Bone-crushing platformer Trials Rising launches February with a closed beta in September
If you've any bones left, it's not Trials.
I've been a fan of Redlynx's Trials series since it was a browser game, and I remain resolutely rubbish at them. Devious precision platformers cunningly disguised as motorsport, the next game in the series - Trials Rising - looks to keep up the facade. Rising is due for release on February 12th next year but players with a taste for pain and the ability to stomach a few thousand repetitions until you nail a jump just right can sign up for a closed beta next month, running from September 13th to 16th. Below, a gleefully painful new trailer from Gamescom.
While the addition of a co-op mode where you attempt to balance a tandem motorcycle together looks like a fun time, it looks like Trials Rising is mostly going the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' route. While I greatly enjoyed Trials Fusion once all the expansions were out and cross-platform level sharing was patched in, I know some people didn't like its initially clean sci-fi aesthetic. Rising rolls back the clock, and has players leaping chasms and shattering their skeletons across the modern world. It's just not Trials unless every track ends with a crash, either.
Rather than split its DLC up into a swarm of smaller packs (although Fusion's eventually added up to a hefty chunk of game), Trials Rising is planned to have two expansions released after launch, which will be included in the Gold edition of the game. There will also be some cosmetic packs, letting you dress up your rider in a variety of silly costumes and decorate your bike in similar style. Personally, I'm going to be shooting for whatever the best is that can be earned through play, for bragging rights. I'll never get any of it, but I'll try, dammit.
While Ubisoft have said that there'll be a sponsorship and challenge system in Trials Rising to earn extra rewards, I hope it doesn't stray too far from Fusion's excellent bonus objectives. Every track had three extra goals. Some were clever (find a portal to a secret level), some were silly (complete the entire track while on fire), and some were nigh impossible (complete a very hard track without leaning), but they were always interesting, and the tracks were packed with optional, hidden details, including a visual novel at one point. More of that, please.
Trials Rising will be out on February 12th, and you can find it on both Steam and Ubisoft's official site here. Those who want to suffer early can sign up for September's closed beta on the 13th here. You'll need a Ubisoft account to log in.