TRI: Of Friendship and Madness
- March 10, 2014
- Rat King
- 20h median play time
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Reviews
- Unique and innovative gameplay mechanics involving creating triangles for traversal and puzzle-solving.
- Beautiful art style and atmospheric soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
- Challenging puzzles that encourage exploration and creative thinking.
- Some puzzles can become tedious and frustrating, especially in later levels with pixel-perfect requirements.
- Lack of clear guidance or hints can lead to confusion and prolonged trial-and-error gameplay.
- The voice acting and narrative delivery may not resonate with all players, potentially detracting from immersion.
- gameplay204 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Tri is characterized by its unique triangle-drawing mechanic, which allows players to create platforms and navigate complex puzzles in a visually engaging environment. While the game introduces a variety of mechanics and challenges that encourage creative problem-solving, many players find the execution to be inconsistent and occasionally tedious, particularly with precision-based tasks like light reflection. Overall, Tri offers a mix of innovative gameplay and frustrating moments, making it a polarizing experience for puzzle-platformer enthusiasts.
“Tri offers a really interesting and unique traversal mechanic that I'm surprised I haven't seen elsewhere.”
“Tri is a puzzle-platformer that uses triangles as its core game mechanic.”
“The gameplay is a mix of mini ninjas and portal... I mean I like it, it's a twist so I recommend it.”
“Additionally, the death mechanics from poison or lasers were extremely annoying and did not add any value to the game as the 'stick to your triangle' gravity rotation would sometimes fail without reason and plunge you to your death.”
“This game is a case of more style and gameplay over story substance.”
“The controls are floaty and clunky, at best, and unusable at worst; I felt like I had to slam on the spacebar to get any real movement, and when the second task of the first room required jumping cleanly across, like, eight beams (spaced too close for the sprint jump and too far away for the single jump, forcing you to rely on the touchy 'catch/pull up' mechanic) or start the level over, I closed it and resigned to never play it again.”
- music157 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its uniqueness and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers praising its blend of world and tribal influences, as well as its catchy and engaging nature. While some players noted that the looping tracks could become repetitive during extended play, the soundtrack is often described as fantastic, soothing, and integral to the game's immersive experience. Overall, the music stands out as a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's artistic and emotional depth.
“The music is spectacular and fits the atmosphere of the game so well that I am pretty sure the game could not deliver the same atmosphere if the soundtrack was different.”
“The art style is beautiful, the soundtrack is enchanting, the puzzles are challenging, and the level design is super creative!”
“Tri is an atmospheric puzzle-platformer, mixing lovely visuals and immersing music with varied and inventive levels.”
“The only drawback is the music.”
“When you play each level for 1 hour, you feel like there are only 2 music tracks playing on repeat.”
“On some levels, I heard the same 1-minute loop a hundred times, and it became so tiresome I often switched off the music and played my own.”
- story110 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as minimal and not particularly impactful, often serving as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point. While some players appreciate its charm and the intriguing potential of its lore, many find it repetitive or lacking depth, with a few noting that the narrative elements are overshadowed by the puzzle mechanics. Overall, the story is seen as a simple, cute tale that complements the gameplay but does not elevate it significantly.
“A trippy platforming puzzler with a heartwarming story and hidden secrets to 100%.”
“The story is nice, simple, and touching: a tale of friendship, madness, and foxes.”
“The mysterious story and characters make you want to keep playing, just to see what might’ve happened.”
“The biggest downside to this game for me is the sparse story.”
“The dev commentary states that they had more in-depth story planned but ditched it later on, which is a shame since that is the area the game is kind of lacking.”
“The story is told via narration at certain locations and isn't especially well developed, but interesting enough and it gives the world some context.”
- graphics102 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beautiful and unique art style, which combines minimalism with vibrant colors, creating an aesthetically pleasing experience. While some players noted that the visuals can feel simplistic or dated, many appreciated the clean design and how it complements the gameplay mechanics. Overall, the visuals are considered charming and well-executed, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and puzzle-solving experience.
“The art style is beautiful, the soundtrack is enchanting, the puzzles are challenging, and the level design is super creative!”
“Tri is a beautiful game, both in visuals and in mechanics.”
“The visuals are just gorgeous, and I loved the designs; it pops and is literal magic with the vibrant colors.”
“The graphics look a bit dated.”
“The graphics are simple geometric colored shapes, unpleasant to view and navigate.”
“Between the bad voice acting and graphics that are neither simple enough to bring a minimalist look nor detailed enough to look realistic, I couldn't last.”
- grinding33 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tediousness, with many players expressing frustration over the repetitive mechanics, particularly the need to create numerous triangles to progress. While some players can tolerate this level of repetition, the majority find it detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of monotony and frustration, especially in the later levels where the challenges become increasingly intricate and time-consuming. Overall, the game's mechanics are seen as janky and not polished enough to make the grinding experience enjoyable.
“Additionally, for achievement hunters out there like me, this is also a must-buy, as there are no grinding achievements at all, but plenty of gameplay boosters.”
“I sadly cannot recommend this game to others unless you are okay with a tedious experience and can tolerate either re-progging a level multiple times or enjoy pixel tweaking things to get a reflection to happen perfectly.”
“Starts out strong, but unfortunately it goes on way too long, and the puzzles get more and more tedious and obtuse until it stops being fun.”
“It's not that the game is insanely hard, it's just insanely tedious.”
