Trials Evolution, for those of you not in the know, is the latest entry in the Trials series of games which places players in the role of a tiny motorcycle rider tasked with reaching the end of increasingly unlikely motocross tracks. It’s a simple premise featuring simple “move to the right as fast as possible” gameplay, but as anyone who has played any of the Trials games will attest, it’s incredibly addictive.
How addictive, you ask? Well, in its first day of availability on the Xbox Live Arcade, Trials Evolution broke the record for “highest grossing day-one sales” in XBLA history, topping such hits as Iron Brigade (formerly Trenched), Castle Crashers, Marvel Vs Capcom 2 and Shadow Complex.
Granted, it must be noted that the game’s massive cash intake likely has something to do with its higher-than-average $15 price point (1200 Microsoft points, for those of you who prefer fictional denominations), but — and despite a lack of solid figures for how many copies were sold — that still means Trials Evolution sold a huge number of units. Whichever way you look at it, the game is a massive smash hit.
That’s great news for developer RedLynx, but more importantly for those of you now contemplating whether or not you ought to also download this thing is the intensely positive critical reception the game has seen. Our review appeared this morning and at the risk of creating a Digital Trends-branded ouroboros of self-congratulatory text, we present the following relevant quote:
RedLynx has done it again. Trials HD set a standard and this sequel raises the bar. The multiplayer feels like a bit of a misfire, but all of the other pieces fall into place very well. If nothing else, the so-so online play gives the developer yet another facet to improve upon when the inevitable third game is released. Trials Evolution is definitely worth your time, especially with the quick respawn B-button command fostering the ever-addictive “just one more go” mentality that only the most successful games can pull off.
So, unless you’re still trying to picture that ouroboros thing mentioned above, you should probably go download Trials Evolution. Sales might lie and reviewers might lie, but generally when both indicate that a new game is of the highest quality, you really ought to listen.
