Much like our review of QuickSpot, this is long overdue. Better late than never, right? Regardless, here we are ready to present to you our opinions on Namco's puzzler, as we hurried to gather each and every opinion floating about in our noggin with nothing more than our cunning wits and a large net. They've all been organized now and are ready for show, so prop your feet up and get to reading!
Trioncube has a story, although in a puzzle game it's not all too important. See, you have to fly around space in your giant Penguin-like ship, on your way to save a kidnapped princess. The puzzle gameplay comes in during the space flight segments as you must create combos of 3X3 blocks in order to fuel your ship toward its goal. The segments where the characters talk and, well, just about everything else in story mode, is just plain odd, however slightly endearing.
From a gameplay standpoint, it's fun, but the ease of play just totally destroys the experience. Sure, the game is a complete rip-off of Tetris, offering up 5 differently-shaped pieces for which the player must use to create the 3X3 blocks that wipe themselves off the screen and speed up your travels to the next destination. But, even with that in mind, the combo aspect of the game (think Super Puzzle Fighter II or Puyo Pop) is what really could've saved this game.Instead, once you start a combo, it's so easy to keep it going that you could clear a level in a matter of seconds. The game's pieces, along with its assumption that you're not at all capable of playing puzzle games so it will hold your hand, really facilitate such a bitch slap to the game from yourself that you'll wonder why you aren't playing something better instead (perhaps even the game that this one is so heavily inspired by, Tetris). It's ridiculous how easy it is to excel in this game.
The game's other modes include Arcade, Vs. and the puzzle game requisite Endless mode. The game also presents a Tutorial mode, but since you probably already know how to play Tetris, this mode won't be much use to you. Endless mode deceives you with its name, as it only offers up 99 levels to play. And, with the Vs. mode, you'll do the usual puzzle thing in trying to complete more combos faster than your opponent, dropping your blocks onto their play area.
Its heart is in the right place, but Trioncube suffers ultimately due to its ease. This game is just ridiculously easy, offering puzzle veterans little challenge (why we play these type of games, amirite?) and newcomers to the genre a wrongful sense of accomplishment, as they undoubtedly call themselves "a natural" and "God's gift to the puzzle genre." Sad thing is, Trioncube makes everyone "God's gift to the puzzle genre."
Final Score: 6.5/10
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-02-2007 @ 3:22PM
Ry C said...
all you do is shit on the game, but it still gets a passing grade? Heart in the right place or not, all you say is that it's a bad game. It should get a 2 or 3 at best, especially if it's not fun, rips off old mechanics, and has little to no replay value (something that is embedded in anything calling itself a puzzle game).
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4-02-2007 @ 3:47PM
David Hinkle said...
Ry C,
You misread the review. See, the game is fundamentally sound and certainly playable, it's the ease of using the combo system that causes it to get a 6.5. If I were to give it a 2 or 3, as you say, the game would have to be riddled with bugs or some such and lack any kind of gameplay mode that is worth investing time in.
Also, I think you misjudge the grading scale, as well. See, a 5 would be average, correct? A 10 would be so perfect it makes your jaw hit the floor, right? Well, what is a 6.5? It's a little above average, just under "good" (that would be 7). I stand by my review score for the game and thank you for your input Ry C!
Thanks for reading!
Dave
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4-02-2007 @ 4:48PM
Rx said...
You should come up with a less objective method of reaching a final score (even if it begins with objective scoring [ie. break it into sections])
I've played this game for a few hours and found it to be quite crap. As you've mentioned, it's far too easy. The only time you start to reach difficulty is around stage 80 of the 'unlimited' mode, and that takes well over an hour of straight play to reach.
Actual gameplay and enjoyment should take up a far larger portion of your score. I'd personally put this at a 4.5/10
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4-04-2007 @ 11:04AM
Jason said...
Ry C, this is why the 1-10 grading scale is messed up. The honest truth is that no one ever uses numbers 1 through 5 unless they are just hating on a game. And it makes sense: why do we need 6 degrees of badness at our disposal when we only have 3 degrees of good (no one ever dares to use the number 10)?
Allow me to propose a more reasonable alternative:
The 1-5 Grading Scale:
5: Among the best of games.
4: A very good game.
3: A somewhat enjoyable game.
2: Not a good game.
1: An awful game.
So there you have 3 degrees of goodness, and 2 degrees of badness. What more do you need? I say we humans are too wishy washy to be more precise about our tastes than a 1-5 scale (whole numbers only!!) can tell us. 5 doesn't represent perfection either, it just represents a top-tier game.
A 1-5 scale with decimals doesn't count, since you then have effectively changed it back to a 1-10 (or more) scale. Cheater!
I used to laugh at some magazine (PC Gaming perhaps?) that would grade on a 1-100 scale. LOL! The difference between a 93% game and a 92% game depended on the quality of their hair day I guess.
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4-04-2007 @ 10:09PM
bnos said...
ah yes, TrionCube. Made by 5 people. It was pretty good. endless mode can actually be hardish when you reach the higher levels. like 60+.
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