TRIALS HD REVIEW Posted by PlayDevil.com Staff on Sep 23, 2009 11:26 (Sep 23, 2009 11:26) |
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Graphics:
It would be fair to say that 2009 has seen a massive improvement in the quality of Xbox Live Arcade games particularly in the graphics department and it is fair to say that Trials HD is one of the best out there.
The actual trials bikes within the game are all represented well and do differ well as you upgrade, infact I would go as far to say that they are as good as many motorcycles in several full retail games. In addition the rider animations are pretty spot on and the over the top responses to crashes are very well done and add a touch of humour to proceedings.
 The thing that hits you after only a short time is that the entire game takes place in a darkened, deserted warehouse and although this is represented well does soon become a little repetitive despite the differing course layouts. This had me wondering as to whether the lack of different settings was intentional to give the game more of a sense of atmosphere? What ever it is I would have liked to have perhaps seen the inclusion of some differing levels for example some with outdoor settings. In the games defence I will however state that despite the lack of variety you can soon be so absorbed into the gameplay to notice the actual backgrounds.
The same can be said about the variety of obstacles which again are all very similar across the massive (50+) amount of levels although each level offers enough variety to keep the game from being tedious and remain pleasing on the eye.
Overall I would say that the game is nice rather than stunning in terms of graphics and presentation however it is the gameplay which would determine whether the game can be considered essential.
Game Content:
The game is split into five difficulty levels each comprising around ten courses and although this may not seem much I guarantee that such is the difficulty of some of the levels that it will take a massive amount of time to complete the game.
Whilst fifty tracks may not seem much it is the other content which makes the game a very worthy purchase. In addition to the main game are the excellently presented mini games which offer a variety of crazy challenges such as transporting bombs, riding giant balls, breaking bones amongst others. Again this acts as a perfect way of challenging friends in order to beat their times and scores and offers more variety from the frustrations of the main game.
 In addition to the aforementioned game modes is the excellent level designer which adds more depth to the game and gives the player the opportunity to design and share with friends their own fiendishly challenging courses. Not only does this add more depth it is also pretty simple to use and again the designers deserve a pat on the back for it’s inclusion.
One staggering omission however is the lack of multiplayer, both local and online. I am sure at least a split screen mode could have been included to add to what is already a very competitive game.
I am sure that Trials HD is one of those games that could see downloadable content at a later date with extra levels and mini games, however the current content will ensure that at the present time there is more than enough to keep you busy for a long, long time.
Conclusion:
In many ways "Trials HD" is a strange game but that is not a bad thing. Admittedly the gameplay is leaning towards the basic side however it has a massive amount of addictiveness which will see you returning time after time.
It would be fair to say that the difficulty may put off some players, however this can be overlooked thanks to the sheer amount of variety on offer.
Whilst 1200ms points at first may seem to be expensive for an updated free flash game one has to remember the amount of content and playability which they are getting. Taking this into account then Trials HD proves to be excellent value backed by some excellent and very challenging gameplay.
Note: If you can tell us (no staff) who the CEO of developer 'RedLynx' is (stay tuned for our interview), and write a comment here with the answer ... you might be the lucky winner of a FREE TRIALS HD XBLA code !
Pros:
+ Very addictive gameplay
+ Superb game to challenge friends + Excellent amount of content + Good level design tool Cons:
- Gets very difficult very quickly
- Lack of multiplayer - Pretty basic gameplay - As frustrating as it is fun
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Oct 8, 2009 17:59:07 (Oct 8, 2009 17:59)
