Your magical return to Trine's majestic fantasy universe is a beautiful experience filled with mild danger and goblins
Contains: Mild Fantasy Violence
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Trine 2 is a 2D side scrolling, fantasy platformer sequel that rejoins the three diversely skilled heroes on their latest adventure.
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STORY/CHARACTERS - 3/5
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The heroic trio that consists of the brave knight, sly thief, and nervous wizard are enlisted in another adventure that will take them across the kingdom, and through a series of book entries, looted poems and narrative, a story of two sisters - Rosabel and Isabel - unfolds. After rediscovering the mystical 'Trine' which brings them back together, the iconic and diverse characters are soon thrown into a plot of adventure and peril, and while at heart the story is unremarkable, it's a suitable yarn that fits like a glove into Trine 2's fantasy universe and the storytelling through a familiar narrating voice is nice.
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GAMEPLAY - 5/5
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Trine is a 2D puzzle platformer that makes clever use of realistic physics to conjure up obstacles, and each level requires you to switch back and forth between the 3 very unique and diverse characters in order to cross each game level, who are bound together into one common entity by the magical artefact - the Trine - like in the first game. Amadeus the Magnificent is a wizard highly versed in magic who, initially, can only conjure cube-shaped objects into the world. With a specific talent upgrade, you can summon extra boxes into the world to coexist at the same time after upgrades and create planks, with the skill to levitate them around for many crucial uses, like to reach higher places or crush unintelligent goblins. A change from the first game is that the wizard has unlimited magical power this time, whereas previously every time you used magic the energy bar depleted and had to be restored at a checkpoint. Fortunately this potentially irritating energy bar has been removed. Zoya the thief is an expert archer able to swiftly kill her enemies at a distance, and has a valuable grappling hook tool that allows her to traverse through levels by hooking to wooden surfaces. Pontius the Brave is a confident knight willing to serve his kingdom and repel any threats. Equipped with a sword for attack and shield for defensive blocking and deflecting, he's ready to battle whatever stands in his way looking for a fight. A combination of these elements are necessary to complete each stage in the game's world.
Puzzles crop up frequently in the gameplay, with intermittent bursts of action against unexpected arrivals of creatures, with goblins being the prime enemies to deal with. Like in the previous game, not all the puzzles are straightforward, but they also can be bypassed in more way than just one, leaving the method of traversing the area down to you. Puzzles are commonly presented in ways that intend for you to be both aware and cautious of how you manipulate the objects for interaction in the environment, since physics and gravity are incredibly realistic, and you often will be tasked to reach a higher path using a combination of the abilities you've gained and parts of the environment. Because the wizard can conjure planks and boxes in an instant, and the thief can grapple onto wooden surfaces, you'll soon figure out the multiple methods to complete the puzzle, and then opt to pick one that takes your fancy. Observation is a key tool when faced with an environmental challenge, especially when perilous chasms and dangerous traps are merged into your familiar thinking pattern, subsequently challenging you to greater heights. Some of the more magical puzzles are really innovative. One such example involves the common out-of-reach place that you need to get to but with a twist. Since you're in a universe that mixes magic consistently with fantasy you have to be constantly open-minded during levels, and so when you notice something sparkling on the ground, it should click soon enough that this is of some key importance. Nearby is water splashing off leaves, and what you must do is simple, but quite marvellous. You have to use the wizards magical skill to levitate the leaf (still connected to the background stem) towards the sparkling substance and simply move the analog stick up and down with a slight forward motion in order to sprinkle the patch with some of the water pouring down from above. And soon enough, overgrown plant life will erupt from the floor at an accelerated growth rate, thus granting you safe passage upwards and onwards. Simple variations develop into more demanding challenges later on, but grasping the basics and leaving an open mind is all you need during Trine 2 and it's engaging platforming and bewitching puzzle solving. You'll be hopping up and forward on bouncy toadstools, leaping to and from massive leaves as their stem just about holds your weight, and will even be playing around with mystical portals that propel you out at the desired place, and all the things you do will prove fun to a mild extent of satisfaction. It's even possible to find an alternate, less elegant solution to a puzzle because of the breezy physics, and if you come across a brainteaser, you'll likely avoid the true solution simply by messing around with the wizard's conjuring abilities, which still feels just as rewarding aswell as a bit of relief if you struggled. And even if you get completely mind boggled, there is an optional hint system that appears after several minutes if you have it turned on, and so Trine 2 is a friendly game that doesn't make life too difficult for you, but that doesn't make it an easy game by all means. Frequently placed checkpoints ensure that you won't be repeating tricky processes over and over again when some obstacles to traverse become troublingly challenging, and this makes your adventure free of potential sources of frustration and safe to say your mindset won't alternate from 'having fun' to 'becoming annoyed' too many times; though if you do seek a challenge, the last few levels dutifully deliver plenty of tough puzzle-solving with lots of hazards.
Combat itself does the opposite to probing your intelligent side, since it is so straightforward. All three characters can be used offensively, and switching between characters is simple, but the obvious choice for combat is the Knight because of his shield that can deflect projectiles, and sword that can strike hostiles down. To sum the combat up in a nutshell, it's an enjoyable mix of mild violence and magic. To increase the fun factor, there are skill trees provided for each character. Throughout each level are experience vials which can be attained by thoroughly exploring your surroundings, killing enemies, and grabbing the ones in plain view - sometimes extending a puzzle scenario should you wish to claim more valuable experience out of reach. After collecting 50, you'll gain a skill point which can be assigned to either of the characters talent tree, with the more advanced upgrades requiring a couple or even three skill points. Every upgrade in some way makes the characters who possess an advancement more adept in gameplay, making your task slightly easier depending which of the heroes you designated a point towards. The wizard can summon more objects at once into the world and levitate small enemies into death-inducing hazards like spikes or fire; The thief can apply fire to her bows, or even ice, and the knight can gain a hammer throw ability and furthermore with an explosive effect. There isn't lots of choices when it comes to using your skill points, but a good feature is the opportunity to reset all skill points at any time and reassign them, which can lead to all sorts of vital ways to progress with less difficulty at certain sections. Harder to find collectables are withheld in gold chests, containing either an art sketched painting or a verse of a poem associated with the level your on, also tying into the fairytale story. And these are discreetly hidden, requiring more considerate exploration when navigating your surroundings in order to uncover the secret whereabouts which are definitely missable.
