Mar 26, 2012

Trine 2: Complete Story - Valve

Trine 2 v1.14 - March 26, 2012

Major changes:

- added the Hardcore Mode
- characters are only revived by new checkpoints, making the game considerably harder and more oldschool
- added the option to prevent self-levitation
- added the option to prevent levitation for co-op players

Technical:

- fixed Forlorn Wilderness being unlocked in the Host Game menu when Latest Save exists
- fixed several rare crashes

Multiplayer:

- fixed client stuck waiting for full sync after level change

Languages:

- fixed Launcher languages to match ingame languages
- fixed minor language issues

Mar 19, 2012

Trine 2 trailer teases “AAAA” expansion environments

Trine 2: Complete Story

Trine 2's luscious backdrops might be the best thing about it. Each one feels carefully posed, as though its creators have spent hours snipping away at it delicately like a Bonsai tree. Snowy mountain tops, burning castles and glowing deserts will feature in the upcoming, unnamed, unpriced expansion pack. It'll contain six new levels, new enemies to fight and a new "hardcore" difficulty level.

Frozenbyte are calling it an "AAAA" expansion, saying "we prefer to steer away from the “DLC” concept. So many negative associations with that these days." Except now I associate their expansion with a tiny battery, which probably isn't what they were going for. Keep an eye on the Trine 2 site for more details.

Mar 19, 2012

Looking Fine: Trine 2 Expansion

Trine 2: Complete Story - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Adam Smith)

A still of a desert with a better sense of scale than entire games set in deserts

Give it a name already, Frozenbyte, so I don’t have to refer to it as ‘expansion’ or ‘DLC’. I’m going for the former because it reminds me of the good old days, as do Frozenbyte themselves. Why am I posting about this gain so soon, having already written about the new areas, new plotline and new abilities? Because there’s a short video showing some environments and short videos showing Trine environments are among my favourite things in the world. Prettier than all the other game-pretties would be if they were baked up together in a pretty little pie, Trine 2 has the kind of world I’d gladly adventure in and then stick around to have a picnic.

(more…)

Mar 12, 2012

Trine And Trine Again: Trine 2 DLC

Trine 2: Complete Story - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Adam Smith)

I may print this out and paste it to all my windows

Even before Trine 2 launched, Frozenbyte had plans to work on DLC, saying toward the end of last year that the additional content would be about four hours in length. A few details were revealed to some non-PC folk at GDC, including word of a new story that will take place over six stages, which will have puzzles based around light, water, low gravity and magnets. There will also be new skills. Expect the DLC in summer but don’t expect Trine 3 anytime soon, as Frozenbyte’s next title will be something altogether new. I haven’t played Trine 2 yet, despite the sense of contentment and joy that still washes over me whenever I see it in motion.

(more…)

Jan 13, 2012

GOG, NVIDIA, Frozenbyte, Notch vs SOPA

Trine 2: Complete Story - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alec Meer)

Expect plenty more of these kinds of updates leading up to next week’s web-wide SOPA protests: it’s an enormously important issue for the future of the internet and everyone who uses it, so we’re giving it our all.

Also declaring themselves strongly against the online culture-trashing folly today are Minecraft-makers Mojang, who intend to make a right old song and dance about SOPA next week, NVIDIA, Trine chaps Frozenbyte, Torchlight devs Runic and retromancers Good Old Games. Positions, statements and assorted protests below. (more…)

Jan 11, 2012

Trine 2 Update Released

Trine 2: Complete Story - Valve

Trine 2
v1.11 - January 11, 2012

Major changes:

- The Final Chapter (end boss) now restarts properly (boss health) upon Game Over on Medium and Hard difficulties
- Private Game password support in multiplayer
- private lobby with no password is visible to Friends only
- private lobby with a password is visible to everyone but only joinable with the correct password

Technical:

- fixed cursor being hidden when text chat is active
- fixed Thief's object pushing when the bow is drawn
- fixed experience orb spawn related to frozen goblin archers being shattered
- fixed weapon animation context information missing when visiting the inventory (resulting in a wrong animation for the Hammer)
- fixed minor issue with health item rotations upon spawn
- fixed goblin archers sometimes shooting through breakable objects
- fixed the Knight's Charge so that it doesn't always destroy certain objects (e.g. Wizard's Plank)

Multiplayer:

- added text about wanting to change characters in multiplayer
- fixed characters being changed in a multiplayer game upon Game Over
- fixed player slot count being incorrect in the server list when players are connected but not spawned

Languages:

- Polish: fixed Upgrade points amounts

Tweaks:

- tweaked co-op camera in The Story Begins
- tweaked co-op camera in Forlorn Wilderness
- tweaked co-op camera in Mudwater Dale
- tweaked co-op camera in Mosslight Marsh
- tweaked co-op camera in Petrified Tree
- tweaked co-op camera in Shadowed Halls
- tweaked co-op camera in Hushing Grove
- tweaked co-op camera in Mushroom Caves
- tweaked co-op camera in Mushroom Murk
- tweaked co-op camera in Searock Castle
- tweaked co-op camera in Eldritch Passages
- tweaked co-op camera in Icewarden Keep
- tweaked co-op camera in The Final Chapter

- tweaked singleplayer camera in Forlorn Wilderness
- tweaked singleplayer camera in Mosslight Marsh
- tweaked singleplayer camera in Petrified Tree
- tweaked singleplayer camera in Shadowed Halls
- tweaked singleplayer camera in Hushing Grove
- tweaked singleplayer camera in Mushroom Caves
- tweaked singleplayer camera in Mushroom Murk
- tweaked singleplayer camera in Eldritch Passages
- tweaked singleplayer camera in Icewarden Keep

- tweaked collisions in Shadowed Halls
- tweaked collisions in Eldritch Passages
- tweaked the lowering platform in Forlorn Wilderness to work with the grappling hook when using a gamepad

Mac:

- fixed some graphics bugs (shaders)
- fixed font issues (losing the outline during cinematics etc)
- fixed audio sample rate changing
- fixed some focus issues
- fixed mouse wheel so that it can be set for character change

Dec 30, 2011

These Are the Best Indie Games of 2011

Trine 2: Complete Story

Just as its sister site ModDB picks the top PC gaming mods of the year, IndieDB rounds out the year with a countdown of the top independently developed games of the year. Think of it as a shopping list to help establish your indie gaming cred. How many of the top ten have you played?

Me? I've only gotten around to experiencing half of the ten games voted by IndieDB community members as the best independent games of the year. I've spent a great many hours exploring the world of Bastion, as everyone should. Stephen got me into SpaceChem after raving about the iPhone version of the game. Trine 2 from Frozenbyte was a no-brainer, considering my great love of the original, and Minecraft-meets-FPS Ace of Spades was personally responsible for several near-oversleep situations over the past few months.

As for the number one game, the 2D building, exploring, and surviving action of Terraria...I'm ashamed to say I hadn't played it at all, at least until this morning, when I plunked down five dollars for a copy on Steam. I'm enjoying it so much right now that this post was nearly incredibly late.

Hit up the list to see not only the top ten, but the top 100 indie games of 2011 and beyond, and start building your shopping list.

IOTY Players Choice - Indie of the Year [IndieDB]