TrackMania Sunrise Hands-On

TrackMania Sunrise is the sequel to TrackMania, and developer Nadeo is playing it safe in terms of features. Not surprisingly, you can expect the same simple and enjoyable racing action that was the hallmark of the original game, though with a new tropical feel. We had a chance to check out the game at London's Game Stars Live show this week for some impressions.

The sequel takes its name from the fact that it has a Pacific flavor, with a lot of tropical-style tracks and environments you can race around. You can still design your own over-the-top courses and then race on them, of course. You can do complete loops, as well as insane jumps after picking up an obscene amount of speed on a downhill run.

Needless to say, the racing itself is extremely fast and even seems a bit faster than the original. For instance, you can take your sports car to speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour. And multiplayer will once again play a major role in the game, though you can still drive against computer-controlled opponents. Expect TrackMania Sunrise to ship early next year.