Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince

Last updated
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
Trine 4 The Nightmare Prince cover.jpg
Developer(s) Frozenbyte
Publisher(s) Modus Games
Director(s) Lauri Hyvärinen
Producer(s) Antti Rantanen
Programmer(s) Eetu Röpelinen
Artist(s) Charlotta Tiuri
Writer(s) Maija Koivula
Composer(s) Ari Pulkkinen
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation 4
Nintendo Switch
Stadia
ReleaseWindows, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
October 8, 2019
Stadia
March 30, 2021
Genre(s) Puzzle-platform, action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a 2019 video game developed by Frozenbyte and published by Modus Games for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in October 2019 and released for Stadia in March 2021. [1] [2] It is the fourth installment of Trine series and features a return of the series' three protagonists and medieval fantasy location.

Contents

Gameplay

Trine 4 refines the gameplay of the previous installments. It is a 2D platformer with a focus on physics puzzles. The abilities available to the player for solving puzzles include conjuring boxes, attaching ropes to objects, and telekinesis.

The player character in the game is, story-wise, three characters in one. The player can transform into one of these three characters at a time: Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief, and Pontius the knight. Amadeus can conjure boxes, spheres, and planks, and he can telekinetically move some objects. Zoya can affix ropes to objects either to swing from them, immobilize them, or create rope bridges. She is also armed with a bow. Pontius has a shield with which he can deflect certain projectiles at other targets, and jump-stomp. Pontius is also armed with a sword.

As with previous entries, the gameplay is a mix of physics puzzles and combat.

While Trine 3 experimented with 3D platforming Trine 4 returns to the strictly 2-dimensional movement of the first two Trine games.

In another return to form, Trine 4 adds character progression (which was missing from the third game). While certain core abilities (such as Zoya's "fairy rope") are unlocked at fixed points in the game, there are optional abilities that the player can purchase using tokens collected over the course of the game. These abilities give the player new options for solving puzzles, or new ways to fight monsters. If the player wishes, they can replay earlier levels with unlocked abilities to solve those earlier puzzles in new ways.

Plot

Prince Selius (introduced in Nine Parchments ) had aptitude for magic, but misused his father's spellbook, releasing the shadow of his soul and destroying his family's castle. His parents therefore sent him away to the Astral Academy, but the Academy wizards were unable to control the prince's nightmare magic and he eventually escapes. Amadeus the wizard, Pontius the knight and Zoya the thief are tasked by the Academy headmaster to bring Selius back. At first the trio tries to convince him to return, but Selius refuses, revealing that the Academy simply locked him in the dungeons. His unstable shadow magic causes his own nightmares, those of the heroes, and even the inhabitants of the wilderness to manifest physically, and Selius flees.

While tracking the prince, the trio helps the creatures of the wilderness in fighting their nightmares and in return three nature spirits give them a potion of light, which should help Selius—it does, but it also empowers Selius's shadow, since the brighter the light, the deeper the shadow it casts. The trio assists Selius in fighting his shadow; ultimately, the prince is able to use the power of light to seal his shadow back into his soul. His magic now stabilized, he agrees to return to the Astral Academy.

Melody of Mystery

Some time after returning Prince Selius to the Astral Academy, some of the students (all first seen in Nine Parchments ) began rehearsing for an autumn play. One of them, Cornelius, stumbles upon a magic music box, accidentally releasing a spirit known as Melody, who traps the students in a magical dream where their wishes come true. Selius, unaffected thanks to his own dream magic, summons the heroes of Trine into the dream world, seeking their assistance. The heroes traverse the students' dreams, and learn that Melody is a genie-in-training who uses dreams as a way to grant wishes, not understanding that it is harmful for humans to sleep forever. The heroes successfully wake up all the students except Cornelius, who is so attached to his dream that he must be forced to awaken.

Reception

The game has received positive reviews. The game was given "generally favorable" reviews according to Metacritic. [3] [4] [5] [6]

IGN gave the game an 8.5/10 saying, "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a sequel that plays it very safe – which, in this particular case, is for the better. Coming back to the traditional style of co-op gameplay and puzzle solving that made the first two games so delightful is exactly the kind of refocusing that the Trine series needed after the misfire of Trine 3. Some lackluster puzzle designs, technical issues, and a lack of difficulty stand in the way of it overtaking Trine 2 as the best of the series, but Trine 4 still remains a shining example of how cooperative gaming should be, and is one of the most gorgeous looking 2.5D games of 2019."

