The competitive nature of this game makes it a focused, addictive blend of 'just-one-more-go' gameplay

User Rating: 9 | Trials HD X360
Back on the trusty old C64 in the mid 80's I played a game called Kick Start. The game was extremely hard, even though the basic controls of the game was quite simple. Just navigate a motorcycle from one side to the other of a track in side-scrolling 2D - and throw you joystick at the wall in frustration every time you bike crashed into fences or water because of a small error in pitch or speed.

Trials HD may not be a sequel to the old Kick Start game, but it's a spiritual successor to the old game. Of course graphics of today is in another league - and the visuals of this XBLA game is above the standard - but the same addictive, yet at times frustrating, gameplay is the same. Its still about getting the bike from start to finish, and still small misjudgments on the track can get the bike and rider into all sorts of trouble - and even worse, cost you valuable seconds of your personal best.

It's a good thing then, that the controls are near perfect. The analogue sticks of the Xbox360 controller has always been of a good quality and in this game it's essential to the success of the game. You'll find yourself in complete control of the bike, but that's not the same as you'll find it easy to get through the tracks - of which there are many.

You'd expect a game with a motorbike to be a racing game, but I'd rather describe Trials HD as a reflex puzzle game against the clock. Although you are not required to finish a track on a set time, the addition of online leaderboards - with your friends being the first on the list - does provide the player with plenty of motivation to shave off seconds after seconds of their personal best. And as there are tracks in five difficulty levels - beginner, easy, medium, hard and extreme - you'll always find a good level of entry to the competition. It should be noted, though, that the extreme tracks are exactly that. Extreme doesn't nearly describe the difficulty level of those tracks, and I'd advice most players to stay clear of them 'till they've completed all the hard tracks - which is difficult enough for most of us. Even the medium ones will takes hours upon hours, if you want to earn the gold medal - or the ever illusive platinum medal.

You'll even find even more tracks available for download for a bargain - all of them in very high quality.
Because the key differences, if you look apart from the technology and software advances since the 80's, from Kick Start is two things: the online aspect and track design. Red Lynx should be commended for their general track quality - and I'm specifically talking about the layout of the tracks, which varies on both form and ideas, but some of their tracks are highly delicate puzzles, which will force you to find both alternative routes and polish your skills, all while you are smiling from the small advances you get from each try.

So the title of this game says it all. It really is a Trial, but at the same time these tests on both skill and patience manages to be fun all the way through. And in the end, you'll probably appreciate the effort Red Lynx has made in order to make this gem of a game.