Trenched

Initially it can be intimidating, but Trenched's tutorial is user-friendly. New units are explained as they're introduced and recommendations are made regarding what equipment you should bring into battle. Sometimes their instructions can be misleading; I failed one stage several times by equipping the recommended sniper rifle when machine guns worked much better. I'd like to think this is commentary on man's blind willingness to listen to machines rather than think for himself, but I somehow doubt that was the intent.

Early levels can drag and lack challenge, but things ramp up significantly by the second act. Enemies start coming from all angles, breaks between waves get shorter, and your emplacements crumble under the might of the opposing army. Frantically pumping robot armies full of lead as they haemorrhage scrap, which you use to upgrade nearby turrets, fully realises the dream of being a mech commander. There are even a few boss battles where the object is offense rather than defence, a welcome change of pace.

Trenched takes on a more grandiose feel in online multiplayer (regrettably, there's no local split-screen) where up to four players can tackle any mission in co-op. This adds a whole new dynamic, since each player can specialise in specific skills to complement the others.

The other difference is that running out of health in single-player only temporarily incapacitates you, while multiplayer marines must revive each other. If all players are down, it's game over. Difficulty is adjusted to compensate for the number of players, but in general it feels easier to spread your manpower around. Having multiple players reduces how much scrap each person gets, so spawning emplacements takes a backseat to good old shooting.

Either way is a hoot, though I can't help but feel single-player got the short shrift, as the game feels like it was designed for co-op. Getting booted back to a lobby between rounds is par for the course in multiplayer, but it's irritating that this still happens even when playing solo. You also can't skip cut-scenes, which makes sense in multiplayer as everyone has to be on the same page, but not being able to fast forward past these in single-player can grate.

Elsewhere, the action-figure men and barren brown landscapes lack the whimsical detail of Double Fine's Stacking and Costume Quest, though Trenched still bears the studio's mark, if only subtly. Descriptions of each marine include sweet tidbits ranging from "loves to sleep with his wife" to "doesn't remember his grandchildren's names." You can even dress them up in tiki masks and top hats or make them give a Vulcan salute. None of this has any significance, but it lends the game a charm otherwise lacking in the story and visuals.

Eschewing the studio's usual focus on world-building and memorable characters in favour of finely tuned multiplayer, Trenched represents a departure for Double Fine. Those smitten with Schafer and co.'s usual shenanigans may be disappointed to see Trenched's narrative sidelined, while not being able to skip cut-scenes or conveniently restart missions in single-player is irksome. But this is a satisfying genre crossover that follows through on what Brutal Legend attempted. I'd chalk that up as a victory.