Triachnid Review

In an internet full of random and silly games to play online, one of the few that stand out to me and make me want to play on and on is Triachnid!

Originally found on NewGrounds: www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/347467

Design and Programming - Florian Himsl
Graphics and Design - Edmund McMillen
Music - Tin Hat Trio
Sound Effects - Anders Gustafsson

Slight graphic violence.

The game starts out with a few simple, yet well produced images, showing a "family" of three-legged spider-like creatures (triachnids). A giant worm eats up the female-looking triachnid, who drops the egg-sac she's carrying. The male triachnid tries attacking, but in vain. The worm disappears, leaving the triachnid alone.

This is where you start: A heart-broken triachnid searching for "his" offspring, and seeking revenge for his murdered...wife?

The game play is a little shaky at first, you use the mouse to drag around his legs to make him move around. The best way to move is as if he is a pinwheel--legs flailing in a smooth circular circular motion.

You can also spin weblines; grab various things from your eggsac, enemies, and your weblines; hold your breath underwater; and hold things in your mouth (like your eggsac or eating enemies).

A good review of the instructions and playing around on the first level are recommended.
Good use of a web...while standing on the ground...





In essence, Triachnid is a sidescroller. Your objective is to get to the finish line of each level, and finding as many of your offspring as possible along the way. The levels progress in a way that you get used to different aspects of the game. New elements such as key-bugs used to unlock doors, swinging from your web, eating enemies for health, throwing items, moving efficiently underwater, saving your offspring, and using the environment are all combined on the last few levels when you travel inside the giant worm.

It is a short, but addictive game to play, and again (as Portal Flash) you want to start replaying it as soon as it is over. The soft and relaxing music adds a whole new layer to the game, and it makes me want to buy Tin Hat Trio's album. The triachnid also has a "vocabulary" that makes him easy to understand: Everything from a gruff growl when he grabs an enemy to an affectionate "purr" when he picks up his offspring.

Look, he's a pappa!










The graphics are very cartoony, but really uphold the atmosphere of the world of Triachnid. The background is blurred and what is closer is in more detail. Although, when you are travelling through the bowels of the worm, there are some arteries that are blurred to make it look like the screen is a few inches from them.


Overall, Triachnid is a very entertaining use of spare time. Also, the music is very soft and soothing, for those stressful days at work. The only thing of what I'd ask of in this game was an extended gameplay, so I can keep messing around with this character!

To the Creators:
Keep it up! I'm looking forward to number 2.

4.7/5!