After the announcement and all-too-short teaser trailer from E3 2011, we’d been anxiously waiting for anything new regarding Trials Evolution. The sequel to the tough-as-nails Trials HD will actually be much harder. Checkpoints will be more spread out, so players have to understand what they’re doing and how they do it instead of accidentally making it to the next checkpoint. Progression will now depend on the medals you earn instead of simply finishing a level, so going for the gold will be better than getting a bronze. Skill games are back, but have been re-imagined to be more rewarding and more skill-oriented. These new ideas are not to frustrate and infuriate, but to make sure players have enough experience before they tackle the harder challenges.

The game will feature wide open spaces and stunning vistas, which are much more beautiful than the closed-in warehouse from the last game. Smoke and water effects are also improved. Players can make their own levels and landscapes with the return of the editor, but now it will be even easier to share and receive levels. Sharing is done over the Track Central Hub, where users can upload their tracks for the world to download and play. There will be categories separating most downloaded and top rated tracks, and even tracks recommended by Redlynx. This will add much more free content to the game, and be quite helpful for our Trials HD Tuesday articles.

Trials Evolution supports four players, both on and off Live. Offline, the four players appear on screen in the same course, and if one person crashes, they re-appear at the next checkpoint the remaining players reach. On Live, the other players are represented by ghosts. Offline tracks are easier than online tracks, for ease in sharing a single screen. You can mark your friends as rivals, so you can easily compare stats to see who’s the best. In a very clever move by Redlynx, hosts can decide whether or not players can bail out during a race. This new installment seems to be headed above and beyond the already great Trials HD, so fans may have a hard time waiting until Fall 2011 for the release of Evolution.

Gameplay videos: Single player | Multiplayer

Source: Eurogamer