Downloadable Round Up
February’s a great time to catch up on some smaller games. After the bloated AAA schedule of the last three months of 2011, why not sample a few of these bite-size appetisers…
Trine 2: PC/Mac, PS3, 360
Holy crap this game is pretty. With some of the nicest lighting effects we’ve seen, this platform/puzzle game is a real audio/visual treat. Playing as three interchangeable characters (the D&D trinity of Mage, Thief and Warrior) joined as one by the titular “Trine”, it’s your job to vanquish some evil/recover some magical McGuffin. I don’t remember – it was pretty generic, whatever it was.
Tweaked and rebalanced form the first game, it’s now possible to complete every level as each character, although you’ll want to experiment with combining their abilities on your first playthrough. There’s also a multiplayer mode, but this usually ends up translating as “mage creates box and levitates it while the other player stands on top”.
Iron Brigade: 360
Delayed by six months and forced to change its name from “Trenched” due to a European copyright dispute, Double Fine’s tower defence/mech shooter is a highlight of the last few months.
At its best when played co-op with up to three friends, Iron Brigade encourages you to customise your mech (or “trench” in the game’s lingo) to overcome waves of “tubes” – television inspired nasties. There’s also a compulsive loot aspect to the game with colour coded weaponry and equipment straight out of Diablo.
With a horde mode, a new DLC pack (“Rise of the Martian Bear”) and endless options as to how you approach each level, this will last you a long time.
