Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power (2015)

The 3rd entry to the Trine franchise is a visually stunning game, carrying forward the series’ trademark fairy-tale charm with lush environments, vibrant colors, and a magical atmosphere. The narration, music, and whimsical tone make it immediately enchanting, and the physics-based puzzles still provide creative and often flexible solutions that give the game its distinctive appeal. So no big surprises on how the core of this game works, if you played and enjoyed the two previous entries, there is little to no excuse not to play this one.

However, the shift from 2.5D to full 3D comes with drawbacks, depth perception and camera angles can make platforming and puzzles frustrating, and the precision of movement feels less refined than in earlier entries. I was particularly hyped to play this once I saw the change of perspective, but unfortunately this first attempt of transitioning was a very flawed one, compared to the more traditional and polished previous entries. Despite all this, if you are a fan of this franchise like myself, you'll be able to overlook these limitations and still enjoy this different way of playing this.

The game is also noticeably short, with its story ending abruptly and leaving the impression of an incomplete experience. On top of that, progression systems and character abilities are simplified compared to Trine 2, which reduces depth and replay value. In the end, it is ambitious but flawed, delivering gorgeous visuals and moments of creativity, yet its brevity and rough mechanics hold it back from reaching the heights of its predecessors. Fans of the series may still enjoy the ride, but expectations should be tempered.

Story: 3/5 Gameplay: 2 /5 Presentation: 2.5/5 Difficulty: 1/ 5

Basis:

Story= plot progression, intrigue, characters/ char. development, world development, script

Gameplay= Mechanics, gameplay options (freedom), repetition, goals, difficulty

Presentation= graphics, animation, environment/character design, Art direction, music

The game was far too short in comparison to the previous titles. It at times looked beautiful and the environments were fun to explore, but at other times it felt way over saturated and the animations were unsettling. Quite a few glitches, but none that I experienced were " Game breaking" glitches. The ability to move through the world with depth rather than just side-scrolling was refreshing but at times kind of confusing. I never knew if I solved the puzzles the way they were meant to be solved or if I kind of cheated my way through them which at times left me unsatisfied with solving them, but at the same time, I like that they left puzzles open to being solved however you wanted. That freedom of choice had its pros and cons for me. The story leaves you hanging at the end and was very abrupt leaving it to having to have a sequel.