Trackmania, the latest iteration legendary racing franchise developed by Nadeo and published by Ubisoft, has arrived as a free-to-play title with premium features. With its release on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, players can now experience the thrilling and fast-paced racing action yet again. We took it for a spin on a PlayStation 5.
The premise of Trackmania is simple yet captivating. Players compete in time trials on over 1000 tracks, with a new track added daily. The focus is on individual performance and climbing leaderboards, as you strive to earn medals and trophies. While there are multiplayer modes available, such as Ranked and Royal, where you can team up with friends, the heart of Trackmania lies in its time trial experience.
One of the standout features of Trackmania is its unique driving model. It follows the “easy to learn, hard to master” philosophy, offering an arcade-like experience. The controls are simple, with no manual transmission or advanced handling to worry about. It’s all about accelerating, braking, turning, and drifting to reach maximum speed. While reaching the end of the track is relatively easy, the challenge lies in achieving the fastest time possible. The game’s deterministic physics ensure that the same inputs will always yield the same results, allowing for precise and skillful driving as you take all the risks you need to shave 1/10 of a second off your best time.
Visually, Trackmania impresses with its stadium environment. While it may seem familiar to those who played Trackmania Nations in the past, this iteration offers more variety and advanced mechanics. The track editor is a powerful tool that allows players to create their own tracks, and all the tracks found in the game have been made using this tool. With hundreds of roads, decorations, and even the option to import 3D models, the possibilities for track creation are virtually endless – part of the lasting success and appeal of this franchise.
Trackmania boasts a strong community aspect, with players sharing their creations and participating in daily events. The game’s new subscription-based model offers access to additional content, including new seasons with 25 maps each. The community tracks, hand-picked by the developers, provide an exhilarating challenge for players to compete for the best time. The daily event called Cup of the Day adds another layer of excitement, with elimination races that require consistency and skill.
While Trackmania excels in many areas, there are some downsides to consider. The game’s UI can be buggy at times, with image previews failing to load and occasional crashes occurring. The absence of a career mode and AI opponents may also be disappointing for some players looking for a more traditional racing experience and not just the social/competitive part.
Overall, Trackmania is a must-play for fans of arcade racing and time trial enthusiasts. Its brilliant driving model, extensive track editor, and strong community support make it another solid title in the franchise. While it may not appeal to everyone due to its lack of traditional features (you’re not likely to be swayed if you didn’t care for the previous games), Trackmania offers a unique and adrenaline-packed experience that rewards skill and precision. If you’re willing to dedicate yourself to mastering the tracks and competing for the best times, Trackmania will provide countless hours of thrilling gameplay.
Score: 7.9/10
Press Play Media 