I'm not a lover of motorbikes, then when it comes to motocross then my level of disinterest skyrockets. Maybe that's exactly why Urban Trial Freestyle 2 he surprised me: he managed to involve me and be appreciated despite my initial skepticism. For those unfamiliar with the genre, in this type of games you have to face an obstacle course, starting from point A to get to point B, taking advantage of physics and balance on the saddle of our bike and arriving safely at the final finish line. .
Speed isn't everything
Not quite the genre of video games I'm crazy for, to put it mildly, yet right from the initial menu Urban Trial Freestyle 2 caught my attention: I immediately notice how the 3D effect of the console is really masterfully exploited, although it does not affect the gameplay in the least. Despite a slight initial confusion, given the presence of so many small icons in which to juggle, it is possible without too much effort to throw yourself on the track and start the first tracks. The level design is good, with well-designed slopes and various locations: ranging from typical American neighborhoods, to landfills, up to parks and factories, all excellently built and with quite realistic physics. It is important not to rely on the accelerator alone to continue along the path: in doing so you avoid going too fast and finding yourself with your face stuck in some wall (literally) and having to repeat everything. Fortunately, every few meters traveled there will be a checkpoint and moreover, in case we realize we have made the wrong approach, we can repeat the last session of the track whenever we want, thus making it less frustrating. Unfortunately (too) often we will not be able to understand in advance what speed to reach to overcome the obstacle, given that theframing little in perspective it does not allow a very wide view.
A garage full of things to do
Urban Trial Freestyle 2 really offers a lot of content and this is really appreciable: in addition to 40 tracks (eight for each of the five areas) that can be tackled both in time trial and in the simple way in which it is enough to reach the finish line (with a score from 1 to 5 stars based on how many mistakes we make and the final score), we have the possibility to customize our biker spending the easily accumulated money; however, it must be said that the variety of clothing is very limited. There are also various types of bikes available each with different characteristics that vary in speed, handling and acceleration: none of these are actually better than others, it will be up to your style of play to decide which one is best for you. Really noteworthy is the mode of creation of paths: it is possible, in fact, with different elements (some even crazy) to give life to your ideas and get a code to share your track with friends.
Roaring, polished engines
What we are facing will not be a memorable title in terms of technical sector, but depending on the type of game it is really excellent: even if the polygonal models are very simple, everything works fine and the settings are well done, with defined textures and also light effects on noteworthy surfaces. Really well implemented the 3D effect, although not useful for gameplay purposes, separates well the foreground, in which the whole game actually takes place, and the urban background; instead the sound sector is subdued: we have few effects besides the continuous roar of our bike, and the soundtrack certainly does not stand out for its originality, although the 80s rock music accompany everything very well.
In conclusion, Urban Trial Freestyle 2 surprised me positively; maybe an accomplice not being a lover of this genre, I guess it is difficult to entertain with long gaming sessions without boredom coming presumptuous, but completing all the tracks, especially if your goal is to get the maximum ratings, will take you a lot of time. If you turn a blind eye to the excessive “trial and error”, mainly due to a view that doesn't help much, and keep the other eye open to admire a well-made graphics, then the evaluation can only be positive.
Modus Operandi: I have completed all forty tracks, but without reaching the full score.
