The thief, the knight, and the wizard return
The Trine series has always had a special place in my memories. It is a whimsical puzzle series that knew exactly what it wanted to accomplish and usually nailed it. The first two games were fairly straightforward and a ton of fun both solo and cooperative. The third game took a huge chance by changing up the formula with disappointing results. Trine 4 steers the ship back to its roots and is all the better for it, bringing back the traditional game play while adding some new features to make it feel fresh. Trine 4 is a return to form and I absolutely adore it.
Trine 4 goes back to its roots and brings back the side-scrolling 2D aspect of the originals. Once again players take on the role of the three characters. Funny enough I have played all four games and I still do not know any of their names. We have the knight who wields a sword and shield who can attack and bash items with his shield, the thief who shoots arrows and has a grappling hook, and finally we have the wizard who can conjure up items to solve puzzles. Each character has their own utility and the design is built around solving these puzzles in multiple ways.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
All jokes aside the star of the show is how the game play meshes with the puzzles. As I mentioned, each character has their own way of dealing with problems. The design of each area accommodates this by tossing in several ways to solve each puzzle. Some are readily transparent, while others are more complex. The fun comes from figuring this out. It is not always so straightforward either. There are hidden areas that might be just off the beaten path that require a little more clever thinking to discover.
This is even more enjoyable when playing with friends. Whether they are controlling another character or simply sitting on the couch giving tips, Trine shines when others join in on the mental jamboree. Trine 4 offers up the ability to play with up to three players and the classic mode gives each one their own unique one to work with. Solving these puzzles is fun, even if it is a bit rudimentary at times.
One of the biggest additions to Trine 4 is the skill system. Each character has their own skill tree that adds new abilities and gives powers to existing ones. One example is that the knight can add lightning powers to his sword, while the thief can eventually get fire and ice arrows. These usually crop up when needed, but players can use the collected items to upgrade them further once they reach a certain level. It isn’t anything revolutionary, but it does give a nice sense of progression in a series that is mostly known for just puzzle-solving.
The one area Trine has always excelled at is visual fidelity. Developer Frozenbyte has always managed to craft gorgeous worlds and characters. The 2D perspective lends itself well to this with pseudo 3D visuals and depth in the world. Everything in the world has a unique look and sheen to it. The world just feels fantastical in so many senses. The lighting is gorgeous and the color palette is one of the best I have ever seen. This game shines on a 4K display.
Trine 4 really brings the series back to its roots. It was great jumping back in feeling like I never missed a beat. I knew when to conjure boxes and the physics for the puzzle work just like you expect them to. It reminds me of a 2D Breath of the Wild even though Frozenbyte really paved the way for this type of game years before. It has just been a long time since we got a traditional Trine. I still want to forget the third game ever happened. Trine 4 is the proper sequel to the series and really reinvigorates my love for it. I still highly recommend playing with friends though as that is where it truly stands out.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
