Difficult, yet fun, addictive, yet unrelenting, Trials Evolution is a complex monster.
It's a beautiful game. Great lighting reflects off your bike and helmet as sun rays streak through trees and you struggle on a 2D plain through intricately designed courses. It's hard not to simply oggle at the scope of the game.
You move along a 2D pre-determined path, using the Right and Left triggers, respectively, to throttle and break. The left analogue stick is used to "lean", which is the main mechanic in this game. Leaning too much forward or backword can make the difference between making better time, landing a drop, or, quite simply, not falling. It's as delicate as steering in a race similar and what makes the game so addictive.
It doesn't take long to get to a point where you'll need or want to start a race over, complete it in better time, or simply just push to make it through. Each bike also comes with its own level of difficulty, making breaking, excellerating right and leaning more critical. It's also all very addictive.
The courses are well designed and each have their challenges to make it through. From a world war 2 battle zone, complete with explosions, to an abandoned motor-garage, the courses are very diverse and fun. There's also a ton of user-made tracks available for download as well as editors to create your own.
Arguably one of the best values on XBLA, you'll definitely get a bang for your buck. Trials Evolution is a lot of fun and as long as you keep at it, it's one of the most rewarding games in recent history.