Platform reviewed: PlayStation 4
Also on: Steam, PlayStation 5
Price: $14.99
TrinityS is a boss rush MMO that focuses on taking the grind out of MMO RPGs. And while the game does achieve this, the game feels more like an arcade-style game than an RPG. With two other friends, TrinityS may be a fun game, but playing solo, the game is frustratingly hard.
Up to three players can play in a session - and the characters to choose from include a mage, a healer, and a knight. I picked the knight most of the time - mostly because I felt I needed to be the one dealing the majority of the damage. The AI controls the other characters. Not that I didn’t trust the AI, but I felt that the AI could do a better job in support roles.
The battles are intense. The fights take place in an area. And it’s a small space. Falling off the ledge causes my character (and those of the AI) to die - I quickly learned to stay within the center of the areas as much as possible. Each character has three unique abilities. Like other games in the genre, these abilities have a cool-down meter. What makes TrinityS unique - and much more complicated - is that I need to stay in one place to make those meters fill up. And TrinityS allows for very little time just to stand around. Bosses will fire their special attacks, symbolized by a circle or a line on the ground. As the boss prepares to cast their spell, the area where the spell will land starts to fill up, like a meter, and once it’s filled, the attack is unleashed. Sometimes, it was easy to find a safe spot. Other times, I wasn’t as lucky. To the credit of the AI, they could avoid most of these attacks.
Dying is a common occurrence. To revive a downed character, I needed to stand in a yellow aura for a few seconds to bring them back to life. I often found myself rushing to the healer's aid, only to find myself in the same predicament, and before I knew it, the party was dead. I couldn’t strategize with the AI because, well, they were AI. I also couldn’t ask for a heal when I needed one or a buff from the mage. Playing solo was extremely difficult.
And because of this, I didn’t feel like I had a lot of control of the outcomes. Most times, I tried to time my special attacks just right, then get close enough to the boss so that my character would auto-attack, stand still while my special meter refilled, dodge a bunch of blows, and revive my downed teammates. It was rinse and repeat. Even if there were local co-op, it would have made for a much more fun experience.
Final Grade: C+
TrinityS tries to take the grind out of RPGs and provide a heart-pounding boss rush mode. And it’s undoubtedly challenging, but without friends playing along, this game feels flat. Strategy is a critical element of this game, and it’s just something missing playing with the AI. Too bad local co-op isn’t an option - unfortunately, it’s only online multiplayer. If you have a couple of friends looking for a new RPG to play online, this is an affordable option. Playing solo, it’s just not worth it.
Review key provided by Stride PR