If only every sequel to an unexpected smash hit could be this good.
From: Red Lynx
For: Xbox 360 (download only)
Four and a half stars (out of five)
You remember Trials - the funny little motorcycling game that released to little (well, zero) fanfare three years ago, and turned out to be incredibly good.
The game consisted of multiple tracks, increasing in difficulty and featuring a variety of jumps and obstacles, which you had to navigate on a range of bikes. There were medals to be won, new bikes to be unlocked and a handful of skill games for variety.
It was stunningly simple and addictive, and it proved a remarkable success story for the small Finnish company that made it.
Inevitably, a sequel has arrived and fans of the first game can breathe a large sigh of relief. It's even better.
Gameplay is largely the same.
Your rider can not turn left or right, so it is all about working the accelerator and adjusting your body position to stay upright.
The only slight change is that some of the tracks feature "curves". You don't actually turn the wheel but the track turns for you. Might sound a little weird but it's a nice little addition.
As for the other tracks - wow.
The first Trials took place (for memory) exclusively indoors.
Evolution has more of an outdoors focus, which means everything can happen on a bigger scale. Think sunsets, steep cliffs, exploding cars, swamps, the works.
A fleshed-out multiplayer mode is also included, while the use of ghost markers to show where your Xbox Live friends have achieved adds another level of playability.
Evolution also packages a track design tool, a clever addition to the game and one that will boost its longevity as the Trials community competes to create bigger and whackier tracks.
At a time when some of the most popular games - Angry Birds being the obvious example - are those combining simplicity and addictive repetition, Trials Evolution has set a new high point.
