Pure fun, unjustly slated.
However, the game is a whole lot of fun if you are just looking for a pick-up and play, cheap thrill of a racer, there is nothing to think about or get involved with, just high-speed racing mayhem and its all for fun. But what really makes this game fun is the Track Editor. The entire planet Earth is available to build a track on (only the terrain is altered; grassy in England, rocky and dry in the desert) which doesn't alter the gameplay, its just a cool addition. Building tracks is unbelievably simple and can be mastered in minutes. Its undeniably fun to just sit and tinker with tracks and race your awesome results when finished. Building tracks doesn't take forever, you can make them as short or long as you like. You could build one in 30 seconds.
The bad press isn't always right; this game is a prime example. Its fun and has huge replayability due to the track editor. In fact, the game is worth buying for the track editor alone. And these days this game is bargain-bin prices, well worth a few measly £'s.