Games
Trials Rising is finally here. The latest in the brutal biking series offers up brand new challenges, and we speak with the developers to find out about the road to Trials Rising.
Trials Rising is a test. A test of your wits, dexterity, and your patience. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. The series has always thrived on making players work for their progress – with constant trial and error the route to gaining rich rewards. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun. Leaping from obstacle to obstacle while desperately trying to adjust your bike to whatever bulging surface lies ahead is as satisfying as it is challenging, and it’s fair to say that Trials Rising delivers both the fun, and the challenge.
We speak with Antti Ilvessuo, Creative Director at Ubisoft RedLynx to find out more about how Rising builds on the series’ legacy, the reason for its down-to-earth setting, and just why the game feels so good on Nintendo Switch.
Bringing Trials to real life
Trials Rising takes the series back to reality. Recent instalments have offered more outlandish settings, mixing up the obstacles players had to overcome, but this time, the team opted for something closer to home. Ilvessuo explains:
“In Trials Fusion we took the game into the future, whereas Trials Evolution took place in the present day. Players wanted gritty realism so for Trials Rising we’ve decided to go back to a more grounded, real-world setting.
“Also, the bikes now accumulate dirt in the game so this direction is perfect. You see, in the future there is no dirt, only optimism and shiny metal. However, the real world has dirt and rust and so does Trials Rising!”
That said, Trials Rising isn’t exactly interested in being the kitchen sink entry into the series. There’s still plenty of creativity in the tracks, even as they draw upon real-life locations to offer up fresh new challenges. Ilvessuo adds:
“The way to think about this is that the real world has been adapted to be usable in Trials. Take the Eiffel Tower, for example. It’s not a carbon copy of the real world location. It’s an exaggerated, creative and fun version of the real world adapted for Trials riding.
The locations also leave a mark and help players to remember the tracks they have unlocked and played on the World Map.”
So, with reality now (mostly) front and centre, should players opt for a change of tact when diving into the game for the first time?
“The challenge is still to finish the track as fast as possible, with as few faults as possible,” Ilvessuo says. “We hope the tracks teach players to master the bike as they progress as well as to control their temper when they make a fault. Trials Rising will turn you into a better person… or worse. We hope better!”
As for the team, the creation of tracks inspired by existing landmarks posed a different kind of challenge to the ones they’d experiences when building courses for the previous games. Ilvessuo explains:
“It’s not enough to have a well-known location or landmark – it also has to be a great Trials track. There were so many crazy ideas…but our guys are seasoned Trials veterans who did an awesome job and they’ve totally pulled it off.”
He stresses, too, that this ability to create isn’t limited to the developers. “The in-game Track Editor that players get is the same one that the team uses here.” He adds, “That means that tracks like the ones we made can also be built by players and shared with the Trials community across all platforms. Several of our level designers used to be players who built tracks at home. So videogames pay off! Do cool things and the world will be a better place for all!”
And this spirit of creativity really comes through with the way players wipeout. Sure, it can be frustrating when a seemingly good run is disrupted by a spectacular mess-up, but that doesn’t make it any less amusing. As for how they captured the cracking crashes, Ilvessuo says:
“The game is all about physics-based action. So we basically create a setup and things “unfold” based on how the players approach it. That’s the key. Again, all of this is available for players in the Track Editor. You can add a section that blocks the bike after 20 metres and hits it with a massive wrecking ball. We encourage everyone to play around with the settings and create their own epic moments. Trials comes with the “best ragdoll crash tool” as default!”
Talking tips
In addition to the updated Track Editor, there’s a raft of other notable changes for fans to look forward to in Trials Rising, including the two-player Tandem Bike, competitive online seasons, a ton of customisation items for the bike and rider with cross-platform sharing, and much, much more. So how can beginners get to grips with the new game, and this rich array of content? Ilvessuo says:
“Another new feature in Trials Rising is the University of Trials, an in-game training ground hosted by Professor FatShady. It features playable tracks that gives the players step-by-step instructions on how to master the controls, ranging from basic throttle control to more advanced techniques like bunny hops. It’s a great way for new and old players to familiarise themselves with the game!”
As for long-standing fans of the series, Trials Rising will indeed pose its own unique challenges. Ilvessuo offers some advice: “Take your time. This is not a HD remake of older Trials games: we have added a bunch of new things to discover and fine-tuned some of the old mechanics with surprises here and there. The essence remains intact and every Trials veteran should feel at home playing Trials Rising!”
Speaking of new additions, the Tandem Bike mode is absolutely filled with the potential to make, or break, friendships. As for how it works, Ilvessuo has you covered: “Two players on one bike. Both in control of half the power and leaning each. Communication is key. Try it.”
And if that sounds daunting, Ilvessuo offers a short tip for any adventurous tandem-ers: “TALK! Communicate. Test by agreeing mid-air how many flips you will do?”
Regardless, it sounds like you’ll need a helmet.
Switch it up
There’s been much excitement about the series’ debut on Nintendo’s incredible hybrid console, and it’s not disappointed. Trials Rising always seemed an ideal fit for the Switch – something Ilvessuo is in firm agreement with. He says, “Trials Rising and Nintendo Switch is a perfect match: there’s always time for a few tracks when you are on the go. We have had some of the best players in the world working with us to ensure that also the Switch version controls just right.”
To conclude, we asked Ilvessuo whether there were any tracks in the game that even he struggled to master. His answer should please those hoping that Trials Rising will keep up the brutal form of its predecessors. He says:
“I can’t finish Ninja tracks (the most difficult category) myself. There is only a handful of people that can pass the most difficult Ninja tracks. Maybe one day we will see someone passing them with zero faults. Maybe never. It’s truly the hardest gaming I ever encountered.”
Trials Rising is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
