Several places along the way within each level there are checkpoints that resurrect dead allies and allow unlimited respawns when the entire party goes down. During my playthrough I did experience a glitch that had me stuck far beneath the ground with some haywire graphics and unable to move along the X-axis. It took some creative work from our group to get us out of there and certainly wasn't the sort of puzzle the creators had in mind. After that the graphics started chugging a bit, easily fixed after closing and reopening the game. This did only happen the one time, but something worth noting, nonetheless.

While Trine can be played by yourself or with a friend, it's best when going three strong - where everyone has their own character. One or two players can switch out freely to the other character; there can never be more than one type at a time, making some areas easier than they were designed. When playing with two players, we often found ourselves cheating the system with our "magic carpet" system technique; one of us creates a plank for the other to stand on, then using telekinesis, levitates the plank with him on it up to wherever we're trying to go. Once there, the other takes over as the wizard and does the same for the other guy. It worked, but it did seem a little shady. When rocking with three players you are forced to come up with legit ways through tricky situations, as the wizard can't levitate himself and would be left behind. There were also plenty of moments where two of the three died and the remaining player would make a mad dash hoping to hit the next checkpoint before dying himself, particularly comical when done by the defenseless wizard avoiding angry skeletons.

While the gameplay is focal to a game like this, it would be a crime not to touch on the graphics. Trine is beautiful. The environments are high fantasy with lush backgrounds and vibrant visuals. The entire graphical presentation is so engrossing that it feels like a special game from that standpoint alone. My only complaint on the graphical side was that I found it a little too difficult to see where my character was going when underwater. Fortunately, that is a rare occurrence in the game and didn't serve as a major issue, but it was still frustrating when dealing with a limited oxygen supply.

Sound is nearly as impressive as the graphics. Music is wonderful and the voice acting is spot on. If anything, I'd like to hear more quips from the characters during the levels, although that would run the risk of repetitive banter when repeating certain difficult sections many times. The narrator has a relaxing tone that sounds like a gentle sage retelling a familiar fairytale to a captive audience.

Trine is a wonderful addition to the PlayStation Network and a worthy buy for anyone who enjoys cooperative games. While it can be played alone, it is really meant to be enjoyed by three people together if at all possible. I hope developer Frozenbyte returns to the Trine universe in the near future, as they are on to something here and have a winning formula. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to it. This last level is a doozy.

By Caleb Newby
CCC Freelance Writer