Home > Is it as Enchanted as it seems? - Trine: Enchanted Edition Review
Originally published on Nintendo Castle.
Before now, Wii U owners only had access to Trine 2. However, Frozenbyte have taken the opportunity to remaster the original game using the improved engine of the sequel and it has a much welcomed Wii U release to go with it. But the question is, after playing Trine 2, is its predecessor worth the time?
Platforms: Wii U [Reviewed]
Developer: Frozenbyte
Release: March 12, 2015 [NA] | March 26, 2015 [EU]
MSRP: $14.99 | €12.99 / £10.99 (€10.39 / £8.79 if you own Trine 2 [EU only])
Press Copy provided by Frozenbyte
For people who played and enjoyed Trine 2, yes. It isn't as grand as the sequel, but it is still the same sort of game which also gives players context behind the sequel. If you haven't played Trine 2, then it's more a matter of if you enjoy the sort of gameplay the series has to offer. Trine is not an action heavy or precise platformer, instead it's the thinker's platformer where you have to navigate the levels using each of the three character's unique abilities in the right moments.
The plot for the game is very light and largely forgettable, though does provide a whimsical fairy tale feel with plenty of wonder for those willing to get invested. Each character has their own individual archetype, but ultimately have very little development leaving them as rather shallow. More effort has been put into creating the fantasy world, where you travel through forests, caves and castles. The visuals are very stylised, with plenty of bloom to provide a soft glow to the lighting which creates a very atmospheric look and feel. The music also plays its part in giving the game the fairy tale setting, but it isn't particularly catchy or memorable, serving only as a set piece.
The gameplay focuses on making your way through each level by solving the various physics based puzzles. Each character has some method of interacting with the environment in some manner. The thief has a grappling hook, the wizard can conjure various platforms and the knight has a magnetic shield, for example. Each of these abilities is tied into the puzzles in some form, often having to switch between them on the fly to move ahead. However, many are simple enough to be solved by almost anyone without much effort. The physics can also work against you at times, making you have to redo things. Jumping can also be fairly imprecise, being a little too floaty to make explicit actions.
The levels themselves are fairly varied, but the puzzles themselves don't stretch the brain too much. The progression is fairly slow for such a short game, only testing you near the end. Enemy and boss variety is also very shallow, it won't be long before you start to wish for more than just skeletons to fight. If you wish to play exclusively on the Pro Controller, be warned as it makes playing as the wizard much more cumbersome than necessary. He requires you to "draw" shapes to conjure objects, such as drawing a square for a box, which can only be done with the right stick or on the Gamepad's touch screen. The Gamepad is really the only way to play the game, as it makes aiming and environmental interaction much easier.
As a whole, it feels like a collection of unique ideas that are ultimately not brilliantly executed. If you enjoyed the sequel and wanted to see how the series began, then you'll no doubt still find enjoyment. If you haven't yet played a game there is still some substance to it, but do play it with an open mind. It really serves as a bridging point to its grander sequel.
Pros
- Full of whimsy
- Visually artistic
Cons
- Very little variety
- Not very puzzling
Verdict:
Good
Good games are simply that: good. They are generally fun to play but might be lacking in longevity, replay value, or presentation. These games might be good buying decisions for some people but not for others. Some otherwise great games may fall into this category if they are priced unreasonably high. The devil is in the details.
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