Unless you pay close attention to your puzzle based indie games, the odds are you probably haven't heard of TRI, the latest such game to hit the PC. Yet for fans of games like Portal or Quantum Conundrum - ones that make you stop, take in your surroundings and really think - it could well be the game you've all been waiting for, but never knew existed. With foxes, freaky clown priests and more triangles than a Doritos convention, it's certainly one of the more distinct indie games out this year. So without further ado, here's a TRIo of reasons why we think TRI is well worth a look:
1. Clever puzzles
Finding the right angle to explain TRI is a little bit of a TRI-al. Imagine first person puzzler Portal, but replace the hole-firing gun with the ability to create triangles out of thin air, and you won't be far off TRI. Of course, what seems like a subtle difference on paper, turns out to be much more complex in real terms - by placing three 'anchor points' around the levels, you can create triangular platforms to traverse the landscape, and overcome seemingly impossible obstacles with ease. While you can conjure up a near infinite number of triangles, each can only be of a certain size, so you'll need to creatively combine your triangles to solve the many puzzles that stand in your way - sometimes simply creating bridges, sometimes reflecting light beams, and sometimes even walking up walls and across ceilings!
Down the rabbit (or should that be fox?) hole...
Given the limitless number of triangles - the 'TRIs' of the title - how you go about solving the puzzles is left largely up to you, particularly as you start to stray from the initial simpler stages. Some levels predictably revolve around collecting keys to unlock doors, or finding hidden switches (but with a distinctly triangular twist), whilst some are much move vertical, requiring an intricately arranged set of triangular steps to make up a staircase. With each triangle needing three solid points to anchor around, some of the puzzles are veritable brain teasers and more than a little obtuse, requiring a fair bit of planning to traverse - although the satisfaction once you finally pull it off is likely to be second to none!
2. A beautiful, bizarre world to explore
While story details are relatively lacking, TRI promises a "mind-bending" adventure set in the mystical realm of the Odd Gods. In the bizarre geometric-inspired world, inhabited by strange clown-like monks, you follow the tracks of the mysterious (and kind of a-cute) Fox God, uncovering the true secrets of the land as you explore.
Yep.
But what's most striking, from an industry that tends to work in either black, brown or very dark grey, is how colourful things are - Eastern-inspired gardens in shades of green, red and orange, as well as bright purple floating islands spouting lasers, or rooms in various shades of aqua blue. There's also strange windmill-like propellers, bizarre statues and cherry blossom trees with perfectly triangular leaves. It makes a nice change, and makes the labyrinth-like levels seem all the more interesting to explore - and thanks to the multitude of hidden totems, paths and extras to find, it's well worth taking the time out to check things out from every angle.
3. Price
Weighing in at £12.99/Euros for the standard edition, or £14.99 for a special edition with a downloadable soundtrack, TRI is much less costly than your average 'triple A' blockbuster. With 16 levels to explore, filled with secret passages, collectables and more, it wouldn't surprise us if it lasts longer than your average Call of Duty campaign too. And you get to support the little guys in the process - win, win!
TRI is out now on PCs, via Steam, IndieGameStand and itch.io, with a demo level available on the latter. If you act quick, you'll also be able to save an additional 10% off the price on Steam, up until the 16th October, bringing the stand alone version down to £11.69, and the deluxe to £13.49 - we'd take that as a sine if we were you! In the mean time, we'll be keeping our fingers crossed for a console version too. We need more of these sort of games across all formats!
