Trinity Trigger

 Switch
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. Impulsegamer
    Jun 2, 2023
    80
    Trinity Trigger is a graphically bland but thoroughly enjoyable blend of action, exploration and RPG elements – the only thing holding it back is a story that doesn’t seem interested enough in the potential of its own fascinating worldbuilding.
  2. Pocket Tactics
    Apr 24, 2023
    80
    Trinity Trigger is a familiar, fun-filled fantasy that features a unique yet simplistic battle system, a cosy, fantasy-fuelled narrative, and a cast of adorable characters. It certainly lives up to its goals of being a nostalgic and moving revival of 90s-era RPG classics, and makes for a brilliant, bite-sized adventure for RPG fans and newbies alike.
  3. Digitally Downloaded
    Apr 24, 2023
    80
    Trinity Trigger fills a very specific niche: It’s there for people that either grew up with the likes of Secret of Mana, or who have come to appreciate them. The game wears its heart on its sleeve and risks being seen as the wrong kind of quaint by sticking to such a classical approach. Thankfully, the soul and love for the genre are so obvious that I imagine most people will be enchanted by this.
  5. Hardcore Gamer
    Apr 24, 2023
    80
    XSEED has a hit on their hands with Trinity Trigger. Everything about the game is enjoyable and in the case of the story and combat, everything perfectly gels together. The action has a good clip to it — not being too slow or too frantic and you’re eased into the systems gradually to avoid being overloaded with information dumps too often. The flow of the action from battles to relaxing town sections makes for a nice balance and having enemies so close to the towns themselves does a nice job of showing that there are stakes to what’s going on in the world. This isn’t the prettiest-looking game in some ways due to texture problems, but it doesn’t slow down or have framerate dips and the anime cinematics are gorgeous. The soundtrack is top-tier as well, with a mix of relaxing songs for towns and action-heavy tunes for battle while voice acting helps the characters stand out more than they would with just text bubbles. Anyone on the lookout for a new action RPG will find a lot to love with Trinity Trigger, especially if something that blends fantasy with a slice of life is desired.
  6. NintendoWorldReport
    Apr 24, 2023
    75
    Trinity Trigger still scratches a specific itch very well. This Mana-inspired game brings the three-player co-op fun back from the Super Nintendo era, but now without the need for a Multitap. This is a good romp for a single player, but it is best suited for a pair or a trio who want to traipse through a fantasy world slaying foes and finding treasure chests. This won’t rival the highs of action RPGs, but it’s an adventure well worth playing.
  7. Noisy Pixel
    Apr 24, 2023
    75
    Trinity Trigger provides the essentials for a fulfilling JRPG experience. While the conclusion feels a bit rushed, with quests and character interactions losing their staying power, the adventure still manages to grab you. The area design and methods of progression add a significant amount of thought to making this title an addictive one. In all honesty, Trinity Trigger really does feel like a spiritual successor to Secret of Mana, meaning fans of that classic should give this modern outing a shot.
  8. Nintendo Life
    Apr 24, 2023
    80
    JRPG fans can rest easy knowing that Trinity Trigger will meet their lofty expectations; this is a nostalgia trip worth taking. While not perfect, with beautiful art and music and a combat system that will feel both fresh and familiar, it is a strong contender for one of the best JRPGs of 2023 so far. The plot isn't anything to write home about and it's a tad on the easy side, but it remains engaging, especially for Mana series enthusiasts. Hopefully its proximity to the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom doesn't see Trinity Trigger overshadowed before it gets a chance to shine.

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Best Switch Game of 2023
56
#56 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2023

