TrackMania Nations: Electronic Sports World Cup

"Addictive Multiplayer Fun"

Well, I expect if you are reading this, then you may well be thinking the same thing as I was before I decided to download it, which was something along the lines of "What is it? Why is it free? It must be poor..."

Now I had heard of the previous two Nadeo installments of Trackmania and Trackmania Sunrise, but never picked them up as I was always unsure of their potential. After playing Nations, I can assure you that this has become one of the most addicting games I have ever played and will be testing the others as soon as I get myself away from Nations!

If you're looking for a hugely addictive arcade racer, with a friendly community and plenty of choice of tracks, this is for you. Simulation this is not, but that doesn't mean it detracts from the racing experience.

So, here goes...

Graphics - 7/10

For a free game and a relatively small download size of 250MB or so, I was expecting the graphics to be pretty poor. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the graphics and the amount of options to tweak. This is no half-hearted demo, this has some serious quality. You can of course choose from the usual variety of resolutions, including widescreen options. You have plenty of options to fiddle with in terms of AA, AF and car, track and option quality.

It runs very smoothly online and the simplicity of the graphics mean that it will run well on most machines. I have everything on high settings, full AA/AF at 1024*768 on an X800XT and still pull well over 40FPS at all times online. Each track is in the setting of the stadium - there is no variation in the overall environment here or tracks pieces, which leads to a slightly negative point if you have an unimaginative track maker!

Nevertheless, all of the elements are solid, the colour palette on the cars is varied and you won't have too much chance to notice the lack of scenery as you blast past at breakneck speed. The cars all look the same, just with different colour schemes, but there are always mods to change that.

Gameplay - 10/10

Gameplay is of course the most important aspect of any given game and for some reason that I still cannot quite fathom after months of playing, something about this game keeps you coming back for more. When you first begin the game, you might find that you want to jump into the solo mode or the editor if you love track making. I would say that is a good idea for half an hour or so, just to get you used to the speed and handling of the cars.

As soon as you join the 850,000 people who have also downloaded this game (at the time of writing) you'll probably be slightly overwhelmed by the sheer number of servers and tracks that are on show. This is a major plus to the game - the community is massive and as a consequence of that, there is new content coming out every single hour of every day. The cars can be skinned (though you need a TMO or TMS CD Key to see them online), the tracks online are mainly made by the members of the community and are constantly changing, so you will never get bored. There are several mappers out there with lots of skill, so there is most certainly a lot of scope for the future.

France and Germany have the most popular and greatest number of servers, but most countries will have in the region of 10-30 servers, with each game boasting any number of slots. It can be as high as 120 per game, but server sizes are usually best with around 30-40 other players.

Gameplay is fast and furious with you competing for the best time on each track. The majority of online servers are in time attack mode (a basic time trial mode where you have a limited time to post your best lap). There is also a rounds mode, where each user gets one attempt at the track and depending on your final position, you will score a number of points. After several rounds, the winner is the player with the most points. In time attack mode, you can reset as many times as you like, whereas in rounds mode, you have to wait until everyone has finished their lap to continue the next game.

Most competitions take the form of rounds mode, where consistency and speed is key. There are multiple competitions to get involved with to represent yourself or your country (Nations Cup, Map Contests, Clan Matches, 5vs5 Tournaments etc.) so if you enjoy playing in a clan, go for this game. I always vowed that I would not join one, but here I am, playing for my country and enjoying every minute of it - the community is a significant plus to this game - in general, people are friendly, especially to new players and keen to help people improve their skills.

The actual racing is generally fast paced - controls and feel are simplistic and arcade like - accelerate, brake, left, right and reset are all you will need to race. You can easily use a gamepad with this game if you prefer, but other than comfort, the gamepad gives no advantage over the keyboard. The tracks vary from slower technical tracks to super fast tracks with huge jumps, loops and wallrides. You'll have to adapt your style as you come across every new track and this keeps the game challenging. Arcade handling and close racing come to the fore, though it should also be noted that this is a non-contact sport; whilst you can see the other cars, you will drive through them.

Sound - 5/10

Quite honestly, the engine noise is pretty poor in the game and the lack of any real music or other sound means that you can't really rate the sound very highly as it is repetitive and uninspired. It gets a 5 due to the ease in which you can have your own music playing in the background! It takes up very few resources whilst running, so you shouldn't have too much trouble adapting the soundtrack to your tastes.

Replayability - 9/10

This is quite simply a game that you will keep wanting to come back to. It may take away your life if you aren't careful. If you are interested in scores, there is a ranking system, though inevitably these are highly contested and your chances of becoming number 1 are virtually non-existent unless you put in hours of practice and play 24/7 for the next month! I've played this game for more time than is healthy and I'm nowhere near bored yet. It has kept me away from Toca 3, Oblivion and FEAR, all of which I was highly anticipating before I stumbled across this one day.

Closing Comments

You can't go far wrong with a free game - you have nothing to lose by giving it a go, and you never know...you might just enjoy it!

It is a superbly addictive, stable and satisfying online experience. If you enjoy multiplayer gaming, this is probably for you. With a friendly community and ever changing content, this is a game which takes 10 minutes to pick up, but may well take 10 years to put down.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/21/06