There is a dedicated key to restart the course, ‘R’. I’m not sure it’s mentioned in the configuration but thanks to the nature of the checkpoints I’m spamming it way more than backspace.

I went back to the 3D demo today to play the demo track (the only one that counts). I’d gotten gold easily but been frustrated by my inability to clear that back slope on the final ramp, and after five or ten more minutes I figured out how to carry some speed into it. In combination with better plants on that first boulder, I shaved three seconds off my time. What this has (that Trials very carefully avoided) is fluidity; how you take one stunt can drastically affect how you do one or even two jumps down the road, and when you get it right they flow into each other instead of sitting there holding the go key. That fluidity would be a good USP, but unfortunately it interacts poorly with the checkpointing system. If you screw up the jump over the log bridge, for example, you’re reset not to the beginning where you need to build up the speed to clear it, but to the top of the hill with no velocity at all. There’s really no point to anything but a complete restart (which doesn’t have a shortcut key), and there are also obstacles like that log wall that are essentially stochastic in how they break the flow from one run to the next.

I’m on board with a more braindead RedLynx springy wheels game, but this sits between two stools because it carries over systems that aren’t suited to it.

The frustrating part is that often, to get to the next level, you need to finish with a certain time. Going to the last checkpoint keeps the timer running, meaning that you’ll have to play it over and over from the beginning if there’s a stunt you can’t consistently pull off.

Counterpoint is that the game is a lot fucking easier than Trials 2. But it’s good that my “mash backspace to redo” reflex isn’t going to waste.

Only some of the levels approach the nail-biting difficulty of Trials 2 SE but overall it’s good, clean fun. Just leaving your finger on the gas might allow you to finish most of the levels with a bronze medal but scoring gold is not that easy. ”

What he said. An odd misstep from Red Lynx, in that it’s a decent game which could be so much better with a few tweaks. And the demo is truly shocking.

Also, this game does not have Steam leadeboards or achievements. It’s not worth the $20USD, but it’s worth the $10 introductory price from Steam.

Pressing the nitro button does nothing, and the little Nitro gauge in the top right corner seems stuck on empty.

Only some of the levels approach the nail-biting difficulty of Trials 2 SE but overall it’s good, clean fun. Just leaving your finger on the gas might allow you to finish most of the levels with a bronze medal but scoring gold is not that easy.

I suspect the game will soon get a Second Edition (preferrably free for Steam users who bought the v1). The lack of online leaderboards and recorded replays as seen in Trials 2 are a curious and unwelcome omission.