Trackmania 2, Can You...

So my first impressions of this game weren't that great, but on my second attempt... it was much better! Maybe this was due to the fact that I tried it myself first, and played together with a friend the second time. TrackMania is just one of those games that are meant to be multiplayer, truly, and racing against someone with a more relatable skill-set is a completely different experience than training against the former shadows of yourself or the built-in AI. I love the graphics, and the improved handling, and the fact that vehicles are damaged if you drive recklessly (though it's all aesthetic the engine doesn't wear down), but... there are a few bugs.

Firstly, the first player in the list of players... doesn't get to drive first! It's odd, because the order doesn't seem to be alphabetical either. With two players, Cyber and David (listed in that order): David starts, every... time! I'm wondering if starting is a handicap for users who lose the most... since he does. But then again, when trying new tracks going first is actually not an advantage, so this doesn't make sense at all.

Second, selecting multiple maps in Hotseat mode still only lets you play the first one! There's no trouble with downloaded maps, but for this specifically... we just couldn't play more than the first map. ARGH! Might have something to do with the fact that I haven't completed any levels on Single Player... but then that should be mentioned, shouldn't it?

Third, if you keep the gas peddle pressed down and restart, sometimes the car just doesn't drive. You need to tap the pedal first. Gets a bit annoying when you're restarting plenty of times and you have to restart even more just to really get a good start.

Well, that's really it. Apart from these minor bugs, it's a great game! The 'official' level set is a bit limited, and you only get one theme for each game (I'm playing Canyon)... but with the user-created content that doesn't bother me much. As with all TM games, this bodes for countless hours of entertaining driving.

 rated 3/5: not bad