TrackMania² Canyon

68%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,359 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
TrackMania² Canyon Game Cover
Almost everything youd want of a TrackMania, but as a TrackMania 2 it leaves a lot to be desired, and hopefully fixed.
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"TrackMania² Canyon is a high-speed racing game with a focus on creative track building and customization. Experience the thrill of racing on sensational tracks in a beautifully designed canyon environment, with improved graphics and realistic handling. The game offers both solo and multiplayer modes, and provides intuitive and accessible gameplay while allowing for enhanced creative freedom. "

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Uplay
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

68%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,359 reviews
graphics74 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions
  • Fun, fast-paced gameplay that is easy to pick up but tough to master.
  • Great graphics and a variety of creative tracks, including user-generated content.
  • Satisfying drifting mechanics that enhance the racing experience.
  • Invasive and buggy account setup, making it difficult to access the game.
  • The game can feel repetitive due to its focus on time trials with no collisions.
  • Recent updates have downgraded graphics and removed features like split-screen.
  • graphics128 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players praising their beauty and realism, especially for a title from 2011, while others express disappointment over recent downgrades and reduced lighting quality. Overall, the visuals are often described as impressive and eye-catching, contributing positively to the gameplay experience, although some users note that the graphics are not the primary focus of the game. Despite some criticisms, the game is generally regarded as having good graphics that can run well on a variety of PC configurations.

    • “Beautiful graphics, tight controls, fun track design, great multiplayer ecosystem, and track editor.”
    • “The graphics are much better than Trackmania United, showing off crystal-clear textures and some very nice filters and reflection effects.”
    • “The improved graphics and visual damage system are spectacular and just what the series needed.”
    • “Update downgraded the graphics and removed features for no reason.”
    • “With the recent graphics downgrade and split screen removal, this is nowhere near the game it once was.”
    • “Not just a graphics downgrade (from a Ubisoft title, what a shock), but flat out stripping features such as split-screen multiplayer from the game.”
  • gameplay70 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its engaging drift mechanics and a low skill floor that allows for easy accessibility, while still offering a high skill ceiling for mastery. Players appreciate the unique environments, fun maps, and the competitive nature of racing against others on custom tracks, although some find the physics and car handling frustrating at times. Overall, the game is described as addictive and visually appealing, despite some criticisms regarding user interface and mechanics.

    • “The low skill floor but high skill ceiling of the gameplay, coupled with the absolutely insane bite-sized tracks and eye candy visuals, makes this game a must buy.”
    • “Most satisfying drift mechanics I've ever experienced in a racing game.”
    • “The gameplay is crazy, the difficulty tests your perseverance, the modes are fun, track-building is like a childhood dream come true, and it's very addictive.”
    • “Mistake to buy, not a user-friendly interface and mechanics are wack.”
    • “This game's menu and log-in system is so ridiculous and convoluted I couldn't even get into the gameplay mode.”
    • “Don't be fooled by this game, bad mechanics, crashes all the time... just a waste of money, please don't buy it, it sucks a lot.”
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the Trackmania series is generally praised for its fitting and energetic soundtracks, particularly highlighting the techno background music that enhances the fast-paced gameplay. While some users note that the in-game music can become repetitive and that there are occasional bugs, many consider it to be one of the best aspects of the games, providing an enjoyable audio experience that complements the racing action. Overall, the sound design, including sound effects, is regarded as decent, contributing positively to the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “A must buy if you love an arcade racer with fast-paced action, death-defying stunts, adrenaline-pumping tracks, and awesome techno background music.”
    • “Any person who has spent a lot of time playing games from the franchise will immediately recognize that this is still the same game engine as the one behind the previous games, but with a completely reworked canyon mod, much fancier graphics, new music, and a new car that is so amazingly pleasing to drift with.”
    • “Also the game has the best music ever.”
    • “- sometimes music bugs”
    • “- engine sound is really bad and in-game music gets really repetitive.”
    • “Hey there little Jimmy, do you like cheesy fast-paced electronic music in multiplayer?”
  • optimization26 mentions

    Overall, the game is well-optimized, with users reporting good performance across a range of hardware, including lower-end machines. While the graphics may not be impressive, the game runs smoothly without significant issues, allowing for a focus on skill optimization and competitive play. However, car customization options are limited, as performance remains consistent regardless of visual modifications.

