Trine 2

pro

The first thing that will wow you about Trine 2 are the gorgeous visuals. The strange and wonderful fantasy setting is filled to the brim with eye catching details and fanciful animations. The levels sport a wide variety of environments from lush forests to gloomy caves and when you arrive at the tropical beach you will stop playing the game to admire the grand scenery. Easily one of the prettiest games you'll play in a long while. The luscious atmosphere is created with fully realized 3d environments and the depth of field contributes greatly to the realism although you only play in one dimension, much like a 2d platformer, at all times.

pro

Fun physics puzzles that encourage you to improvise to solve the task at hand. The game relies for the most part on solving puzzles like creating staircases from crates, building air vents that will make you float in the air or redirecting glistening waterfalls to make plants grow into platforms. There are many surprises along the journey and don't be scared if you encounter giant slimy snails, flesh eating plants, huge frogs or getting a helping hand from a friendly octopus.

pro

Co-op is the way to play if you can choose. There's both online and offline co-op.

con

A huge missed opportunity is the mundane story. The adventure begins with the three heroes, the thief, the knight and the wizard, rediscovering the Trine. They slowly discover that a mystifying figure, The Witch, is watching over them. While you pick up some bits and pieces along the way in the form of poems, book entries and narrative the storyline will never grab you. You would feel much more attached to the characters and the rich universe if there was something worth fighting for. Now you're left with the curiosity of exploration to propel you further in the game.

con

If you play co-op with a friend you will soon realize you can use the wizard to conjure boxes and platforms and move your partner to any location on the screen. While this is fun in the beginning it breaks the challenge of many puzzles and serves as an easy way out.

con

Encounters throughout the game consist of the same basic types of enemies. You combat goblins and giant spiders wherever you go. There are a few level specific enemies but a more diverse fauna of creatures would further enrich the detailed world of Trine.