Reviews// Trackmania Turbo

I focus on trying to finish in the top 50, which might seem a bit of a tame target but it's harder than you think. In some cases getting to the end of a course is hard enough, but with so many racers improving on their laps as time ticks away you'll find your early attempts slide down the league quicker than Crystal Palace this season.

Once the race is over you're put straight into a new one and despite telling yourself that this next one will be your last, it'll be a good hour or so before you're truly ready to turn off your console.

If facing off against 99 strangers in real time doesn't do it for you (though it really should) then there's Buddy challenges to get stuck into. These challenges can be played asynchronously so even if you can't find the time to race head to head you've got the option to take each other on whenever it suits you. Everything is customisable from setting how many days your mates have to complete their attempt to limiting how many tries they have.

I'm currently in a battle with Sean Bell of Midnight Resistance to see who can finish his custom course in the quickest time. At the time of writing I'm ahead by a few seconds but am dreading the tweet I'm bound to get from him with his improved effort, damning me to another night of playing his track over and over again to try to reclaim my honour.

And that's the other side of Trackmania that gives the series longevity. The create-a-track mode may seem basic at first, but it's deep enough and simple enough to put together challenging courses and upload to a friend's console that you'll be drawn to it more than you think and it's hard to make a course that doesn't create some form of drama along the way.

Local multi-player fans have a couple of options. Double Driver mode is a fun gimmick if nothing else. You both drive the same car and the game averages out inputs and goes with somewhere in the middle. It's not something you'll play more than a couple of times but can be a good laugh after an evening in the pub.

We're also treated to the seemingly extinct Split Screen mode and although I've not been in a situation to try it out yet, I'm glad it's there for when I am.

Trackmania as a series has always been pretty prominent and although this is the first I've played it's been almost impossible to ignore. Whenever game of the year discussions start bubbling there always seems to be a couple of people who'll put the latest iteration forward.

I'll be honest, I'd always seen those people as trying to be quirky, offering something out of the norm to try and say “Hey, look at me, I'm not like you guys, I like this arcade racer more than those shooters you all seem to love”.

But as with many things in life, I'm wrong and far too quick to judge. Trackmania Turbo is an absolute steal for its £25 price point and I can't recommend it enough for anyone who likes driving games, from Mario Kart fans to the Forza hardcore.

It may be stripped back from what we're used to, but that's what makes this game so damn good.

Pros:
+ 100 car races
+ Buddy Challenges
+ Racing at its best

Cons:
- Not much at all!

SPOnG Score: 9/10