Developer Frozenbyte has released their award-winning physics-based puzzle platformer on Nintendo’s new console. Dubbed Trine 2: Director’s Cut, this Wii U exclusive takes full advantage of the system’s Gamepad and Nintendo’s online network. Like its predecessors, Trine 2: Director’s Cut contains the same challenging gameplay and mind-bending puzzles that made the series an instant classic with gamers.
In single-player mode, you play as three heroes – the Wizard Amadeus, the Thief Zoya and the rambunctious Knight Pontius, who are bound together by an artifact called Trine. The heroes possess special skills that – when used together – can overcome the many different obstacles that block their way. The Trine series is known for its imaginative puzzles that require the player to ‘think outside the box’ to complete. And with the Wii U’s Gamepad it has become easier to interact with the game world.
The Wizard Amadeus possesses the ability to conjure cog-wheel boxes and planks. These objects can be used as platforms to explore areas otherwise impossible to reach. The player can conjure a box by simply drawing an outline on the Gamepad’s screen. To levitate the object, the player must hold their finger on the box and drag it to the desired location. Objects in the environment can be moved using this method. Certain objects, like wooden planks and plants, can be pulled down and then held by using a finger. It’s using the Gamepad’s touch screen in this fashion that makes Trine 2: Director’s Cut such an engaging experience.
You can toggle between all three heroes by tapping their portraits on the Gamepad’s touch screen. When goblins attack, you can quickly switch to Pontius and rapidly tap the touch screen to attack with his sword. Holding your finger anywhere on the screen will allow you to use his shield. Rolling your finger in an upward arch motion will move Pontius’ shield. Controlling the thief requires more skill. To use her gripping hook, the player must quickly tap the touch screen. If this is not timed correctly, Zoya will fire an arrow from her bow instead. This is a minor nuisance that can be overcome with some practice.
Despite some doubts initially before its launch, the Wii U’s Gamepad fits comfortably in your hand while you play Trine 2: Director’s Cut. And since the left analog stick is configured for movement and the left trigger is used for jumping, it’s easy to use your right hand with the touch screen. You can use the Gamepad’s face buttons for some of the characters (i.e. fighting with Pontius, for example), but it defeats the purpose of playing the Wii U version; the experience comes from the controller.
Like its predecessors, the Wii U version contains all the same features that made the Trine series popular. As you progress through the story, your characters will level and their skills can be upgraded via a skill tree. The skill tree, like most of the gameplay, is accessible via the touch screen. To pull levers that move certain environmental objects, a bar appears on the touch screen that requires the player to slowly move their finger horizontally across the screen. The entire game functions brilliantly using the Wii U’s Gamepad.
Trine 2: Director’s Cut shines as a co-op multiplayer game. You can choose to ‘Quick Join’ a game in progress, ‘Browse Games’ from the Game Room menu, ‘Host Public’ a game, and invite ‘Friends Only’. The online community continues to grow for Trine 2: Director’s Cut and it’s rare not to find any gamers online. During this review, it was quicker to find players by using the ‘Quick Join’ and ‘Host Public’ features.
This happens to be the best looking version of Trine available on any platform. The Wii U’s graphic capabilities bring the brightly colored forest, its creatures and glistening water pools, to life in glorious HD. Even when the screen is active with swaying planks, creatures spewing poison, and goblins swinging wildly at your hero, the action never seems to falter. Even co-op multiplayer is free of lag when the on-screen action increases.
Trine 2: Director’s Cut is just one of many reasons to own a Nintendo Wii U. It’s a polished platformer that reinvented the way we perceive the genre. Plus, the Wii U version includes the ‘Goblin Menace Expansion’ along with an exclusive level, ‘Dwarven Caverns’. Gamers everywhere owe it to themselves to experience this game on their Nintendo Wii U; there is no excuse not to.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Nintendo Wii U (Available on Nintendo eShop)
Developer: Frozenbyte
Publisher: Frozenbyte
ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+)
Price: $19.99
Trine 2: Director’s Cut Official Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Trine 2: Director's Cut is proof-positive of the Wii U's graphic capabilities. | |
| Sound | |
| The in-game atmosphere is enhanced by the incredible soundtrack. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Challenging puzzles and an active online community makes Trine 2: Director's Cut a must-have for gamers. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Trine 2: Director's Cut is a fast-paced puzzle platformer with endless replay value. | |
