Teamwork Is A Plus

Gameplay - 7/10

Storyline -8/10

Graphics - 7/10

Game Score : 22/30

Guys I am like so tired; between work and trying to find a place to live in the city for my new job I been burning the candle at both ends. Sorry if the quality you are used to isn't what it used to be but I am trying to go through some adjustments to my review style among other things so please try to bear with me. Today we are checking out Trine 2; a puzzle/platforming game brought to us by the wonderful people at Frozenbyte.  It is the sequel to Trine and was released on Windows, GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade on December 7, 2011.

The adventure begins with our three heroes, the thief, the knight and the wizard, rediscovering the Trine which then brings them back together. They then decide to travel on a journey to save the kingdom from evil goblins and other fiends. The game is your usual platforming game but with a twist; each level has a barrage of puzzles setup through out the course of the level that you have to figure the best way to get around, whether to collect all the magic orbs or just to progress through the level.. The player controls and switches between three different characters (a thief, a knight, and a wizard) to try to complete levels. There is also a cooperative play feature, whereby multiple players can join in at any time to control different characters simultaneously.
Each character has their own health and energy meter. Energy is used for certain weapons and abilities, and is replenished by blue-colored bottles found throughout levels. Health is replenished by collecting heart-shaped containers, which result from destroying certain enemies.

Zoya the Thief 

The thief's weapon is her bow and arrow. The bow can be "charged" by holding down the fire button before releasing, and longer charges make for farther, straighter shots. The thief also has a grappling hook which can be fired at certain surfaces. Regular arrows and the grappling hook are unlimited, and do not diminish the thief's energy. The thief's possible upgrades include shooting more arrows with each shot, faster charging of the bow, and more damage inflicted with the flaming arrow.

Pontius the Knight

The knights initial weapons are his sword and shield. The knight also acquires a sledgehammer. The knight has the ability to lift certain objects and hurl them. His shield can be used to deflect enemy attacks, as well as falling objects and projectiles. The knight's possible upgrades include additional sword damage, charging attacks, and additional sledgehammer attacks.

Amadeus the Wizard

The wizard has the ability to use sorcery to move objects remotely, as well as conjure new objects into existence. Initially, the wizard is only able to conjure a cube-shaped object. Conjured objects are primarily used to help overcome obstacles and reach difficult areas. All conjuring and remote moving drains the wizard's energy. The wizard has no traditional attacks, however he can crush certain enemies by hurling objects into them. He can also block attacks by conjuring or moving objects in their path.

Be forewarned, this game has its moments where you will find yourself dumbfounded as to how to progress through a level even with the timely hints that may occur to help you. The main selling points for this game are the visuals, the co-op play and the ease of use for the characters. Personally my favorite character was the thief as she greatly resembles Altair from the Assassins Creed franchise but for versatility sake the best character would probably be the wizard even though his major flaw is his lack of basic attacks. No doubt the more people you have over to play the better as many hands make work light so the puzzles should be easier to solve with more people analyzing them. None of the games puzzle has only one solution so the solutions can range from as simple, to as complicated and imaginative as you so desire.