User Rating: 8.8 | TrackMania (2003) PC
Simply stated, this game is pure, simple fun. Who would have thought that the use of only 5 keys during the game could be so much fun (4 arrow keys to drive and Enter to start over). GAMEPLAY: 9/10 – Several modes to choose from: race, puzzle, survival, and online. They are all great fun in their own right. I really enjoy puzzle – it makes you think a little bit between the mindless 5 button races (but mindless racing is great in this game, don’t get me wrong!). Online racing is fun too, if just to check out the crazy tracks that users have come up with. The only negative of gameplay is the fact that there is no collision or damage modeling between cars. You can drive through everyone. The good part of this is that it means lag has no effect on your racing. I join European servers all the time, and it’s still good fun. GRAPHICS: 7/10 – Nothing mindblowing here, but it certainly serves the purpose, and runs smooth as silk too (even at 1600x1200 on my 9600XT). SOUND: 7/10 – I kind of enjoy the quirky menu music, but the music during the game does get a little repetitive. Just put a CD on in the background, and you’re good to go. VALUE: 9/10 – I paid $27 for this game, and I can see myself spending many many hours on it – especially if you take the time to start creating your own tracks. TILT: 10/10 – there’s something about this game that is just so much fun to play, and I don’t know what it is. It’s fairly simple, but the tracks are so cool, it’s just a blast. I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a non-realistic racing game that’s just pure fun.
