Finnish developer Frozenbyte had shown early support towards Wii U in Trine 2: Director’s Cut, but now invites us to discover where their fantasy tale began in Trine Enchanted Edition.
We learn of a kingdom that had once prospered, but which soon descended into chaos when its elderly king died without having a descendant to take the throne. Warriors and wizards alike were suddenly engulfed by their own lust for power, with self-proclaimed kings assuming the throne only to be removed from it days later.
The magic that once gave life and good fortune had itself transformed into something far more sinister, with the dead soon rising from their graves. Caught unaware, fear spread throughout the kingdom and it was soon abandoned.
Not everyone had left, with Trine Enchanted Edition serving as an origin story as to how fate brought together three unlikely heroes in Zoya the Thief, Amadeus the Wizard, and Pontius the Knight. Each came into contact with Trine, an ancient object of tremendous power that binds their three souls and tasks them with saving the kingdom from evil.
Frozenbyte’s fairytale adventure takes you through 16 levels, now recreated in Trine 2’s improved engine, that pose puzzling challenges that are largely centred around interactive physics.
Each character brings their own skills to the table: Zoya using her bow to shoot targets from afar and a grappling hook to swing over deadly chasms; Amadeus conjuring blocks, planks and platforms that he can position to bypass obstacles by levitating them into place; and the more combat-orientated Pontius who’s initially equipped with a sword and shield, and, later, a Storm Hammer.
Players are required to use each of these in tandem to overcome puzzles, positioning conjured blocks to activate switches, shooting arrows to slice ropes to release hung slabs that crush weakened walls, and taking arms to defeat the undead forces that try to slow your advance.
You can either rely on standard button input as a control scheme, but Frozenbyte has also made a concerted effort to put the Wii U GamePad to work. Not only do we have Off-TV Play, but touchscreen controls that can see you tap, double tap, swipe and drag to perform actions. This scheme is entirely optional but helps to differentiate the experience that the Wii U can deliver to other consoles. Such variance doesn’t end their either, with either Wii Remote and Nunchuk or Wii Remote-only options allowing you to instead use pointer-based controls.
Such a broad array of control options pave the way for local multiplayer, with up to three players able to work together to tackle the puzzles that await. Somewhat commendably, online multiplayer is also made available allowing you to host or browse available game sessions, choosing whether to make the session public or for Friends only. These work without issue, and it’s fantastic to see developers now pushing the Nintendo Network service.
While the game already presents a lengthy enough quest, but those looking for an additional challenge can choose to enable Hardcore Mode. This means that if a character dies, they won’t be resurrected when you reach the next checkpoint and disables saving during a level.
Trine Enchanted Edition presents a memorable fairytale adventure, boasting an exquisite art style that makes the game’s world such a joy to explore.
Version Tested: Wii U
Review copy provided by Frozenbyte
