In a move that could almost be considered a Demo for the game, Trials Rising is going into "open beta" for four days, from the 21st to the 25th, before the game launches the very next day on the 26th of February. The four days are being made available for every format, specifically the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
How this is a beta for the game, I can't truly explain - the game is bound to be gold by then. What is most likely is that they could be stress-testing the servers. Why do I think that? Because of the content that is going to be made available during the open beta.
The features that are to be made available include
- 18 tracks from easy to extreme, including four University of Trials onboarding tracks
- Five bikes (Squid, Rhino, Mantis, Helium and the hilarious two-player Tandem bike)
- The exclusive Turbo Bike Exhaust for the Helium Bike, which makes it roar like a real motorbike. All players who unlock the in-game Trials Turbo Bike item during Open Beta will be able to keep it once they purchase the game.
- 25 Contracts, Challengers game mode and 8 tracks playable in Online Multiplayer
- Customization editor with over 2000 stickers
For information on how to enter the open beta, you can read about it on the official site.
Earlier this month I was able to get hands-on with Trials Rising at an event held by Ubisoft. I genuinely enjoyed the game, though I had misgivings regarding the inclusion of loot boxes. Despite that, I still have to say it's looking to be an enjoyable game and a step up from the previous iterations of the series. I had this to say at the time:
Trials Rising is genuinely looking like it could be the best game of the series yet. Yes, there are downsides such as the dreaded Loot Boxes. I would have much preferred direct microtransactions. In that situation, I would have barely covered them, but these gambling mechanics are sadly becoming a reality of the industry. Looking at the rest of the game though, and having played it on the PS4 and Switch, It really is something I’m looking forward to.
Trials Rising will launch on the PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on the 26th of February.
