Trials Evolution, xbox360 (Guest Reviewer)

Kiwi gamer Nightwlf takes us through the ups, downs, highs and lows of Trials Evolution.

Hot from the Finnish game-ovens of RedLynx comes the follow-up to 2009’s highly popular ‘Trials HD’, ‘Trials Evolution.’ The premise is simple, you navigate your dirt-bike through a variety of ever more complicated trial courses using your throttle, your accelerator, and the centre of gravity of your rider.

Everything that was great about Trials HD is still great here. Everything is spiced up. The motions and physics, while instantly and comfortingly familiar, just feel slightly polished. Where in the original we’d often find ourselves back at similar trial courses with slight modifications, every course in Evolution has it’s own setting, it’s own unique feel. The ‘Ridinghood’ level is bathed in red dusk as wolves howl in the background, Titan Graveyard makes you feel as if you’re in some bizarre dirt bike mini-game in the middle of a Tomb Raider title, but each is lovingly crafted and you can see and feel the work that has been put in.

 One of the additions RedLynx have made is a fairly comprehensive multiplayer mode. As well as the returning leaderboards which made the first title such a social game, is a 4-player on the course at one time race, complete with matchmaking. I tried my hand at a couple of matches and was soundly beaten by my adversary but it was still a good bit of fun. I can see getting three friends together and racing course after course would easily kill a few hours.

That’s another great thing about Trials Evolution, whether you have two minutes or two hours to spare, there’s something here for you. Whether it’s shaving 15 thousandths of a second off your time so you can finally beat the blistering pace your friend set down the night before, or trying to nail a faultless tournament and claim that platinum medal, Trials Evolution will happily take any spare time you have.

If by some miracle you complete all the courses, at all the difficulties, tire of playing with friends online and dominate all their leaderboard times, Trials Evolution has a course editor so you can literally build your own fun. There is a light editor if you just want to throw down some ramps and windows and smash everything, or a pro editor, where your imagination is the limit. You can download courses others have created if you’re still looking for a challenge.

What really makes Trials Evolution worth your time is the community. Get your friends involved! Competing against them is pretty fun, especially when you’re only seperated by a few tenths of a second.

I was struggling to find anything I disliked about this title, but if I had one gripe it would be the difficulty curve between medium and hard. I know if I keep working at it the physics will come more naturally and it will be just like 2009 again, but it’s frustrating not being able to finish courses as flawlessly as I once could.

 If you are at all interested in Trials Evolution, go and grab it. Have a blast. You won’t be disappointed.