Trineis a popular puzzle-platformer series developed by Frozenbyte, which has been released on various platforms during its lifetime. Each entry in the series (except one) has received universal critical acclaim, and players just can’t seem to get enough of the protagonist trio’s adventures. They’re also one of the few game series that still allows players to play in local multiplayer, a feature that’s sorely missed by many.
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While the games are known for their consistently high quality, there are still some differences between each game, and there’s only one game that can take the crown as the definitiveTrineexperience. Here’s howall theTrinegames rank up, from worst to best.
5Trine 3: The Artifacts Of Power
Fans of the series regardTrine 3as the series' black sheep, and it’s easy to see why. The game provided a shift to 3D gameplay, something that no player had ever asked for. This change provided a task too difficult to handle for the developers as well. Since Frozenbyte is a relatively small studio, the team struggled with creating a fully 3D experience, and the game’s development had to be cut short due to budgetary reasons.
This resulted inTrine 3being plagued by bugs, glitches, and performance issues, as well as providing the shortest experience in the series. If this wasn’t enough, the game itself, while far from being one of the worst games ever made, failed to leave an impression, positioning itself as a far cry from the previous and greater outings of the series (and from the beingone of the best 3D platformers).
4Trine
The first game in the series came out in 2009, and it still holds up quite well today (it would be great to see itreturn as a PlayStation Plus game). While it may seem barebone when compared to many of its sequels, the game is a blast to play, especially in multiplayer, thanks to masterfully crafted level design and art direction.
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Trineintroduced players to the series' protagonist trio, which would star in every subsequent entry. Each character had his own set of abilities, which could be upgraded over time, and they were all craftily used for puzzles (whichare not among the hardest ever). The game’s main setback is to be found in combat. Not only are combat moves far too limited, but the game also provides little to no variety in enemies, making it feel like a last-minute addition to the experience.
3Trine 2
Trine 2came out in 2011, and it improved its predecessor’s formula in every way. The game looked and played very much like the first entry, something that can be said for every game in the series other thanTrine 3. Enhancements came in more subtle ways, like making the combat feel more fleshed out.
WhileTrine 2definitely improved on the formula, it’s still far from perfecting it. The combat, while better, is nothing to write home about, and the upgrade system could have used some more development. Some levels presented puzzles that required certain unlockable skills to be successfully completed. This means that players sometimes need to go back and revisit a previous level in order to gain more experience points and unlock an ability they didn’t know would prove to be mandatory later in the game—or use the re-spec option. Other than that, this is one example ofa sequel living up to expectations.
2Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
AfterTrine 3, it was widely speculated that the series was treading dangerous grounds. The developers invested an enormous amount of money in the game, and it wasn’t well received by the public. Players felt like the series had run out of its magic. But then,Trine 4came out, and it proved to be an incredible return to form (and possiblyone of the best co-op puzzle games). Instead of keeping the 3D gameplay of its immediate predecessor, the game returned to the series' classic formula, giving players what they wanted from the very beginning.
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Not only that, but it was one of the best experiences in the franchise to date. The controls felt like a huge improvement, especially for Amadeus, and there was even more variety in enemy types, with new menacing mini-bosses. Players also didn’t have to worry about mandatory skills upgrades anymore. It was a huge leap forward in terms of visuals, thanks to the game running on eight-generation hardware. At the time, it felt like theTrineseries couldn’t get any better.
1Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
Trine 5is the latest, 2023 addition to the series. Just like its predecessor, the game continues improving on the series' formula. While the game looks and plays mostly likeTrine 4, there are in fact many minor tweaks that the developers made to make this the definitiveTrineexperience to date (andone of the best co-op games ever).
For starters, the game looks absolutely stunning. Even if it’s a cross-generation title, it still shines on ninth-generation hardware, breathing new life into its famous medieval fantasy setting. Other than that,Trine 5brings in new abilities for each of the main characters, which prove to be useful both for combat and puzzles. The game also introduced multi-phase boss fights, which have been well-received by the series' fans (though they will hardly make the case forbeing among the best bosses of the year). As of today, this is theTrineformula brought to its best.
Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracyis available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X!S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
