Trackmania 2 Lagoon Release Date Announced
Nadeo have revelaed the release date for Trackmania 2 Lagoon, the latest addition to their arcade racing game. It’s going to come out on PC on May 23rd, and it’s going to introduce tropical islands as a racing environment. They’ve given us just a tiny bit of info apart from that, but they were more than interested to show off the updates to the Maniaplanet client, which will morph into version 4 today.
The new expansion will feature 65 tracks in a magical island getaway, playable through six different multiplayer game modes, and a bunch of that tropical stuff for the level editor. They haven’t mentioned the cost, but it’s probably going to be in line with previous Trackmania 2 releases – which means either $10 or $20. The downside is that it’s going to further segregate the player base, separating the haves from the have-nots.
The blog post was more concerned with letting us know that Maniaplanet is getting updated to version 4 today. The developers promise better performance, new ways to peruse user made stuff, and improved editing tools. There have been some changes to previous Trackmania titles, as well as Shootmania, but they seem to pale in comparison.
The biggest thing (from an outsider’s perspective) are the new tools. They should allow easier and more detailed vehicle customization, as well as more streamlined map creation. They’ve also added a 3D mesh modeler, which should allow mod and track creators to make their own custom models from scratch, which may well mean endless possibilities. Exciting times for TM fans, no doubt.
On the other hand, a lot of people are still recommending Trackmania United Forever over the new ones, simply by virtue of being able to buy it once and get all the environments, tracks and vehicles at once. It seems this is the last hurdle Nadeo will have to overcome in order to truly surpass their earlier work.
