Trapt - Playstation 2 (PS2) Reviews


	Platform Playstation 2 Genre Puzzle / Strategy Publisher Tecmo Developer Paon ESRB M (Mature) Released Q4 2005

- Old school puzzle game - Some pretty gruesome animation

- Not a big fan of the voice acting - Really boring cut-scenes - Slow-down a serious problem

Review: Ghosthunter (PS2) Review: Dead or Alive: Ultimate (XB) Review: Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (XB)
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Trapt

Score: 6.5 / 10

Trapt’s execution greatly reminds me of those addictive puzzle games from consoles past: Lolo (NES), Lode Runner (PC), Ladybug (Coleco-Vision), and Mouse-Trap (Coleco-Vision) where you progress through the game by using yourself as bait for the enemies. With Trapt the twist is that when you lure an unsuspecting opponent towards your trap, they don’t just get bonked on the head, they die in one of many devilish ways.

Our protagonist is the lovely Allura, who is the princess of the Kingdom of Fronenburg and has been accused of killing her father, the King, by Queen Catalina. She did not, but she has no choice but to run for her life with her maid Rachel. Witnesses claim that she has the mark of the Devil on her arm and that she is a significant threat; however, the old guard is not so sure and they have suggested that she hide in an abandoned castle nearby. Despite the help, Allura is in serious trouble and a lot of people would rather have her dead than question her about what actually happened. So what’s a beautiful waifish princess to do? Kill them back… but indirectly. Royal hands are not intended to get bloody!

All levels take place in and around the aforementioned mansion. You run around trying to lure your opponents into traps that you set, and you get bonuses if you can combo those traps not only with each other, but with the natural features of the room (say a stained glass window or a chandelier that is great for impaling). Your enemies will charge right after you, so you have to direct them right into the line of fire of your traps and be careful to not be caught in their range, as you are just as susceptible to impaling and bludgeoning as the next guy (possibly more so considering her physique and royal upbringing).

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Speaking of enemies, they are generally stupider than posts – not until later levels does the AI reach above hockey-helmet intelligence, and most of the time you can lead them by their noses right into trouble. These traps are not automatic; you not only place them on the map, but you activate them either with a button push or hitting a trigger on the map. Timing is everything.

Chaining traps to maximize the carnage not only looks cool, it provides additional Warl (monetary unit) to buy newer traps. Traps can

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be laid at any time as long as one of the same time hasn’t been already activated – for example: you cannot lay another ceiling trap as long as another is currently in use, but once it has been stopped, you can change it up immediately. But traps aren’t instantaneous, they take time to be readied and re-charge. A tripped one will take a few moments until it is ready for use again and one you just set up will have a delay before it can be used.

Positives? The game does a good job with setting the mood. The music is brooding and the character designs and surroundings are very gothic to really sell the horror genre. The animation of the traps and their execution is quite morbid, so it makes for a very different gaming experience. Negatives? The cut-scenes are not only horribly over-acted, they are slow and just kill any momentum. I find the voices of Allura and Rachel to be especially annoying, and make you want to skip those ASAP. Trapt has a nasty habit of slowing down when more than 2 characters are on screen; you can multiply the headache when a trap is sprung and the game is already cranking – you practically have time to step away and get a drink (ruthlessly killing subjects is thirsty work I tell ya). Game graphics are a little below average, and I found that there were a lot of black boundaries around on-screen characters – I noticed this while playing in the dark, so I’d say this is a significant problem.

All in all, Trapt is a game that brings back fond memories of older puzzle games but doesn’t show the polish that could have made the game better. For the price and length of the game, definitely try before you buy.

- Tazman

(December 2, 2005)

“They're like vampires or the gays.”

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