Trinity Fusion [Review]
Angry Mob Games’ Trinity Fusion is a sci-fi sidescrolling action rougelite with combat that feels great. The question is, does it supersede genre greats like Dead Cells or Rogue Legacy?
Image credit: Angry Mob Games
Trinity Fusion takes place in a multiverse in danger of collapse, as is all the rage nowadays, where the characters are trying to merge three competing worlds in order to save reality. The player is Maya, a woman who is able to link with her counterselves, versions of herself in the three worlds. The problem is that the beings that control the other worlds—the sentient machines and the post-human Ewers—want to control the fusion to benefit their own desires to be the dominant worlds.
The action takes place in Underworld, Overworld, and Hyperworld, plus the In-Between, a dimensional rift. Each world has its own set of biomes that randomize sections in levels that each have two exits, one of which is always the In-Between. The In-Between is a series of combat or obstacle course arenas set up like Hades, where you choose which path to take based on the prize offered, and then at the end offers the opportunity to change paths to a parallel world. The level variety can get tiresome after a while because the randomized sections of each level are pre-built, not procedurally generated, making them not feel very random at all. That being said, the real draw of the game is the combat, of which there is plenty.
Image credit: Angry Mob Games
Maya’s counterselves in the three worlds play differently, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, weapon types, and special abilities. One is able to use a secondary heavy weapon but has more limited mobility; another uses magic-like projectile attacks and can double jump; and the third uses guns as secondary weapons, can wall jump, and is quick. Each of them earns a special traversal ability after certain points in the game—a drone, a grapple beam, and short range teleportation.
Where the three character gameplay becomes novel is in the game’s titular Fusion system. During a run, you have the opportunity to fuse your version of Maya with one of her other selves to combine their perks, abilities, and weapon specializations, allowing you to tailor the character to your preferred play style. Fusion is a great mechanic, but with only three possible combinations it’s not as liberating or varied as it could be. I had the most fun when I combined the heavy weapon wielding Maya from the Overworld with the speedy, gun-toting Maya from the Hyperworld. In between runs you can also use special currency to buy permanent upgrades to boost stats, open up more shops, and more.
Image credit: Angry Mob Games
Over the course of a run, you’ll find several upgrade stations in each level that award a choice of three random Amplifiers. Amplifiers help further spec your character by giving you perks such as increased crit percentage, elemental status bonuses, healing, defensive boosts, and more. Getting three Amplifiers of the same color also grants a greater bonus—for example, three reds will boost attack speed by 15%. With the right combinations, you can make super powerful builds.
Combat is built around slashing with your melee weapon in order to build up an energy meter. The secondary weapons use up stored energy, forcing you to mix up attacks. Meanwhile, you must also dodge well-telegraphed enemy attacks since health is a limited resource. You’re able to have up to two secondary attacks equipped after Fusion, so you’ll be complementing your normal attacks with heavy melee, guns, or magic. The playfeel of each type of weapon is very satisfying; I most enjoyed using the heavy hammer weapons that crunch when they connect.
Image credit: Angry Mob Games
As you level up, weapons that you find have special modifiers for status effects, critical damage, and more. Amplifiers can synergize with specific weapon modifiers; lining up a good combination can make you unstoppable. Discovering these combinations was a lot of fun, though I do wish there was a bit more weapon variety. Dead Cells has left me spoiled.
Trinity Fusion is 2.5D, or 2D built with 3D models. The graphics look good, but only when the camera is zoomed out; when we move in for some cutscenes, visuals can get a little rough. The character models look wooden in close-up it doesn’t help that there’s no lip movement for dialogue. Some of the environments can be a little bland as well.
Image credit: Angry Mob Games
The game’s story is simple but acceptable. The voice acting isn’t bad. During runs you find audio recordings that serve as lore dumps; I lost interest with those very quickly. The lore tries to be just a little to deep for the game’s size and the simplicity of its story.
Though it has gameplay similarities to Rogue Legacy, the closest point of comparison for this game is the excellent Dead Cells. It may not be fair to compare them since that game has had years of expansive content updates, but Trinity Fusion lacks that variety and depth that led me to invest over 100 hours in the former. Though short, Trinity Fusion is still a satisfying experience. If you’re a fan of the genre it’s worth playing.
Trinity Fusion is available now on PC (Steam / Epic), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
