Developer: Nadeo/Focus
Platform: PC
Review: Jason Round

Trackmania has an absolutely massive online following, and really the only other game I can equate it to is Counterstrike. I can also tell you that the gamers out there in the WWW are also damn good, especially some 10-year-old in Prague who repeatedly kicked my ass. Damn Europeans… United brings together the best of the previous Trackmania titles, including Sunrise and Nations, for an all-over experience of stronger gameplay, more crazy tracks and even more customisation thanks to a few tweaks to the track editor. If you’re not familiar with the game, it basically involves flingin’ cars around ridiculous tracks complete with jumps, corkscrews, crazy turns and obstacles in order to either race, solve puzzles and even ‘synchronise stunt dive’ in that latest incarnation. It’s just straight-up fun incarnate. Now, previous versions were fast, and this one is no different, with a truly uncanny feeling of speed. As always, though, it is a little strange never being able to collide into anyone, but that only adds to the speedy feeling.

Single-player mode now features over 200 new tracks, some of which are diabolically hard, but the best part about it is that you’re ranked according to your country or region, and thus the snivelling 10-year-old ‘Praguian’. In fact, it seems everyone from the ‘ze Germans’ through to our cousins over the ditch were ripping me a new one, but it definitely adds a very international flavour to the game.

Graphics are up a notch, and modest-to-high specs mean most should be able to run fairly high modes on their home PC. That also goes for the ‘new’ editor, which now features over 1000 construction blocks, including dirt, water and sand dunes among other things, with dirt racing now a feature of the main game. For those with a creative side, you can also hit up the paint-shop to deck out your ride in the latest QSR pink/purple candy.

Head online and you’ll soon see the amazing versatility offered by the multiplayer world, including the ability to switch cars and skins, join clubs and, our personal fave, exchange tracks and stunt videos. Everything done, this is a fantastic evolution of what was already a very strong title. In saying you won’t regret your purchase, we stand United.

5/5