Eurogamer stated that the game was "Outrageously pretty and newly refined, Frozenbyte's series finally strikes gold."

Destructoid also reviewed the game, saying, "It's an easy recommendation for platform fans, but it's also just a plain fun time. It's not revolutionary or trailblazing, but it does what it needs to prove that Frozenbyte hasn't lost its touch. I wouldn't necessarily expect a Trine 5 or anything, but clearly, this series has some life left in it."

Related Research Articles

<i>Alundra</i> 1997 video game

Alundra, released in Europe as The Adventures of Alundra, is an action-adventure video game developed by Matrix Software for the PlayStation, originally released in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frozenbyte</span> Finnish video game developer

Frozenbyte, Inc. is a Finnish video game developer founded in 2001 and based in Helsinki. As of December 2020, it had approximately 130 employees. Frozenbyte's first commercial game was Shadowgrounds for Microsoft Windows. Both Shadowgrounds and its follow-up Shadowgrounds: Survivor were released for Linux in 2009, ported by IGIOS and published by Linux Game Publishing. They and all their later games use an engine that has been known internally as Storm3D, originally by Finnish programmer Sebastian Aaltonen.

<i>Kirby</i> (series) Video game series

Kirby is an action-platform video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. The series centers around the adventures of a pink round hero named Kirby as he fights to protect and save his home on the distant Planet Popstar from a variety of threats. The majority of the games in the series are side-scrolling platformers with puzzle-solving and beat 'em up elements. Kirby has the ability to inhale enemies and objects into his mouth, spitting them out as a projectile or eating them. If he inhales certain enemies, he can gain the powers or properties of that enemy manifesting as a new weapon or power-up called a Copy Ability. The series is intended to be easy to pick up and play even for people unfamiliar with action games, while at the same time offering additional challenge and depth for more experienced players to come back to.

<i>Monkey Hero</i> 1999 video game

Monkey Hero is an Action-adventure game developed by Blam! and published by Take-Two Interactive for the Sony PlayStation video game console. The game is similar to the likes of The Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana and borrows many ideas from these games, such as a top-down perspective and gameplay focused on exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving. Gameplay elements include large dungeons, fighting and puzzles. It has a whimsical manga-inspired look that makes use of both 3D and 2D graphics.

<i>Trine</i> (video game) 2009 puzzle-platform video game

Trine is a puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Frozenbyte. The game was originally released for Microsoft Windows in 2009, and has since been ported to Linux, OS X, and game consoles. The game takes place in a medieval fantasy setting and allows players to take control of three separate characters who can battle enemies and solve environmental puzzles.

<i>Trine 2</i> 2011 puzzle-platform video game

Trine 2 is a puzzle-platform game developed and published by Frozenbyte. It is the sequel to Trine and was released on Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in December 2011, and later for Linux in March 2012. Trine 2 allows three players to play the iconic roles of a wizard, a thief, and a knight in a simultaneous cooperative mode. A Director's Cut edition was released via the Wii U's eShop on the console's launch day in all regions except Australia and Japan. The game was also released as a launch title for the PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe in 2013. On February 13, 2019, it was announced that a port to the Nintendo Switch would be released on February 18, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maximum Games</span> Video game publisher and distributor

Maximum Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Walnut Creek, California. Originally founded in 2009 as a publisher of family-oriented titles for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii, the company shifted to publishing games of all genres for all ages across all platforms shortly after inception.

Kevin Howarth is a British film actor, known for his roles as Max in The Last Horror Movie, Peter in Summer Scars and Viktor in The Seasoning House.

<i>Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power</i> 2015 video game

Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is a 2015 action-adventure puzzle-platform video game developed by Frozenbyte, released on August 20, 2015 for Microsoft Windows. It was made available on Linux, OS X and PlayStation 4 later in 2015. It is the sequel to Trine 2 and features a return of the series' three protagonists and medieval fantasy location. The game is the first in the series to feature fully 3D gameplay. A port to the Nintendo Switch was released in 2019.

<i>Shadwen</i> 2016 video game

Shadwen is a stealth video game developed and published by Frozenbyte. The game was released for macOS, Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows in May 2016.

