REVIEW – Trine is now at its fifth installment, and one has to wonder what innovations it can bring to the table to hold attention. It used to be precisely three decades ago that the Mega Man series (and even two decades ago with another spin-off series…) struggled with similar problems as Trine is now. It’s as if the formula has become a bit tired, so Zoya, Pontius, and Amadeus won’t be sustainable in the long run.

 

 

The Trine series is back with its biggest adventure! In their fifth outing, the Heroes of Trine are pitted against dastardly and duplicitous villains who will stop at nothing to seize control of the kingdom. The clock is ticking to save the world of Trine!

 

 

Zoya

 

The previous characters and their abilities are back. Zoya, the thief, Pontius, the knight, and Amadeus, the wizard, are the ones you can control. Amadeus can create a platform from scratch; Miss Zoya can act with her bow, while Pontius deflects projectiles using his shield. It all comes together immediately for those familiar with the older franchise titles, but that’s also a problem, as there’s no significant update in this area. While evocative of the trio’s older adventures, the story is still forgettable. Still, at least it fleshes out the characters, and those who may be new to the game can learn the hero trio’s skills during the initial missions. The gameplay is no different, as it’s still a two-and-a-half-dimensional, physics-based, puzzle-packed platformer with some combat. The concept hasn’t changed much since Lost Vikings, except that it’s not entirely 2D, and physics has been given a slightly more prominent role. As always, the focus will be on creating synergy between the three characters’ abilities, and we’ll be focusing on the platforms in particular.

There is, however, a minor innovation with the mission system. We can develop the characters using the mystery liquid. You get skill points for it to enhance your skills or expand your armada of tricks. At least in this respect, one innovation can be mentioned that cannot be said for most gameplay elements, and that is why Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy can be described as almost predictable because the audience familiar with the older episodes will get what they are used to, but it would be difficult to say much more about it because of its lack. However, the question on everyone’s mind is: is it all that is left after nearly four years of waiting? Of course, there are still things that remain and can be called good, so Frozenbyte’s game does not get an overly bad rating. Playing alone, though… huh.

 

 

Amadeus

 

So yes, you can play Trine 5 solo, but the downside is that you must constantly switch between characters. However, it is recommended to do so in co-op for those who have someone to play with. Locally, but also online, you can get together with other people and decide whether you want more than one of each character or one of each… but in return, Frozenbyte’s gameplay makes the puzzles much more challenging. If you play locally with someone who falls behind, they will fall out of the screen and die. The task in front of us can also be frustrating at times. The puzzles are annoying here and there because sometimes it feels like you have to get it right in a pixel-perfect manner, and in the last half of the five chapters, it becomes more and more common, and you might even be tempted to leave the mechanic soldiers behind.

If not, it takes about eight hours to get through the game by picking up all the collectibles. Trine 5 has surprisingly good voice acting, and it was a pleasure to hear them bantering. There were no complaints about the control in the later stages of the game either when the three characters had more abilities, and as a result, the puzzles became more difficult. However, the extra challenge may have impacted the atmosphere, as it seemed to break the gameplay dynamic at times, and indeed, the “what the hell are we supposed to do here?” stare at the screen can happen more than once. Meanwhile, you might realize that artistically, Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy has nothing to be ashamed of, but it’s not entirely coherent for some reason, as the character models felt a little dated in an otherwise solid environment. Ironically, this element can also be applied to the evaluation of the game.

 

 

Pontius

 

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy should also have two ratings. If you are playing alone, Trine 5 can be frustrating because there is no opportunity to banter with the others, so Frozenbyte’s game would get a six-and-a-half out of ten rating. However, if you can play with others, the rating goes up to a seven out of ten, making the experience more enjoyable. Still, it feels a little dated in many respects, the story is pretty much forgettable, and the need for accuracy in the puzzles is a bit overdone in places. Trine 5 is a good game, but it is, at best, a natural evolution of the franchise when it should be a REVOLUTION.

-V-

---

Publisher: THQ Nordic (Embracer Group)

Developer: Frozenbyte

Style: 2.5D puzzle-platformer

Release: August 31, 2023.