Finnish developers Frozenbyte pride themselves on originality, but Trine prompts obvious comparisons with LittleBigPlanet. Both are scrolling platformers with physics-based puzzles – even Trine’s voice-over is reminiscent of Stephen Fry’s musings. Playing alone, you’ll need to cycle through the three character classes, using their special abilities to get through the levels set in a traditional, though well-realised world with some gorgeous lighting effects.
The puzzles are fun and inventive, and whether you’re playing on your lonesome or in three-player local co-op, you’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of Trine. That said, the combat soon becomes repetitive and casts an unfortunate shadow over the remainder of the game. It’s a shame – this would have been better if it focused on its strengths and kept the battling as a side-note. Still, well worth a download, even though it comes in at a slightly inflated price.
Oct 22, 2009