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. DaileyBeating
    Jun 18, 2023
    7
    Trinity Trigger takes place in the aptly named Trinitia and focuses around 3 main characters, Cyan, Elise, and Zantis, along with theirTrinity Trigger takes place in the aptly named Trinitia and focuses around 3 main characters, Cyan, Elise, and Zantis, along with their magical animal weapon companions, called Triggers. So, there you go you see where the title comes from now. Overall the story was enjoyable, but if you have played fantasy RPGs in the past, you are going to recognize and probably be able to predict a lot of the themes, twists, and story beats this game has. It is not a bad story by any means, I actually quite enjoyed it and was engaged until the very end, I just don’t think it did a whole lot to set it apart other than one scene very early on that did make me think this game was going to go a different directly than it did. I will say though, even in moments when the story isn’t hitting, it is supplemented with great voice acting from the cast. The lines felt real, and it genuinely sounded like the voice actors were having a good time. Most of the dialogue from the story is delivered in scenes with mostly static 2D artwork for the characters, which I thought looked pretty nice, but every now and then there are the in game cutscenes using the 3D character models, which I think looked not as nice. The biggest story moments even got these really nice anime cutscenes that I wanted more of. I alluded to it there a second ago, but I do want to emphasize that the main gameplay 3D visuals were some of the weakest parts of the game for me. The character models look kinda muddy and awkward. This extends to the monsters and world itself. There is charm in the design to the creatures and characters, but the visuals themselves left a lot to be desired. The environments you explore are varied, hitting your standard snowy areas, deserts, and forests, but also get into some more unique and expressive locales in the back half of the game. However, despite the areas having some differing monsters and visuals, they all started to feel pretty samey in design and layout. This extends to the dungeons you will be exploring as well. Later dungeons will add in a few new mechanics here and there, but for the most part if you have seen one you have seen them all. Towns also feel pretty similar, mainly acting as a checkpoint for fast travel and a place to restock on items while getting some story and pick up side quests. I did like the music in the game. I would say some of it starts to just kinda fade into the background, which isn’t always a bad thing, but there were a few tracks I genuinely really liked and made a point to sit around and listen to. I will say I was often disappointed in the music or lack of music during boss fights. Often times the music would be hard to hear over the rest of the sounds going on in the fight and I cant say I ever really felt that adrenaline rush that big loud boss themes have the potential for creating.

    The gameplay of Trinity Trigger is simple but fun. The moment to moment combat follows the tried and true 3 hit combo attacks with a dodge roll to avoid taking damage, its familiar but feels fun all the same. You can customize your moveset with different attacks and even switch between weapon types that you will unlock as the story progresses. The weapon types offer slow and weighty feeling high damage attacks, quick and easy combos, and ranged options as well. These different weapons can be used to break certain rocks blocking your path which are really just there to prevent you from going too far in one direction before you are supposed to. This role is also take up by your standard doorway blocking npc which could at times make me feel like the game was a little too linear. I get not wanted to let me into areas before I am ready but I would rather be scared off by a tough enemy than a generic soldier telling me don’t go here yet. Your weapons can be slotted with a wide array of manatite, which essentially act as skills or stat boosts to build your character with. These manatite can be found off enemies or chests, purchased, and crafted. It is a good idea to try and spread these across different weapons types and switch to what is needed for each encounter, but for a majority of the game I just picked the weapon I liked best and was able to get through almost anything that wasn’t a boss without too much trouble. Speaking of bosses there are a lot. Often focusing on you using a recently acquired weapon type and rolling out of their big red attack windows the bosses were not particularly impressive. Once you got the flow of a boss there were really just damage sponges that took a little too long to get rid of. Following a pattern here, they were pretty diverse in visual design, but most felt like the same kinda idea gameplay wise. No spoilers, but I will commend the last boss for at least feeling like a step up from what you experiences for the rest of the game. Design and difficulty of this boss pushed me to give it my all in a way most previous bosses didn’t. The bosses do have a neat mechanic ---    … Full Review »
  2. Sikevillian22
    May 8, 2023
    9
    A fun charming game that has really solid mechanics. No filler or anything to actively waste your time. Story is good with likeable charactersA fun charming game that has really solid mechanics. No filler or anything to actively waste your time. Story is good with likeable characters & pacing is very well done here in my opinion. It feels very secret of mana especially in combat but puts in a lot of quality of life improvements to make it feel more modern in a good way.. highly recommended!… Full Review »
  3. drewezbreezee
    Apr 27, 2023
    8
    I really like this game. Trinity trigger is an easy to get into, easily digested action rpg. Instead of first or third person it's moreI really like this game. Trinity trigger is an easy to get into, easily digested action rpg. Instead of first or third person it's more isometric, more like diablo 3. If you've played any more recent rpg's then you will easily grasp the story. The visuals are nice, the sound and gameplay are good, it's mostly voice acted and well optimized for the switch with no screen tearing or slowdowns during the game or cut-scenes. It's multiplayer is unlocked after a certain section of the story about 7 hours in. It could have been even better had they implemented hd rumble. My dislike with the game is there is only one difficulty and even though I'm not through with the game I don't see anything suggesting a new game plus. And at 49.99$ for the base game and 59.99$ for the deluxe, which I bought, that adds in all the characters scenarios, plus more accessories and things you can buy ingame through the switch store it really feels kinda greedy by the developers. But hey, anything to make a buck. This game could easily cost you 80-100$. And it's only 15-20 hours which means it will take me 30-40 hours to complete it. Overall when I look at everything that is trinity trigger I would give this game a 8.5 out of 10. Because it's a high quality game during the one or two times you play it. But if you're gaming on a budget this may not be the best return on your investment unless you catch it on sale eventually. Then it's a must buy… Full Review »
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