Trials HD Review (Xbox 360)
Submitted on: Aug 18, 2009 by Jayson YoungWith the advent of rechargeable life bars, unlimited continues and selectable difficulty settings, gamers today have it pretty easy.
That’s why it’s refreshing to see that, in 2009, a game like Trials HD can come out of nowhere and deliver the kind of dropkick to the dome that NES classics like Battletoads, Contra and Ghosts 'n Goblins all did back in the day.
But what really impresses about Trials HD is that, while the game may be old-school when it comes to difficulty, it’s decidedly new-school when it comes to game design.
While Trials HD contains daredevil obstacle courses that demand a high level of precision from your motorbike racer, it never feels cheap or frustrating to bang your head against a single obstacle for a few minutes straight. Instead, it feels oddly addicting.
Part of the brilliance of the game design within Trials HD is the way the game urges you to keep trying. The game is constantly telling you, "Go ahead, you’ll get it this time," even after you’ve failed the same obstacle for the 50th straight time.
The abundance of checkpoints throughout each of the game’s 50-plus courses also certainly helps ease the pain of repeated failure, as does the ability to restart a botched stunt with the press of a button.
But the real motivating tool within Trials HD is the in-game leaderboards that are displayed in the top-center of the screen. Those leaderboards constantly remind you why you’re really playing the game: to one-up your friends and prove that you’re better than them at controlling a virtual motorbike.
Not to say that the motorbikes in Trials HD are not eerily close to the real thing -- the game’s incredible physics engine has received a solid tuneup since the PC release of Trials 2: Second Edition back in 2008.
In particular, the bikes in Trials HD seem to have gained a bit more weight and lost some of the "floatiness" that was prevalent in the older editions of the game. That upgrade, in addition to red-barrel explosions and hi-def lighting effects, make Trials HD look and feel better than any other Trials game to date.
The improvements to the series carry over to the course designs in Trials HD, which, though a bit bland and unexciting during the Beginner and Easy circuits, reach a high-water mark for the series during the start of the Medium circuit all the way up until the game’s final confrontation with the infamously difficult Inferno map.
Trials HD is clearly making up for the lack of a recent American Gladiators game.
Source: redlynxtrials.com
But what really pushes Trials HD over the top is the game's powerful track editor, which really comes into play after you finish the game’s default collection of courses. However, because Microsoft has certain restrictions when it comes to user-generated content, custom tracks can only be shared amongst friends.
Final Thoughts
With its punishing difficulty and ingenious level designs, Trials HD is the kind of a game that will break all the bones in your body, then have you hopping right back on your bike to line up the stunt to try again.
If you’re the type of gamer who welcomes a challenge, you’ll find enough content in Trials HD to keep you playing for many months to come. Heck, you might even be able to keep playing all the way up until the release of the inevitable sequel -- assuming the custom-track community can keep adding to the game’s collection of spectacular daredevil courses.
Like the game’s Achievement for throwing your rider into a set of king-size bowling pins, Trials HD earns a cleverly placed strike.
In the Driver's Seat: Breaking the norm, Trials HD is a PC game that actually controls better with a controller. You won't have the controls to blame for your crashes, only a lack of skill when handling the motorbike.
Graphics: Trials HD has a slick look that is highlighted by its lighting and explosion effects, the latter of which -- unlike a Michael Bay movie -- are tasteful and reserved.
Presentation: The added customization takes the Trials series to new heights: make your own rider, color your own bike, even build your own track. Too bad you can only share custom courses with your in-game friends.
Entertainment Value: You'll crash (lots), you'll cry (some), but when you finally cross the finish line 50 tries later, you'll pump your controller into the air and yell, "Who's on top now, wood plank!"
Learning Curve: Most players will breeze through the game before smashing their grills into the Medium circuit. From that point on, only the brightest and most dedicated Trials players will persevere -- the payoff for doing so is truly sweet.
