Trident’s Tale | Switch Review

There’s a promising idea at the heart of Trident’s Tale. Its colorful visuals, mythical premise, and blend of exploration and action suggest a game meant for fans of seafaring fantasy and puzzle-rich dungeons. But that promise is quickly undermined by inconsistent combat, frustrating difficulty spikes, and rough storytelling. I went in hopeful for a hidden gem but came away feeling like the experience slipped through my fingers.

There are occasional moments of wonder here, especially in its art direction and world layout. However, they’re too often buried beneath mechanical issues, graphical issues, and tonal misfires.

Pirate Story with Poor Execution

The story of Trident’s Tale wants to be an epic. As a young pirate named Ocean, you’re a chosen hero uncovering ancient secrets across a fractured world. Your mentor/father figure, Oldie, has been captured. The only way to save him is to chart a course for the scattered shards of the mythical Storm Trident: a relic said to command the seas and restore balance to a world adrift. But you’re not the only one chasing its power; a ruthless rival sails the same waters, seeking the Trident for far darker ends.

Along the way, you recruit new members of your team who offer you special, and often magical, powers upgrades, and companionship. You definitely couldn’t make it without them. They disappear during the combat and platforming only to reappear after defeating the bosses to progress the story along. There are elemental dungeons, relics of power, and the ever-present weight of legacy. It sounds like a recipe for intrigue, but in practice, the narrative never really connects.

Dialogue is wooden, and worse, the voice direction actively works against immersion. The protagonist’s voice feels wildly out of place; less ancient adventurer, more modern teen pulled from a Southern California voiceover reel. That disconnect is jarring and makes it hard to take the story’s heavier moments seriously.

Cutscenes further suffer from mismatched lip syncing and odd pacing, making story beats feel awkward instead of dramatic. It’s not without charm, but the delivery doesn’t do the concept justice.

Rough Waters and Rusty Controls

Gameplay is where Trident’s Tale falters most. The loop of sailing between islands, tackling puzzles, and battling enemies could have been engaging, but the systems feel uneven and at times, punishing.

Boat travel becomes cumbersome quickly. Thankfully, the compass system helps you know which direction to go for your quest and how far away it is. However, the distance between quest islands is enormous. Sailing in a straight line gets dull. I wanted to welcome the boat combat interruptions to break the monotony. Sadly, boat combat is clunky and unintuitive, with awkward aiming and a steep difficulty curve. Early battles were won through unstrategic button mashing. As you progress, throwing strategy into the mix made the boat combat my least favorite part of the game. The boat controls like, well, a boat! The enemies can turn a lot better than I could. I found myself losing very often.

Boss encounters are similarly frustrating, often spiking in challenge out of nowhere after breezing through standard foes. The health meter barely matters when you can be wiped out in seconds. Thankfully, I grew to understand the strategy to defeat bosses pretty quickly.

Pleasant View and Sound – Except the Frame Rate

One of the more consistent highlights of Trident’s Tale is its visual presentation. The 3D art style is vibrant and inviting, and the environments, especially the dungeons, are thoughtfully designed. There’s a handcrafted feel to the world that suggests care and imagination, even when the gameplay stumbles.

But, then detail is required. The game seems to want you to play at twilight or at night. Many times, I specifically rested until morning just to improve the lighting. However, within moments, the screen suddenly shifted to the purple sky of night. The darkness muddies up the details. I found myself getting lost in the dungeons because I couldn’t see the details or depth changes indicating a cliff to climb. 

Camera control is another sore spot. Whether you’re trying to line up a jump or orient yourself mid-fight, the camera often works against you. It becomes especially troublesome in later dungeon areas that demand precision.

And finally, the frame rate is largely awful. Stuttering and stammering abounds. At first, I thought it might have been a symptom of playing on the Switch. So, I tried the demo on Steam. Frame rate might have improved, but the stutters still existed. I found myself 5 feet forward and the camera at a different angle many times.

It’s clear the developers were inspired by modern action-adventure greats, but the execution here lacks the polish needed to pull it off.

The soundtrack is competent but forgettable. It sets the mood well enough but rarely stands out. Sound design overall lacks the kind of punch that could’ve elevated big story beats or tense moments.

Final Verdict – Trident’s Tale

Trident’s Tale has flashes of creativity and a world that feels like it could have been something special. Its art direction is often striking, and the core idea of a mythic pirate quest has undeniable appeal. But so many elements like combat, performance, and pacing drag the experience down. It’s a game that reaches for magic, but too often stumbles into frustration.

Despite moments of charm, the technical issues, poorly delivered storytelling, and inconsistent mechanics make this one tough to recommend. Fans of seafaring adventures may find brief enjoyment in exploring its islands and solving its dungeons, but the waters here are far from smooth sailing.

To hear me talk more about Trident’s Tale, be sure to listen to the May 28th, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast.

This review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy of Trident’s Tale provided by Renaissance PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.