'Trials HD: BIG Pack' impressions

The thought of more levels for Trials HD will send many pulses soaring: it's probably the best Xbox Live Arcade title released this year, and a sample of more torturous tracks from RedLynx is the very definition of a happy New Year. The BIG Pack expands Trials HD in every department, adding more tracks, skill games, objects and achievements, extending what was already a pretty bustling product.

The bulk of the content comes in the new tracks, with 12 medium, nine hard and two extreme courses to contend with. It ensures that players of all abilities have something to chew on, and initially makes good use of the new toys added to the level creation suite. Rocket turbines to send you flying over the furthest jumps, wind turbines to carry you from ledge to ledge and bouncing cars can give you a piggy back to distant platforms.

The slew of whimsical additions makes it more like a platformer than ever before, especially when it turns the established formula on its head. For example, 1 Bit Trip is a stage constructed of a neon green backdrop and black silhouettes, with floating platforms and bombs timed to drop, while Space Station turns down the gravity to make objects and your racer glide through the air.

Although this bout of experimentation is well received, it's rather short lived, with tracks returning to their usual recipe of steep ramps and tiny platforms by the time you complete the new hard courses. Those looking for a tougher challenge will be disappointed with the rather tame extreme stages – we managed to clear both in under 150 attempts each - but it might finally give less-skilled players a chance to earn a few extra medals in that difficulty range. But although novel ideas halt early on, the track selection is generally excellent, especially since it leans towards speedy jumps than vigourous stop starts.

The pack extends the existing content, too: although it disappointingly doesn't add any new skill courses, each one has been given a new route and you will need to play an original tournament to gain access to a motorbike for one of the harder courses. As well as three new achievements, the near-impossible Marathon achievement is now made bearable through a tweak that drops the harder trials, which will please completionists no end. (This is made through a free title update, so you won't need the DLC for this in particular.)

In terms of sheer content, it expands everything by half - and for the third of the price of the original product. Even though it's not nearly as challenging, it makes up for it in fleeting bouts of dazzling innovation, and becomes the perfect excuse to jump back into a game many abandoned a few weeks after release. It's a Big Pack indeed, and sees off one of the best downloadable games of the year in style.

Trials HD: BIG Pack is available now for 400 Microsoft Points (£3.40). You can view a trailer of the pack here and read our review of the full game here.

What do you think of the content? Are you still playing Trials HD? Add a comment in the space below!