Gamer's Diary: Trine

By BrontoThunder April 13, 2010 1 Comments

Trine was on my list of games to buy almost since its initial release back in July of 2009 but for whatever reason, it has taken me until last night for be to actual buy, and I regret that it took as long as it did. Trine is a blend of action and platforming with the core mechanic of the game being the control of three different characters (a thief, a wizard and a knight), each with their own unique abilities to allow the player to play through a multitude of levels. This core mechanic is executed flawlessly and as a result, Trine is one of the better games that has been released in the past five years.
 
As of rougly seven minutes ago I have finished Trine, I still have a few experience potions and secret areas to find but I have completed each of the fifteen levels the game offers. This venture took about six hours which, for a $20 game is remarkable, especially if you keep in mind the replay value Trine offers. What irks me though, that Trine is selling for as cheap as it is since it offers a richer experience than most games that sell for $60. How can the developers of games like Aliens vs. Predator, Prototype and Risen even consider charging $60 for their games when Braid, Trine and World of Goo are available for fractions of the price and are infinitely better games? It's insane how this industry operates. These companies need to learn that you can't just throw money at a game to make it good, if the game is built upon unstable foundations it is going to be shit. Ipso facto. 
  
Trine is the epitome of everything a video game should be; a definite goal to achieve from playing the game - there isn't a plethora of afterthought side-quests to distract you; sharp controls and animations - the characters react instantly when a button is pressed; it is fucking gorgeous - you can't ignore the necessity of a good-looking game; and finally it doesn't overstep its boundaries - there's no stupid message that it is trying to get across, Frozenbyte (the developer/publisher) didn't create a few extra levels just to add an hour or two to the total gameplay time. 
 
For me, the bar has been raised for what I consider a "good game" or even a game worth playing. If you haven't bought it yet and you consider yourself a "gamer" then you should either go buy it right fucking now or go back to playing Modern Warfare 2 for the rest of your days.
 
- Robosaur
  Finished: Trine 
  Currently Playing: Lumines 

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