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Trials Fusion

Trials Fusion

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! RedLynx is hitting the throttle harder then ever before.

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Trials was one of the most rocking Xbox Live Arcade exclusive titles of the past generation. Trials HD and Trials Evolution were both super addictive and fun, and it looks like RedLynx hasn't changed all that much with Trials Fusion. However, the big difference with Fusion is that it finally ditches the exclusivity and arrives on both PC and PlayStation 4. We had an opportunity to see what the new game is all about when Ubisoft invited the gaming media to attend a preview event in Helsinki.

Helsinki's old Cable Factory has seen many events and concerts, but this time it was dedicated to gasoline fuelled motorcycle madness. The event began with a short presentation, but soon after we had plenty of time to dive in and get our hands on the game. There were a dozen or so test stations and the whole afternoon gave us time enough to check out everything that was playable.

From the outset it was clear that Trials Fusion doesn't try to re-invent the wheel - either of them. Everything about it feels very familiar and safe. Tackling the obstacles with realistic driving physics is still agonisingly addictive, and it gets incredibly competitive when trying to take down a friend's score. Trying to beat record times and high scores almost always plunges you into that famous tailspin of "must try one more time".

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While the core of the game is very similar to previous titles, there are some new interesting features to freshen up the experience. Most notably, the visuals have received a huge nitro boost. Trials Evolution wasn't a bad looking game by any standard, but Fusion pushes the on-screen eye candy to the brink of diabetes. Crummy wooden planks, dark caves and factories are ancient history, and the new look is now brighter, more colourful and futuristic. The effects are particularly beautiful, ranging from cinematic sunsets to Star Trek-like chrome and glass city views.

Trials' tracks and Skill Games are still the two main pillars of the game, but in addition to those we got to try out then new FMX mode that focuses on getting the highest possible score through various tricks. The tricks are based wholly on the in-game physics and there are no built-in animations used. Spins/summersaults are, of course, handled by changing the center of gravity of the bike, but all the other tricks will be done with the right analog stick. The performed trick then depends on the position of the rider and bike in the air.

FMX's gameplay felt fairly simple, but at the same time it's just as intuitive as Trials has always been. Despite the simplicity there seemed to more then enough tricks, and pulling them off in a timely fashion certainly presented a challenge. Top scores required a multitude of different tricks and combing them while in mid-air was trickier than it might sound. Taking risks pays off, but they can backfire very easily if you get too greedy.

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The oldest game mode, the basic Trials, has also received new tweaks. Every track in Trials Fusion has three challenges and multiple secrets that can drastically alter the the way the track works. For instance, on one track ended on one side of a tennis court meant we found ourselves in a hilarious tennis match with a penguin. There was a constant flow of small surprises that really showed that the RedLynx team are not lacking a sense of humor.

These extra challenges offer more replay value, but what really fires that through the roof is the returning track editor. Once again creative players get to have a go at making their own courses, mini-games and challenges, and can share them with everybody online. Making the tracks looked much easier then before and even though we didn't get a chance to try it out ourselves, we did get to see the creative director, Antti Ilvessuo, whip together a decent looking track in less then a minute. He also promised that there wouldn't be a shortage of objects. Over 1000 resizable and editable objects should ensure that even the most ambitious players can fulfil their aspirations.

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It's very hard to find anything bad to say about Trials Fusion. Everything we saw in Helsinki left me with a very positive feeling about the game. It looks to build on all the previous strengths of the series, and at no time during the session did the driving, pulling off tricks, or pursuit of better scores get even the slightest bit boring. Four-player Motorcross races on the same screen were also fun, and I'm already looking forward taking on my friends and colleagues, battling them for the best positions on the leaderboards.

The only criticism I could think of was that excluding new tracks, FMX, better graphics, a multi-platform release and extra challenges, there really isn't that much new going on with Trials Fusion. Then again, if it's not broken then why fix it? Everything points to Trials Fusion being yet another quality Trials experience, and the best part is that the we don't have to wait too long get our hands on the finished article. Trials Fusion hits PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PS4 on the April 16.

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Trials FusionScore

Trials Fusion

REVIEW. Written by Gillen McAllister

"The bike balancing is still perfect, tracks the right side of tricky, the worlds rich in detail. And we'll go against popular consensus - the music's brilliant."



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