More Time with Trine 2
By Kyle Mann | October 30, 2011 | Previews | No comments | Share
Back in August, Tom got a chance to mess around with an early Xbox 360 build of Trine 2 at gamescom 2011. We just spent some time with the most recent PC beta code, and the game’s really shaping up to be something special. The beta has about an hour’s worth of gameplay from the beginning of the full version, including online and local co-op modes.
In case you committed the ultimate, unforgivable sin of missing out on the first Trine, let’s bring you up to speed: you play as three hot-swappable characters, a wizard, thief and a knight. Each has unique characteristics and abilities to help you navigate the treacherous, interactive side-scrolling environments. The wizard can manipulate gravity and conjure objects out of thin air, helping you get a boost to a hard-to-reach platform or solve environmental puzzles. The thief is quick and nimble, and can swing about on a grappling hook or pierce enemies with a bow and arrow. Finally, the knight’s brute strength can vanquish foes or smash through piles of rubble and wood.
Each character plays in his or her own unique fashion, and can assist in getting to secret areas or helping the party avoid a spiky death. The wizard and the knight are an absolute joy to play, but the thief’s jump physics are still a little wonky. It took the length of the beta to get used to the erratic grappling hook, as it seemed to slingshot my character any which way it pleased. Still, using each party member’s strengths working in unison to maneuver through the levels is a real treat.
The levels themselves, in fact, are astounding to look at. The graphics are so gorgeous and seemingly high-budget, it’s hard to believe this is really an indie title. The characters’ surroundings pulsate and move, vines snaking around ancient stone and wildlife bustling about the wonderfully animated backdrops. The color palette is saturated and blinding and absolutely perfect, creating one of the most beautiful games I’ve played this year. It’s breathtaking.
The PC build controls perfectly, remedying a problem Tom had with the 360 version at gamescom. Other than the thief’s grapple, I had no problems at all, and the mouse is the ideal tool for using some of the precision-based attacks and abilities. Co-op over Steam is flawless, allowing each player to swap among the three characters just as in singleplayer. The game offers the usual graphical options, including a wide range of resolutions, five different quality levels, vertical sync, and anti-aliasing. It also runs quite well, even on my mid-range PC.
Trine 2 is due to hit this December on Windows, PSN, XBLA, Linux, and Mac. If you pre-order now, you also get access to the beta build right away as a thank you from the devs. I’m excited to see what the full game brings, and we’ll find out in just over a month’s time. Keep this one on your radar.
