‘Core Trials’ Puts Your Physical Body Through a Bullet Hell

Core Trials puts you in front of a camera and makes you duck, dive, and dodge your way around an array of creative attack patterns.

I thoroughly enjoyed weaving my way through the varied, ridiculous attacks while playing UnderTale a few years ago. I’d say the creators of this game did as well, as the visual style of the game and its monsters are definitely reminiscent of that game. However, having to take your own body and move it around all of those wild strikes and arrays of deadly spikes, vines, flames, and water spouts had me working up much more of a sweat.

In this game, there are any array of Trial Masters, and each of them will put you through a ringer of attacks in order to see if you’re worth sharing forbidden truths with. As the last bearer of the core, you really want to know what they have to say despite their efforts to break the core. Thankfully, the majority of your body isn’t hurt by these powerful strikes, but the small green core that hovers in the center of your chest can be harmed by them. So, you need to guide your movements so that you keep your core away from the attacks as best you can to endure the trials. Doing so is a genuine workout, as the attack patterns will cover vast amounts of the screen and require you to predict bullet paths on the floor, getting your body out of the way.

Core Trials requires some fast reactions with your whole body instead of your fingers on a controller, meaning you, yourself, will be put through your paces (be sure to warm up first so you don’t hurt yourself, fellow forty-somethings). It’s a lot of fun as a cardio workout with some neat attacks. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one expands throughout Early Access.

Core Trials is available now (in an Early Access state) on the App Store, Google Play, and Steam.

About The Author

Joel Couture

Joel has been covering indie games for various sites including IndieGames.com, Siliconera, Gamasutra, Warp Door, CG Magazine, and more over the past seven years, and has written book-length studies on Undertale and P.T.. Joel is constantly on the lookout for digital experiences that push the boundaries of what games can be, and seeks to delve into the creative process, meanings, and emotion labor that goes into the work of artists worldwide.