Trials Evolution gets first review

As with Trials HD, it’s hard for us thirtysomethings not to think about the NES’ beloved Excitebike when Trials Evolution is on the screen. This newer dirtbike-stravaganza is every bit Excitebike’s spiritual successor, mixing a lighthearted tone with dead-serious physics, heaps of tracks to race on, and now — for the first time — a multiplayer mode and a track editor to really take us back to the ’80s classic. It’s such a compelling combination of features and feel that it begs the question: Is Trials Evolution the perfect XBLA game?

At the very least, it’s measurably better than its brilliant but ball-breaking predecessor. The original Trials delivered finely tuned physics across a number of mostly indoor tracks whose difficulty jumped from enjoyable to impossible with an all-too-sudden difficulty spike. Evolution retains the precise real-world physics and also becomes an Everest-like challenge by the end (in fact, many of the toughest tracks actually task you with climbing near–90-degree vertical ascents with your bike), but it does so at a much more gradual pace. Really, the game is giving you more time to learn the nuances of leaning back and forth and shifting your weight on the bike before dumping you in the ocean without your floaties on.



This better pacing is partly owed to the fact that Trials Evolution is bursting at the lugnuts with content. There’s simply a lot more to play with before the mud hits the fan. The number of tracks to ride on feels endless — a sentiment that turns literal when you start creating and downloading new courses via the track editor (more on that later). Truly, Evolution is a near-steal at $15. If it was a $60 game on a disc, we don’t think we’d raise an eyebrow.

Variety has clearly been a focus for the sequel, as scores of new environments — many of them outdoors this time — mean that no two tracks ever feel the same. You’ll race across everything from a full moon–lit, blood-red sky to an ocean port with rising water levels to a full-on motocross stage. Of the 60-plus tracks, the highlights include “Gigatrack,” an aptly named course that took us 20 full minutes to complete (compared to the one- to two-minute average for most tracks); the big-air-tacular “Roller Coaster” (complete with a loop-de-loop!); and the brilliant homages to fellow Live Arcade gems Limbo (Trials’ version even boasts floatier physics) and ’Splosion Man (in the form of a minigame that has you exploding your rider through a platforming course).



Adding to Evolution’s longevity is the aforementioned track editor. It comes in two flavors: Lite and Pro — the former to get you acquainted and the latter to let you get serious. These tools allow you to create everything from massive races to first-person shooters (really). And even if, like us, you don’t have the time or patience to bring your idea to life, you can simply reap the benefits of your fellow Trials players — for free — via the in-game downloader. It’s sortable by a slew of criteria, including RedLynx Picks that’ll allow you to grab the fan-made creations the professional developers themselves deem worthy. Really, if this game exhibits anywhere near the legs its forebear had, you’ll probably never be starving for additional content.

That leaves multiplayer. Up to four of you can hook up, locally or online, and race in heats of your desired number and choosing, leveling up your rider in the process to earn extra gear and garb. We highly recommend grabbing some buds (and Buds) and playing it on a couch whenever possible. You and your crew will be hooting and hollering in no time.



Still, for all but the most dedicated players, there’ll likely be a few courses that, after you try ’em 100 times, you’ll decide to give up on. The annoying, repetitive “extreme” soundtrack doesn’t help when you’re frustrated either.

But adding up the gorgeous visuals, extra coats of polish, replayability, multiplayer, track editor, and core gameplay that is both artfully scientific and scientifically artful, we’d say Trials Evolution is as close to a perfect download as we’re ever likely to get.





+ Perfect physics, even when a stage alters them on purpose; endless amounts of content.

+ Multiplayer is an old-school trash talk–fest.

– Like the first game, it gets really, really hard; “extreme” soundtrack isn’t for everyone.

? Where’s the return of the break-every-bone-in-your-body minigame?

9.5/10

must buy for me loved the first one.

Agreed matey, Grabbing both this and Fez next week

got fez matey. Braw!! Takes me back to my Dizzy days!!

Ah mate, Dizzy the egg was EPIC!

Excellent, it got a stellar review on EG as well. In fairness, the gameplay was tight enough on the first game as to not really need messing with so they have wisely used the development time to really expand this one out.

I have the points ready for this and cannot wait to try out the multiplayer. Maybe even look at a little internal track making comp to see who can knock up the most enjoyable custom track


Oh, and I love that last snap - great homage to Limbo