The Xbox 360 Puzzle Racing Game That Will Have You Coming Back For More
At one point in time, Microsoft's Xbox 360 console dominated the console race while in competition with Sony's PS3 and the Nintendo Wii.
The follow up to the original Xbox earned such a powerful position due to a number of factors. A strong library of first- and third party games, a much stronger online play infrastructure, and a top notch controller are part of the reasons why the Xbox 360 was such a hit. Credit also has to go to the Xbox Live Arcade download service, which led to the rise of digital downloads and indie games getting placed in a more prominent light.
Some of the game that are most fondly remembered from XBLA include Castle Crashers, Bastion, and Braid. One of the other shining examples of XBLA's rousing success was a popular motorbike racer. This Microsoft Game Studios-published and RedLynx-developed digital release earned a whole lot of attention and praise thanks to its challenging difficulty and puzzle-like approach to overcoming tricky track layouts.
This hybrid racer/puzzler is the Xbox 360 classic known as Trials HD.
Trials HD is equal parts racing game and platforming puzzler
Trials HD placed players in the role of a daring motorcyclist.
The onscreen biker was presented with a series of tracks jam packed with obstacles, ramps, and other hazards that stood in the way of players' progress. In order to reach the end of each stage, players needed to manipulate their rider's movements as they grew accustomed to Trials HD's real-to-life physics-based movement mechanics.
Each track is laid out on a 2D plane, so players could only move forwards and backwards. And whenever a rider went airborne, they'd have the ability to pull off a bevy of flips. After pulling off said tricks, however, players would have to be careful and make sure their rider landed on their wheels, instead of their head or back.
Trials HD's addictive gameplay, high challenge factor, and freeform level editor, pushed it to become a beloved release among XBLA titles. Critics and gamers alike hold it in high regard, as evidenced by its Metacritic score, which sits at a respectable 86.