Third wheel? Not at all. Review of the game Trine 2
Sometimes you just wonder how much attention various gaming agencies pay to a particular game. [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2) was released not long ago, and it's been critiqued and discussed from all angles within just a month. Interestingly, this process shows no signs of stopping. Following the reviews from newcomers, expert reviews are emerging from those who spent ample time playing the first part of Trine. After that, real titans and gurus of the gaming world come forth, having replayed [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2) from different perspectives – slowly, quickly, joyfully, or with difficulty, using only one hero in levels, and so on. What a typical platformer, you understand. Not every game is subjected to such detailed scrutiny, and I couldn't resist the temptation to try this fascinating project that many consider engaging. In this review, you'll find a lot of text, numerous screenshots, and a ton of emotions. Although I will try to be objective despite all the charm I experienced while playing through [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2).
From the first moments, [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2) is so striking with its bright, colorful locations that you just want to clench your fists and squeal with a bit of a piggy squeal "wheeeeee" while trying to take a hundred or so screenshots in the first ten minutes of the game. I experienced a similar feeling when I first got acquainted with the project Ring 2: Twilight of the Gods (in the Russian localization as "Legend of Siegfried"). The game from nine years ago by the Slovenian-Italian-French company Arxel Tribe turned out to be quite a mediocre quest that everyone forgot right after its release. Nevertheless, I was struck by the beauty of the world created by the immensely talented artist and designer Philippe Druille. The same attention to minute details in the game and level design, various butterflies, swaying grass, and vivid colors, everything is reminiscent of a creation by Frozenbyte. But neither Arxel Tribe nor any of its games exist anymore, and the feeling of déjà vu initially overwhelmed me.
[Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2) has a rather simple plot and a quick start. The highly magical and haloed artifact, the Trio, decides once again to gather all the heroes together for the sake of saving the world from yet another disaster, of course, and not just to sit around and chit-chat. Although the wizard Amadeus wouldn’t mind the second option, as the Trio wakes him up in the middle of the night in a rather dubious pose. Later, Amadeus will complain and curse more than once about having agreed to participate in this new adventure. Then, we transition to the somewhat plump knight Pontius, who is making noise on a farm with huge pumpkins, ruthlessly dealing with the unfortunate living roots. What happened to him? Right, he was taken away too. The last hero, a thief named Zoya, we find busy with her antics in a nighttime city. As she jumps around the rooftops like a hungry, shameless cat, she finds herself on a rooftop in the company of the wizard, knight, and pesky Trio. Amadeus grumbles and complains, the knight is eager for a fight, while the thief is hoping for a solid haul. From this moment, the main adventure begins.
The gameplay mechanics have almost not changed since the first part of Trine. We will once again be controlling one of the three heroes, switching between them depending on the situation. Pontius is as suited as can be for resolving conflicts with various goblins, trolls, poisonous spiders, and other creatures. In serious combat, only he can stand against dozens of enemies while managing to survive. Moreover, his strength often helps destroy various barricades and obstacles that periodically arise in the team’s path. Amadeus is the main lifesaver in [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2). Thanks to his abilities alone, one can complete a large part of the game without switching to other team members.
His main ability consists of moving various objects using magic. He can lift into the air both green-skinned goblins and massive stone blocks with ease. Furthermore, he can create boxes and planks out of thin air, which is quite useful for overcoming chasms or constructing pyramids and "skyscrapers" to access hard-to-reach places. Zoya is an excellent archer; with her arrows, she can knock down enemies hiding behind obstacles and at heights. A fully leveled character can deal staggering damage from a distance, but Zoya's main feature isn’t that. With her grappling hook, she can latch onto various surfaces, helping the team successfully navigate many challenging puzzles. Additionally, Zoya can become invisible and stealthily sneak up behind enemies.
In [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2), the heroes’ path still runs from the left side of the screen to the right, but who knows whether the game would be a masterpiece if the developers didn’t pay attention to every in-game meter. The meticulousness in working through every little stone, flower, and blade of grass is truly astonishing and evokes genuine respect. It’s clear that the game was made not only by professionals but also by people aiming for the best results who love their job. Sometimes, you truly don’t notice that you're dealing with a platform game rather than a full-fledged RPG with stunning graphics. The backdrop of each location isn’t a static picture but a complete extension of the gaming world. Sun rays shine through lazily drifting clouds in the sky, and there’s something that jumped behind a stone, peeked out, and hid back again. At times, you find yourself wishing you could veer off to the swaying thicket or the flowing river.
