Trine 2 originally released for PC by Frozenbyte but made it through each of the last gen consoles finds it way to a next gen console on the Playstation 4. Based on the original release of the physics-based puzzle-platformer, Complete Story boasts all of the expansions from all prior releases and visual upgrades for the game’s next-gen debut. The inclusion of a slightly updated control scheme for the game, utilizing the PS4s trackpad, presents one of the better uses for the controller’s touch pad from the games currently available on the console. It also comes packed with a co-op option so you don’t have to go through the game alone if you don’t wish to.
You find yourself controlling three character classes, Amadeus the Wizard, Pontius the Knight and Zoya the Thief, each having their own unique skills and playstyle to get through the puzzles and defeating enemies. Amadeus the Wizard is able to create planks and blocks which you can use to get to higher ground or drop on enemies by holding down the L2 button while drawing a square with your thumb on the touchpad. While having to use the touchpad in an action platforming game may sound tiresome at first, being able to use it for making objects, casting spells or even using it to control a cursor is more fluid and intuitive than you might expect.
Pontius the Knight wields either a sword to slash at your foes, a hammer to smash through walls, and also has a shield to protect himself from oncoming attacks. Zoya the Thief is equipped with a grappling hook to get past gaps and climb to higher ground, along with a bow & arrow which you can aim using the trackpad, however I generally found it easier to aim with the right analog stick to aim more accurately while she charges her shots.
You can switch between the three characters at will by pressing the L1 and R1 button, which you’ll need to do to utilize each character’s feature sets for certain parts of the levels. As you progress, you can upgrade each hero through a skill tree however, I found that for Zoya and Pontius in particular, the change in their skills once upgraded appear to be rather superfluous in comparison to their default skills. At least with Amadeus, you can see a noticeable change as his skills level up since that allows him to can conjure up more boxes than he could before, which is pretty useful, possibly even game breaking if you’re able to spawn enough boxes to climb to areas you aren’t expected to be able to reach with that character.
The difficulty of the levels aren’t too frustrating, truth be told so you can find yourself going through them with little resistance which isn’t a bad thing at all, but if you are a gamer who likes a challenge there are different difficulty modes so I’d suggest trying a higher difficulty to make things a bit more interesting. If you happen to get stuck while tackling some of the more difficult sections, the game will usually prod you in the right direction through verbal text speeches.
As mentioned earlier, you can also play in a co-op mode offline or online people on your with friends or random people also looking for players to be matched up with. Online co-op runs pretty smoothly but I would recommend playing it through with friends via voice chat if possible as sometimes I found some of the random players I was matched up with had trouble getting the grasp of how to play the game, which meant we were not really moving forward at a reasonable speed.
The game can last between 8-12 hours for the main campaign and the added bonus content which is seamlessly integrated can add about another 3.5-5 hours to a playthrough.
Trine 2 story instantly managed to grab me into its fairy-tale setting instantly as the lore of the world was just so intriguing. While the plot isn’t particularly deep, the story-telling itself is presented through simple visual storytelling with a narrator and via dialogue between the heroes in reaction to the certain situations that arise during their quest. The overall story begins with the Trine crystal, which calls upon three heroes to take on this quest.
Trine 2’s fairy-tale setting was really a treat to explore while soaking in the surroundings. The art direction really brought the world to life as each level had me entranced in all the detail and colors on display. I had just wanted to see more from what the world of Trine 2 had to offer as this is a gorgeous game I never went through a level without trying and attempting to see what it had to offer fully grabbing every magical orb and potion has it is pretty hard to skip them as it just feels wrong not to. Throughout the game, you will explore treacherous forests, deserts and more vibrant settings in around 20 levels in total. The soundtrack for Trine 2: Complete Story rounds out the experience and enhances the feel of the game. Many of the themes from the game I found it to be memorising helped to immerse me within the world of Trine 2, setting the scene and tone of the world around me.
Review Summary
Trine 2:Complete Story did not disappoint me truth be told, just everything was enchanting. If you are interested in buying this game I recommend the Playstation 4 version hands down. It was just a total delight to go through this gem.