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TrackMania (called TM2020 by community) - newest game, has the nicest graphics and car speed readout on back of car, cup of the day, clubs, etc. This is the current game and has the largest player base, and is only available via Ubisoft Connect.
- I really don't think you're fast enough.
- 8 Trackmania Gameplay Screenshots
- Drifting Off The Main Circuit
- What the Deal With Trackmania's Subscription Tiers?
- How are you going to play Trackmania?
- Verdict
By Alex Santa Maria
Updated: Nov 5, 2020 11:37 pm
Posted: Jun 30, 2020 2:00 pm
Some games not only stand the test of time, they actively defy it. That’s undoubtedly the case for Trackmania’s over-the-top time trials and deep track editor – a simple but addictive combination that’s earned the series a dedicated community for nearly two decades. The latest entry, a remake of 2006’s TrackMania Nations simply called Trackmania, feels like a return to form in many ways. But an off-putting subscription system and poor tools to actually teach you its intricacies make it a bittersweet reunion.
Unfortunately, Trackmania has never explained itself particularly well, and 2020’s rendition is no different. An all too brief tutorial covers the basics, but you’re on your own when it comes to learning the mechanical subtlety behind getting truly fast times – tricks like nudging the jetpack-like reactor boost in midair to hover through midair checkpoints you didn’t see coming. That gives Trackmania a steeper learning curve than it ought to have.
But once you zoom past those initial speed bumps, Trackmania can be hard to put down. Finishing any of its decent launch selection of 45+ official tracks can take less than 90 seconds a piece, but you’ll want to play them over and over to shave off seconds and find all the clever shortcuts hidden in plain sight. The potent sounds of your engine roaring backed by high energy music can even eventually become quite soothing, drawing you in as you boost, jump, and drift around each corner in perfect rhythm.
It feels like you’re perpetually on the edge of losing control, making good runs exhilarating.
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The other side of the Trackmania coin is its custom tracks, which remain as impressive as ever – partially thanks to an intuitive block-based editor. Even before release, there are already user-made tracks ranging from recreations of Mario Kart classics to car golf to a rudimentary version of bumper cars. One dark course full of lamp posts felt like a throwback to Night Driver on the Atari 2600. Another downward slope felt like a slide from a water park that could send your vehicle flipping and flying at any moment. You never really know what you’ll get as you rummage through Trackmania’s course selections, and that’s half the fun. Time will tell if custom servers can achieve the level of plugin-based madness seen in the days of Trackmania 2, but creators already seem to have the means to go nuts in all sorts of ways.
Unfortunately, not everyone who plays Trackmania can utilize these tools thanks to its unappealing new subscription service. You can play on official tracks and use a simplified map editor entirely for free, but most other things require either the “Standard” or “Club” access subscriptions, which are $10 and $30 per year respectively. Without open access to custom tracks and other community features like chat, it’s less of a free-to-play experience and more of a glorified demo.
What’s the difference between the “Standard’ and “Club” tiers you may ask? The biggest difference lies right in the names. Only Club members can create and join Clubs, which are Trackmania’s solution to the lack of an online server browser. Each Club acts as its own server, but it can also host specific custom tracks and car skins to download.
If you’re not subscribed at all, you have to rely on random Arcade matchmaking to even get a chance at seeing custom maps, and you can’t download any you stumble on to replay later. Standard members can join Club servers to have a bit more control, but they can’t really participate directly beyond that. Serious track creators will also need to cough up the annual cash for either paid tier, as the advanced track editor (which unlocks tools vital to making anything more than a basic course) is only available for subscribers.
The free tier only
The cheaper Standard tier
The all-in Club tier
I'm not going to play it
There are certainly people who enjoy Trackmania for its single-player elements alone, which includes free official tracks quarterly, and the F2P tier will no doubt be exciting for that type of player. But for anyone who wants to see the full depth of what Trackmania has to offer, you’re going to end up wanting the most expensive option eventually. You can find all the details of what’s in each tier in this almost comically convoluted chart, a perfect example of how this system is an overcomplicated and unnerving cloud hanging over the entire experience.
Whether you’re playing free or paid, Trackmania’s fancy new graphics at least makes everything look and feel fresh – it’s not going to stand up to the latest Forza or Gran Turismo, but this more lighthearted take on racing isn’t exactly trying to. Cars have a great sheen to them that persists even as you pick up speed and focus on the road ahead.
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 subscript...
- Alex Santa Maria
Feb 9, 2022 · Trackmania (TM) is the world’s most competitive racing game. First released in 2003, this evergreen franchise really hit its stride in 2008 with the release of TM Nations Forever. Why? Well, it was free-to-play. The game then passed through several evolutions, including the gorgeously designed Trackmania Turbo.
Jul 13, 2020 · Trackmania has finally launched for PC and despite being the latest entry in a rather niche franchise it still manages to deliver a robust experience.
Oct 1, 2018 · TrackMania has been reviewed by 18 critics and currently has a 'Fair' rating. Read and browse them all to learn what the top critics in the video game industry are saying.
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Jun 30, 2020 · Trackmania (2020) reviewed by Alex Santa Maria on PC. Trackmania modernizes the series' signature speedy time trials, but its off-putting subscription model ...
- 6 min
- 305.7K
- IGN
Jul 1, 2020 · 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.
