Trackmania 2 Canyon

[Anakha56]

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011 ... mpaign=rss

Trackmania 2 Canyon on PC re-introduces play to racing games
By Ben Kuchera | Published about 2 hours ago

All games are about play, but it's the rare game that actually gives you a sense of play. The best games can be a celebration of fun, and a safe place to try new things without fear of a bad outcome. Trackmania 2 Canyon carves out a unique space in the world of racing games in order to provide that sense of play, and it's thrilling. It's hard to find games that have this sense of spirit, while excelling in design and execution.

The game's beta offers only online play, and while there are multiple modes, most servers are playing Time Attack. This game mode puts you on a track and gives you a set amount of time to get the best possible time finishing the track. So for five minutes you race around and try to find the best path while mastering each curve and trick. There is very little respect for real-world physics here, and the tracks themselves introduce stomach-churning jumps, loops, and vertical surfaces to race up. You'll see your car take damage when you crash, but this doesn't change how it handles. If you crash, you're merely placed back at the starting point to try again.

The low cost of failure and the ability to make multiple runs at the track during the time given makes it feel like the developers have carved out a bubble of gameplay you can enter and go crazy in. All that matters is your best time, and you have plenty of chances to achieve it. Messing up isn't frustrating, it's just part of the learning process.

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Cant wait for this game. Loved the first one and spent countless hours trying to get the best racing line...

[Ron2K]

Count me in for this one! (And we should have a forum gaming session as well...)

[Anakha56]

I agree!