If you long for a racing game that does away with simulation and concentrates on arcade-style fun, then you should check out the upcoming Trackmania Turbo, the latest in the series of Trackmania titles. The racer's creator, Ubisoft, may have its hands full with The Division at the moment, but it still found time to release a trailer (below) for Turbo's many multiplayer modes.
Like most driving games, there's the traditional split screen option; this supports up to four players, turning it into a 'shared screen' mode. As you may notice in the trailer, there's the option to turn player collisions off - letting you concentrate solely on completing the course without worrying about your friends ramming into you. This feature will probably be useful for the game's online multiplayer mode, where up to 100 people can race on one track simultaneously.
There's a couple of multiplayer modes that really catch the eye; the first, called Mono Screen, brings back memories of playing the brilliant Micro Machines games from many years ago. As was the objective in that classic series, players in this mode have to stay on the screen as they race around the track or they lose a life.
There's also Stunt Mode, which gives racers a speed boost once they manage to perform a trick and land the car; a Mario Kart-style Bonus mode where players can pick up various bonuses and attacks, including a miniaturization effect, as they race around the track; and the fairly unique sounding Double Driver mode, which gives two players control over the same car. In this last mode, players must work together to steer the vehicle, which will probably lead to the end of many friendships.
Trackmania Turbo will come with 200 pre-built tracks, set over four environments: International Stadium, Canyon Grand Drift, Valley Down & Dirty and Rollercoaster Lagoon. If that's not enough, then you can build your own tracks using the game's Trackbuilder tool.
Trackmania Turbo will be available on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 24.