Trinity Fusion Review

There are a lot of games at PAX East, a lot. It is no wonder it goes on for four days. I mean, you could walk up and down a row several times over the course of the day and completely miss some games. Hell, I demoed a few games and would swear up and down that I did not see the game in the next stall over until hours later or even the following day (pro tip: if you have the chance to go, go but also have patience). Trying a demo is great and all but playing that demo with the developer watching you and answering questions is just unreal. First off, it is just super cool. Even with indie developers, I still get starstruck. Your excitement is easily matched by their enthusiasm to share what they made. Secondly, you learn insight into that game that normally would be missed by rushing to try every demo on the floor or by waiting to play during a Steam Next Fest. One such game from 2023’s PAX East that I had the privilege to experience was Trinity Fusion.

Developed by Angry Mob Games (Brawlout), Trinity Fusion is a roguelite action platformer that draws clear inspiration from Dead Cells. You play as Kera…no wait, Naira…maybe Altara. Yep, we got a multiverse situation on our hands here (don’t run away!). Players control one of the protagonists or their multiversal counterparts. Can you save your world (their world?) from complete catastrophe?

When you first begin playing, only one of the 3 characters is playable. As the story unfolds, the other 2 characters become accessible which does two things. One, you can select any of the 3 and your run will begin in their respective worlds. Two, each character has a unique attack style adding to the randomness of each run. The three protagonists all wield a melee weapon but their secondary choice of armament is one way they differ. Naira favors firearms ranging from handguns to rocket launchers, Altara utilizes a thrown weapon including a pillar of fire or a bouncing electric orb, and Kera has a second, usually slower but harder-hitting melee weapon such as a long sword or battle hammer. Additionally, each has their own form of air traversal, Naira can double jump, Kera can grapple, and Altara can perform a short-range hover/float following any jump. As you explore, you will notice areas just out of reach due to playing the “wrong” character but fear not, most of these can be reached by other means or a longer, more scenic route (aka the path with enemies).

Your ultimate goal in each level regardless of which one you start on is to reach the exit. If you have played Dead Cells, you will know that there is plenty to do between point A and point B. Weapons and consumables can be found in chests, dropped from enemies, and via shops. Depending on who you are playing as, you will only find the secondary weapon type for that character. All weapons and consumables can be found on a weapon wheel and bound to the button of your choosing, right on the fly. Personally, I would have preferred moving with the directional pad but activating consumables with the analog stick felt even more awkward so I sucked it up and played as intended. There are also amplifiers placed throughout every level that grant a choice of three upgrades that can be passive or active buffs. Some examples include Glass Cannon (+100% damage done and -100% physical resistance), Diminishing Returns (Maximum HP is increased by 50%, but all healing items are 50% less effective), and Isolated (Isolated enemies with no other enemies nearby receive more damage). These power-ups are color-coded and choosing 3 of the same will provide your character with an enhanced power-up. Red (which includes Glass Cannon) grants 15% faster attack speed to make up for the fact that you are taking double damage. Choices are always completely random so no run will ever be identical.

The leveling system in Trinity Fusion is somewhat different than most games. When you do level up, all that happens is that your power level increases. What this does is change all future items you find to that power level. This levels (pun not intended, I swear) the playing field but also prevents you from finding completely useless weapons. Not everything will be an upgrade based on your playstyle or if you are looking for something specific but at the very least, it could be used. As you progress further in the game, weapons eventually can be upgraded to your current power level so you can keep something you like versus just taking the higher-level weapon.

So the Trinity in the title refers to our three protagonists but about the Fusion? Remember I said there was plenty to do between point A and point B. One of those things is to find a particular device.

Using said device allows you to “fuse” with one of your other counterparts. This grants you all of the abilities of both characters. Double jump and grapple? Check. Two melee weapons AND a gun? Check. The cost of the fusion is 100 but will increase in future levels so it is in your best interest to find it and use it. The coolness factor of fusing goes away rather quickly though. I preferred playing as Kera every run and I would always choose Naira when given the option to fuse. Had the game randomized the starting character, fusing could have held more weight but instead just felt like a necessary thing to find and do.

Between runs, you can explore the Citadel and speak to the various NPCs invested in helping you on your mission. You can also spend currency found on each run to purchase permanent upgrades. Upgrades are split between Combat Upgrades and Psychic Augments. Combat Upgrades include the ability to dismantle unwanted/old weapons, re-rolling amplifier options, adding the aforementioned weapon upgrade station, or adding perks to found weapons. Once purchased, Combat Upgrades are always available. Psychic Augments serve more as a loadout that you have to select which buffs you want. These include 25% damage resistance when below 25% HP, the ability to regain HP when striking enemies immediately after taking damage, or a free revive once per run. Currency can be spent to both unlock new augments as well as increase the number of augments that can be equipped at any given time.

Everything is a copy of everything else these days. For a roguelite action platformer, using Dead Cells as a template is a good start. Doing enough of your own thing is even better and that is actually what Trinity Fusion has accomplished here. As someone with hundreds of hours in Dead Cells, I immediately recognized the similarities. This also gave me a greater appreciation for the unique take Angry Mob Games employed with this game. Trinity Fusion is just fun to play. The randomness of builds as you make your way through will get you excited to keep trying after every failure. When you do finish, there is still a ton to do as the game has a hardcore mode, an endless mode, and a boss rush mode. This really is the complete package and despite my dislike of the main “gimmick” so to speak, I think this is a must-play title, regardless of your experience with Dead Cells or similar games in this genre. Do not sleep on Trinity Fusion.