Online: In-game leaderboards give you that extra motivation to keep playing, whether you're competing against your friends or taking on the entire world.
Score: 9.0 (Exceptional)
That’s why it’s refreshing to see that, in 2009, a game like Trials HD can come out of nowhere and deliver the kind of dropkick to the dome that NES classics like Battletoads, Contra and Ghosts 'n Goblins all did back in the day.
But what really impresses about Trials HD is that, while the game may be old-school when it comes to difficulty, it’s decidedly new-school when it comes to game design.
While Trials HD contains daredevil obstacle courses that demand a high level of precision from your motorbike racer, it never feels cheap or frustrating to bang your head against a single obstacle for a few minutes straight. Instead, it feels oddly addicting.
Part of the brilliance of the game design within Trials HD is the way the game urges you to keep trying. The game is constantly telling you, "Go ahead, you’ll get it this time," even after you’ve failed the same obstacle for the 50th straight time.
The abundance of checkpoints throughout each of the game’s 50-plus courses also certainly helps ease the pain of repeated failure, as does the ability to restart a botched stunt with the press of a button.
But the real motivating tool within Trials HD is the in-game leaderboards that are displayed in the top-center of the screen. Those leaderboards constantly remind you why you’re really playing the game: to one-up your friends and prove that you’re better than them at controlling a virtual motorbike.
Not to say that the motorbikes in Trials HD are not eerily close to the real thing -- the game’s incredible physics engine has received a solid tuneup since the PC release of Trials 2: Second Edition back in 2008.
In particular, the bikes in Trials HD seem to have gained a bit more weight and lost some of the "floatiness" that was prevalent in the older editions of the game. That upgrade, in addition to red-barrel explosions and hi-def lighting effects, make Trials HD look and feel better than any other Trials game to date.
The improvements to the series carry over to the course designs in Trials HD, which, though a bit bland and unexciting during the Beginner and Easy circuits, reach a high-water mark for the series during the start of the Medium circuit all the way up until the game’s final confrontation with the infamously difficult Inferno map.
Trials HD is clearly making up for the lack of a recent American Gladiators game.
Source: redlynxtrials.com
But what really pushes Trials HD over the top is the game's powerful track editor, which really comes into play after you finish the game’s default collection of courses. However, because Microsoft has certain restrictions when it comes to user-generated content, custom tracks can only be shared amongst friends.
Final Thoughts
With its punishing difficulty and ingenious level designs, Trials HD is the kind of a game that will break all the bones in your body, then have you hopping right back on your bike to line up the stunt to try again.
If you’re the type of gamer who welcomes a challenge, you’ll find enough content in Trials HD to keep you playing for many months to come. Heck, you might even be able to keep playing all the way up until the release of the inevitable sequel -- assuming the custom-track community can keep adding to the game’s collection of spectacular daredevil courses.
Like the game’s Achievement for throwing your rider into a set of king-size bowling pins, Trials HD earns a cleverly placed strike.
In the Driver's Seat: Breaking the norm, Trials HD is a PC game that actually controls better with a controller. You won't have the controls to blame for your crashes, only a lack of skill when handling the motorbike.
Graphics: Trials HD has a slick look that is highlighted by its lighting and explosion effects, the latter of which -- unlike a Michael Bay movie -- are tasteful and reserved.
Presentation: The added customization takes the Trials series to new heights: make your own rider, color your own bike, even build your own track. Too bad you can only share custom courses with your in-game friends.
Entertainment Value: You'll crash (lots), you'll cry (some), but when you finally cross the finish line 50 tries later, you'll pump your controller into the air and yell, "Who's on top now, wood plank!"
Learning Curve: Most players will breeze through the game before smashing their grills into the Medium circuit. From that point on, only the brightest and most dedicated Trials players will persevere -- the payoff for doing so is truly sweet.
Online: In-game leaderboards give you that extra motivation to keep playing, whether you're competing against your friends or taking on the entire world.
Score: 9.0 (Exceptional)
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