Urban Trial Freestyle 2

Urban Trial Freestyle 2 makes a few improvements over the original, but it’s not quite there in terms of network functionality. The connection issues I kept having as well as needing to type in a code just to download a track made that a bit of a hassle, but at least you can now share your tracks online. If you enjoyed the original game, you should enjoy the second outing with twice as many stages to dominate and more obstacles to trip up players with in the track builder.

Featuring double the content and the addition of (slightly imperfect) online level sharing, Urban Trial Freestyle 2 improves on the previous game in pretty much all the ways it should. Whether it's earning stars or designing and/or playing usermade levels, there's plenty of content here to keep coming back to.

Considering the quality on-hand here and the overall level of polish, Freestyle 2 has gone above and beyond what one might expect from the average eShop game. The gameplay is fun and tight, and though the physics can get a little weird in spots, this is largely everything about the first Freestyle writ larger and better. I wasn’t a fan of all of the customization features on offer, but I did enjoy tweaking my bike, and I especially liked how easy it was to make my own tracks. Though the inability to exchange track codes in-game is a glaring flaw, it’s one that can be easily worked around—which I frankly suspect the design team was aware of when they put together the game. 3DS might be getting a bit long in the tooth, but it’s still an excellent platform with compelling software like Urban Trial Freestyle 2.

Urban Trial Freestyle 2 is a mostly enjoyable portable Trials-like game that features plenty of content. Although the formula has been done better before, what you get here is still solid enough to be worth checking out.

As a sequel that doesn't take many risks, Urban Trial Freestyle 2 adds some welcome developments to the original game. The gameplay remains addictive and its plentiful content will keep players entertained while the new online functionalities certainly add to the game's appeal. However, amidst all the improvements, it should be pointed out that some of the original's flaws remain unaddressed.

Urban Trial Freestyle 2 is a very good game, with very few negatives, only minor gripes. The graphics look high end for the Nintendo 3DS, and the gameplay and depth to the game was more than I had expected. The ragdoll physics were as amusing as you'd expect, and the track creator was a fantastic addition. When you merge all that together, you get Urban Trial Freestyle 2 - a game that got me using my 3DS again!

I’m sure there is a demographic out there that Urban Trial Freestyle 2 will appeal to, but it is clear to me now that I am not a part of that key demo. While I can appreciate what they were going for here and I found myself really getting into the challenge, any feeling of joy I experience doesn’t last for long when I’m faced with so many bewildering design choices.

A competent stunt racer that's a little too nondescript and derivative for its own good.

Urban Trial Freestyle 2's great mistake is putting the scoring system where the challenge is at its weakest. You can get through a gauntlet of obstacles unscathed, but you won't be rewarded at all. And while a track creation system does allow you to create amusing challenges for yourself, don't expect to find anyone else's. The effort put into the presentation is commendable, but Urban Trial Freestyle 2 is best described as fleeting, faltering fun.