All games are about play, but it's the rare game that actually gives you a sense of play. The best games can be a celebration of fun, and a safe place to try new things without fear of a bad outcome. Trackmania 2 Canyon carves out a unique space in the world of racing games in order to provide that sense of play, and it's thrilling. It's hard to find games that have this sense of spirit, while excelling in design and execution.

The game's beta offers only online play, and while there are multiple modes, most servers are playing Time Attack. This game mode puts you on a track and gives you a set amount of time to get the best possible time finishing the track. So for five minutes you race around and try to find the best path while mastering each curve and trick. There is very little respect for real-world physics here, and the tracks themselves introduce stomach-churning jumps, loops, and vertical surfaces to race up. You'll see your car take damage when you crash, but this doesn't change how it handles. If you crash, you're merely placed back at the starting point to try again.

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The low cost of failure and the ability to make multiple runs at the track during the time given makes it feel like the developers have carved out a bubble of gameplay you can enter and go crazy in. All that matters is your best time, and you have plenty of chances to achieve it. Messing up isn't frustrating, it's just part of the learning process.

The game's controls are simple: you can play using just the arrow keys to turn and speed up or slow down. The backspace button resets your car at the beginning of the track. You'll be racing against the times of other cars, and you'll even see them on the track, but you can't interact with them directly; your car passes through theirs. Still, you can watch them attempt things and see how successful or disastrous those attempts are as they race. You can see them fall for the same traps or misdirections the tracks sometime put in front of you. There is nothing they can do to hurt you, so there is no griefing on the track.

The game allows you to paint your own car, and the process is simple. The game also comes with a track editor, and the servers are already choked with high-quality user-created content. When you play a new track, it's thrilling to realize that many of the players are seeing each turn for the first time as well. You're all working together to figure it out, while competing against one another to score the best time. It's like sharing a playground filled with wonderfully imaginative things to climb on and explore: none of the other kids can touch you, but you can learn from what they do.

The game feels safe and enjoyable from the jump, and the community so far has been welcoming. The Trackmania series has always enjoyed a large fanbase around the world, and you can race under any flag you choose, although the game can suggest servers close to you to avoid lag. Still, since there is no direct interaction between players and the only thing that matters is your time, you can effectively play against anyone, anywhere in the world. It's a fun way to cheat your way past the limitations of international play.

It doesn't hurt that the game looks absolutely amazing, either. After maxing out the graphical settings the game looks like an ultra-realistic place with physics and tracks that go beyond the "arcade" designation, screaming straight into "why the hell not?" territory.

The game will be released for the PC on September 14 for $25, and if you preorder the game you can download and play the multiplayer beta. Once the full game is released I'll explore the other game modes and options, but for now this single mode has me locked in a loop of almost surreal fun. Once you join a server, it's nearly impossible to walk away; you never know what you'll see in the next track.