I missed out on Trine 1, but I loved Trine 2 thanks to PS Plus so I was very excited to try out the latest game in the series, Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince. Building on what 2 and 3 did, this fourth entry in the series proves that there is plenty of life left in this franchise yet.
How to Download Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
You can get the game for Windows from Steam or GOG Galaxy and for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch from their respective stores. Click on the Download button below the review to choose.
The Game Review
The game has a kind of storybook thing going on with the tale it is telling. Our three heroes, Amadeus, Zoya, and Pontius are looking for a Prince called Ceilus who has gone missing. Not only is he missing, but he has also dealt with dark magic which causes the nightmares of those around him to come to life! The story is fund and delivered well and I liked how it went.
The Characters
The Trine series is known for being a 2.5D platform/puzzle/adventure game that is great if you play on your own or with buddies. Each of the three characters has something that makes them special. Amadeus, for example, is the wizard and can make shapes to help the team solve puzzles and get over ossicles.
Zoya is my favorite as she has a grappling hook and other gadgets like a bow that comes in really handy. Pontius is the muscle of the team and he can plow through enemies and put a beat down on anyone who steps out of line.
As well as from a gameplay POV. Each character has their own personality and they all look great too. This adds a lot of personality to Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince.
If you are playing the game by yourself, you can switch between the characters on the fly. Which you will need to do as many of the puzzles and obstacles that you will come across require teamwork to get through them. If you play multiplayer you can each play as a dedicated character and work together this way.
Or you can play the game like in Trine 3 where you can all just play as you want and then you have multiples of the same character on the screen at the same time! This is pretty chaotic, but it is fun. However, I would say that this can take some of the teamwork and challenge out of some of the puzzles.
Each character has some fun new abilities for you to make use of. These are dished out very well and just when you think you have it all figured out, you get a new ability to make use of. My favorite of the new abilities is how Zoya can use her bow to attach a rope to something which will then make it float.
The Skill Tree
The overall progression of the game is something I really liked. Not just because of the new abilities, but the skill tree for each character is great in that it has some great ways to make each character even more unique and special. I actually wanted to fully max out each member of this trio!
The Puzzles in Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
I found the puzzles that the game offered to be pretty good. They were the perfect blend of being “puzzling” but not so cryptic that they were frustrating. Although some of the later puzzles really did make me have to think and even look up help at one point. I think the challenge here is just ideal and as a result, the game is a lot of fun.
The Verdict
I have really enjoyed my time with Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince. It is a game that is fun to play on your own and also a lot of fun to play with friends. It may not be doing a ton new from the last two games, but this is still a fun and entertaining time.
