[Review] Trine 2 (PS3)

A relatively unknown game, Trine had caught the eyes of both critics and players who cameacross it. Ultimately, it failed to be published by Atllus on the Xbox LiveArcade and never quite reached the masses. With its sequel, Trine 2 being published by Atlus, thegame received some much needed hype to usher it into gamers’ eyes. With arelease that came just before Christmas, it seems to make the perfect unexpected,yet pleasing Christmas gift.

Trine 2 starts offsometime after the first, with the Trine summoning the wizard, knight, andthief to go on a quest once again. Along the way, they will traverse to avariety of beautifully rendered and fantastically designed locales – spiderweb-filled caverns, lush green forests filled with goblins and giant creatures –that are the stuff kids’ imaginations are made of. Gamers who have followed thefirst game will be happy to know that the trio’s characteristics and game’ssense of humor is intact, periodically highlighting the thief’s mischievousnature or the wizard’s age.

The bulk of the game includes puzzles and platformingaction, but what makes Trine 2 shineis the multitude of ways that players can solve a puzzle. On my thirdplaythrough of a level, I still found another way of getting across an abyssfilled with enemy fire. I could have either been ballsy and dodged every singleprojectile, summoned the wizard’s magical boxes as shields, or simply swungacross using the thief’s grappling hook. Though the game’s intermittentcheckpoints will heal and restore any lost members of the team, the open endednature of a puzzle ensure that with determination and an open mind, gamers canzoom through the game with minimal back tracking.

When another player is thrown into the mix, the puzzlesbecome infinitely easier. Unreachable ledges become a short magical box’s liftaway and overwhelming odds from packs of goblins become easily outmatched. Thebattles themselves could have a variety of solutions too; the whole cast is capableof holding their own. Other than the occasional bossfight, the battles feel insignificantand are only a slight impediment to reaching puzzles, which make up the bulk ofthe game both in play time and challenge. The game’s tech tree, which containsmany new skills that are essential to solving future puzzles, can actually bemodified on the fly to suit any situation’s needs.

Fortunately, unlike DungeonSiege 3, multiplayer saves carry over to players’ own games with Trine 2 allowing players to saveprogress from any multiplayer game they join. It no longer feels like purealtruistic charity when helping others complete a level. It can be a bitfrustrating when playing with others because the game doesn’t include a micoption, often making for countless fumbles during puzzles and confusion. Thankfully,there’s an offline multiplayer option that includes all the benefits of onlinemultiplayer without any of the confusion.

Fans of the first Trinewould have undoubtedly already picked this title up. Those who have only heardof it and are on the fence should do the same. The game’s design that leads tomultiple outcomes for any puzzle, whether it be in single or multiplayer, leadsto countless replay value. The gameplay coupled with the game’s both varied andgorgeous environments, gamers aren’t only in for a visual treat, but a journeyinto a fantasy world that they only dreamed of as kids. 

Available on: Mac, PC, PS3, Xbox 360; Publisher: Atlus; Developer: Frozenbyte; Players: 1 - 3; Released: December 20, 2011; ESRB: Everyone; Official Site

Note: A promotional code was provided to Denkiphile for review purposes by the publisher.

[Review] The Baconing (PS3)

The Baconing is the third game in the Deathspank series, the superhero trilogy from Hothead games, and it returns with some more of the action-RPG gameplay, wacky characters, and writing that fans have come to love. Despite being the third game already, The Baconing doesn’t became stale and is still a joy to play, provided that players can stomach its sometimes trying humor.

If this is the player’s first game in the Deathspank series, he will have to beware of the game’s odd sense of humor. At times, it can be quite fitting and may garner a chuckle or two. For the most part though, players’ hands are less likely to be on their controllers and more likely to be busy facepalming. It seems that Deathspank himself is a raving idiot and the game’s world is filled with NPCs who will tolerate him.

As Deathspank travels through the game’s worlds, you’ll find that there’s quite a bit of variety. While none of them are overly imaginative and rely heavily on typical terrain found in most RPG games, it’s always refreshing to step into a new area and find some new parodies waiting around the corner. Just like the story, the game’s score is accordingly light hearted – as epic as the quest to burn his Thongs of Virtue may seem, the writing and music remind players that this is a quaint game at heart.


In spite of that, however, the game has a fair level of difficulty to it. For the first two hours of the game or so, players will likely be fumbling about, trying to figure out the game’s awkward control scheme. It almost feels dated with a manual lock-on button whereas most other games have already made the transition to full-fledged twin stick games. Gradually, players will learn to just shoot from afar for giant enemies and hack down scouts up close, effectively breaking down the game’s enemies into two basic archetypes. Even if players don’t learn this, the game’s numerous checkpoints and unlimited continues are always there to keep The Baconing from seeming too daunting a task. Sure, you’ll lose money when you die, but after those first two hours, I never spent a single dollar again anyways.

The Baconing has a couple of shortcomings and humor that is borderline annoying, but it is by no means a bad game. It’s still decently fun and might just fit the bill for some players’ sense of humor. Check it out if you’re getting action-RPG withdrawl and have some annoying friends you can tolerate. If not, it may be better to pass.

Available on: Mac, PC, PS3, Xbox 360; Publisher: Hothead Games; Developer: Hothead Games; Players: 1 - 2; Released: August 30, 2011; ESRB: Teen; Official Site

[Review] The Baconing (PS3)

Note: A promotional code was provided to Denkiphile for review purposes by the publisher.