2019 marks the tenth anniversary of the Trine series, which originally debuted on PCTrine 4: The Nightmare Prince
THE RETURN OF THIS COLOURFUL PUZZLE PLATFORMER IS A KIND OF MAGIC AARON POTTER
PUBLISHER MODUS GAMES / DEVELOPER FROZENBYTE / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £24.99/$29.99
versions of these landscapes, too.
Whereas early chapters might have
you performing basic tasks like
swinging from blocks with Zora or
using Pontius’ shield to reflect light to
progress, later levels twist and warp
what’s asked of such abilities in some
pretty unexpected ways.Brain and brawn
All this would fall apart – or at least
leave you stumped – were it not for
how Trine 4 expertly ramps up its
difficulty. There’s a total of five acts
in the game, all punctuated by a boss
battle, and each does well to dish out
new mechanics and upgrades at a fair
pace. Case in point: Amadeus’ chief
ability to manifest blocks and levitate
them might start out as a simple way
to reach high spots, but eventually
you’ll be pushing them through
portals, latching them up to ropes
and coating them in ice as part of an
elaborate Rube Goldberg machine.
Like the previous games, Trine 4 is
playable in three-player co-op, with
puzzles adapting ever so slightly to
accommodate the setup. Playing withFor how prevalent
high fantasy tropes
have become in
videogames, it’s a
wonder more don’t
opt for that twee,
quintessentially British tone instead
of the overplayed gritty aesthetic.
Luckily, Frozenbyte’s Trine series
has always recognised the former’s
appeal, making a habit of entrenching
players within colourful settings
filled with whimsical characters,
always with smart physics-based
puzzles to work through. Trine 4: The
Nightmare Prince is a rousing return
to form for the three familiar heroes,
forgoing the previous entry’s stray into
full-3D environments by bringing back
the traditional 2.5D puzzle platforming
challenges fans know and love.
The story this time around concerns
the Nightmare Prince, who isn’t
necessarily the villain of the piece, but
rather a monarch in need of rescuing
from his own harmful dreams. Events
are put into motion when he chooses
to flee the safety of the Astral
Academy, forcing the heroes of Trine
to reunite in order to track him down.
Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief
and Ser Pontius the knight each tout
a collection of unique skills, making
them the perfect trio for the job.
Trine may have always been chiefly
about inventive puzzle design and
offering players a testing yet balanced
path to that ‘ah-ha!’ moment, but The
Nightmare Prince’s narrative emphasis
feeds more into this than ever before.
You see, it’s no longer just dark
dungeons and vibrant forests you’ll
be journeying through, but dreamlike
friends acts as a nice change of pace,
and it’s good to have this option, but
the superb voice acting from each
of the three lead characters always
gives the impression of friendship
anyway – even in solo play. What’s
less successful, however, are the
forced-in combat sections, which crop
up every so often to box you in areas
where you must mash the attack
button against waves of enemies.
These simplistic bouts may have
always been there to break up the
core puzzle-solving, but that doesn’t
make them any less tedious.
In general, Trine 4: The Nightmare
Prince sets the series back on track
by introducing new spins on familiar
elements while never straying too far
from what made it great in the first
place. Each of the 15 or so levels offer
up various conundrums that make you
feel like a genius when solved, there
are collectibles aplenty and the world
and its characters are well positioned
to keep charming the pants off you. Qshort
cutWHAT IS IT?
The fourth and most
refined entry into
Frozenbyte’s fantasy
puzzle platformer
franchise.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Like Trine 3: The
Artifacts Of Power but
without the poor
full-3D sections.
WHO’S IT FOR?
Anyone who enjoys
having their wits
tested and craves a
vibrant treat for
their eyes.“Playing with
friends acts as
a nice change
of pace”
OXM VERDICT
Trine’s brand of
puzzle platforming
returns to form in
this colourful yet
challenging sequel.8
LEFT Trine has
always been
about the
puzzles, and
this one ramps
them up in a
satisfying way.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 087REVIEW