TrackMania

And ultimately, that’s what TrackMania is all about. Taking the editor to insane limits, finding new quirks to gain a tenth or two on a coveted track, discovering astonishing creations by the community and seeing the hours fly as we slowly put together what we want to achieve. It’s a pure arcade racer but with an insane skill ceiling, and the game offers tons of ways to put these skills to the test. For old-time fans, it may be a bummer that we’re playing on Stadium again, and the official campaigns usually don’t touch the high levels found in TrackMania Turbo. But aside from a handful of tech...

Trackmania’s mechanically nuanced time trials are as tense and addictive in 2020 as they were in 2006. The initial content selection of this latest entry is robust and a wealth of entertaining custom tracks are potentially just a click away… as long as both you and the community of talented track creators are willing to pay for its yearly subscription, that is. The idea that you’ll have to rebuy this version of Trackmania annually raises very real concerns about its longevity, but right now at least, it offers a well-modernized (if not revolutionary) take on a uniquely entertaining racing expe...

Putting all the best content behind a pay wall seems a very unwise decision but the breezy insanity of Trackmania still shines through and the potential of the track designer is immense.

Trackmania is a nice entry into the racing genre that provides a free version, along with paid versions that offer more content. The simple, fast-paced gameplay and official tracks are good, but it's best in short bursts. Official content doesn't take long to complete, so player creations are going to be important in keeping this game alive.

When I previewed Trackmania just one month ago, I mentioned that the version of the game I got to play made it clear to me that I'm terrible at racing games. Specifically, it made it clear that I am pretty damn rubbish at this racing game, with it offering multiple challenges of speed, control, obstacles and more that results in it being more a method of memorisation than skill. At least that's how I perceive the game. The question is, though, is it fun?

Trackmania has the time trial gameplay you expect from the series with a neat map editor, but its subscription service feels like a misstep. Rather than a social racing game, it’s a racing game with a social service built onto it. That might be enough for people, but its engagement can run thin and never feels worthy of its highest tier. While there were some good moments, there was some sense of unfulfillment every time I jumped in. There’s definitely fun to be had, but whether or not th...