Second Trine 2 Review
It is impossible not to fall in love with the entertaining and winning fairytale style of Trine 2. The sequel to the 2009 Trine, the action revolves around the same three adventurers of the first game, a Knight, called Pontius, a Thief, Zoya, and a Wizard, Amadeus, each with their own way of handling the puzzles and combat that feature in the game. You'll have to use the skills of all of them to triumph.
The best feature of Trine 2 is the multiplayer, where up to 3 people are able to play on the same machine or over the internet. This is the primary way I played the game as was so much fun to play with someone else, I didn't see the point of playing it alone. If you don't have any friends, I'd suggest you make some, just so you can play Trine 2 with them - and since you can play over the internet, you should be able to find someone.
The mechanics of the first game have been improved - in particular, there is no resources attached to abilities, which means that the Wizard is a lot less frustrating to play as - you don't need to worry about running out of magic with which to conjure and levitate objects. This means that experimentation in how to solve the puzzles is not punished, which is only a good thing. The variety of puzzles has increased from the original - for instance, there are a lot more puzzles revolving around pipes venting air, that can project your character into the air.
Unlimited levitation can make some of the puzzles very easy - you can levitate someone across a gap with the Wizard, then switch character and levitate the other person across. However, the option to disable levitation can be switched off in the settings menu, and the vast majority of the puzzles can't be solved this way. Levitation does tend to be necessary to collect all the hidden experience bonuses dotted in potions around the place. We avoided levitation while playing the game, though we often used it if we had solved a different platforming section, then died just before reaching a save point. These save checkpoints are fairly frequent - Trine 2 does well to avoid a lot of the frustration that is common in puzzle/platform games, without lessening the sense of satisfaction from solving a taxing problem or jumping perfectly between a set of falling platforms while dodging falling lava.
It is difficult to not adore the graphics and the art style of Trine 2. The game world looks stunning. One particular level, set in a ruined, half submerged castle filled with all manner of aquatic creatures and plants, stood out, but the lush graphics are utilised right from the starting level in a forest. The plot was fairly straightforward but smartly told through short introductions to each level. There's dialogue between the main characters as they encounter dangers and dragons in their quest, and through their abilities and their responses they are made quite different, and also very likeable.
Trine 2 is a fantastically fun game that anyone can pick up and enjoy, and it's made even better by getting a friend or two to play. The story and art conjure up an engrossing and stunning world which you'll love exploring.
8.5