Trials 2 Second Edition (PC) Review

by Josh Coffey

Trials 2 Second Edition was made by RedLynx. It's an indie game, yet surprisingly it has superb voice acting (yes, that's voice acting), graphics and gameplay. Let's take a look.

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay in Trials 2 is focused solely on getting from point A to point B. Along the way, there are a few checkpoints. These are represented by flags on both sides of the track. Getting from point A to point B isn't easy, though--as we'll soon find out. The game is 2.5 dimensional--that is, it has 3D graphics, but it is played on a 2-dimensional plane. Basically, it is only possible to move left, right, up or down. That's very preferable--I'd hate to play in a fully 3D game. Another thing I feel that I should mention is that it's hard. Very, very hard. Players will die countless times--watching the hilarious ragdoll for a bit then continue to play. If not for the checkpoints, this game would be quite impossible. Countless times I've died right after or before reaching that lone checkpoint in a shout of triumph or utter despair. So while the game is fun, it's also difficult. It's like the developers were trying to make us die as much as possible.

AUDIO

Awesome music plays in the background in an attempt to get players into the "rider" feeling. There are only a few songs, but they don't seem to get repetitive. You will always enjoy the music, never tiring of it being played over and over...and over. The voice acting is incredible. When the rider falls off of his bike, he starts moaning in pain. Of course, his screams sound like they're being said from behind duct tape or a helmet. When the rider dies or gets knocked out, you can hear the "haaa" sound of his last breath escaping from his lungs. Truly incredible. Plus, the motorcycle sounds very realistic. It spins and whirrs obviously, but there are a lot of different sound effects that are cleverly matched together randomly to make it different each time. Plus, if the tires skid on the ground, then the tires sound like they're skidding on the ground. There isn't much more to say. There are a handful of other sound effects, like the flags popping open to reveal fire and whatnot. So to sum it up, the audio is superb. I'd love it if every other game sounded like this.

VISUAL

There are three different qualities to be had: Normal (for high-end computers), Low and Very low. I’ll be telling y'all about all of 'em. Normal: On Normal quality, it's beautiful. There are dynamic shadows that are shown with every light in the game. Shaders make the lighting look stupendous--the rider can be sleek and shiny. It's especially amazing to go up extremely high and have your shadow be portrayed on the wall, big and foreboding. In addition, there are flashlights on the bike. Low: On Low quality, it's not as stunning. Textures are low-resolution and ugly. There are very little lighting effects, and the effects that are there just don't stand out. Plus, there are no shadows--none at all. It really ruins the effect. Since there's no lighting, everything seems to be at the same or close to the same lighting. There aren't any flashlights on the bike, either. Also, there are little to no particle effects. Very Low: On Very Low quality, the game is just ugly! The models all have very little polygons, while there are absolutely no lighting effects at all. Almost every effect that could get acclaim is gone. Nothing looks right. Of course, this is all in order to make the game run on even the worst computers.

In every quality there are fires. These fires bend and sway when the rider moves past them, to indicate wind. It looks incredibly cool to rush by a fire and see it bend in the direction you're heading. In every quality there is also a ragdoll effect. A ragdoll is basically when there are no animations at all--everything is governed by an in-game physics engine. So the rider flies and bends and whatnot in a different way every time. Bones can even be broken whilst in ragdoll mode. Plus, there's an achievement for breaking every bone.

STORY

There is no story. Why is there no story? Why, that's an excellent question, little Jimmy! The answer is clear and concise: because it doesn't need one.

REPLAY

Players will continue to come back to Trials 2 over and over again. They will never grow tired of purposefully bashing the rider's head into a wall and watch him struggle on the ground, fall into a pit and die. There are tons of levels, branching into many categories, including dynamic, flip and the difficulty levels. More levels are added over time as well.

OVERALL

Overall, Trials 2 is a very fun indie game. It's available on Steam for a lowly $10. Support the indie scene and buy it today.