Trine_3:_The_Artifacts_of_Power
First fully 3D entry in the Trine series.
Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is an action-adventure puzzle-platformer from developer Frozenbyte, released for Microsoft Windows on August 20, 2015. The game, which later arrived on Linux, OS X, and PlayStation 4 in 2015, with a Nintendo Switch port following in 2019, is the sequel to Trine 2. It brings back the series’ three main characters and its medieval fantasy setting, and marks the franchise’s first move into fully 3D gameplay, though 2D platforming remains central.
In terms of gameplay, Trine 3 continues the series’ tradition of action-adventure platforming with puzzle elements. Players control the three returning heroes—Pontius the knight, Amadeus the wizard, and Zoya the thief—each with distinct abilities: Pontius uses a sword and shield for combat, Zoya wields arrows and a grappling hook, and Amadeus can manipulate and levitate objects. Players can freely switch between characters during the campaign. The game also supports three-player cooperative multiplayer, includes special challenge levels, and offers a level editor.
The story picks up after Trine 2. The Trine artifact summons Amadeus, Pontius, and Zoya to defend the Astral Academy. Tired of being bound by the artifact’s gift of immortality, they attempt to return its power in exchange for freedom. Their plan fails, shattering the Trine and releasing an evil spirit named Sarek, who heads for the Academy. Inside, the trio learns from the Trine’s spirit that Sarek was a powerful wizard who became invincible by sealing his heart away, driving him insane. Unable to find his heart, two sisters bound his body instead, dying in the process and creating three artifacts of power (seen in the first Trine): the artifact of soul held the spirit of one sister, Trine; the artifact of mind held the other; and the artifact of body held Sarek. The sisters’ combined power kept Sarek subdued until the Trine was damaged. The Trine agrees to take back her power and free the heroes if they collect her shards, repair her, and destroy Sarek’s heart. The trio finds one shard, but Sarek corrupts the artifact of mind and the spirit of Trine’s sister. The story ends incomplete, though an easter egg in Trine 4 confirms the heroes eventually succeeded.
Development began with Frozenbyte’s announcement on March 2, 2015, alongside a debut trailer.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power
- Developer
- Frozenbyte
- Director
- Lauri Hyvärinen
- Producer
- Jari Kantomaa
- Designer
- Kim Juntunen
- Programmer
- Jani Mäkinen
- Artist
- Teemu Lintunen
- Writer
- Maija Koivula
- Composer
- Ari Pulkkinen
- Series
- Trine
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows / Linux / OS X / PlayStation 4 / Nintendo Switch
- Released
- Windows / August 20, 2015 / Linux / November 5, 2015 / OS X / November 19, 2015 / PlayStation 4 / December 22, 2015 / Nintendo Switch / July 29, 2019
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power continues the story of the three protagonists—Pontius the knight, Zoya the thief, and Amadeus the wizard—who are summoned by the Trine artifact to defend the Astral Academy. Tired of being bound by the artifact's power of immortality, they attempt to return the power and gain freedom, but instead shatter the Trine, releasing the evil spirit Sarek. The trio learns that Sarek was a powerful wizard who became invincible by sealing his heart away, and that two sisters had previously bound him using three artifacts of power. The Trine spirit agrees to release the heroes if they collect her shards and destroy Sarek's heart. The game ends with the story incomplete; an easter egg in Trine 4 reveals they eventually succeed.
Reader's Guide
Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is significant as the first game in the series to introduce fully 3D gameplay, a challenging and time-consuming transition that required overhauling the skills and abilities of the three playable characters without damaging their characteristics. The game entered early access on April 21, 2015 to gather player feedback on the new 3D elements, and was released on August 20, 2015 for Windows. Its budget of $5.4 million was triple that of Trine 2. Upon release, players complained the game was too short; Frozenbyte responded that extending it would have cost $15 million, which they could not afford. Joel Kinnunen stated the team tried something too ambitious that became financially impossible, and the future of the franchise was in question. A sequel, Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, was released in 2019 to critical acclaim.
Did You Know?
- Trine 3 is the first game in the series to feature fully 3D gameplay, while 2D gameplay remains the focus.
- The game's budget was $5.4 million, triple that of Trine 2.
- The story ends incomplete; an easter egg in Trine 4 reveals the heroes eventually restore the Trine and defeat Sarek.
- A port to the Nintendo Switch was released in 2019.
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