    • “There's an endless pursuit of skill optimization.”
    • “Game is well optimized as a whole as I haven't come across any issues relating to it.”
    • “Complimenting the challenge is the great aesthetics and performance.”
    • “The car customization is non-existent, but what I am very happy about is that with mods you can change your car model to anything you want without changing the performance!”
    • “Max graphics is laughable for a GTX 1070, and when you drop them down, many lower-end machines can get playable performance.”
    • “There are no ways to modify the body or performance of the car.”
  • humor19 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players frequently laughing at the amusing animations and quirky visuals, such as funny-looking rocks and race car antics. Many users find that the lightheartedness of the game helps alleviate frustration from failures, turning potential setbacks into moments of joy. Overall, the game successfully incorporates humor, making it an enjoyable experience that encourages players to share funny stories and engage with each other.

    • “Instead of getting upset about myself after failing a track, I always burst out laughing upon seeing the funny animations.”
    • “This game has great visuals and left me laughing multiple times.”
    • “Funny story, I managed to nail a skip on one of the levels a while back which propelled me to the number four spot on my backwater, irrelevant country's leaderboard.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to start off rewarding but quickly devolve into tedium, with many expressing that the repetitive nature and frequent restarts detract from the overall enjoyment. While the game has its merits, the consensus is that it leans too heavily on grindy mechanics, making it feel more tedious than fun.

    • “What starts out as rewarding just becomes tedious.”
    • “It gets very, very tedious.”
    • “Bottom line: games should be fun more than tedious.”
  • story12 mentions

    The game's story is minimal, with most players noting that it primarily focuses on gameplay rather than a narrative. While there is some semblance of a story, it lacks depth and structure, such as a campaign or proper leveling system, making it feel secondary to the gameplay experience.

    • “The game focuses solely on gameplay, leaving no room for a meaningful story.”
    • “While there is a story present, the majority of the game is centered around gameplay mechanics.”
    • “There is a lack of a core game structure, such as a campaign or proper leveling system, which detracts from the overall story experience.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game's stability is marred by a problematic and invasive account setup process that was not disclosed on the Steam page, leading to a frustrating user experience. While the game performs well visually and technically, issues arise when downloading outside of Steam, which is described as buggy. Additionally, player population can be sparse, though servers are generally not completely empty.

    • “The game looks and runs great; the only downside is that there's not always a lot of people on, though I've yet to see a completely empty server list!”
    • “Invasive and buggy account setup, which was not advertised on the Steam page.”
    • “Downloading the game not through Steam is also super buggy and the dumbest design idea ever.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's graphics and canyon setting are praised for creating a visually stunning atmosphere; however, many users feel that the lack of dynamic elements, such as wildlife or aircraft, detracts from the overall immersive experience.

    • “The graphics are amazing, and the canyon setting creates a captivating atmosphere.”
    • “The stunning visuals contribute significantly to the immersive atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The environment feels alive, enhancing the overall atmosphere with its detailed landscapes.”
    • “There's no real atmosphere.”
    • “There's no birds flying around, or planes flying over or anything to add some atmosphere to the game.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The latest iteration of Trackmania offers exceptional replayability, with users praising its addictive track design, deep editing modes, and competitive leaderboards that enhance the experience. The game is described as fun and accessible, providing nearly infinite replay value at a good price.

    • “Lots of fun and has endless replay value.”
    • “The latest iteration of Trackmania delivers high amounts of fun and nearly infinite replayability for a good price.”
    • “[Easy to get to grips with, gorgeously accessible handling and drift, addictive track design, leaderboards increase replay value, deep track editing modes, a lot of tracks.]”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization of the game has been criticized for its excessive advertisements, which detract from the user experience and create confusion in the poorly designed menus. Players feel that the £16 price tag is unjustified given the prevalence of ads and the lack of sales.

    • “My main gripe, however, is that even though I'd be expected to pay £16 for this normally and it never goes on sale, the game is covered with bleeding advertisements.”
    • “Not to mention that even if I could, the menus were so insanely stupidly designed that I couldn't tell if I was looking at ads or content that I already owned.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, feeling that it penalizes skillful play by rewarding precision with increased difficulty in subsequent segments. This creates an emotional tension between the desire to excel and the game's punitive design choices.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

84% average critic score

Buy TrackMania² Canyon

Play time

763hMedian play time
525hAverage play time
50-1000hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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