PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, SWITCH (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Set in a forgotten age during a war between the gods of order and chaos, gigantic weapons have fallen from the skies, forming dungeons known as Armas which await the arrival of chosen warriors who will fight the great war in the name of their masters. A young man named Cyan discovers that he has been chosen to fight for the gods of chaos, and sets out to fulfil his destiny alongside his two companions.
A throwback to 90s RPGs, Trinity Trigger is the product of a team made up of developers who worked on hits like Trials of Mana, Xenoblade and Octopath Traveler, and takes many of its cues from titles such as these. The Mana series’ item ring is here, and combat is based around a stamina meter that reduces your damage when it reaches zero, requiring a brief recharge to bring your abilities back to full power. A single attack button performs 3-hit combos, while consecutive attacks build up a meter that allows you to perform a special move. Each weapon you find – which can be used by specific members of your team – has its own unique ability, and gems can be equipped to add extra effects and boosts to your attacks. Each hit of your combo can be customised, so even though you’re only ever pressing one button there’s a decent variety of attacks that you can perform.
In the early going, the quests you’re sent on are fairly short, usually taking around 5 minutes to complete. Things do get a bit more involved later on, but the game as a whole is on the short side for an RPG (around 15 hours) and may well suit those looking for an easy ride rather than something more expansive. A few balancing issues hold things back a bit too, with bosses taking almost obnoxious amounts of damage to take down while your teammates seem to prefer to spend their time shouting (“Here! There! Bullseye! We got this!”) and attempting (and usually succeeding) to commit suicide rather than doing anything helpful. It’s unfortunate that these issues prevent Trinity Trigger from being as fun as it possibly might have been, but there’s still enough there to make it a decent enough journey for fans of the genre.
