Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power Reviews
The move into 3D has produced some staggeringly pretty visuals, but when it comes to the controls and running time this usually enjoyable action puzzler suffers badly as a result.
Artifacts of Power hits most of the right marks. . . . At the same time, there's a feeling that the game lost something when it went fully 3D.
Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is a puzzle platformer with stunning 3D environments. Players will enjoy finding the solutions to puzzles by switching between the three playable protagonists, but may find frustration with the necessity to find most of the collectables in order to progress.
Trine 3 is an incomplete mess that feels like the game's creators just ran out of time (despite four months in Steam Early Access). The graphics, art style, and landscapes are stunning, but aren't enough to make Trine 3 a game worth your time.
"I'm a completionist to a fault, so I tried hunting down every single trineangle in the game. After just between six and eight hours I had collected every single collectible and achieved every single achievement in the game. I suppose this is somewhat mitigated by the fact that it has mod support and the co-op does give it a bit of replayability with up to three people able to control a character each, but it ultimately just seems to deliver an inferior experience to its series predecessors and it's a shame, because it is otherwise a great game, born of the best intentions, but brought down by its own ambitions."
Though they demand the occasional spot of physics engine fudging to progress, puzzles are generally fun and challenging without being frustrating. It may not quite master its new perspective, but Trine 3 is still a charming, light-hearted romp that's well worth your time.
There are still a few quirks, such as camera angles or some complex platforming sequences, but overall it's still a blast to play through the new title, both for veterans and newcomers.