<i>Little Nightmares</i> 2017 puzzle-solving horror game

Little Nightmares is a puzzle-platform horror adventure game developed by Tarsier Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One, released in April 2017. A Nintendo Switch version was released in May 2018, followed by a Google Stadia version in June 2020 and mobile versions were released on 12 December 2023 and published by Playdigious. Set in a mysterious world, Little Nightmares follows the journey of Six, a hungry little girl who must escape the Maw, an iron vessel inhabited by monstrous, twisted beings. The game received positive reviews upon release with critics praising its atmosphere, gameplay, graphics, and sound while criticizing its checkpoint system and short length. A follow-up, Little Nightmares II, was released in February 2021, and a third entry in the series, Little Nightmares III, is in development by Supermassive Games.

<i>Hello Neighbor</i> 2017 video game

Hello Neighbor is a survival horror stealth game developed by Dynamic Pixels and published by tinyBuild. Initially released as public alphas from 2016 to 2017, it received a full release for Windows and Xbox One on December 8, 2017, and later for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android on July 26, 2018.

<i>Strange Brigade</i> 2018 video game

Strange Brigade is a cooperative third-person shooter video game developed and published by Rebellion Developments. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 28, 2018, on August 1, 2020 for Stadia, and on June 15, 2021 for Nintendo Switch. In the game, the player fights against different mythological enemies and solves puzzles.

<i>Harry Potter</i> video games Licensed video games based on the Harry Potter novels

The Harry Potter video games are a series of video games based on the Harry Potter franchise originally created by J. K. Rowling. Many of the Harry Potter-inspired video games are tie-ins to the novels and films of the same name. The main series features a video game for every novel, as well as two for the finale. There are multiple distinct versions for individual games.

<i>Concrete Genie</i> 2019 action-adventure game

Concrete Genie is an action-adventure video game developed by Pixelopus and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. The game was announced at Sony's PlayStation Media Showcase at Paris Games Week 2017 on October 30, 2017, and was released on October 8, 2019. It received generally favourable reviews from critics. The game is also the final game released by Pixelopus before their closure in June 2023.

<i>Astral Chain</i> 2019 video game

Astral Chain is a 2019 action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch. It was directed by Takahisa Taura, who was previously lead game designer for Nier: Automata, under supervision by Devil May Cry and Bayonetta series creator Hideki Kamiya, and character designs from manga artist Masakazu Katsura.

<i>Little Nightmares II</i> 2021 video game

Little Nightmares II is a puzzle-platform horror adventure game developed by Tarsier Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It may be played as a self-contained experience. The story follows Mono, who must work together with Six, the protagonist from the previous game, to survive the horrors of the Pale City and discover its dark secrets. The game was released for Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One on 11 February 2021. An upgraded version, titled Little Nightmares II: Enhanced Edition, was developed by Supermassive Games and released on 25 August 2021 for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

Superliminal is a 2019 surreal puzzle video game released by Pillow Castle Games. The game, played from a first-person perspective, incorporates gameplay elements around optical illusions and forced perspective; notably, certain objects when picked up can be moved towards or away from the player, but when placed back down, scale to the size as the player had viewed them, enabling the player to solve puzzles to complete the game.

<i>Nine Parchments</i> 2017 video game

Nine Parchments is a twin stick action role-playing game developed and published by Frozenbyte. The game was released for Nintendo Switch, Windows, and PlayStation 4 in 2017, and for Xbox One in 2018. The game's story revolves around students of the Astral Academy searching for the missing nine parchments.

<i>Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy</i> 2023 video game

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy is a platform-puzzle video game developed by Frozenbyte and published by THQ Nordic. It is the fifth installment in the Trine series. The game was released on August 31, 2023, for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S.

References

  1. ↑ "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince releases on October 8". VentureBeat. 2019-08-08. Archived from the original on 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  2. ↑ "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince now out on Stadia! | Frozenbyte". www.frozenbyte.com. Archived from the original on 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  3. 1 2 "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2020-10-05. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  4. 1 2 "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  5. 1 2 "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  6. 1 2 "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  7. ↑ "Review: Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince". 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  8. ↑ "Trine 4 review: The biggest and best Trine yet". Eurogamer . 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  9. ↑ "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince Review | Trine and back again". Archived from the original on 2022-05-03. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  10. ↑ "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince Review - IGN". 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  11. ↑ http://www.jeuxvideo.com/test/1119680/trine-4-the-nightmare-prince-le-digne-successeur-de-trine-2.htm Archived 2022-04-07 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  12. ↑ "Review: Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince - This Magical Series is Back on Track". 9 October 2019.
  13. ↑ "Trine 4 review". PC Gamer . 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  14. ↑ "Review: Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince - Gorgeous Puzzle Platformer is a Return to Form". 11 October 2019.
  15. ↑ "Recensione - Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince". Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.