TRINE 4 /£24.99inc VAT
DEVELOPERFrozenbyte/PUBLISHERModusGames
T
rine 4 could be more accurately described as
‘Trine 3 done right’. The third game’s attempt to
blend 2D platforming with full 3D movement and
combat didn’t go down well with fans. What’s more, the
experiment was so costly for developer Frozenbyte that it
had to cut the planned game short, with a sudden and
unsatisfying cliffhanger ending.
Rather than continuing from here, Trine 4 essentially
pretends Trine 3 never happened, returning to its pure 2D
roots with a new story. It’s a delightful return to form that
sees the series’ three heroes (Amadeus the Wizard, Zora
the Thief and Ser Pontius the Knight) reunite as they
attempt to track down a missing prince whose nightmares
can take physical form. The quest seems straightforward at
first, but the Prince proves highly elusive as he’s chased
through forests, over mountains and even in dreams.
It’s a simple, arguably simplistic, fairy tale that’s little
more than an excuse to tie together Trine 4’s impressive
number of levels. Fortunately, these stunning and diverse
levels more than compensate for the threadbare
storytelling. From wintry mountaintops with knee-deep
snow, to pumpkin-filled farmland, sun-dappled forests and
gloomy ramshackle castles, Trine 4 is one of the prettiest
games you’ll play this year.
Trine 4 also returns to the series’ emphasis on delightful
physics-based puzzling. Each of the three characters has
theirownspeciality.Amadeuscanconjureboxes,balls
andplanks, while Zora can tie objects together using her
grapple rope. Ser Pontius is notionally the group’s fighter,
/VERDICT
Athinstory
andflawed
combatdon’t
stop Trine 4
being a stunning
and satisfying
puzzle-
platformer.OVERALLSCORE
8800 %%
TRINE
+ Incrediblevisuals
+ Delightfulpuzzling
+ Pleasantand
comfortingTRIPE- Mediocrecombat
- Thin story
but he can also deflect water and fireballs with his shield,
and smash objects with his stomp ability.
Using this toolset, Frozenbyte creates wonderfully
satisfying puzzles with a consistent level of challenge, while
also giving you a little leeway to invent your own solutions,
stacking boxes and creating rope bridges in ways the
developer didn’t quite anticipate. There are several new
abilities too, such as Zora’s ‘fairy rope’, which causes objects
attached to it to levitate, and Ser Pontius’ dash ability, which
lets you propel objects into breakable walls.
However,thegameisletdownbyitscombat,which
seesyou fighting figments of the Prince’s imagination that
appear suddenly and, if we’re honest, repetitively, at set
points. There’s plenty of ways to deal with these enemies,
such as throwing boxes at them with Amadeus, or using
Zora’sbowandarrow.However,thebattlesareso
chaotic,with large groups of enemies attacking you
simultaneously, that the easiest solution is simply to use
Ser Pontius to stomp on everyone.
Fortunately, combat encounters only last seconds, after
which you’re back into joyous platforming. Trine 4 isn’t the
most adventurous game in terms of big ideas or grand
themes, but it’s still a thoroughly entertaining adventure.
RICK LANE