The new Trackmania title is finally out! I've been playing it since it released a couple of hours ago, and it's a nice update to the series. It's a bit buggy at the moment, but the issues will no...
The new Trackmania title is finally out! I've been playing it since it released a couple of hours ago, and it's a nice update to the series. It's a bit buggy at the moment, but the issues will no doubt be patched soon.
Some quick pointers for anyone interested:
The game is free! Kind of! Its intro tier (far more than a demo) gives you a good amount to do in the game which will definitely let you know whether or not you want to pay money for it. As someone who loves the series, ponying up the full cost of the game was the easiest of decisions for me, and I'm very happy it's a single cost and the game isn't filled with microtransactions.
It's available through Uplay and the Epic Game Store, but apparently the EGS release will just launch Uplay, so it's easiest to get it through Uplay unless you don't mind nesting launchers.
I haven't tried it out on Linux but plan to do so soon once I figure out how. It did not work for me. This person got it working though, so YMMV, Linux users.
The game has a very low skill floor and a very high skill ceiling, so it is easy to get into and stays fun for a long, long time as you improve at the game.
Trackmania isn't like a regular racing game and is more of a multi-player time-trial challenge. Racers all together get a finite amount of time on a track to try to post the best time, starting and restarting whenever they want. You can't collide with other racers, and the game's physics are very precise and replicable, so it's all about skillful driving. Shaving millseconds off your time as you master the controls and tracks is an amazing feeling.
Because the game was just released, there aren't a ton of great custom maps, but Trackmania is known for its user content. In a month or two there will be thousands of amazing user-made maps across various different genres. It's the Mario Maker of racing games.
If you want to watch someone playing it live, check out Riolu on Twitch. He's one of the best TM players in the world, and even he is struggling with the new ice blocks they added!
Keep in mind that the game, while highly competitive, isn't entirely serious either. Sometimes maps are meant to be funny or ridiculous. It's part of the game's low-key charm. :)
This series has the chillest multiplayer community I've ever experienced. I've never seen the kind of rage and bile that are common for other games.
Anyway, if you've never played a Trackmania, this new entry is a great way to get in on the game and see if it's for you. Also, if you have any questions about the series, let me know. It's my very favorite gaming series of all time, and I've put thousands of hours in across its various releases.
I decided to give it a download following your recommendation. The game is fun. Controls are just as tight as I remember. I'm not a huge fan of the frequent gimmicks (slowmo, fragile, ice). But...
I decided to give it a download following your recommendation. The game is fun. Controls are just as tight as I remember.
I'm not a huge fan of the frequent gimmicks (slowmo, fragile, ice). But once I finished the tutorial and started on the, I guess, "regular tracks", I started enjoying it more. It would definitely be fun to compete with friends on.
Yeah, the tutorial levels are really just there to teach the concepts. I think it's actually a bad introduction to the game, IMO, as they're very un-fun. The Summer 2020 levels by Nadeo do a...
Yeah, the tutorial levels are really just there to teach the concepts. I think it's actually a bad introduction to the game, IMO, as they're very un-fun. The Summer 2020 levels by Nadeo do a (mostly) good job of incorporating the gimmicks while being much more fun but, like you, I tend to prefer levels that are more just about driving and navigation. I spent a couple of hours on a fullspeed club server and there was nary a gimmick block in sight (save for the turbos, which I don't mind at all).
Totally understandable if you're not up for that. They did the buy-once model with the whole Trackmania 2 line of releases, so if you're interested in the series they're definitely worth getting....
Totally understandable if you're not up for that. They did the buy-once model with the whole Trackmania 2 line of releases, so if you're interested in the series they're definitely worth getting. Trackmania United Forever, while dated, is also great value for your money.
For me, I don't mind the subscription model given that Trackmania is a multiplayer-focused game that has continual costs for server upkeep. I'm also hoping the free-into-paid model will help bolster the playerbase like it did back with Nations. One of the downsides of the TM2 series is that they didn't pull in a lot of new players. Consequently, some are dead or close to it. I've recently been playing Lagoon and only once have I seen other players on multiplayer servers.
