Trackmania Turbo scratched an itch I never knew I had. We were racing, but it was only ever against the clock, trying our best to hit every apex and braking spot to aim for the best time. Sure, many games have done time trials for a racing game, but Trackmania Turbo built an entire game around them. It remains one of my favourite racing games as a result. And unfortunately, the more recent series reboot, Trackmania, failed to live up to it.
But along comes Phantom Spark, inspired by not only Trackmania, but also WipeOut and F-Zero. And with it, I consider my itch once again scratched.
Phantom Spark is a racing game where you compete on over 30 tracks and aim for the fastest time possible. You know a time trial game is getting into the minutiae of beating your PBs when it measures your time to thousandths of a second.
There are three domains to conquer, with each one home to a different champion. Obviously, the more you progress, the harder things will get. The champions aren’t there to trash talk you however, they want a decent challenge themselves. Manage to earn a medal on a level, and they will instantly reply with a faster time for you to beat. This time around though, you can see the champion’s ghost as well as your fastest one too, to give you an indication as to whether you are improving or not.
Phantom Spark is interesting in that simply posting a time isn’t enough. Each level has different tiers and posting faster times, earning better medals and beating the champions on each one increases your tier rating, up to a maximum of four. But reaching Tier four will require almost flawless runs.
Each domain brings its own visual style, but mostly these worlds are full of architecture and skyboxes that feel ethereal and otherworldly. And yet, more believable than some of the levels in Trackmania Turbo. There are fewer death-defying loops or chasms to navigate, but that doesn’t mean that Phantom Spark isn’t without its challenges. Each domain has its own look and feel, and each has their own unique quirk which also needs to be factored in.
There is something almost zen-like to Phantom Spark that is rarely felt in a racing game. That could be down to a variety of factors: the lack of a numerical speedometer, or any indication of your time whilst racing. The UI is so minimalist, aside from a bar at the bottom indicating some sort of speed, but it works. Or it could be the liquid drum and bass soundtrack that effortlessly chills you out.
It could even be the interactions with the characters. They all come across as friendly without being too saccharine. They know you are here to beat their times, and will almost encourage you to do so. And whenever their drawing pops up on screen, or tucked away in one corner with some words of wisdom, it does remind of the fantastic cast in Hades. Just far less thirst-inducing. But maybe they will for you. Each to their own and that.
Or, it could be something far simpler. Yes, you are racing in these time trials, but throughout Phantom Spark, these levels are not referred to once as racetracks. They are simply called pathways. That in itself is enough to help you achieve an ultimate level of zen in a game that would otherwise test your very foundations, shaving milliseconds off personal bests.
It’s almost poetic, and perfectly encapsulates the overall aesthetic for Phantom Spark.
Each domain also features a couple of extra trials, conveniently known as trials. These are far shorter courses than the main ones, but again encourage that replayability by offering you two times to beat. But despite the shorter length, there is little room for error. Thankfully, a quick tap of the Y button means you can quickly restart any trial or pathway from the beginning again.
There are also a couple of multiplayer modes thrown in for good measure. Standard split-screen mode is available across any of the main pathways. But hotseat mode is a real tactical affair. Players take turns to complete a pathway in the fastest time possible. Each player has a timer that depletes until you can no longer post a time. Do you run the risk of restarting a potentially good run just before the timer reaches zero and go into overtime for your last run? It’s probably the most heated that Phantom Spark gets, but it makes for a lot of fun too.
A lack of individual levels in Phantom Spark is far from a dealbreaker. There may only be just over 30 pathways here, but each one feels well crafted in a world that feels familiar yet completely alien at the same time. Phantom Spark is most definitely a racing game, but it isn’t necessarily one for the purists out there. No speedometer, hardly any engine noises and no real opponents may put traditional petrolheads off. But for those looking for a chillout, zen-like racing game, look no further than Phantom Spark.
