Quick Review: Urban Trial Freestyle

The apocalypse might not be the best moment to go out biking.

Everybody's gotta start somewhere, right?

A game from Tate Multimedia released to multiple platforms, and to Steam on September 18th, 2013, Urban Trial Freestyle can best be described as a physics racing game. The concept? You’re a thug biking around a city that’s falling apart. Drive across crazy tracks and do tricks in the air. That’s about it, really.

Controls are simple: You drive forward with the Up arrow, then adjust your angle with the Left and Right arrows, substituting for backward and forwards respectively. This lets you spin in midair to do stunts, and it can also let you do wheelies or push your weight forward to keep the front wheel on the ground – important for some uphill climbs.

Jumping into a spinning logo... or whatever that is...
...isn't nearly the craziest thing we do here.

The game is divided into five worlds, each containing 8 levels. Following two tutorials, we jump into the meat of the game, using the most basic bike. There’s not much of a story: Our biker keeps trespassing in hazardous areas, so cops and even civilians try to get in his way. That’s it. No explanation as to why, on top of that, the entire world seems to be tearing apart at the seams. On the other hand, gotta love how the world modifies itself perfectly to provide one uninterrupted 2D path for us to take. Yes, levels are in 2D only. But with that said, it’s more interesting to look at everything that happens in the background, even as we ride through.

Jesus, they're even tossing burning cars at you.

Levels are played in two versions: First are the “no trespassing” levels, in which your goal is to score points by completing the mini-challenges (longest/highest/most precise jump, best stunt) and getting to the end as quickly as possible. Second are the “timed” challenges, which are retreads of those levels with only the time attack element to worry about, and the ghost of another racer to go up against. You can earn up to five stars if your end score or time is excellent. You can also find money bags scattered around, which give an extra 500$ when collected.

Yeah, I'm nowhere close to that yet.

In turn, the money is used to upgrade your bike. Improve your motor, chassis and wheels, and tune your gear to your liking for speed, acceleration and handling. I’d recommend buying everything there first, since most 5-star scores are impossible without a few upgrades to your bike. You can also use the money to buy new helmets and clothes for your biker. However, I’d recommend the upgrades first, as later levels and worlds are locked until you collect enough stars, meaning that you need to perform great to see this game to the end.

Face, meet giant tree. You're not gonna be biking while
healing from that.

Gameplay turns into trial-and-error as you figure out not just the optimal path to the end, the best sequence of actions, but also the best gear for each challenge. Later levels even have a bit of a platformer feel to them, which… yeah, no, those wheels don’t control well enough for platforming, that’ll be a pass from me. That said, failing in this game is its own reward, as you can crash in a multitude of ways, many hilarious. Thought you could make it under that hotel sign? Oops, hit your head. Outspeed a falling subway car? Nope. Getting through that weird installation? Better luck next time! I’ve had some crazy laughs seeing my biker hurt himself in embarrassing ways. Over and over and over.

Oh, you should be DEAD dead.

Hey, he’s the one biking where he shouldn’t.

The madman!

Credit where due, the physics are very good, the stunts are varied, the music’s alright, and for a simple 2D title, it goes all-out with its background action and details. I enjoy the insanity of everything that happens around us as we drive through places where we shouldn't be. Heck, the insanity actually can hurt you, so it’s fun seeing all those near misses until you do get hit. Challenge is present, and getting those five stars will prove tricky on several levels, thus forcing a grind on both money and stars if you want to get anywhere.

Which brings me to the big issue: The campaign. There’s not much of an incentive to see the game to the end. A point comes quick where it becomes a grind for stars (to unlock new levels) and money (to upgrade the bike), and there’s no way around that. Furthermore, there’s eight levels in each world but really only four distinct ones, as each is played twice, once in score challenge and once in time attack with no difference otherwise, making the game quite repetitive. Can't say I'm big on the more platforming-like segments, either. At least there’s the pratfalls to keep one entertained.

Urban Trial Freestyle is currently available on Steam for 6.80$ USD.