The Trials
- October 1, 2021
- BLUE LIFE
- 18h median play time
Get on Steam"The Trials" is a physics-based puzzle game where players can record and playback box movements, switch between two parallel worlds, and use teleport stations to move around the level. These skills must be used strategically to navigate through increasingly complex levels and solve puzzles. The game offers a unique and challenging experience for players who enjoy problem-solving and manipulating the environment.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a variety of interesting and challenging puzzles that encourage creative problem-solving.
- The graphics and overall presentation are beautiful, enhancing the immersive experience of exploring the island.
- The game offers great value for its price, providing a substantial amount of content and replayability.
- Some puzzles can feel tedious, especially those with time constraints or requiring excessive backtracking.
- The game lacks clear guidance on mechanics and puzzle solutions, which can lead to frustration for players.
- There are too many collectible gems, and tracking their progress can be cumbersome without proper in-game indicators.
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a blend of three intuitive abilities—time recording, platform swapping, and teleportation—that create engaging and inventive puzzles. While the mechanics offer depth and challenge, some early open-world puzzles feel unnecessary and less engaging. Recent updates have improved the jumping mechanics and adjusted puzzle difficulty, enhancing the overall experience.
“You use a mixture of 3 different abilities, which lends itself to some cool mechanics.”
“There's some great variety to the mechanics, a lot of which surprised me with their depth and inventiveness.”
“The 3 mechanics: time recording (only for boxes though), swapping platform locations, and teleporting to spots are very intuitive and make for challenging puzzles.”
“It does the same thing as The Witness, where it doesn't explicitly explain a lot of mechanics and you have to intuit them yourself, and that works better in some puzzles than others.”
“My problem with the game are the early open world puzzles that don't require a mechanic yet, more namely the block push puzzles.”
“Since the initial release, they have streamlined the jumping mechanics, simplified some of the trickier puzzles, and lengthened the record timeline.”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game lacks a significant narrative, focusing primarily on puzzles, which may appeal to puzzle enthusiasts but may disappoint those seeking a rich story. It is likened to a blend of "The Witness" and "The Talos Principle" without the storytelling elements, making it ideal for players who prioritize gameplay over narrative.
“If you have been longing for The Witness and Talos Principle (sans the story) to have a child, now you are onto something.”
“No fanfare or story; you're here for the puzzles.”
“If you have been longing for The Witness and Talos Principle (without the story) to have a child, now you are onto something.”
“If you're a big fan of puzzle games and don't care about the lack of story, this is a great game, especially for the price.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their beauty, with many users highlighting their high quality. However, some feel that while the visuals are nice, there are other games that offer even better graphics.
“Graphics are absolutely beautiful.”
“The graphics are nice, but there are better ones.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find certain time-constrained puzzles to be tedious, suggesting that the grinding aspect may be exacerbated by controller use, with a preference for mouse and keyboard potentially easing the experience.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find the grinding mechanics to be overly tedious, often detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
“The time constraints on certain puzzles add an unnecessary layer of frustration to the grinding experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mild performance issues related to optimization, indicating that while the game generally runs well, there are occasional minor hiccups.
“I experienced some very mild performance issues.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, especially in crowded areas.”
“Loading times are excessively long, which disrupts the overall experience.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game enhances the open world experience, featuring pleasant background sounds that create an inviting atmosphere.
“The open world is inviting with nice sounds and background music.”