- atmosphere26 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its calming and meditative qualities, enhanced by a beautiful, hand-drawn aesthetic and a captivating soundtrack that perfectly complements the gameplay. Players appreciate the whimsical and mysterious ambiance, which invites exploration and adds depth to the puzzle-solving experience. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals, soothing music, and thoughtful design creates an immersive environment that keeps players engaged.
“The spiritual atmosphere comes into its own thanks to the color scheme, the washed-out look, which looks as if it were hand-drawn, and the oriental music.”
“The music is spectacular and fits the atmosphere of the game so well that I am pretty sure the game could not deliver the same atmosphere if the soundtrack was different.”
“Tri is an atmospheric puzzle-platformer, mixing lovely visuals and immersing music with varied and inventive levels.”
“The atmosphere and artistic direction of the game is great, the story can be forgotten, however.”
“Some of the levels also have a Japanese atmosphere, because of the lighting, use of colors, and some of the objects in it (like lanterns).”
“The mysterious atmosphere makes you want to keep playing, and the increasingly difficult puzzles are (mostly) fun to solve.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; it offers substantial value for achievement hunters and those interested in collectibles or competitive play, while players who do not engage with these aspects may find it lacking. Some users appreciate the challenge of exploring alternative paths and optimizing gameplay, but others feel that the game's limitations hinder its overall replay potential.
“Imo, great game, pretty good replay value if you're the type to 100% it.”
“Excellent game with great replay value!”
“This greatly improves the replayability as you can challenge yourself to find alternative paths or be more efficient with your triangles and time.”
“It hasn't got that much of a replay value if you are not an achievement hunter, but it is a lot of fun to think outside the box for the game time it offers.”
“Replay value isn't substantial if you don't care about bonus developer material or don't want to sink time into solving certain puzzles again.”
“An overambitious project built around a single interesting gameplay mechanic, with the result that the better aspects of the game are bogged down by inadequately implemented physics, subpar voice acting, no plot to speak of, and next to no replayability value.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming story centered on themes of friendship and madness, which resonates with players despite some finding the gameplay challenging and occasionally frustrating. While the narrative is described as simple yet touching, the overall experience is enhanced by beautiful visuals that evoke a sense of wonder, even if the difficulty can lead to feelings of inadequacy.
“A trippy platforming puzzler with a heartwarming story and hidden secrets to 100%.”
“The story is nice, simple and touching: a tale of friendship, madness, and foxes.”
“The concept was a mind-opening experience but it was soul-crushingly challenging; games like that or Portal often made me feel stupid. I love them to death, but I just spent most of the time wishing I could keep going without getting stuck every other room and taking in the beautiful and mind-bending visuals around me.”
“The emotional moments felt forced and didn't resonate with me at all.”
“I found the character development lacking, which made it hard to connect with their struggles.”
“The attempts at emotional depth fell flat, leaving me feeling indifferent.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the funny music and engaging writing that keeps them laughing, others find the narration dry and uninteresting compared to more humorous titles like Portal. The character of the monk adds a layer of sarcasm that some find amusing, contrasting with the darker humor of other games, creating a unique comedic experience within a visually appealing mythological setting.
“The music is funny and pleasant; I often sang along while solving puzzles.”
“It lacks a shiny coat of paint, but its writing kept me laughing, gameplay kept me engaged, and surprises left me baffled.”
“The monk is a really sarcastic guy with a weird voice, which I personally think is very funny.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is largely stable and free of significant bugs, with players reporting minimal glitches during their experience. However, some users have noted issues with movement control, which can lead to difficulties in navigation, and a few encountered minor glitches that were addressed by the community.
“The game is bug-free, providing a smooth experience overall.”
“I appreciate the stability of the game, as I rarely encounter any glitches.”
“The controls are responsive, which contributes to a stable gameplay experience.”
“Getting lost or stuck easily (progression of the level, not glitches).”
“The game is fairly glitchless: the two glitches I encountered were fixed, and the last level had a slightly game-breaking glitch, but thankfully Ratking told us how to fix it in the 'stuck thread'.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is heavily criticized, with users reporting poor performance on the Unity engine, often running below 30fps and struggling with basic geometry. Despite its strong visuals, puzzles, and music, many believe that better optimization or a switch to a more efficient engine could elevate the experience significantly.
“If the game were optimized or moved to an engine that ran sanely, if the story gave you a clear sense of purpose, and if there were some new mechanics like moving or teleportation triangles to keep things fresh, this could have been a classic.”
“Between the visuals, the puzzles, the music, and the story, this game is a beautiful knockout performance.”
“Your performance will improve greatly.”
“If the game were optimized or moved to an engine that ran smoothly, it could have been a classic.”
“The lack of optimization makes the gameplay experience frustrating and detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
“Performance issues due to poor optimization really hinder the potential of what could have been a great game.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with aggressive monetization tactics, particularly criticizing developers who prominently display ads and social media links on the game's title screen, which detracts from the overall experience.
“I have no respect for developers who plaster their game's title screen with ads and social media links.”
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“It's frustrating to see so many paywalls in a game that could be enjoyable without constant prompts to spend money.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While some users express minor concerns about character designs and the simplicity of early levels, the overall character development remains a focal point of interest in the game.
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which detracted from my overall enjoyment of the game.”
“The lack of meaningful choices in character progression left me feeling disengaged and uninterested in their growth.”
