I don't think anyone really plays platformers for their story. I can't remember the last time I met someone that said “damn, the story on that platformer really blew my mind.” Now before you start to think that I'm going to pull one over on you and tell you Trine 2 has an amazing story, let me stop you there. I played Trine 2 until the end and I realized that there really wasn't any point in time that I stopped to think what the hell I was even doing, or why I was on this adventure. I think there was something about a magic item called a Trine that could transport three heroes together, a witch, some goblins to kill, and a princess to save. The point I'm trying to make is that Trine 2 is enjoyable enough that you won't need to care about the plot. It's one of the most unique and beautiful side scrolling platformers I have had the chance to get my hands on. This is your classic fantasy fairy tale; starring (drum roll please) a wizard, a warrior, and a rogue. The neat thing is that each of them has their own abilities to make playing the game different from what you're used. It opens up with a tutorial following each of the three characters and how to use their skills.
At first I thought that maybe I would only choose a single character to play the game with, but you can actually switch between each one. This is important because each of the levels has different challenges to use a character for. The wizard is your primary puzzle solver, and can conjure crates or levitate specific objects in areas that challenge your brain in order to open up the next path. He's not very handy in a fight but it is fun to levitate enemies and drop them into a spike pit. The warrior is your combat guy and can switch between a sword for melee attacks, a shield for defense, or a hammer for a more powerful offense against goblins and spiders. The rogue is who you'll likely traverse levels most often as, since she has the best platforming abilities. She can fire arrows for attacking or knocking down objects, but her primary maneuver is a grappling hook used for swinging to areas the other two can't reach. You can play with whomever you want, but you'll still need to switch between each of them for the appropriate situation unless you're playing in co-op. I didn't get the chance to play with anyone else, but I imagine the game is a lot more fun when playing with friends since it opens up different gameplay choices. While the gameplay is certainly lively and fun, the visuals are one of Trine 2's greatest assets.
This game is freaking gorgeous for its genre. The color palette produces rich visuals with illuminating stages and highly detailed backdrops, objects, and enemies. Even just the way the water hits a surface or the way leaves and mushrooms bounce from physical touch is pretty pleasing. The combat is pretty simple and didn't give me any problems, but some of the puzzles may have you perplexed. This isn't necessarily a bad thing unless it just feels like an insult to your intellect. I liked the cleverness to the puzzle designs and there's definitely a feeling of accomplishment to opening up the next stage. You won't get much more than 5 or 6 hours on the first go for 1200 MS points, but there's a bonus in that the game does offer some RPG like skill leveling which will allow you to upgrade the abilities for the three characters. These include things like conjuring more objects for the wizard, obtaining more powerful weapons for the warrior, or using arrows with elemental damage for the rogue. There are also plenty of magical orbs to collect and extra puzzles for doing so, so that should be sufficient enough reason to play the game over again solo or with your buddies. I was really surprised to see what Atlus was capable of producing aesthetically, and I've added them to a list of developers that I look forward to seeing more from. If you're a platforming lover, then Trine 2 is what you need to be playing. This is one of the best Xbox Live Arcade games on the marketplace.
