ManiaDrive

When it comes to racing-games I have always prefered the arcade-ish variety. Games like Need for Speed, Daytona USA or Destruction Derby have got a lot of game-time from me. For some reason, this type of game seem more common on consoles, where I spend most of my gaming time. Racing games for PC tend to be of the simulation variety, and while these games are nice and I understand why they are liked, I wish there were more of the type where the break button is rarely used or not included at all. :)

Today's game DOES need a bit of speed moderation, but it is certainly of the more arcadey type. ManiaDrive is all about time trials, passing through complex levels as fast as possible and playing them again and again in order to shave off a few hundreds of a second from your latest record. Similar in style to Trackmania, levels are short but complicated with everything from huge jumps to giant loops to drive through. Car physics are quick and hard to master, but lets you do amazing feats of curve-taking once learned. This is where ManiaDrive excells, as it gives a perfect "One More Try"-mentality.

There's also online rankings and a fantastic soundtrack which really fits the frantic gameplay. With loads of tracks and plenty of challenge, ManiaDrive is worth a try! Download here!

Graphics are not fantastic, but it does look better in motion.