Written by Patrick Orquia
Title: Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power
Developer: Frozenbyte
Publisher: Frozenbyte
Genre: platformer, action adventure, puzzle
Number of Players: 1-3 players
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: 29 July 2018
Price: $19.99
Also Available On: Steam, PS4
The first 2 games have found a new home on the Nintendo Switch and, as expected, the third one, Trine 3, first released in 2015, has now been ported as well to the hybrid console. Like the first two games, this one features the protagonists who are again summoned by the Trine for another grand adventure. While the same game physics and gameplay mechanics are in play in this game, it is now no longer confined to a 2D plane like its predecessors were. You can now control the characters in full 3D environment, similar to how Super Mario 3D Land did it back in 2011. This time around, there is more areas to explore, but with some downsides (more on that later).
The follows again Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief, and Pontius the knight as they are beckoned once again by the Trine for another great adventure. The first three levels feature one of the three, sort of a tutorial on what they can do and how to perform their attacks and skills. If you have played the first two games, it’s a refresher, and since the environment is now in 3D, there are new things that you can do, with more areas to explore. Despite this, I think that the overall gameplay has become simplified, since you now move in three dimensions, and certain safeguards have been put in place to make sure that you don’t accidentally fall or wander off-screen. Like the next area that you need to go to is clearly pointed out to you. There are some hidden areas, of course, but they, too, are clearly signposted and it is up to your puzzle-solving prowess to discover how to get to them.
In this game, you no longer have to collect XP vials to level-up (there is no level-up system at all). This time around, you collect the not-so-imaginatively named Trineangles that are needed to unlock new levels. The looks like, well, triangular gems, and they are colored in bright orange to aid visibility. The total number of Traineangles are shown at the start of the level and there is also a counter while you play them, so you know how many have you already collected so far and how much more to get. You can re-play any level to collect all of the Triangles if you are a completionist. A certain number of Trianeangles is needed to open new levels, and usually, if you don’t play too shabbily, you’ll have enough to unlock the next one. If you are having troubles, there are also some smaller side-levels that you can play to earn extra Trineangles. While most Trineangles are out in the open, a good number of them are hidden, and as usual, you have to solve some environmental puzzles to get to them. I personally wasn’t able to find all of them in the game, but as far as I know, none of them were unfairly hidden. They are just tricky, and that’s on me. The levels are not too lengthy, and going back to collect all the Trineangles is a good way to somehow pad the game’s overall length.
If you think the game is too short and simplified (it is), it’s good to know that this game looks awesome, as always in the series, but a bit more now. For example, there is a level with a beach environment and the sunset and the water look magnificent. Too bad, you cannot go too far out into the horizon, but you can swim to your heart’s content. The Trine series is known for the level of details and lushness of its environment, and this game doesn’t fall short in that regard.
Since the game looks great, the game’s music also is, of course, though nothing too remarkable. It does what it needs to do and does it well, and that cool for me.
Overall, Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is a good sequel that tries to liven up the series. I do appreciate the move to a 3D environment and I could say that I like this game a bit more than the first two, but I wish they could have done more. Like maybe give it more levels and challenges and really go all out with the level design, but alas, they kind of fell short. Also, the game still has local and online multiplayer options for up to three players, so you can still play with your friends or random online players if you want to. I heard that the upcoming game, Trine 4, will go back to the 2.5D environment, due to some fans of the series complaining about the quality of this game, so that’s something to look forward to if you are not a fan of this game. If you have, there is still plenty of cool stuff to like in this game, but maybe just skip this one and look forward to the next one. There is also an upcoming collection that contains ALL of the first three games along with Trine 4, so that’s a much better value for money if you don’t have the games yet. Regardless of how you want to get and play this game, one thing is for sure: you will have some fun.
PROS
CONS
The follows again Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief, and Pontius the knight as they are beckoned once again by the Trine for another great adventure. The first three levels feature one of the three, sort of a tutorial on what they can do and how to perform their attacks and skills. If you have played the first two games, it’s a refresher, and since the environment is now in 3D, there are new things that you can do, with more areas to explore. Despite this, I think that the overall gameplay has become simplified, since you now move in three dimensions, and certain safeguards have been put in place to make sure that you don’t accidentally fall or wander off-screen. Like the next area that you need to go to is clearly pointed out to you. There are some hidden areas, of course, but they, too, are clearly signposted and it is up to your puzzle-solving prowess to discover how to get to them.
In this game, you no longer have to collect XP vials to level-up (there is no level-up system at all). This time around, you collect the not-so-imaginatively named Trineangles that are needed to unlock new levels. The looks like, well, triangular gems, and they are colored in bright orange to aid visibility. The total number of Traineangles are shown at the start of the level and there is also a counter while you play them, so you know how many have you already collected so far and how much more to get. You can re-play any level to collect all of the Triangles if you are a completionist. A certain number of Trianeangles is needed to open new levels, and usually, if you don’t play too shabbily, you’ll have enough to unlock the next one. If you are having troubles, there are also some smaller side-levels that you can play to earn extra Trineangles. While most Trineangles are out in the open, a good number of them are hidden, and as usual, you have to solve some environmental puzzles to get to them. I personally wasn’t able to find all of them in the game, but as far as I know, none of them were unfairly hidden. They are just tricky, and that’s on me. The levels are not too lengthy, and going back to collect all the Trineangles is a good way to somehow pad the game’s overall length.
If you think the game is too short and simplified (it is), it’s good to know that this game looks awesome, as always in the series, but a bit more now. For example, there is a level with a beach environment and the sunset and the water look magnificent. Too bad, you cannot go too far out into the horizon, but you can swim to your heart’s content. The Trine series is known for the level of details and lushness of its environment, and this game doesn’t fall short in that regard.
Since the game looks great, the game’s music also is, of course, though nothing too remarkable. It does what it needs to do and does it well, and that cool for me.
Overall, Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is a good sequel that tries to liven up the series. I do appreciate the move to a 3D environment and I could say that I like this game a bit more than the first two, but I wish they could have done more. Like maybe give it more levels and challenges and really go all out with the level design, but alas, they kind of fell short. Also, the game still has local and online multiplayer options for up to three players, so you can still play with your friends or random online players if you want to. I heard that the upcoming game, Trine 4, will go back to the 2.5D environment, due to some fans of the series complaining about the quality of this game, so that’s something to look forward to if you are not a fan of this game. If you have, there is still plenty of cool stuff to like in this game, but maybe just skip this one and look forward to the next one. There is also an upcoming collection that contains ALL of the first three games along with Trine 4, so that’s a much better value for money if you don’t have the games yet. Regardless of how you want to get and play this game, one thing is for sure: you will have some fun.
REPLAY VALUE: High
PROS
- Gorgeously vibrant visuals, with excellent lighting all throughout the game
- Fantastic soundtrack
- Stable framerate
- Good controls
- The new 3D gameplay offers more areas to in and encourages players to explore more
- The excellent physics engine is still as slick as ever
CONS
- The camera is fixed and cannot panned left to right, even the slightest, which could result to the difficulty of judging depth
- Quite short in gameplay length
- No level-up system
- The overall gameplay has been simplified
RATING: 4/5 Bright orange Trineangles
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