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GRAPHICS - 5/5
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Marvellous art designs within the backdrops are so vividly detailed that it feels like there is a strong link between the playing layer and the background, going as far as making the game seem so much more than a 2D side scroller, where events are always taking place behind you and picturesque images are presented before you. Rivers flow energetically with lush water, various flora and fauna sway in the calm breeze, creepy trees glare at you as you pass them, and machinery operates like clockwork whilst you platform your way out of harms way in many perilous situations The same can also be appreciated in the foregrounds, with so much small details enforcing the fantasy world into the front of your mind, and the graphics are unbelievably good to further enthral you within the magical realm, continuing to delight whenever a new level begins. Sunlight pierces through hostile forests with startling effects; eerily large cobwebs hang close to the screen within mysterious lairs, and foreground objects like tables and chairs with potions upon them seem close enough for interaction because the level of detail is so impressive, and this makes every level, every sight, every interaction a marvel to behold on a lovely journey through an unforgettably depicted land with mesmerising artwork and beautiful scenery.
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SOUND - 5/5
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Just like the first game, Trine 2 manages to create a strikingly good assortment of music to accompany you through the levels, and the elegant composition of instruments delicately places your mind into the fantasy realm that feels so right in correlation to the views you are privileged to see. The majestic soundtrack resonates all kinds of wonderful vibes that range and alternate from magical, fantasy, medieval and even welcome pieces of swashbuckling rhythmic tunes that commence in the relevant levels and keep you in a perfectly peaceful mood on your quest.
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ATMOSPHERE - 5/5
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The phenomenal visuals and art designs create the perfect premise for an enchanting and enthralling atmosphere, and the impeccable result is worth cherishing once the fairytale-like story's last page is told. It's difficult to escape Trine 2's wonderful presence once you've been ensnared in it's comforting grasp, and with plenty of assistance from the sound department in terms of ambience noises and the eye-catching spectacles to witness, you can expect a delightfully atmospheric fantasy world alive with colour and thought placed kind-heartedly into every level, in which every background sight and each foreground view is very much alluring.
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ENEMY AI - 2/5
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In your first adventure, frightening skeletons plagued the overrun world, but this time you'll be battling hostile goblins, venomous spiders (you may recall these arachnids from your experience in Trine, but this time they are twice as huge) and other monsters from fantasy lore, whilst also evading hungry plant life that threatens the path to your objective. The swampy green coloured goblins are commonly equipped with spears and bow-and-arrows, with some larger types that only use their strength and pointy claws to attack whilst capable of utilising all four limbs as a means of travel, almost acting like the feral goblins of the clan as they seemingly attack without reason or awareness. Foes capable of long range combat are static, meaning you must equal their combat ways and use the Thief's bow-and-arrow technique to successfully eradicate them, or else they'll prove a thorn in your side whilst you battle other types of goblins. You'll even have to keep your wits about you as you battle beastly trolls, a deadly snake and even a nefarious goblin king on your precarious journey. But unfortunately you cannot admire the artificial intelligence like you can the soundtrack and the graphics because of some disjointed animations and awareness that lead to jarring moments, highly noticeable when they attempt to clamber over obstacles and traverse the environment to reach you.
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LENGTH - 3/5
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For the reasonably cheap asking price, you most certainly reap your money's worth, since Trine 2's good-lengthed levels should take you up to the 7 hour mark at least if you are in no rush to escape the sublime atmosphere and it's sensational views on a magical kingdom under threat, and searching for locked away collectables encourages you to delve within every level, thus increasing the length of the experience which you won't want to end.
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REPLAY VALUE - 4/5
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Trine 2 is a light-hearted fantasy platformer filled with mild danger and violence, never stepping into darker territory than the light fantasy lore placed within the beautiful world it creates sublimely. The themes presented here are clear, and this 2D side scroller makes it blatant that you don't need blood or gore to make for an entertaining experience from start to finish. Your imagination will be expanded to the limit, making the surreal elements exist within the real laws of gravity and physics, where magic combines effortlessly with even combat. The beauty of dreamy imagery withheld on the screen never falters for a second, and even towards the end of the enjoyable adventure you'll be stunned at how brilliant the art designers have captured such treasurable sights in a serenely coloured 2D world. The creative and imaginative artwork draws you in, leaving you gasp in awe at how wonderful the visuals before you are, like a constant twinkle in your eye, and this fact alone makes replaying Trine 2 a privilege, not a chore. The jaw-dropping graphics are certainly the main talking point, but the enjoyable combat, platforming and physics-based puzzle solving also deserve credit for their variety and flair that separates the gameplay mechanics from others games within the genre, and overall Trine 2 is a majestic experience that is clearly a striking success against others within the side-scrolling genre, and one you likely won't ever forget.
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OVERALL SUMMARY - 8.5/10
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Good Points: Mesmerising amount of vibrant detail in the backdrops and the foregrounds, Majestic soundtrack resonates within each level, Extraordinarily good graphics and artwork and realistic physics, Enchanting and enthralling atmosphere captures the feel of the fantasy realm, Entertaining puzzles and platforming, Controls are delicately smooth and responsive.
Bad Points: Goblins are dumb.