Now the game’s features come off less as toys and more as tools.Ī greater focus on co-operative multiplayer (networked co-op has now been added alongside local play) further highlights this type of problem.
Freedom was the most interesting aspect of Trine before. While this may be welcomed by some, it feels like a step backward in a certain sense. Frozenbyte obviously sought to refine what it had made in the first place by crafting more nefarious puzzles with specific solutions that players are not invited to deviate from. The beginning of the game allows for greater creativity, but, by the end, players are forced into overcoming obstacles by approaching scenarios in a more rigid/thoughtful manner.
Solution trine 2 series#
It can be difficult to assess whether slapping together a series of teetering objects is the right way to progress or if a “neater” answer to a puzzle is required. Puzzles are more intricately crafted, which, conversely, makes them feel less approachable than before. Trine 2, on the other hand, does its best to discourage this kind of inventiveness. Having the wizard create makeshift crate towers or the thief double jump up a precipice made circumventing real head-scratchers a viable solution. The first Trine, in some ways, encouraged sloppier solutions. Most puzzles take the form of high, vertical spaces that must be climbed, gates that must be held open or dangerous paths that must be traversed.
Though it often feels as if there’s a “right” way to solve a problem, Trine’s physics system allow for a degree of leniency in overcoming an obstacle. While the first game used these different class divisions to create the only Sandbox Puzzle Game I’ve ever experienced, Trine 2 is a different animal - more concerned with logic than creativity in its puzzle design. Pontius is able to smash through obstacles and deflect damage with a shield, Zoya is equipped with bow and arrow and a grapple hook, and Amadeus is able to conjure boxes and planks or manipulate the placement of objects using his magic powers. The real hook of the series is the use of three switchable player characters, all of whom have different, unique abilities. Each level has a simple objective - get to the right side of the screen - and accomplishing it involves a mix of platform jumping, light combat, collectable hunting and puzzle solving. The gameplay, for the most part, will also be immediately recognizable to those who are familiar with Trine. The story is a vehicle meant to explain why the player can swap characters on the fly (magic!), provide some context for the various levels, and offer some basic impetus for moving forward. Once again, developers Frozenbyte have chosen to put the narrative far into the background. That’s okay, though, because none of the story is all that essential to the experience. The plot involves killing off a Goblin King, helping out two mysterious princesses and features a predictable twist telegraphed so far in advance of its reveal that it hardly qualifies as such. Trine 2’s story picks up after the end of the Trine, and wastes no time in reuniting the trio: of Amadeus, the wizard Zoya, the thief and Pontius, the knight. Trine 2 is a nifty little throwback to Trine that, in seeking to advance its formula, unfortunately ends up obscuring what made the first game so interesting. The first Trine was a nifty little throwback to classic co-op platform games that filtered its inspirations through a modern day physics engine.
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