player walks past a certain point (look carefully, and you might spot telltale purple smoke). (Image credit: Modus Games/Frozenbyte) The Knight BeforeĬombat fares much less well. It’s at times like these that I experience an immense rush of satisfaction, and an intense hit of admiration for the evil geniuses behind these setups. I always persist, never frustrated, and always end up working out the solution. Sure, many puzzles I solve very quickly, but more than once I hit a roadblock that initially seems utterly insurmountable. While the fundamentals may sound limiting-reflecting sunlight, making rope bridges, diverting water, weighing platforms down, and other familiar concepts-they are used in all sorts of ingenious ways. Just as well too, as the puzzle design is superb, and deserves to have players explore it. ![]() Many high platforms have barriers specifically designed to prevent placement of any of the wizard’s items. Mind you, it’s clear that the developers know people will be doing this. Take that, spiky pit of death! Thought you could make me use my brain, eh? Hah! In Trine 4’s case, this means using the wizard to conjure up a box, and levitating it to a position where the thief can jump, attach her rope in mid-air, and pull herself up. ![]() ![]() I’ll occasionally cheese my way past a problem, as I so often do in life, with a simple but effective fix.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |