Trials Rising

Trials Rising hits all the right gameplay points for an experience that needs to balance entertainment with challenge. There’s a lot here for players to enjoy whether they want casual fun or a hardcore motorcycle platformer. While the audio and visual presentations of Trials Rising are lacking, the gameplay is fluid and rewarding.

Trials Rising feels like a pure incarnation of the series, and its significant structural and progression problems could be addressed over time as the live game evolves. But that revision (if it ever comes) is not the game currently on offer, and the current playthrough offers too much frustration in return for the moments of humor and skill mastery. I’m still an enthusiast for Trials, but when your gameplay is this established and staid, there’s no excuse for the surrounding trappings to be subpar.

Call me old fashioned, but when it comes to wanting a simple structured progression system akin to Trials Evolution, Trials Rising’s tendency to shamelessly Michael Bay the presentation did leave me pining for simpler times. However, I still found Trials Rising incredibly engrossing enough to fill dinner breaks and free time with the convenient ability to master the bunny hop anytime and anywhere.

Trials Rising offers some of the coolest levels in the series to date, and its new tutorial system does a better job of teaching you how to actually execute its hardest techniques than any game before it. That wide variety of tracks is unfortunately bogged down by the frustrating grind it takes to unlock them all and some strange decisions that lead to a more discouraging experience, but it’s still satisfying to get back on the bike and try for better medals if you can make it to the finish line.

Trials Rising is a difficult game that shows little mercy but rewards those who are willing to learn. The single-player alone has nearly 30 hours of tracks and optional content, with some only unlocked once you’ve met certain requirements. The multiplayer is the icing on this multi-layered cake and the level editor is the fruit toppings. Fans will be able to pick up and play without an issue but newcomers will have to dedicate a significant amount of time before becoming comfortable with the intricate gameplay mechanics. But those who commit the time to learn the elaborate mechanics will find a deeply rewarding game full of challenges to overcome and ways to show off your accomplishments.

Trials Rising maintains the engrossing, challenging, and occasionally slapstick gameplay from past entries in the series, building upon it in small ways with a smartly implemented school to teach fundamental skills and modifiers to make events worth revisiting. But it also doesn't fix issues from the past, either. Its track editor remains uninviting to learn, and the more outrageous stunt events and course obstacles frustratingly lean more into random luck than calculated skill.

Keeping the core fundamentals intact, Trials Rising is every bit as enjoyable and challenging as its predecessors, but is marred slightly by the introduction of a pointless levelling system that only serves to lock off tracks and force you to needlessly grind. That core Trials gameplay is still sensational, though.

Ultimately, Trials Rising offers phenomenal value for money. The tried and tested gameplay has been refined to perfection, there are more than 100 events on offer, and its multiplayer modes are a blast. Any Trials fan should expect to get dozens of hours of gameplay out of Trials Rising, which is not to be sniffed at.

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.

All in all, Trials Rising is easily the best entry of the series to date. If you absolutely hate the previous entries, there’s not much different in Trials Rising that’s going to change your mind. Otherwise, you should absolutely have a blast. I’m anxious to see how much content Ubisoft will add to the game over time, but what’s included already will be sure to keep you occupied for months and months to come.