Trials Evolution. Has it evolved? – YES, Yes it has!
I for one was extremely excited about the release of Trials Evolution. After enjoying its predecessor Trials HD, its fair to say that this game didn’t disappoint me. In fact, it exceeded what I had expected from a sequel and was elated to find that it wasn’t just the usual graphical upgrade and a bit of an expansion pack. Trials has developed into much more than this.
The principle is still the same, get on your bike and get from the start to the finish as quickly as you can whilst navigating your way up, down and through obstacles. Any crashes can reset you to the last check point loosing time and gaining faults. Bronze, Silver and Gold medals are available on each track and also platinum medals are unlocked later as you move through the game.The controls have remained the same. The right trigger accelerates. The left trigger is the brake. The left joystick makes your rider lean forward or lean back, a simple yet key element, that must be mastered if you ever hope to get all those gold medals. And this is the key to Trials, its the simplicity, having a firm grasp of the finer points of physics, and a delicate trigger finger is what will see you through. Keeping you hand on the gas and hoping for the best just won’t cut it.
So what’s new and improved?One difference are tutorials that have been placed in each of the game’s difficulty tiers, which are known as licence tests. These give new comers to Trials a chance to learn how to negotiate some of the obstacles they will encounter and also unlock new bikes. Much better than the ‘’here’s you bike get on with it’’ approach the last game had.The map editor (Track Central) allows users to create their own tracks should you run out of levels in the game. You are able to view, share and download user created tracks. RedLynx say that the tools available for you to create your tracks are the same ones the developer used to create the actual game levels. RedLynx trailers highlighting this feature can be found on its uTube channel.
The multiplayer option is also new to Trials Evo which allows you to play amongst others both locally and online. Local play is limited to supercorss races in which up to four players race special tracks side by side at the same time. Online multiplayer also offers supercross but features a Trials mode in which you race proper tracks simultaneously also with up to four people actively racing against the ghosts of other players.The course designs are excellent and varies and have improved dramatically, swapping the dull warehouse environments of the original game for far more innovative settings, including warzones, ancient ruins, oil rigs, collapsing bridges, building sites and loads more. All nicely presented and with added rag doll funnies.
All in all this is one hell of a sequel, costing you a grand total of 1200 Microsoft points which is nothing for a game developed as well as this one, and puts high priced games to shame. This is the ultimate in ‘ just one more go’ mentality, you know you can shave seconds off that time of yours, or beat your annoying mate, you just need one more go. And thats what makes his game so great, simple and addictive, harks back to the olden days of video gaming. You can say goodbye to your social life.
There are a few niggles such as the soundtrack being a bit repetitive if you dont like new meral teash rock, you may want to reach for the mute button. And if iwas to be really picky, the skill games a bit uninteresting but seriously that’s just me picking holes.
[Rating:4.5/5]
