19 user reviews 4.5 / 5 avg score
5/5 stars Reviewed on July 8, 2009

The physics-based action in this puzzle-oriented platformer from FrozenByte is inventive, satisfying, and visually stunning.

Read Brad Shoemaker's full review
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Trine is a side-scroller for PC and PSN that lets you switch between three different characters to solve puzzles and find treasure!

Gameplay

Trine bills itself as a " physics-based action game." The player uses three characters, which can be switched throughout the game at any time, to work their way through a 2D side-scrolling environment. The characters include a Knight, a Thief and a Wizard. Each character has his / her own individual abilities that can be used to solve various conundrums faced by the player.

Trine's gameplay.
Trine's gameplay.
The Knight can lift, carry and throw heavy objects,  as well as quickly lift his shield to protect you from projectiles. The Thief can use a grappling hook on wooden surfaces and use ranged weapons to kill enemies and activate remote switches. The Wizard is unique in that he has the ability to summon physical objects, such as boxes and bridges, which can be used as a stepping stone for higher jumps,  to drop on enemies, or to block projectiles. Each character has their own health and energy bar as well which adds a layer of management to the game's equation.

There are various potions and secret treasures scattered throughout Trine which create interesting mini-challenges as you go.  Green potions represent experience and are often hidden just out of reach, causing the player to use creative problem solving to retrieve the potion.  The treasures are generally hidden much more discreetly and require the player to wander off the beaten path to find them, let alone reach their location.

In April 2009, a trailer was released demonstrating the games co-op multiplayer. The game can be played with up to two other players. At any time a friend can join your game, allowing new ways to overcome obstacles by combining each characters abilities. While the multiplayer will start out as only local play, Trine designer and Frozenbyte CEO, Lauri Hyvärinen has said they plan to add online multiplayer at a later date.
  
To play the game co-op on the PC, you may now use any PC gamepad (including the Xbox 360 controller), or multiple keyboards and mice. Each player may also assign their own controls if they wish. The cooperative play is offline only.

Plot

Trine starts with the three adventurers, the knight, the thief and the wizard, stumbling upon an ancient artifact called the Trine which fuses all three souls into one body which can change into any of the three characters. Shortly afterwards, an undead army attacks the kingdom.  The trio must work together through various environments to stop the undead as well as determine how to counteract the effects of the Trine.

PSN Delay and Controversy

Although released for PC on July 2, the release for the PlayStation Network was delayed, likely in order to optimize it for the PlayStation 3 platform. In mid-July, a Frozenbyte employee posted on the game's official forums saying that the game would be released on July 30. However, on July 29 the same Frozenbyte employee wrote,  "Unfortunately, Trine isn't coming to PSN this week, and this time it's our fault as there was discovered yet another small bug, which needed to be fixed."
 
Some cited the release of Sony's Fat Princess, also scheduled for release on July 30, as the reason for the delay. They hypothesized that Sony must have forced Frozenbyte to push back the release of Trine, fearing low sales due to competition. However, that theory seemed less and less likely as more time passed without a Trine release.

Trine was eventually released on PSN in Europe on September 17th 2009 and on October 22nd in North America, relatively long after the scheduled release date of a downloadable title. One of the advantages of buying the game on PSN was supposed to be that it would be $10 cheaper than the PC version, but the price of the PC version dropped $10 before the PSN release leaving that advantage unrealized.

XBLA Version

According to Atlus, the XBLA version of Trine should be out "later this year". However, since that announcement the developer has said that the XBLA version is just speculation.

PC System Requirements

Minimum system requirements
  • Processor: 2.0 GHz CPU
  • Operating System: Windows XP / Windows Vista
  • System Memory: 512 MB (XP), 1 GB (Vista)
  • Hard-Disk Space: 1 GB
  • Sound Card: (not required)
  • Video Card: Radeon X800 or GeForce 6800 or better.

Recommended system requirements
  • Processor: Dual-Core CPU or better
  • Operating System: Windows XP / Windows Vista
  • System Memory: 2 GB
  • Hard-Disk Space: 1 GB
  • Sound Card: DirectX compatible soundcard.
  • Video Card: Radeon HD 3800 series or GeForce 8800 series or better.
  • Other: gamepad(s) for co-op play.
General Information Edit
Game Name Trine
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Original US Release July 2, 2009
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ESRB
ESRB: E
PEGI
PEGI: 12+
Guides Create
Trine Achievement Guide

Trine: Hard to find Experience

To help you find those missing experience vials in Trine.

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