Trials Evolution Review
An arcade motocross game that takes no shortcuts
Evolution also extends the multiplayer offers from Trials HD. There is a heavy reliance on leaderboards to keep players engaged in the game at all times. On all tracks you race – even in single player – the ghosts of players from your friends list will appear and race alongside you. This means not only are you trying to beat the track with a good time, you’re trying to beat your friends’ track times. It’s a fantastic idea with a single drawback – most of the ghosts you race against will likely be of your friends’ re-runs of the course with a better bike than you currently have. So while completing your career mode for the first time, it’s a bit pointless to try and keep up with the ghosts of your friends.
You can also head online and race against others directly in the Supercross mode. Due to the mechanics of the game, Supercross tracks are specifically designed to be played by up to four players at the same time and work very well. Trials mode, meanwhile, offers you the chance to race any tracks from the career mode, but due to their design, your opponents will simply appear as ghosts. The game can be played offline with up to four players as well, but for obvious reasons, only Supercross tracks are available. Private, unranked races are available as well if you want to simply mess around with friends.
While Trials HD wasn’t a bad looking game, Evolution really impresses with its visuals for a downloadable and Unreal title. Aside from the texture streaming issues that are common to the engine, the game can look quite good, particularly the environments. The lighting effects, day and night transitions, shadows and explosions all look very good and even create an atmosphere in some levels. The 2D/3D perspective allows for some great background manipulations and giving the world a different feel. The soundtrack is appropriate but feels rather limited and repetitive.
With a game like Trials Evolution, finding the balance between making you want to retry a track and making you need to retry is the key. If you enjoyed Trials HD, there is no question that Evolution is a stellar sequel that offers more of the same, for a great price. The included track editor, great visuals and solid online component makes this one of the better games available on XBLA. However, if these features are enough to get you past the often frustrating gameplay is another question entirely. The end result remains a game that will try your patience. Whether you take it in stride as a challenge or throw your controller at the wall will be the deciding factor in your enjoyment of Trials Evolution.
Our ratings for Trials Evolution on Xbox 360 out of 100 (Ratings FAQ)
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