Game Atoms – Trine 2

Hello again internet folks, as I mentioned in my previous blog, I’ll be Dekonsting Trine 2. Basically I’m taking the bits I cut up, removing the fatty opinions, and then packaging the lean mechanics, allowing you to implement them safely in your own projects. Though I’ve only romantically known of this title for two days, I can safely say it’s one of the most fun experiences I’ve had all year.

So to leave this intro-short, let’s get to it.

Players

The player character in this game is essentially a single player character, changing between three forms, each having their own health pool. This allows the player many ways to tactically tackle tasks, depending on how they allocated their skills.

The wizard form allows the player to create different sized boxes and – after a skill investment – platforms.  That, in combination with the wizard’s ability to levitate objects, allows you high control of the special game environment. The downside of this form is its inability to handle physical encounters.

The thief form allows the players to shoot specialized projectiles depending on skill point allocation, as well as grapple to available surfaces in the upper 90 degrees from the character.  The thief allows intricate range attacks on enemies, in combination with quickly be able to traverse the environment via grappling hook.

The knight form allows the player to block attacks, and melee attack through barricades. The majority of this forms benefit is being able to traverse the environment safely, but in the slowest fashion. This form you can traverse the bulk of the game with, however can’t complete any of the puzzles itself.

Co-op has two noteworthy modes. One allows the team of two - three to each have their own unique versions of each forms, or for them to have to share the three. If you play the game as sharing the three forms, it feels as a 2D RPG, with a high influence on team-synergy.

Objectives

The game progress physical objectives – this consists of completing each chapter by reaching the furthest right side of the environment, while traversing a series of puzzles. The puzzles require the aforementioned forms, with synchronized use of their skills.

Exploration – Throughout the environment lies Easter-egg like chests that give the player concept art of lore-poetry for acquiring them. Some of them are very obvious to get, where some of the more complex ones require a bazar turn, or a crucially placed explosion. This gives exploring the beautifully built environments a reason to be explored top-to-bottom.

Leveling – as mentioned, there are skills you require to unlock to complete some of the puzzles. To get the experience you need to level, you require these blue orbs that are spread around the level similar to the placement of Mario Coins. After collecting 50 orbs, this grants you a skill point. There is no leveling curve, as it is always 50.

Rules

One of the main and only rules of this game is the occasional need of a high-tier skill in an early game chapter. This makes it so you require to re-play the chapter after you get the skill, to get the loot behind it.

Resources

There are two primary resources in this game:

Health – That being what makes your forms die or not, while having all three of your forms die means game over. This resource replenishes via check points and via health-packs rarely found within the level.

Blue Orbs – This allocates to experience, which is required to better improving your character. Though the mechanic of gaining orbs is more of a treasure hunt than killing enemies, this way of leveling up feels more controlled by the developer than the player.

Game State

The last checkpoint you’ve reached, your characters skill tree, all of the chests you’ve ransacked, which orbs you’ve collected, and what chapter you’re on would be a required state to save. If any of those were lost or unrecorded, the gameplay would suffer significantly.  If the player didn’t have their skill tree saved, as I’m sure you get at this point, you’d have no access to any of the unlocked skills you need to advance further into the game.

Information

Total – The player has total information of every skill they have access to, its cost, and its description. They have access to how much health each form has, and whether or not it’s dead.

Privileged – the player has privileged information over the plot progress as they can tell when the story is climaxing as the chapter numbers increase, yet they’re not too sure if it’s the last hurrah.  They also have privileged information on the puzzle rooms, as they don’t know the answers, but the way to solve it is always there.

Hidden – the treasure chest Easter-eggs, enemy and boss placement, and some orb placements.

Player Interaction

Players can interact with each other via using their forms-skills to aid their ally. An example of this would be the wizard levitating their teammate over a gap via a summoned platform. Other interact is a form a form of negative play, in which you could intestinally kill your teammate. An example of this would be the wizard levitating their teammate over a gap, then dropping the summoned platform.

Theme

The game as it’s located in a high-fantasy universe with bazar array of unearthly creatures. Also the fact the environment is solely based on a 2D plane in a 3D world clearly depicts this game to be a far stretch from earth.

The plot in this game has clear focus on teamwork and the ability to use each other for their unique advantages, while helping them with their disadvantages.

Final Thoughts

This game is such a beautiful example of classic game design techniques in combination with some real unique features. I hope I could differentiate this blog from my prior one, while still coming to similar conclusions.

Until next time,

Jordon