Trials Evolution Xbox Arcade Review

It’s a hard act to follow.  2009’s Trials HD is one of the best selling titles in the history of the Xbox Live Arcade, but its also one of the most deserving of a sequel.  Apparently Red Lynx is up to the task, as Trials Evolution is set to return in a big way to the Xbox Live Arcade.   Sticking with the physics based gameplay that made Trials HD so addictively fun, Trials Evolution doesn’t necessarily need to re-invent the wheel.  It’s what’s been added,  that makes the game a better experience.  Trials Evolution is more of what made Trials HD great in the first place, and frankly its a better game than the original.

Gone are the warehouses from Trials HD, replaced by well imagined and designed tracks that are set in a variety of settings.  You’ll wheelie your way across roller coaster like environments that feel very much like an amusement ride than they ever did in HD.  With plenty of environmental effects and hazards laid carefully to trip you up, Trials Evolution does call back to its core trial and error gameplay, most especially if you are looking to snag a perfect score or “gold medal”.

Trials Evolution is much more community driven game than its predecessor.  There’s a deep online component that measures your scores against those of your Xbox Live friends, and rivalries are sure to get heated.  It’s very similar to what EA has done with the Autolog features in its Need For Speed racing series.

Trials HD was a game that continually pushed you to give it one more shot and Trials Evolution is no different.  There’s a nicely integrated quick restart feature that you’ll be using often when going for high scores or making that perfect run.  One of the biggest differences between Trials HD and Trials Evolution is in its accessibility.  There’s a great deal of content in this game, something for everyone if you will.  Trials Veterans will likely scoff at some of the early levels in Evolution as being too easy or dumbed down, but rest assured stay with it long enough, and earn enough medals, and you’ll be faced with fist shaking difficulty.

Survive the developer made levels and you’ll always have the community made content.  Red Lynx has incorporated two map editors into Trials Evolution.  A “Lite Editor” and a “Pro Editor”, you’ll definitely need to take some time getting familiar with the controls for these, as they have both have a fair amount of options.  Red Lynx themselves have admitted to using the Pro Editor to develop many levels for the game and its a complex editing tool, one that will likely spawn some great ideas.

Online multiplayer is also feature in Trials HD and comes in a number of varieties.  A fast paces Super Cross race pits four players against one another on a laned track.  While Trials and Hardcore Trials will have you racing against ghosts on easy and technical tracks respectively.

At the end of the day, there’s not much more that you can ask for from Red Lynx with Trials Evolution.  The game has an addictive single player mode, equally fun multiplayer with  online and offline capabilities,  a track editor that will likely give the community something to do for months if not years to come, and did I mention that Trials Evolution is $20.  Yeah, there’s that too.  It’s got more content than you’ll find in games 3x the price, and it’s better made than most of them.