For the past week, every morning has started in the same way. Get up, get washed, go kitchen. I enter the kitchen with the intention of making a ham sandwich. Upon completion, I stop and ponder the prospect of mustard, before ultimately deciding on the following.
No mustard on my ham sandwich I want my bike. It’s Trials time!
My daily gaming-ritual normally includes playing the excruciatingly addictive Trials HD. I have a special fondness when it comes to Trials, so when I got my hands on RedLynx’s follow up to the 2009 hit arcade title, I was more than excited. What I got however, was nothing like I expected.
I was expecting a straightforward arcade sequel. What I got, was more akin to a Triple-A retail release you’d expect to see alongside Modern Warfare, Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim in your local video game outlet.
From the moment you boot up Trials Evolution you’re smacked hard with the fact that this is no longer just an arcade game. The music is pumping, the menu has had a massive overhaul and by the time you load up a race, you’re already under RedLynx’s spell.
Graphically, Trials Evolution is blinding. Gone are the lifeless environments and in place is a truly beautiful and visceral world that is mind-blowing to behold. Everything about the terrain screams out “love and attention.” From the stunning forest backdrops, to the World War II battlefields, to the Film Noire inspired levels, every track comes alive and surprisingly, doesn’t detract your attention from the racing element, which itself has been refined.
Controls and handling is very much in line with the previous Trials titles in that they feel natural, but there are numerous tweaks. Have you ever leant back on your bike to propel yourself forwards when you’re stuck on the top of a ramp? That’s been vastly improved and can now be the difference maker between passing the finish line with zero faults or one.
Along with various behind the scenes changes, the tracks themselves appear to have been beta tested to death. So far (I have three extreme tracks to finish) I haven’t spotted one problem with the layouts. There’s no knobbly bits, or signs of rushed levels. Everything flows together like a river into the ocean. Which I’m sure avid Trials vets will agree, is great news.
Have I mentioned explosions yet?
Some of the most fun times in Trials come from exploding barrels.
Rider + Barrel + Explosion = Hilarity!
Trials Evolution is no different. This time out we have land-mines (yes I’m covering land-mines), which offer some of the biggest explosions known to man! Slightly touch one of these mini-nukes and your bike will be blown to bits and your rider will be sent soaring into the atmosphere. Sure, you’ll incur a penalty, but it’s great fun.
On the subject of laughs, there’s several times where you’ll notice nods to other titles. One level is named “Castle Crash” and is based upon the Castle Crashers’ level Full Moon. Another level, titled “Lookout Point,” clearly draws inspiration from Fallout 3 DLC Point Lookout. There’s a skill game “Exploding Man” which can be considered as shout out to ‘Splosion Man, or a joke about the terrible Capcom copycat game - we’ll let you decide which. Not to mention there’s even a level ripped straight out of fellow-arcade title Limbo.
The distinguished single-player isn’t alone this time around. This outing offers up one of the most fun (agonising-fun), multiplayer experiences I’ve played in recent years.
Players are tasked with racing simultaneously in groups of (up to) four. This sounds simple in theory, but in practice, soon becomes anything but. Taking the lead normally ends up with me, for one second, thinking Great! I’m going to win! Only to realise my thought process have made my concentration flicker, and as Trials fans know, one second is all it takes to cause a massive crash.
ProTip: Don’t think and drive kids!
I know my own enjoyment will mostly come from the leaderboards. I love seeing what my Xbox LIVE friends have scored, only to destroy them and taunt like a 12 year old who just got a kill on COD! This also has been souped up, letting you race against ghosts. Cool, no?
Not everyone is as competitive as me. Which is a-okay by me. There’s lots of other toys to play with. The biggest new addition – and biggest doesn’t do it justice – is the newly fandangled map editor. Along with an improved Trials HD map editor for those will less patience, is a gigantic level creator. Admittedly I couldn’t get to grips with it, mainly because I don’t have the patience, but what I did learn while driving my rider into piles of exploding barrels, was that the gamers who made maps on Trials HD are single-handedly going to keep the community alive for years to come. This is after all what RedLynx used to make the maps we know and love. So in a few months’ time, there are going to be Trials Evolution superstars offering free DLC-quality tracks.
Trials Evolution is a flawless, high-octane, dynamic-delight that not only pushes the boundaries of what an arcade titles should be, but smashes them into several million pieces! You won’t find a better value for money title. Racing offers your monies worth, multiplayer offers your monies worth and the map editor alone could have been a game in its own right.
There is nothing whatsoever to scoff about. Everything has been created with love and passion that showcases just how contemporary and on the pulse RedLynx are.
The result is arguably the best arcade title ever created and money well spent.
