Catching Big Air with Trials Fusion at PAX East 2014 - Preview
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 12 April 2014 / 4,045 Views
I had the opportunity to try out the Xbox 360 version of Trials Fusion at PAX East 2014. Having never tried a Trials game before, I thought it best to first hop into one of the game’s tutorial stages.
The basic mechanics seemed easy enough to handle, with acceleration mapped to RT and keeping your balance on your bike being determined by how much you lean backwards or forwards on the bike with the analog stick. Trials’ reputation as a difficult yet addicting game held true for my time with demo; just clearing the tutorial was a nearly five minute long ordeal, with my rider slowly making progress from one checkpoint to the next.
In the laboratory-based tutorial stage I learned techniques such as bouncing off of walls while still landing safely on the ground, how to lean forwards in order to scale steep inclines, how to land back flips, and more. The B button, which resets your bike to the nearest checkpoint, became my best friend in the frequent game of trial and error. After clearing the tutorial stage - which was only one of many to be found in the full game - I decided to tackle some of the easy stages in the main single player mode.
The first level I tried was called Ski or Ride and it took place on a mountain in a ski resort. The snow and ice did not seem to be slicker than any other surface found in the game, which while initially disappointing may actually be for the best. The course incorporated many tricky jumps and obstacles to overcome. With persistence I was able to clear the stage with a bronze rating, though I did not manage to complete any of the 3 mission objectives listed at the beginning of the course.
Other courses I tried took place in the outdoors surrounded by cliffs and canyons, and in an urban park with skyscrapers visible in the distance. The wide variety of levels showed off Trials Fusion’s pretty visuals rather well. The lighting effects deserve special acclaim - some areas take place with the sun angled in the sky in such a way as to make bike and rider appear as silhouettes in the foreground. The urban space was especially intriguing to explore, with water fountains, concrete steps, and even tennis courts to somersault over or crash and burn into with bone shattering effect.
Ubisoft teamed up with Monster Energy Drink to help promote Trials Fusion with frequent live BMX demonstrations at their booth by professional riders Larry Edgar and Nick Bruce. The two champion level athletes put on a great show, executing many high flying stunts complete with live commentary.
The presenter made frequent reference to tricks you could supposedly pull off from the safety of the game without putting your body on the line, like the freewheeling dare devils he so admired. Thankfully, the wait for Trials Fusion will not last much longer - gamers can start their engines when Trials Fusion comes out on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on April 16.
