Back in the ’80s

The game Trials of the Blood Dragon might not have the most sophisticated platforming but it’s definitely interesting and at times challenging.

Trials of the Blood Dragon, the latest addition to the Trials franchise announced at E3 2016, comes with a little twist. While the game does stay true to its Trials roots, it’s more of a spin off with its added side scrolling shooter and platforming mechanics for some of the on foot segments.

The game is set in a universe where USA has cybernetic soldiers fighting off communists during the Vietnam war. The gameplay is divided into two parts, interspersed with some great cutscenes to help explain the totally tripped out story. The trials segment of the game plays like you would imagine, fans would feel just at home, the twist here is that few segments throw in enemies and obstacles that you must shoot; these range from helicopters chasing you to stationary turrets and soldiers on patrol. The addition of a new grappling hook mechanic makes things interesting as it adds a whole new dimension to what was just familiar territory.

The on foot segments have you roaming around with guns, platforming and shooting enemies as you progress to the end of the stage. While it’s not the most sophisticated platforming or sidescroll action you’ll find it’s definitely interesting and at times challenging. What I liked about the game was the super ’80s vibe. You feel like you’ve stepped into an awesome and yet at the same time excruciating ’80s action movie, from the uber neon colour scheme to the soundtrack and crazy custscenes with stereotypical voice acting it screams Rambo.

Blazing down mountains or jumping across buildings with some ’80s techno while your screen is tripping on what is most likely LSD is much more enjoyable than you might think. Unfortunately for Trials of the Blood Dragon, it gets old fast. While the game’s default levels are definitely fun and challenging, Trials has always been about community created content and I found no sign of that here, a huge disappointment to say the least. While the game does have some form of a meta game with cyptic clues throughout the campaign to open a secret safe, it’s not the same as thousands of community created tracks. While the game is fun, I’d say pick it up only on sale.