Trials Rising (XB1) Review

Stop with the kazoo.

Trials was an obsession for me. I can remember spending hours on one track. Perfecting my weight balance, just inching myself over that last ledge. I ran out of tries, time, and patience all in the name of being that one guy who finished those extreme tracks. Over the years Trials got bigger and more fleshed out, but the core concept still resonates with me. Trials Rising is the latest from developer Red Lynx and while it has a lot of flair surrounding those addictive tracks, what made the original so special is still buried underneath.

Trials Rising brings a ton of features to the series. Loot boxes, stickers, new customization items, and plenty of new tracks. The wrapper feels very similar to the mobile version of the game released a while back. Each track is represented on a massive map now as opposed to simply being a laundry list with an associated difficulty. It is confusing at first. It took me a while to figure out which tracks I had completed, and which ones I needed to do next. There are championships against AI players and of course the leader boards return, but it all feels intrusive to what I loved about Trials.

MSRP: $24.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $24.99

Ghost data is available on every single race and it becomes annoying quick. I eventually turned it transparent so I didn’t see them on every single run. It just distracted me. It is also a lot more than just my friends list now. I was going up against anyone and everyone. This is less appealing because I couldn’t care less if my time was better than TrialsMaster445. There is also a ton of exposition that generally slows down the pace of the ‘just one more track’ mentality past games have achieved. I get it, they want to show off those stickers and butt-slapping taunts, but I just really didn’t need it.

The trick system from Fusion is also gone and I can’t say that I miss it. I come to Trials for one specific thing, and Rising manages to deliver that without the hassle of having to worry about an arbitrary trick system. Some events have challenges called contracts. These are objectives to complete on each level. Finish them and get bonus XP and of course a loot box. It is nice, but again I am here for one thing, and it is not performing ten back flips on a track. There is also a tandem bike that can be played with two players and it is as hilarious and awesome as it sounds.

One new feature that really stands out though is the in-depth tutorial. It does an outstanding job of explaining all the nuance of the series. From knowing when to tap the gas and when to tilt the front wheel to bunny hop, it really refreshed my skills. I was off and running and it is fantastic for newcomers. This is really the best new addition outside of the tracks themselves.

Speaking of the tracks, Rising is packed with interesting new, well, trials for even the most hardcore player. The difficulty curve is also great. I do wish the medium and hard tracks didn’t take so much grinding to get to, but there are some really awesome easy tracks this time, so I didn’t even mind their simplicity. Let’s be fair, if you are not finishing all easy tracks with no faults, you aren’t playing Trials properly.

Those afraid of hearing the words ‘loot box’ shouldn’t fret. Everything in them is cosmetic and frankly I stopped caring after level 50. The sticker system is neat, but I never felt the need to dig to deep into it. I like that players can create custom styles and sell them for Trials currency on the marketplace though, that is a neat touch.

There are over 100 tracks in Trials, and the late game expert tracks are fantastic. The downside is the grind to unlock them all. At the start everything flows nicely and really opens up new tracks regularly. After hitting a certain level though things hit a crawl. I had to grind contracts over and over to unlock the later tracks and that was a huge bummer. I love progressing in skill to conquering the harder tracks, but having to grind to unlock them all is a real buzz kill.

Visually this game looks great, even with its simplicity in style. This looks like a Trials game, but the added effects and track touches go a long way. Throw in 4K support on X and it is a sharp-looking game. The audio is standard fare and I found it drowned out most of the time. The sound effects are painful, but that kazoo for the buttslap victory animation really needs to go.

Trials Rising is a great package for a small price. I really wish the late game wasn’t so grindy, but once I unlocked it all, I felt satisfied. The loot boxes are a waste of time and the customization did little to excite me. I just want Trials like I fell in love with. I come for the tracks and the challenge. Give me that and I need little else. Everything surrounding those things just gets in the way.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Tracks are as good as ever
  • Controls are extremely tight
  • Visually stunning
Bad
  • The grind later on
  • Don't need all the exposition
8
Great
Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.