Graphics, gameplay, multiplayer, replay value: all key components that any games developer would spend hundreds of hours trying to perfect, but what about the often neglected charm? Few games give you that lovely warm feeling when playing them, the feeling of pure unadulterated joy. I’m not talking about “Oh did you see his head go?” joy, I’m talking about childhood Christmas joy. Frozenbyte Studios have managed to capture that and in some nefarious way transport it into their game.
The first thing that will hit you upon booting up Trine will be its graphics. Beautiful rich environments filled with every colour imaginable. It serves as a welcome change from the often barren, bland environments of modern gaming. The levels range from regal castles to lush fantastical forests all the way through to Morbid evil towers. Every pixel oozes the key component, charm, which is continued as the story is laid out by a man you will learn to love, the narrator. It’s the voice of classic fantasy: a splash of Ian McKellen, a dash of Knightmare and a splice of nostalgia.
The story is nothing new, its your classic tale of unsuspecting heroes taking on an ancient evil, that has been done so many times before that it practically writes itself. But this is far from a bad thing, it gently rolls along leaving you to focus on the gameplay. You take control of three un-named, yet characterful players: the Wizard, the Thief and the Knight. Although overdone, Frozenbyte have managed to give them their own personalities and traits that are key to solving the puzzles. Did I mention they are fused together by an ancient magical artifact? Well they are.
You can change between characters by pressing their corresponding number key (1, 2 or 3), although clunky at first, you quickly become used to it. The Wizards main use is to clear or create pathways by either moving existing objects, using telekinesis, or creating your own by drawing the shape on the screen. You can’t just draw any old shape (imagine the hilarity), instead you are limited to three set items. The Thief is fast, dexterous, quite dashing and comes with a bow for taking down those pesky long-range enemies. She quickly became my favourite character; as she improved, not only could she traverse the level but could also take down hordes of enemies. If you get surrounded then you will have to bring out the Knight and start swinging his hefty sword around.
The levels are designed so that every character will have to be used at some point, although not every puzzle has one solution. You could try and jump through the tricky platform area or instead just build a tower for your thief to climb. The puzzles are a simple mix of old school platforming and lateral thinking. Even with the solution in plain view, you will have to rack your brain on how to get there. Throughout the levels there are boundless collectibles all left just in sight, but not in range. Your left staring at an impossibly high ledge, wondering what special treats await you in the treasure chest. Chests are scattered throughout the level; some in obvious areas containing story driven items, while others contain bonus items.
This is where the RPG element comes into Trine. You can level up by killing pesky skeletons, or managing to grab the green experience potions that have been littered around the levels. When you level up you get to spend one experience point on any of your 3 abilities. Once you have customized your nameless hero, they no longer become simple tools to complete the level but your character, the key to any successful RPG.
The only other collectibles are mana potions and these are going to be key to completing the levels. Your mana bar is depleted when you use your special power. You can only refill it by collecting potions or using the checkpoints, these are your lifeline in Trine. Not only do they recover half of your mana (and health) but they also revive dead team mates. When your fighting a never-ending flow of re-animating skeletons you will find yourself slowly backing away to the checkpoint to finish them off.
The game is such a breath of fresh air. It uses old, familiar components, like platforming and fantasy, but combines them in such a unique way that it becomes something very special. I sat in my chair not uttering a word when playing this game, which is a strange occurrence for me. The only time I spoke was on the last level and let me tell you that the speech was not of a polite nature. There is a horrid difficulty spike in the last two levels, I actually had to lower the difficulty and it still took me near ten attempts. On completion, however, I was filled with a huge sense of satisfaction that was closely followed by a feeling of remorse. See, dear readers, the game has to end and that could be the biggest drawback.
I challenge you not to fall in love with Trine. Its’s available now on Steam* and is coming to PSN and XBLA. Go, get out there and play this game, tell your friends, tell their friends, spread the joy.
VideogameUK verdict: 9/10
*The game is also available on other downloadable channels as well, like Direct2Drive, Impulse and GamersGate, and also retail in Europe and North America.
