Trials Rising

If anybody remembers the days where we would sneak into the school's IT room to play online flash-based games, the name Trials Rising might mean something to you. If it doesn't or weren't afforded that luxury - well, that's OK, too. This motocross classic has been translated into something much bigger than its parent concept, and it's exciting to see what it can do.

Trials Rising has seen a complete revamp into the AAA development scene. It attempts to offer players that nostalgic breaktime motocross experience but takes it into stunning environments worldwide. Will players the new overzealous gameplay or shun it in favor of the subtle old-school experience?

Against All Obstacles

Sometimes, we tend to forget that not everyone would have forayed into the Trials series. For those that haven't, it's a game about driving a motorbike across a series of challenging obstacles, trying to accomplish the quickest run possible. The fundamental physics engine makes gameplay incredibly entertaining, as trivial as it sounds.

In Trials Rising, that's not at all forgetting. It still makes up the integral part of gameplay instead of completely revamping the game into a more realistic motocross experience. The more detailed visuals and well-crafted environments would suggest a stark difference in ambition. However, it's still all about the ridiculous levels of fun, which provide the foundations for any element of the game.

While those principles remain in place, there is some arguable drag to Trials Rising that detracts from the experience. There seem to be many bugs with the collision engine marring the basic control mechanisms. Not only that, the connectivity issues take away from sharing the fun with friends in multiplayer mode.

But those minuses can be overcome with the pluses. Some of the level design in Trials Rising is fantastic, and the learning curve is well-thought-out. Players can quickly get involved with its traditional easy-to-control bikes. But they will have to get creative in using them when passing some of the more challenging assets in the game. Besides the more major bugs, the game still reigns fun.

Rising and Falling

It's easy to love Trials Rising despite its technical issues because it's an experience solely based on fun. You'll find too many motocross games like Ride 4 that just take their game too seriously. Sometime's it's nice to have a little racing game to unwind with and not get too fixated on the nuances of a career mode.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Beautiful level designs
• Entertainment factors are still there
• Some of the best tracks in the franchise

Cons:

• Physics engine doesn't always work correctly
• Connectivity problems hinder multiplayer
• Gameplay can feel like a grind