Urban Trial Playground – Review (Switch)

By Phil Neyman Last updated May 5, 2018

First of all let’s get this out in the open right off the bat… I haven’t hit pause/restart in a game so much since the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game way back on the PS1. The premise for Urban Trial Playground is simple – alternate between point attack levels and beat the clock levels, score enough stars to unlock the next course and you can move on. Failing to do so will mean going back and replaying levels to unlock more stars. Anyone who remembers the Tony hawk games of years gone by will remember the feeling of nailing that first trick to start each level. If you fell or didn’t land how you wanted, you would restart the level hoping for a better start. Urban Trial Playground will give you that same feeling that you remember so well.

Falling here is consequential. If you’re on a score run and you fall there is a point deduction penalty. If you fall during a timed trial you lose precious seconds. Restarting when you fall on your first trick will give you a shot to redeem yourself before you get in too deep.

Having said that, let’s start back at the beginning. When you boot up the game you are given a basic bike that you can update with in-game currency (earned by meeting certain criteria in each race or by collecting poker chips located throughout the level). As you collect currency you can upgrade your motorbike, engine, wheels and brakes as well as buy new paintjobs and stickers for your bike. You also pick between one of two characters, Tommy or Riley. Using in-game currency, you can also update their appearance throughout the game as well.

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After a couple tutorial levels you embark on your Trials. There are 54 courses that you can experience as you unlock stars. They alternate between levels where you need to achieve a high score to earn stars and those where you need to complete the track in a certain number of seconds in order to earn them. This breaks up the gameplay nicely due to the score runs being a little more stressful as you try and string those tricks together in order to achieve the high score. The timed tracks have you honing your skills as you find the perfect balance of speed and air in order to reach the finish line as quickly as possible. Finding the perfect bike for your skillset will require piecing together different parts until you feel comfortable with the bike you’ve chosen. To the game’s credit, making an engine swap or tire change will have a noticeable effect on how your bike handles.

The trick set is limited, but that just allows you to have time to perfect it without getting overly distracted. The only “trick” that really feels out of place is the duck option. You tend to need it so rarely that in those moments where you do need to duck you’ve probably forgotten it was an option and you’ll be lucky you aren’t decapitated by some randomly placed 2X4. As you progress through the game the difficulty definitely ramps up nicely and completing some of the later courses can feel as rewarding as completing a level in something like N++ or Super Meat Boy.

For those not wanting to go it alone, there is a multiplayer option as well. You can choose to compete against each other or chase one another. In chase, one player is given a head start and then the second player will hunt them down. Both modes are fun and add depth to the game.

Each course has a leaderboard. Even after you’ve received five stars on every course, you’ll want to return in order to see your name rise on the leaderboard or, in some cases, reclaim your spot if someone happens to knock you off.

The visuals do look a little dated. Even though this is releasing on the Switch and its limited graphics capability, we have seen some games take full advantage of the system. The California sun looks beautiful and the game doesn’t look horrendous by any means, the character models and some backgrounds just look like they are from last gen at times.

Recommendation: As the only stunt bike racing game on Switch, Urban Trial Playground is a must play for any fan of the genre. As a first entry into the series on Switch it is the best way to play the Urban Trial series. The controls feel tight on the joy cons, attached and separated from the system, but as always the best way to play is with the Pro Controller. Nintendo’s Pro Controller is truly one of the best controllers ever made and with that in hand you’ll be doing tricks in style in no time. The HD rumble will ensure that you feel every crash and misstep in a truly unique way. Indie titles truly shine on Nintendo’s portable marvel and that trend continues with Urban Trial Playground.