Simply the best arcade-like racer out there... for FREE
Trackmania Nations is a simplified version of the Trackmania Sunrise game that allows players to drive a bolid on very diverse and challenging tracks. The solo mode brings nothing new to the genre but the number and variety of the tracks make it addictive when you're trying to shave off these last milliseconds in order to get the gold medal. The tracks include holes, loops, jumps, and accelerators, all the stuff you need to get an exciting driving experience. We're not talking simulation here, but pure arcade, and don't expect to learn a lot about the way you can drive e real vehicle :).
The graphics and sound are really good. Graphically, the appearance of the cars is great, and lots of reflexions and visual tricks (like the grass if you own a powerful nVidia card) grant the game a very enjoyable appearance. The sound won't drop your jaw to the floor, but remains very efficient and integrated. The music is nice, but nothing revolutionary here.
What grandly extends the interest of the game is the track editor, which would need a little how-to for beginners, but is amazingly simple and efficient at building even the weirdest tracks you have in mind. You simply have to validate your newly created track in order to play it online or on LAN with your mates.
The game provides only one default car model, looking like a mix between a formula one and a Lotus Seven. But you can modify the appearance of this model in a paint shop that allows a lot of tweaking operations such as stickers, painting, etc. If you're really into it, you can also build your own car model in a 3D tool and import it in the game. While you might not want to do that yourself, the great community has already designed thousands of cars that you can rather easily integrate in your game, from a simple 2CV Citroen to the latest Ferrari F50, not forgetting Starsky and Hutch Ford Torino.
Last but not least, the multiiplayer ingredient is the one you get the game for. Very nervous and short tracks allow for quick and easy competition between players, and even between nations. As in the game name, you select a nation in your profile and your results online add up to the results of your compatriots, providing an international ranking that appears as an introduction each time you launch the game.
This game is definitely one you must own or at least try out. It doesn't bring anything I haven't seen elsewhere but provides a very well round-up package of what is an ultimate arcade experience.