Furthermore, I don't mind the cost, as the total price and duration of the subscription are far from onerous in my opinion. I paid the equivalent of a single full-priced AAA game and am fully subscribed for the next three years. Even if the game dies after that (please no!), I'll still have gotten far more than my money's worth in that time.
The new Trackmania title is finally out! I've been playing it since it released a couple of hours ago, and it's a nice update to the series. It's a bit buggy at the moment, but the issues will no doubt be patched soon.
Some quick pointers for anyone interested:
The game is free! Kind of! Its intro tier (far more than a demo) gives you a good amount to do in the game which will definitely let you know whether or not you want to pay money for it. As someone who loves the series, ponying up the full cost of the game was the easiest of decisions for me, and I'm very happy it's a single cost and the game isn't filled with microtransactions.
It's available through Uplay and the Epic Game Store, but apparently the EGS release will just launch Uplay, so it's easiest to get it through Uplay unless you don't mind nesting launchers.
If you decide you want to pay for the game, here is the needlessly confusing breakdown of what you get. Here is a better breakdown, but I still put it on Nadeo for making things unnecessarily confusing.
I haven't tried it out on Linux but plan to do so soon once I figure out how.It did not work for me. This person got it working though, so YMMV, Linux users.The game has a very low skill floor and a very high skill ceiling, so it is easy to get into and stays fun for a long, long time as you improve at the game.
Trackmania isn't like a regular racing game and is more of a multi-player time-trial challenge. Racers all together get a finite amount of time on a track to try to post the best time, starting and restarting whenever they want. You can't collide with other racers, and the game's physics are very precise and replicable, so it's all about skillful driving. Shaving millseconds off your time as you master the controls and tracks is an amazing feeling.
Because the game was just released, there aren't a ton of great custom maps, but Trackmania is known for its user content. In a month or two there will be thousands of amazing user-made maps across various different genres. It's the Mario Maker of racing games.
If you want to watch someone playing it live, check out Riolu on Twitch. He's one of the best TM players in the world, and even he is struggling with the new ice blocks they added!
Keep in mind that the game, while highly competitive, isn't entirely serious either. Sometimes maps are meant to be funny or ridiculous. It's part of the game's low-key charm. :)
This series has the chillest multiplayer community I've ever experienced. I've never seen the kind of rage and bile that are common for other games.
Anyway, if you've never played a Trackmania, this new entry is a great way to get in on the game and see if it's for you. Also, if you have any questions about the series, let me know. It's my very favorite gaming series of all time, and I've put thousands of hours in across its various releases.
I decided to give it a download following your recommendation. The game is fun. Controls are just as tight as I remember.
I'm not a huge fan of the frequent gimmicks (slowmo, fragile, ice). But once I finished the tutorial and started on the, I guess, "regular tracks", I started enjoying it more. It would definitely be fun to compete with friends on.
Yeah, the tutorial levels are really just there to teach the concepts. I think it's actually a bad introduction to the game, IMO, as they're very un-fun. The Summer 2020 levels by Nadeo do a (mostly) good job of incorporating the gimmicks while being much more fun but, like you, I tend to prefer levels that are more just about driving and navigation. I spent a couple of hours on a fullspeed club server and there was nary a gimmick block in sight (save for the turbos, which I don't mind at all).
More like Mario Maker is the Trackmania of platforming games. :-D
Totally understandable if you're not up for that. They did the buy-once model with the whole Trackmania 2 line of releases, so if you're interested in the series they're definitely worth getting. Trackmania United Forever, while dated, is also great value for your money.
For me, I don't mind the subscription model given that Trackmania is a multiplayer-focused game that has continual costs for server upkeep. I'm also hoping the free-into-paid model will help bolster the playerbase like it did back with Nations. One of the downsides of the TM2 series is that they didn't pull in a lot of new players. Consequently, some are dead or close to it. I've recently been playing Lagoon and only once have I seen other players on multiplayer servers.
Furthermore, I don't mind the cost, as the total price and duration of the subscription are far from onerous in my opinion. I paid the equivalent of a single full-priced AAA game and am fully subscribed for the next three years. Even if the game dies after that (please no!), I'll still have gotten far more than my money's worth in that time.
They have also released a community trailer for the game which I think does a better job of showcasing it than the launch trailer.