Trials of the Blood Dragon is a strange beast. It takes the motorcycle physics of the Trials series and drops it into the neon-lit, tongue-in-cheek world of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. The result is a game that wants to be both a racing romp and a full narrative adventure, and it never quite decides which one it is.
Developed by Ubisoft Kyiv and RedLynx, Trials of the Blood Dragon hit PS4, PC and Xbox One in June 2016. It follows Roxanne and Slayter, the children of Rex Power Colt, as they ride through seven worlds on a physics-based motorcycle, dodging obstacles and fighting enemies along the way. The game promises 30 missions and a full story, but the execution struggles to live up to that ambition.
Trailer, via IGDBcom.
The Setting
The game is set in a world where Blood Dragons roam free, a time where the future is not what it used to be. That premise is pure Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon territory, and the game leans into the retro-futurism with gusto. Neon signs, synthwave music and a general sense of decay define the visuals.
But the setting is also the game’s biggest problem. It tries to build a coherent story around Roxanne and Slayter saving the day, saving freedom, and saving the world. The writing does not support that scale. The dialogue is often clunky, the pacing is uneven, and the mission structure feels more like a checklist than a journey.
The Protagonists
Roxanne and Slayter are the offspring of Rex Power Colt, described as tough as their father and smart as their mother. They are meant to be the best there ever was at being the best. In practice, they feel like a thin excuse to put two riders on screen. Their personalities are barely fleshed out, and their interactions are limited to brief lines of dialogue between missions.
The game’s central conceit is that Roxanne and Slayter are going to Vietnam War 4 to save the day. That’s a bold idea, but the game spends little time explaining why Vietnam War 4 matters or what the stakes actually are. The story is thin enough that it doesn’t earn the weight of its own premise.
The Gameplay
The core gameplay is a physics-based motorcycle ride, similar to the original Trials games. You accelerate, brake, drift and navigate obstacles while trying to maintain momentum. The game adds a grappling hook and segments where you disembark from your bike to fight enemies with guns or use stealth to avoid detection.
These elements sound promising on paper. In practice, they don’t always work together smoothly. The motorcycle sections can be punishing, with tight checkpoints and unforgiving obstacle placement. The gunplay is simple, and the stealth segments are often more about hiding than about strategy.
The Missions
The game is divided into 27 levels, spread across seven worlds. Each level is a distinct mission with its own objectives, from chasing down a target to collecting items. The missions are presented in a linear sequence, and the game guides you from one to the next.
This structure works in some ways. It gives the game a clear path forward, and the variety of missions keeps things interesting. But it also means the game lacks a sense of exploration. There’s little reason to look around beyond the main objective, and the world feels more like a series of corridors than an open sandbox.
The Sound
The soundtrack is pure synthwave, fitting the retro-futurist setting. The music is energetic and catchy, and it does a good job of selling the game’s tone. The voice acting is mixed, with some solid performances and others that fall flat.
The presentation is the game’s strongest asset. The art direction is vibrant, and the level design is imaginative. The game looks good, even if it doesn’t always play well.
The Problems
The biggest issue is the pacing. Some levels are quick and fun, while others drag on for far too long. The game’s difficulty spikes unpredictably, and the lack of a proper difficulty curve means you might die repeatedly on a section that felt easy just moments ago.
The story also suffers from a lack of depth. The game sets up a conflict involving Vietnam War 4, but it never fully explains what’s at stake or why Roxanne and Slayter are the ones who have to fix it. The narrative is thin, and the characters are thin, which makes the emotional payoff feel hollow.
The Verdict
Trials of the Blood Dragon is a competent but flawed game. Its strengths — the motorcycle physics, the synthwave aesthetic, the occasional clever mission design — are undercut by a story that never quite coheres and a mission structure that feels more like a checklist than an adventure.
The game is at its best when you’re simply riding fast and having fun. It’s at its worst when you’re slogging through a mission that feels like busywork. The balance between the two is difficult to find.
If you’re a fan of the Trials series or Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, there’s enough here to justify a look. But the game’s flaws are real, and they keep it from reaching the heights of either franchise on their own.
Key Facts Box
- Platforms: PS4, PC (Windows), Xbox One
- Developer: Ubisoft Kyiv, RedLynx
- Genres: Shooter, Platform, Racing, Arcade
- Storyline: 2019 – NOW, 12 years after Vietnam War 2
- Levels: 27
- Worlds: 7
Ranking the Game’s Strengths
- The motorcycle physics
- The synthwave aesthetic
- The occasional clever mission design
- The voice acting (mixed)
- The overall presentation
- The grappling hook and gunplay (simple)
- The mission structure (linear)
- The story (thin)
The game is a curiosity, not a masterpiece. It’s worth a look for fans of the source material, but it’s not a game that stands on its own.
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