Most of the time, you have to solve various puzzles. The heroes overcome yet another obstacle, and shortly after, a new one appears. One cannot say that the types of puzzles are countless, but at least they always alternate with significant intervals. That is, you don’t have to jump across unstable surfaces over a chasm for an entire level or constantly construct stairways out of boxes. There are many puzzles, but the ways to solve them are vastly more numerous. In this regard, the game is not linear at all.
Ezio Zoya.
Often, multiple obstacles arise simultaneously in one place along the trio's path. For instance, sometimes part of the level can be completed mainly at the top, relying on dexterity, speed, and good reaction. That’s where Zoya's abilities come in handy. If jumping is too tedious, you can also go through the bottom, solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles using Amadeus and Pontius. Moreover, the wonderful and perfectly honest physics provides such solutions that sometimes leaves you wondering whether it was intended by the developers or if such a puzzle-solving method is deemed a cheat.
For example, you need to cross a small chasm that simply cannot be jumped over. One obvious solution presents itself – pull a lever that raises a bridge for a couple of seconds and quickly cross over. But no. Countless falls – not cool, and my fingers are already tired of mashing the keys. This is where the wizard’s abilities come in handy. By creating a magical box and using air magic to lift the fallen bridge, you raise it up until it clicks. At that moment, you quickly create a second box and manage to place it under the first falling cube with the bridge, eventually securing the bridge, albeit crooked and shaky, but nonetheless supported. There’s no guarantee it will withstand the hero’s weight; it’s entirely possible you'll fall into the ravine, and you’ll have to start all over again.
Amadeus is indeed the main tool for completing the game and serves as a sort of idea generator. I won’t lie; many will agree with me, I think, that playing as the wizard is unimaginably more interesting than playing as the knight and the thief combined. Even despite the fact that Amadeus isn’t a combat wizard but a creation wizard. Only with his help can you complete a level not just faster, but more interestingly. Below lies a chasm filled with sharp spikes? No problem, Amadeus can calmly place boxes on top of the sharp spikes and not break a sweat, skipping across them like a lively little goat.
Don’t feel like going into the cave but prefer to stay in the fresh air? Okay, then we connect three air-pipes to ensure the output faces upward. We leap into the powerful air current, and… we still don’t make it to the plateau. But we’re not going into the caves regardless. We create a box under the wizard, which propels him upward with air along with Amadeus, and as the box tips left, we leap to the right, landing on solid ground.
Each of the three characters has their skill branch, with five skills each. Gaining in-game experience for acquiring new skills is done by collecting vials and magical spheres abundantly scattered throughout the level or dropped by defeated enemies. A skill point appears after you accumulate a certain amount, and it is granted as one for all. Some skills, such as "Explosive Hammer" or "Explosive Arrow," cost 3 points, requiring a considerable time to accumulate, but it’s worth it. Leveling up the heroes themselves and having some shabby inventory in [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2) is, unfortunately, not provided for.
Throughout the game, we will encounter various monsters that sometimes come from all directions. If at the beginning green-skinned and nosed goblins and predatory roots stumble through, later poisonous and less poisonous spiders, then hellish creatures resembling eels, and so on, show up. Almost always at the end of a level, there’s a boss battle. Defeating some of them is done by solving yet another puzzle (for instance, to crash the cave ceiling on the creature), or in a very ordinary and banal way – just beat the enemy to death. At the end of the game, players await the fiercest and most fearsome boss, with whom it’s a pure pleasure to fight.
It wouldn’t be a lie to say that in the second half of the game, it becomes somewhat tedious in single-player mode. Despite the escalating difficulty of the puzzles and the growing challenge in defeating the monsters. If the beauty of [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2) no longer motivates spending another hour or two in the game, feel free to jump into co-op mode. Gaming servers are never empty, so finding companions won’t be a hassle. Controlling your chosen hero alongside “live” players is not only more interesting but sometimes more challenging. Now everyone follows their own line of behavior, and if one player, God forbid, messes up, it may significantly delay the whole team. If you don’t want to start networking adventures, immediately skipping several locations ahead, the developers have designed a mode to begin the game from your last save. Create a network game with your specified parameters and wait for someone to join.
In conclusion, I want to say that the release of [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2) came at the right time. Outside, gray colors dominate, and it’s generally cold, unpleasant, and slushy. [Trine 2](/games?search=Trine 2), with its vibrant colors, is capable of dispelling pre-New Year’s depression for several days, creating a cozy and pleasant atmosphere in front of your monitor. This game possesses magnificent virtues and barely noticeable shortcomings. The developers at Frozenbyte made the right decision not to experiment with something that already worked beautifully. They just refined and improved a bit.