Trine (and Trine 2) - First Impressions

Here I was thinking I’d play Trine as my Gaming Heartily selection for the month of December, but it was so excellent I finished it in one weekend and moved on to Trine 2...before December ever had a chance to start. So here I am playing both Trine and Trine 2 as my Gaming Heartily selections for the month of December.

Trine and Trine 2 are fantasy action games that challenge the player to beat hazardous puzzles and enemies by creating and using physics-based objects and abilities. Trine begins with the three main characters of both games; Amadeus the Wizard, Pontius the Knight and Zoya the thief, being bound together by a mysterious device (coincidentally called the Trine). You can choose whichever character is best suited for the current challenge or puzzle at any time during gameplay. Zoya is my favorite character to use and I always find myself switching to her the majority of the time. She’s light on her feet, able to grapple onto wooden surfaces and deal ranged weapon damage. Amadeus and Pontius each have unique and useful abilities too; Amadeus can create objects and move objects with his magic and Pontius can perform feats of strength and fight off enemies with sword and shield.

Some of the puzzles can get a little challenging, depending on what setting you select, but overall I find both Trine and Trine 2 to be thought provoking in a relaxing and non-competitive way.

Trine 2 is even more beautiful than the first if that's even possible. The color tones and light quality are absolutely gorgeous.


If you are interested in playing Trine or Trine 2 with me during the month of December, you should be able to find them pretty cheap on multiple sources around the internet, including Steam and Good Old Games.

Fez - First Impressions

Gomez is a 2D creature living in a 2D world. Or is he? When the existence of a mysterious 3rd dimension is revealed to him, Gomez is sent out on a journey that will take him to the very end of time and space. Use your ability to navigate 3D structures from 4 distinct classic 2D perspectives. Explore a serene and beautiful open-ended world full of secrets, puzzles and hidden treasures. Unearth the mysteries of the past and discover the truth about reality and perception. Change your perspective and look at the world in a different way.




Fez is not for the faint of heart. You will be challenged to really observe your surroundings and apply what you’ve learned to achieve the games many secrets.

Starting Fez up for the first time is evocative. I grew up on a steady diet of 8-bit games and they hold a lot of nostalgic charm for me. When I see what Phil Fish has done with the design of the landscape, architecture and creatures inhabiting that space it not only brings back good memories, it puts forward a fresh perspective by adding the ability to flip around and play with a third dimension in what would only be a 2 dimensional world.




How am I feeling a few hours into Fez? Frustrated, yet determined. I want to see everything, experience everything, complete everything. The puzzles can be quite maddening and the map feels like a spiderweb, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. To be completely honest, I’ve started looking up help on the internet, namely the alphabet and the numbers and from there I’m piecing the puzzles together myself. As I shut the game off Sunday morning I made a mental note to have a pen and paper beside me next time I play so I don’t miss anything and can refer to them to find secrets.

Taking notes? How foreign, and intriguing. It brings us back to how it felt before there were internet cheats feels like it did back in the day when there was no internet cheats to help you out. You had to figure out things for yourself or shell out money for the game guide provided by the company. I remember, years later, opening up old game cases and finding folded up notes scribbled out so I could progress in any given game. I am determined to figure out as much as I can by myself so now, armed with my notebook and pen, I am ready for the rest of Fez!

To be continued...