Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power (PS4) Review

Short but still sweet.

I had played Trine 3 on PC about two months ago and enjoyed my time with it. Playing co-op with a friend online was a blast, and the puzzles offered up some really unique ways to traverse the new 3D environment. Now, Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power hits the PS4. Unfortunately, there is only local play in this version, but at the same time, I feel like this is still a fun puzzle platforming game.

Players take control of one of three heroes. Each has their own unique abilities and attributes. The knight can hover using his shield and bash things with a ground pound and ram charge, the thief can use her bow to hit distant switches and targets as well as use a grappling hook to swing around the environment or pull certain things, and the wizard can create and levitate objects used to create platforms and heavy boxes for switches.

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Platforms: PS4
MSRP: $21.99
Price I’d pay: $15

2D in the 3D

While still on a 2D plane for the most part, Trine 3 now has fully 3D areas that players can traverse in and out of the background. This comes into the puzzles and platforming. It works and works well. There are a few times I wouldn’t see a certain path due to the foreground getting in the way, but it was never a game breaker.

The game is divided into levels, with each one focusing on a certain aesthetic and puzzle variation. There are also collectables to pick up in each level. It gives the players that extra incentive to get them all, rather than just rushing to the end of each level as fast as possible. After a few levels, though, I could start to tell there were some similarities to many puzzles. They weren’t full on reused, but some of them were a lot alike many times.

Bring a friend. In the living room.

While focusing on local co-op rather than online, it really limits the player in some aspects. I had such a great time online with my friend on the PC version, I had hoped it would have made its way to the PS4 version, but due to reasons unknown, it is not here.

Visually, the game is stunning. Certain areas utilizing the 3D space really make the game stand out, along with the really great art style and fantasy setting. It is one of the best looking 2D games I have ever seen. It is a spectacle to see. The story is simple enough and has that storybook charm many have come to expect from Trine.

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Fun, but short.

While still a fun time, Trine 3 is rather short lived. The game will take most players around four hours to complete, even with the side missions that crop up over time. It’s sad to see, but in those four hours, I had a blast playing it.

While not the best version of the game, the PS4 version still plays and looks great. People looking for an online experience should go to the PC version for that, but at the same time, if you have a buddy to play locally with you, you can have a really great time traversing the beautiful environments and solving the puzzles. Sure, it’s a bit short, but the time I had with it was a really fun one.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Fun game play
  • Interesting puzzles
  • Beautiful visuals
Bad
  • Rather short
  • No online co-op
  • Some puzzles are slightly reproduced
7.5
Good
Written by
Drew is the Community Manager here at ZTGD and his accent simply woos the ladies. His rage is only surpassed by the great one himself and no one should stand between him and his Twizzlers.