Trials Fusion is a leaderboard junkies dream.
The shear ridiculous nature of having a dirt bike rider juxtaposed against some weird future world does wonders for Trials Fusion. By going the more ludicrous route, the game somehow feels more grounded in terms of its gameplay. I think the Trials series is more appealing when it drops the veneer of reality it once had.
This is my first time with the series, although I’ve watched and been privy to a number of previous installments. Perhaps this lack of familiarity with the series will give me a little different viewpoint from the multitude of reviews that are, and will be, popping up in other publications.
While I am no leaderboard junkie, at least not since the days when going to an arcade was a normal thing (I wonder if that WingWar cabinet still has my high score), Trials still offers a great amount of content and challenge. I love trying to pull off clean runs on each track and then going back and going wild with stunts and speed. The replay value that the game offers, even without accounting for the online leaderboards, is incredible. Something as simple as a medal system just makes you want to keep coming back until you can grab that elusive Gold. Playing Trials Fusion can nearly become a maddening experience, screaming at every single mistake on your way to virtual glory.
Even though I’m not one to care about topping leaderboards, the thought of seeing yoru username on the list is a great way to keep players coming back. I doubt my name will ever grace the likes of the top players, but if FartBabyMcAssAlot69 can do it, then it makes me think I can do it too. And that’s just it, Trials makes your want to come back, makes you want to earn that placement, even if you have never been into that sort of thing before. This is a competition of skill, one that requires only you and your controller and not some mindless battlefield.
Early on, during the games beginning stages, Trials Fusion presents you with your first challenge. Nothing so gradiose of course, just a simple challenge in which the game asks you to make it as far as possible without leaning. My first time out I did well enough to earn a Bronze and move on, but I couldn’t. Something inside of me was saying “Come on, you know you can do better.” So, I strapped back in and made it a few measly feet farther than my previous attempt. Again, that same voice urged me to try again. For such an arbitrary challenge, I couldn’t stop myself from trying it over and over again, desperately pushing to make it just over the next hill. Trials Fusion is like that, you’ll say to yourself, “Okay, I’ll play a track to two before bed.” and before you realize it, 10pm has turned into 4am, and you are trying to find excuses to give your boss on why you can’t go into work.
For those new to Trails, the game really couldn’t be all that more simple. You guide your racer along the track, doing your best not to wreck all the while pulling off some really neat tricks. Controls are also a breeze to learn. One button to accelerate and another to brake with the joystick used to lean your rider forward or backward on his bike. Physics play a large part here (although my Physics professor would take umbrage with the lack of realism) and your rider feels more like spaghetti than a human being. But that’s the charm of Trails, it’s intentionally over the top and silly and this leads to much of the challenge. It never gets to QWOP levels of frustration, but it will have you cursing at the screen from time to time.
Trials Fusion also does a marvelous job of amping up the excitement by incorporating the backgrounds into each ride. While the game has you riding along a two-dimensional plane, from point-A to point-B, the games futuristic setting allows for the background world to have a life of its own. Rock faces will crumble, buildings will explode, ships will fly by and even after your ride ends, a surprise or two may await your rider. This futuristic setting may not appeal to purists of the series, but I think it’s a nice change of pace. The developers do tend to take the safe and slightly generic route with many of the design choices, but they serve the game well, as Trials is a game solely focused on its core mechanics.
While Trials Fusion is a blast to play, it isn’t perfect. The training levels that are voiced by the Cindy A.I. can at times feel slow and drawn out. She has this way of speaking that makes you think she is done talking, but in reality taking a long pause. I just want to ride fast, not be forced to wait on her incessant chattering about skills I already am aware of after the first few tracks. Granted, this is more a personal annoyance than anything, and does very little to take away from the core gaming experience.
Another annoyance that many games that come across my desk seem to have is texture pop in. I would have figured by now that developers would have nipped that problem in the bud well before even the Beta stage of a game. While it doesn’t happen an exorbitant amount, it still pops up (such humor, much laughs) that it detracts from the overall presentation.
Trials Fusion is a great entry to the series that is sure to appease new fans like myself. If you are a series veteran, then some of the visual changes may be a bit off putting. But rest assured, you are getting the same great Trials experience. The game is priced at $19.99, and for that price it’s a clear winner. I wish other companies would take note, as many offer much less content at a much higher price.
360 • XBOX • ONE • PS4 • PC
Style
Single/Multi-Player
Publisher
Ubisoft
Developer
RedLynx
Steam Release
April 16
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