Atlus may be best known for their role playing games, but the publisher has been branching out in both genres and platforms recently. This includes bringing some titles to the Xbox Live Arcade, one of which is the upcoming puzzle-platformer Trine. This game wasn’t even on my radar before E3, but the concept is so intriguing that I know I’m going to have to check out the full version when it hits XBLA late this year.

When I first got my eyes on Trine, I was told that some aspects were similar to LittleBigPlanet. That’s a bold statement to make, especially considering that LittleBigPlanet was one of my favorite games of 2008. However, after playing Trine, I can fully understand the comparison. Trine features three playable characters: a melee fighter, a ranged fighter, and a wizard. Each one has different abilities and is needed for separate reasons, depending on the situation. You can switch from character to character at any time, which will be necessary to get past certain parts of each level. The game features elements of platformers and puzzle games, as I mentioned before, which is part of what makes it so appealing to me.



Another great thing about Trine is that it features co-op gameplay, which is where the LittleBigPlanet comparisons come in. While playing cooperatively, you can still switch characters—but only to characters not currently being used by another player. That means if you’re surrounded by enemies and really need the knight’s melee skills, but your friend is currently controlling the knight elsewhere in the level, well, you’re in trouble. I played with one other person, and as we solved puzzles together, it did feel very reminiscent of the multiplayer sections of some LittleBigPlanet levels. That is definitely a high compliment.

I was really surprised by Trine, and also very impressed. Though the downloadable title doesn’t have a firm release date, it will hopefully be out in late 2009, and I can’t wait. It’s too early to say whether or not the whole game will be as entertaining as the level I played, but the intriguing mix of platforming, puzzles, and co-op has me hooked. I think this will be a game to watch as it gets closer to release.